Content distribution system including cost-per-engagement based advertising

• US 20080313040A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reputation.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Social Mecca, Inc.
• Inventors: Rose, Robert, Goodyear, Nichole, Paoni, Gina, Derfer, Brian Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus

Abstract

Content distribution systems that support Cost-Per-Engagement (CPE) based advertising are disclosed. One embodiment includes a server connected to a network and a plurality of user computers connected to the network. In addition, the server is configured to host an interactive web site that enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution of pieces of uploaded content, each user computer is configured to interact with the web site, the server is configured to track the number of pieces of content uploaded to the website in response to the online marketing campaign, the number of pieces of uploaded content distributed to user computers and the number of other interactions between the user computers and the website, and the server is configured to determine a cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign based upon at least the number of pieces of content uploaded to the website in response to the online marketing campaign, the number of pieces of uploaded content distributed to user computers and the number of other interactions between the user computers and the website.

Claims

1. An online content distribution system that hosts an online marketing campaign, comprising:

a server connected to a network; and

a plurality of user computers connected to the network;

wherein the server is configured to host an interactive web site that provides access to at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign;

wherein each user computer is configured to interact with the web site;

wherein the server is configured to track the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of other interactions that user computers have with the web site; and

wherein the server is configured to determine a cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign based upon at least the number of times that at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of other interactions that user computers have with the web site.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the interactive web site enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution of pieces of uploaded content; and

that at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is a piece of uploaded content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the web site enables user computers to vote for a piece of content; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of votes cast from user computers with respect to the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the web site enables user computers to post comments with respect to a piece of content; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of comments posted from user computers with respect to the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the web site enables a first user computer to be used to recommend a piece of content to a second user computer; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is recommended.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the web site enables a user computer to automatically propagate a piece of content to another web site; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is propagated to another web site.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the user computers are configured to interact with pieces of content that have been automatically propagated to other websites;

the server is configured to track interactions between user computers and propagated pieces of content.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the web site includes a web page that enables a user computer to mouse over a region of the web page to obtain additional information concerning a piece of content; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that additional information is obtained concerning the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the web site includes web pages that enable a user computer to click on a region of the web page to access a piece of content.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the web site includes a web page that enables a user computer to click on multiple regions of the web page to access a piece of content; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that each of the regions is clicked on to access the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the web site includes web pages that enable a user computer to click on a region of the web page to play a piece of content; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is played.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is text posted in the form of a blog.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is audio posted in the form of a podcast.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is an image.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is a video.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the video is a mashup.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the server is configured to track a plurality of different types of interactions that user computers have with the web site; and

the server is configured to determine the cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign by taking a weighted sum of the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of at least one of the different types of tracked interaction.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to automatically bill an entity associated with the online campaign for the determined cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign.

19. A system for conducting an online marketing campaign, comprising:

a server connected to a network; and

a plurality of user computers connected to the network;

wherein the server is configured to host an interactive web site that enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution of pieces of uploaded content;

wherein each user computer is configured to interact with the web site;

wherein the server is configured to track the number of pieces of content uploaded to the website in response to the online marketing campaign, the number of pieces of uploaded content distributed to user computers and the number of other interactions between the user computers and the website;

wherein the server is configured to determine a cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign based upon at least the number of pieces of content uploaded to the website in response to the online marketing campaign, the number of pieces of uploaded content distributed to user computers and the number of other interactions between the user computers and the website.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the web site enables user computers to vote for a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of votes cast from user computers with respect to pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the web site enables user computers to post comments with respect to pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of comments posted from user computers with respect to pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the web site enables a first user computer to be used to recommend a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign to a second user computer; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign are recommended.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the web site enables a user computer to automatically propagate a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign to another web site; and

,

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign are propagated to another web site.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the user computers are configured to interact with pieces of content that have been automatically propagated to other websites; and

the server is configured to track interactions between user computers and propagated pieces of content.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the web site includes a web page that enables a user computer to mouse over a region of the web page to obtain additional information concerning a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that additional information is obtained concerning pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the web site includes web pages that enable a user computer to click on a region of the web page to access a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the web site includes a web page that enables a user computer to click on multiple regions of the web page to access a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign; and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that each of the regions is clicked on to access a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the web site includes web pages that enable a user computer to click on a region of the web page to play a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign;

, and

the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign are played.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign include text posted in the form of a blog.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign include audio posted in the form of a podcast.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign include an image.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign include video.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the video is a mashup.

34. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the server is configured to track a plurality of different types of interactions that user computers have with the web site; and

the server is configured to determine the cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign by taking a weighted sum of the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of at least one of the different types of tracked interaction.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the server is configured to measure the time a user computer spends interacting with the web site.

36. The system of claim 19, wherein the server is configured to automatically bill an entity associated with the online campaign for the determined cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign.

37. A method of determining the cost of conducting an online marketing campaign, comprising:

providing an interactive web site that enables access to at least one piece of content associated with the online marketing campaign;

receiving a plurality of different user requests;

responding to each of the user requests;

tracking the number of each different type of user request; and

calculating a cost to charge for conducting the online marketing campaign as a function of the numbers of request tracked for each different type of request.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising automatically billing an entity associated with the online marketing campaign for the cost of conducting the online marketing campaign.

39. A method of determining the cost of conducting an online marketing campaign, comprising:

providing an interactive web site that enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution of pieces of uploaded content;

uploading content to the website;

tracking a plurality of categories of user interactions with the website and the uploaded content; and

calculating a cost for conducting the online marketing campaign based upon the different categories of tracked interactions.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising automatically billing an entity associated with the online marketing campaign for the cost of conducting the online marketing campaign.