METHODS AND APPARATUS TO MONITOR IMPRESSIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGES

• US 20140156761A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Heffernan, Ronan, Deliyannis, Alexandros, Woodruff, Stanley, Splaine, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,055,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to monitor impressions of social media messages. An example method includes receiving at a server a first request for first media, the first request addressed to a first uniform resource locator (URL), and the first request corresponding to a first social media message to be presented with the first media. The method also includes receiving at the server a second request for the first media, the second request addressed to a second URL different from the first URL, and the second request corresponding to a second social media message to be presented with the first media. The method also includes crediting the first social media message with a first impression based on the first request being addressed to the first URL, and crediting the second social media message with a second impression based on the second request being addressed to the second URL.

Claims

1. A method to log impressions of social media messages comprising:

receiving at a server a first request for first media, the first request addressed to a first uniform resource locator, and the first request corresponding to a first social media message to be presented with the first media;

receiving at the server a second request for the first media, the second request addressed to a second uniform resource locator different from the first uniform resource locator, and the second request corresponding to a second social media message to be presented with the first media;

crediting the first social media message with a first impression based on the first request being addressed to the first uniform resource locator; and

crediting the second social media message with a second impression based on the second request being addressed to the second uniform resource locator.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second social media message is different from the first social media message.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the first request, sending the first media to a requesting first device having the first social media message.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising, after receiving the second request, sending the first media to the requesting first device or a requesting second device having the second social media message.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, further comprising loading a first cookie into the first device.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising loading a second cookie into the second device.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising determining demographic information based on the first cookie or the second cookie.

8. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein sending the first media further comprises identifying the first media based on the first uniform resource locator.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a first sponsor of the first social media message provides the first uniform resource locator to a first party for transmitting in the first social media message by the first party.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of uniform resource locators correspond to the first media.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the plurality of uniform resource locators corresponding to the first media are assigned to a first sponsor of the first social media message.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the first sponsor provides the plurality of uniform resource locators to a first party that sends the first message.

13. An apparatus to log impressions of social media messages comprising:

an interface to receive a first request for first media, the first request addressed to a first uniform resource locator, and the first request issued in response to a first social media message associated with the first media, the external interface to receive a second request for the first media, the second request addressed to a second uniform resource locator different from the first uniform resource locator, and the second request issued in response to a second social media message associated with the first media; and

an impression logger to log an impression for the first social media message based on the first uniform resource locator, the impression logger to log an impression for the second social media message based on the second uniform resource locator.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

a uniform resource locator analyzer to select the first media based on the first uniform resource locator.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the interface is to send the first media to a requesting first device.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the interface is to send the first media to the requesting first device or a requesting second device.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, further comprising a media provider to provide the first media.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the impression logger is to record a timestamp with the impression.

19. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

receive a first request for first media, the first request addressed to a first uniform resource locator, and the first request corresponding to a first social media message to be presented with the first media;

receive a second request for the first media, the second request addressed to a second uniform resource locator different from the first uniform resource locator, and the second request corresponding to a second social media message to be presented with the first media;

credit the first social media message with a first impression based on the first request being addressed to the first uniform resource locator; and

credit the second social media message with a second impression based on the second request being addressed to the second uniform resource locator.

20. A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 19, the instructions to cause the machine to, when the first request is received:

send the first media to a requesting first device having the first social media message.

21. A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 20, the instructions to cause the machine to send the first media to the requesting first device or a requesting second device when the second request is received.

22. A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 19, the instructions to cause the machine to select the first media based on the first uniform resource locator.

23. A tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 19, the instructions to cause the machine to:

record timestamps with the first and second impressions, the timestamps representative of when the first and second requests were received.

24. A method to log impressions of social media messages comprising:

generating at a server a first uniform resource locator associated with a first media to present with a first social media message;

generating at the server a second uniform resource locator associated with the first media to present with a second social media message;

providing the first uniform resource locator for sending in the first social media message by a first message sender;

providing the second uniform resource locator for sending the second social media message by a second message sender;

receiving at the server a first request for the first media, the first request addressed to the first uniform resource locator;

receiving at the server a second request for the first media, the second request addressed to the second uniform resource locator;

crediting the first social media message with a first impression based on the first request being addressed to the first uniform resource locator; and

crediting the second social media message with a second impression based on the second request being addressed to the second uniform resource locator.

25. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising locating the first uniform resource locator in the first social media message, and locating the second uniform resource locator in the second social media message.

26. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein providing the first uniform resource locator and the second uniform resource locator comprises providing the first social media message including the first uniform resource locator, and providing the second social media message including the second uniform resource locator.

27. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the first message sender locates the first uniform resource locator in the first social media message.

28. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising providing the first uniform resource locator to a sponsor, and instructing the sponsor to provide the first uniform resource locator to the first message sender.

29. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the second social media message is different from the first social media message.