METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TARGETED ADVERTISING

• US 20120330756A1
• Filed: 06/24/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: MORRIS, NADIA, BASSO, ANDREA, HINES, TARA, MIKAN, JEFFREY, IVANOV, ALEKSEY
• Granted Patent: US 10,108,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a controller operable to determine a behavioral pattern of at least one of a subscriber leader and a plurality of subscriber followers who track activities of the subscriber leader. The controller can be further operable to detect a first request to transmit first media content from a first device of a first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader to a second plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers, identify in the first media content a first substitutable advertisement product, substitute the first substitutable product in the first media content with a first advertisement product selected according to the determined behavioral pattern to generate updated first media content, and transmit the updated first media content to the second plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a subscriber leader;

identifying a plurality of subscriber followers who track activities of the subscriber leader;

detecting a behavioral pattern from media content consumed at a first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader and from media content transmitted by at least one of the first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader to a second plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers;

detecting a first request for first media content from a first device of the first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader;

identifying in the first media content a first substitutable advertisement product;

substituting the first substitutable product in the first media content with a first advertisement product selected according to the detected behavioral pattern to generate updated first media content;

transmitting the updated first media content to the first device;

detecting a second request to transmit second media content from at least one of the first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader to the second plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers;

identifying in the second media content a second substitutable advertisement product;

substituting the second substitutable product in the second media content with a second advertisement product selected according to the detected behavioral pattern to generate updated second media content; and

transmitting the updated second media content to the second plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

transmitting to one of the first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader an opt-in offer to monitor the media content consumed by at least one of the first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader and the media content transmitted by at least one of the first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader to the second plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers;

receiving an acceptance of the opt-in offer from one of the first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader; and

monitoring the media content consumed by at least one of the first plurality of devices and the media content transmitted by at least one of the first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader to the second plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers responsive to the acceptance of the opt-in offer.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying a first product type of the first substitutable advertisement product; and

selecting the first advertisement product according to the first product type and the detected behavioral pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying a second product type of the second substitutable advertisement product; and

selecting the second advertisement product according to the second product type and the detected behavioral pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting the updated second media content to a communication system of a social network communicatively coupled to the second plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving the first media content;

preprocessing the first media content to identify the first substitutable advertisement product;

associating the first substitutable advertisement product with an identifier;

recording the identifier; and

responsive to receiving the first request, identifying the first substitutable advertisement product in the first media content according to the identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first advertisement product is supplied by a first advertiser of a plurality of advertisers, wherein the second advertisement product is supplied by a second advertiser of the plurality of advertisers, and wherein the method comprises:

charging the first advertiser a first fee for promoting the first advertisement product; and

charging the second advertiser a second fee for promoting the second advertisement product.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising determining the first and second fees according to a marketable score assigned to the subscriber leader.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising determining the marketable score from at least one of a total number of the plurality of subscriber followers, a growth rate of subscriber followers tracking activities of the subscriber leader, a value of media content consumed by the subscriber leader, and a value of media content consumed by the subscriber followers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the behavioral pattern corresponds to a detected bias for at least one product type.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising crediting an account of the subscriber leader for transmitting at least one of the updated first media content and the updated second media content.

12. A device, comprising a memory coupled to a controller, wherein the controller is operable to:

determine a behavioral pattern of at least one of a subscriber leader and a plurality of subscriber followers who track activities of the subscriber leader;

detect a first request to transmit first media content from a first device of a first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader to a second plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers;

identify in the first media content a first substitutable product;

substitute the first substitutable product in the first media content with a first advertisement product supplied by a first advertiser, wherein the first advertisement product is selected according to the behavioral pattern to generate updated first media content; and

transmit the updated first media content to the second plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller is operable to:

detect a second request for second media content from a second device of the first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader;

identify in the second media content a second substitutable advertisement product;

substitute the second substitutable product in the second media content with a second advertisement product supplied by a second advertiser, wherein the second advertisement product is selected according to the determined behavioral pattern; and

transmit the updated second media content to the second device.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller is operable to:

present at one of the first plurality of devices of the subscriber leader an opt-in offer to monitor activities of the subscriber leader; and

receive an acceptance of the opt-in offer.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller is operable to identify the first substitutable product from an image contour in the first media content.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the image contour is void of a product image.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller is operable to identify the first substitutable product from information received with the first media content.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the first substitutable product comprises an image contour that is void of a product image, and wherein the controller is operable to update the first media content by inserting an image of the first advertisement product in a location of the image contour.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions to:

identify a subscriber leader;

identify a plurality of subscriber followers that track activities of the subscriber leader;

detect from the activities of the subscriber leader a behavioral pattern that influences a product consumption behavior of the plurality of subscriber followers;

receive a request for media content from at least one of the plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers;

substitute a substitutable product in the media content with an advertisement product selected according to the detected behavioral pattern to generate updated media content; and

transmit the updated media content to the at least one of the plurality of devices of the plurality of subscriber followers.

20. The storage medium of claim 19, comprising computer instructions to:

receive an opt-in acceptance from a device of the subscriber leader to monitor activities of the subscriber leader; and

receive authorization from producers of media content to substitute identifiable substitute products in media content belonging to the producers with advertisement products.