Online marketing platform

• US 20080313011A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.), Reputation.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Social Mecca, Inc.
• Inventors: Rose, Robert, Goodyear, Nichole, Matthews, Camille, Hung, Kelvin, Paoni, Gina, Wiles, Jeremy, Derfer, Brian Douglas, Rollins, Kevin, Seaman, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds

Abstract

Online marketing platforms are disclosed that harness user generated content to encourage the viral sharing and tracking of online marketing campaigns. One embodiment includes a campaign hosting system including a database connected to a network, a campaign creation device connected to the network and a plurality of user devices connected to the network. In addition, the campaign creation device is configured to provide campaign information to the campaign hosting system via the network, the campaign hosting system is configured to automatically create an online campaign that is customized according to the campaign information and to store the campaign as one of a plurality of online campaigns in the database, at least one of the user devices is configured to provide profile information to the campaign hosting system via the network, the campaign hosting system is configured to automatically create a user profile using the profile information and to store the user profile as one of a plurality of user profiles in the database, each user device is configured to engage with the online campaign by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network and each user device is configured to access the user profile by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

Claims

1. An online marketing platform, comprising:

a campaign hosting system including a database connected to a network;

a campaign creation device connected to the network; and

a plurality of user devices connected to the network;

wherein the campaign creation device is configured to provide campaign information to the campaign hosting system via the network;

wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to automatically create an online campaign that is customized according to the campaign information and to store the campaign as one of a plurality of online campaigns in the database;

wherein at least one of the user devices is configured to provide profile information to the campaign hosting system via the network;

wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to automatically create a user profile using the profile information and to store the user profile as one of a plurality of user profiles in the database;

wherein each user device is configured to engage with the online campaign by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network; and

wherein each user device is configured to access the user profile by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

2. The online marketing platform of claim 1, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide a campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the campaign response in the database in a way that associates the campaign response with the campaign and the user profile of the user that submitted the campaign response; and

at least one user device is configured to access the campaign response by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

3. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein the campaign is a solicitation for a response to an idea.

4. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein the campaign response is media.

5. The online marketing platform of claim 3, wherein the media is an image, an album of images, audio, a series of audio, video, a series of videos, a blog, a series of blog entries, a mashup, or a series of mashups.

6. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein:

the campaign is a solicitation for a response to a survey; and

the campaign response is a series of answers to the survey.

7. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to communicate a vote for the campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to add the vote to a vote tally for the campaign response and to store the vote tally in the database in a way that associates the vote tally with the campaign response; and

at least one user device is configured to access a real-time vote tally for the campaign response by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

8. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide a rating of the campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the rating in the database in a way that associates the rating with the campaign response; and

at least one user device is configured to access the rating by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

9. The online marketing platform of claim 8, wherein the rating is a score.

10. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide a review of the campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the review in the database in a way that associates the review with the campaign response; and

at least one user device is configured to access the review by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

11. The online marketing platform of claim 10, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide a rating of the review to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the rating of the review in the database in a way that associates the rating with the review; and

at least one user device is configured to access the rating of the review by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

12. The online marketing platform of claim 11, wherein the rating of the review is a score.

13. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide an award nomination for the campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the award nomination in the database in a way that associates the award nomination with the campaign response; and

at least one user device is configured to access the award nomination by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

14. The online marketing platform of claim 13, wherein:

the campaign hosting system is configured to provide awards to the campaign response and record the award in the database in a way that associates the award with the campaign response; and

at least one user device is configured to access the award by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

15. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide messages addressed to the user profile to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the message in the database in a way that associates the message with the user profile; and

at least one user device is configured to provide access to a user profile and retrieve messages addressed to the user profile by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

16. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide an award nomination for a user profile to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the award nomination in the database in a way that associates the award nomination with the user profile; and

at least one user device is configured to access the award nomination by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

17. The online marketing platform of claim 16, wherein:

the campaign hosting system is configured to provide awards to the user profile and record the award in the database in a way that associates the award with the user profile; and

at least one user device is configured to access the award by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network.

18. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide access information concerning a remote server to the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to use the access information to propagate the campaign response to a web page hosted by the remote server.

19. The online marketing platform of claim 18, wherein the user device is configured to access the campaign response via the remote server.

20. The online marketing platform of claim 18, wherein:

the campaign hosting system is configured to propagate the campaign response by inserting HTML code into the web page; and

the HTML code enables information concerning the submission to be retrieved from the campaign hosting system.

21. The online marketing platform of claim 2, wherein:

the campaign creation device is configured to provide access information concerning a remote server to the campaign hosting system; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to use the access information to syndicate the online campaign to a remote server.

22. The online marketing platform of claim 21, wherein the user device is configured to access the online campaign via the remote server.

23. The online marketing platform of claim 21, wherein:

the user device is configured to provide access information concerning the remote server to the campaign hosting platform; and

the campaign hosting platform is configured to use the access information to embed the online campaign within an iframe in a web page hosted by the remote server.

24. The online marketing platform of claim 1, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to track in real time the engagement of the user devices with the online campaign.

25. The online marketing platform of claim 24, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to generate a real time engagement score for the online campaign based upon tracked real time engagement.

26. The online marketing platform of claim 24, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to generate real time reports of the tracked engagement.

27. The online marketing platform of claim 24, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide a campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the campaign response in the database in a way that associates the campaign response with the campaign and the user profile of the user that submitted the campaign response;

at least one user device is configured to access the campaign response by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the submission of campaign responses.

28. The online marketing platform of claim 27, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to communicate a vote for the campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to add the vote to a vote tally for the campaign response and to store the vote tally in the database in a way that associates the vote tally with the campaign response;

at least one user device is configured to access in real-time the vote tally for the campaign response by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the votes that the campaign response receives.

