SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TARGETED MARKETING AND CONSUMER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• US 20100280911A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackhawk Network Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.), Levergae Incorporaed
• Original Assignee: Leverage Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Khanh, Mathe, Jennifer K., Roberts, Mark E.
• Granted Patent: US 11,062,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing targeted marketing to goods and services provides and consumer resource management services to consumers. An example system and method for targeted marketing comprises collecting transaction data from point-of-sale (POS) terminals and using a consumer identifier in the transaction data to access stored information about the consumer. This information may be used to target offers and advertisement to the consumer. In an example system for consumer resource management, a consumer may configure a consumer account on the enterprise infrastructure via a web-site. The consumer may use the consumer account to purchase and configure gift cards that may be used for purchasing goods and services. A universal transaction identifier may be associated with the consumer account and used to purchase goods and services from more than one selected goods and services providers.

Claims

1. A method for providing consumer resource management comprising:

providing a consumer interface on a network terminal;

receiving consumer input from the network terminal, the consumer input being communicated to an enterprise infrastructure;

configuring a consumer account based on the consumer input, the consumer account having a partner interface to access a plurality of selected goods and services providers, the consumer account being configured to set fund balances to at least one selected goods and services provider; and

purchasing a gift card from the enterprise infrastructure to enable purchases from at least one selected goods and services provider.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving consumer input designating a first gift card and a corresponding first gift card balance; and

exchanging at least a part of the first gift card balance for a second gift card balance on a second gift card.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a gift card balance for a selected gift card.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

increasing a gift card balance according to a designated interest rate.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a view on the consumer interface listing a plurality of offers from the selected goods. and services providers, the offers being sent by the selected goods and services providers based on information about the consumer.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

generating an item on the consumer interface, the item operable, when selected by the consumer, to send a short message service (“

SMS”

) message requesting that an offer be sent from a selected one of the goods and services providers to the consumer.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

registering a new gift card enabled to make purchases from one of the selected goods and services providers as a gift card associated with the consumer account.

7. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

configuring the gift card as a universal transaction card to enable using the universal transaction card to make purchases from a plurality of the selected goods and services providers.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

configuring the universal transaction card to enable the universal transaction card to make purchases from the plurality of the selected goods and services providers according to balances corresponding to each of the selected goods and services providers.

10. A method for providing targeted marketing to a goods and services provider, the method comprising:

collecting transaction data from point-of-sale (POS) terminals processing transactions, the transaction data including a consumer identifier for each consumer involved in the transactions;

sending the transaction data to an enterprise infrastructure;

for each transaction, accessing a consumer account in the enterprise infrastructure for each consumer based on the consumer identifiers;

recording the transaction data in the corresponding consumer accounts; and

sending to the goods and services provider information relating to consumers that purchased goods and services from the goods and services provider.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

targeting consumers by sending offers to consumers identified by the goods and services provider from the information relating to the consumers.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising:

configuring the consumer account based on consumer input received via a web-site consumer interface, the consumer account having a partner interface to access the goods and services provider, the consumer account being configured to set a fund balance to the goods and services provider; and

purchasing a gift card from the enterprise infrastructure to enable purchases from the goods and services provider

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

at the POS terminal, retrieving the consumer identifier from a gift card associated with the consumer account corresponding to the consumer identifier.

14. The method of claim 10 comprising:

configuring the consumer account to manage a loyalty program associated with the goods and services provider; and

collecting information from the consumer account associated with managing the loyalty program.

15. The method of claim 10 comprising:

retrieving information relating to consumers as targeting data consisting of one or a combination of the following data types;

demographic, geographic, profile preferences/psychographics, recent purchases/uses, gift card/store credit ownership, loyalty program memberships, event calendar, travel calendar, word of mouth/previous campaign participation; and

targeting consumers according to the targeting data.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising:

sending offers to the consumers based on the targeting data; and

identifying the targeting data used in sending the offers.

17. A method for providing consumer resource management comprising:

providing a consumer interface on a network terminal;

receiving consumer input from the network terminal, the consumer input being communicated to an enterprise infrastructure;

configuring a consumer account based on the consumer input, the consumer account having a plurality of partner interfaces to access a plurality of corresponding selected goods and services providers, the consumer account being configured to set fund balances to a plurality of the selected goods and services providers; and

generating a universal transaction identifier from the enterprise infrastructure, the universal transaction identifier corresponding to the consumer account to enable purchases from a plurality of the selected goods and services providers.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing a view on the consumer interface listing a plurality of offers from the selected goods and services providers, the offers being sent by the selected goods and services providers based on information about the consumer.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

generating an item on the consumer interface, the item operable, when selected by the consumer, to send a short message service (“

SMS”

) message requesting that an offer be sent from a selected one of the goods and services providers to the consumer.