METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROMOTION

• US 20100030632A1
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Adam S. Day
• Original Assignee: Adam S. Day
• Inventors: Day, Adam S.
• Application Number:
  US12/575,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20100030632A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.140
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure

Abstract

The subject invention includes a promotional web site hosting a plurality of contests or promotions wherein prizes are awarded. A link to the web page in the promotional site featuring a specific contest or promotion are inserted into a plurality of media sponsor sites. The links are typically configured as symbols and are embedded within the media sponsor sites. Traditional media advertisement are then used to tie a contest or promotion to the indicant on the media sponsor site. Participants responding to the traditional media advertisement will look for the indicant in the media sponsor sites, and upon finding the indicant and selecting the indicant, the participant is linked to the promotional website. A registration process is then performed wherein the participant is asked to provide some personal information such as their name, email address, home address, and telephone number. Upon completion of this registration form, the participant then submits the registration form, and is then forwarded back to the same media sponsor site from which they came.

Claims

1. A method of promotion comprising:

providing a first site having a plurality of promotions hosted therein;

accepting a link from a participant at a second site to the first site;

determining a promotion for the participant based on the second site;

receiving information from the participant; and

forwarding the participant back to the second site.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising providing an indicant to the second site signaling the link to the first site.

3. The method of claim 2, and further comprising advertising the presence of the indicant in the second site.

4. The method of claim 3, and further comprising reading information on the participant'"'"'s computer and inserting the participant information in the registration page.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining a promotion is also based on participant information read from the participant'"'"'s computer.

6. The method of claim 1 and wherein the promotion is a contest for a prize.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a contest includes determining the URL of the second site where the participant is linking from and directing the participant to a promotion based on the URL of the second site.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first site includes an interface for scheduling a promotion.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first site is a website in communication with a computer network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each second site is a web site in communication with a computer network.

11. A system for promotion comprising at least one server in communication with a computer network, the server hosting a website promoting a plurality of contests, the server also having applications therein to accept a link from a second site and to direct a participant to a particular contest based on the second site.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the server includes an application for placing a cookie in a participant'"'"'s computer.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the server includes an application for extracting a cookie from a participant'"'"'s computer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the server includes an application for extracting information from the cookie and using the information to direct a participant to a particular contest.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the website includes a registration page for each contest.

16. A method of promotion comprising:

providing a first web site promoting a plurality of promotions therein;

providing an indicant to signal a link from a second web site to the first web site;

advertising an indicant located at the second web site; and

linking a participant from the second web site to a web page in the first web site based on the URL of the second web site.

17. The method of claim 16, and further comprising providing a registration form to the participant.

18. The method of claim 17, and further comprising providing a questionnaire to the participant.

19. The method of claim 16, and further comprising extracting a cookie from a participant'"'"'s computer and using the information from the cookie to generate a completed registration form.

20. The method of claim 16, and further comprising forwarding the participant back to the second web site.