29. The online marketing platform of claim 27, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide a rating of the campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the rating in the database in a way that associates the rating with the campaign response;

at least one user device is configured to access the rating by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the average rating that the campaign response receives.

30. The online marketing platform of claim 29, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide a review of the campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the review in, the database in a way that associates the review with the campaign response;

at least one user device is configured to access the review by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the number of reviews that the campaign response receives.

31. The online marketing platform of claim 30, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide a rating of the review to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the rating of the review in the database in a way that associates the rating with the review;

at least one user device is configured to access the rating of the review by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the average rating that the review receives.

32. The online marketing platform of claim 31, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to generate web pages that display a plurality of reviews ordered according to the average rating of each review.

33. The online marketing platform of claim 27, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide an award nomination for the campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the award nomination in the database in a way that associates the award nomination with the campaign response;

at least one user device is configured to access the award nomination by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the number of award nominations that the campaign response receives.

34. The online marketing platform of claim 33, wherein:

the campaign hosting system is configured to provide awards to the campaign response and record the award in the database in a way that associates the award with the campaign response;

each user device is configured to access the award by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the number of awards that the campaign response receives.

35. The online marketing platform of claim 27, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide messages recommending a campaign response to the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the number of times a campaign response is recommended.

36. The online marketing platform of claim 27, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide an award nomination for a user profile to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to store the award nomination in the database in a way that associates the award nomination with the user profile;

at least one user device is configured to access the award nomination by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the number of awards that the user profile receives.

37. The online marketing platform of claim 36, wherein:

the campaign hosting system is configured to provide awards to the user profile and record the award in the database in a way that associates the award with the user profile;

at least one user device is configured to access the award by communicating with the campaign hosting system via the network; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the number of awards that the user profile receives.

38. The online marketing platform of claim 27, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to provide access information concerning a remote server to the campaign hosting system via the network;

the campaign hosting system is configured to use the access information to propagate the campaign response to a web page hosted by the remote server; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the number of times a campaign response is propagated.

39. The online marketing platform of claim 38, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to engage with the campaign response via the remote server; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track engagement with the campaign response that occurs via the remote server.

40. The online marketing platform of claim 27, wherein:

the campaign creation device is configured to provide access information concerning a remote server to the campaign hosting system;

the campaign hosting system is configured to use the access information to syndicate the online campaign to a remote server; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track the number of sites to which a campaign is syndicated.

41. The online marketing platform of claim 40, wherein:

at least one user device is configured to engage with the online campaign via the remote server; and

the campaign hosting system is configured to track engagement with the online campaign that occurs via the remote server.

42. The online marketing platform of claim 27, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to track the geographic location of the user devices that engage with the online campaign.

43. The online marketing platform of claim 42, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to determine geographic location using information contained within a user profile stored in the database that is associated with the user device engaging with the online campaign.

44. The online marketing platform of claim 42, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to determine geographic location using an IP address associated with the user device engaging with the online campaign.

45. The online marketing platform of claim 27, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to track demographic information concerning at least one of the users engaging with the online campaign.

46. The online marketing platform of claim 44, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to determine demographic information concerning a user engaging with the online campaign by extracting information from a user profile stored in the database that is associated with the user device engaging with the online campaign.

47. The online marketing platform of claim 1, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to restrict access to the online campaign based upon campaign information provided by the campaign creation device.

48. The online marketing platform of claim 47, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to restrict access to the online campaign based upon the geographic location of the user device.

49. The online marketing platform of claim 47, wherein the campaign hosting system is configured to restrict access to the online campaign to a defined demographic of users.

50. A method of conducting online campaigns amongst a community of users, comprising:

using campaign information provided by users to create custom online campaigns;

using profile information provided by users to create user profiles;

receiving a response to one of the campaigns from one of the users;

displaying the response in association with the user profile within the campaign to which the response relates; and

determining a winner of the campaign to which the response relates.

51. A method of conducting an online campaign, comprising:

creating an online campaign using campaign information received from a campaign creator;

enabling users to engage with the campaign by receiving responses to the campaign from users, providing users with access to responses to the campaign and receiving votes from users;

tracking in real time each engagement with the campaign; and

displaying within the online campaign the number of each type of engagement that has occurred.

52. A campaign hosting system, comprising:

at least one server connected to a database and a network;

wherein the database is configured to store information concerning a plurality of custom online campaigns;

wherein the database is configured to store information concerning user profiles;

wherein the database is configured to store campaign responses and to associate the campaign responses with a campaign and a user profile; and

wherein the server is configured to transmit information stored in the database concerning at least one of the plurality of online campaigns via the network.

53. A campaign hosting system, comprising:

at least one server connected to a database and a network;

wherein the database includes information concerning at least one online campaign;

wherein the server is configured to transmit information concerning the online campaign via the network;

wherein the server is configured to receive at least one submission responsive to the online campaign via the network and to store the at least one submission in the database;

wherein the server is configured to receive requests to automatically propagate one of the submissions stored in the database to a another web site via the network;

wherein the server is configured to transmit propagation information via the network;

wherein the server is configured to receive requests for information concerning the propagated submission via the network; and

wherein the server and the database are configured to track the requests for information.

54. A method of tracking engagement with an online campaign comprising:

receiving campaign information;

automatically generating an online campaign using the campaign information;

receiving a submission responsive to the online campaign;

receiving propagation information identifying a submission and a web site and including access information;

automatically propagating the submission to the identified web site using the access information;

receiving request for information from the identified web site associated with users engaging with the propagated submission; and

tracking user engagement with the propagated submission.