Audience response monitor and analysis system and method

• US 5,812,642 A
• Filed: 07/12/1995
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David J. Leroy
• Original Assignee: David J. Leroy
• Inventors: Leroy, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Palan, Stephen W.
• Application Number:
  US08/501,436
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 379/92, 379/91, 379/90.01, 379/92.01, 379/92.02, 379/92.03, 379/92.04, 379/93.01, 379/265, 379/266, 348/1, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10-12, 364/400, 395/205, 395/212, 395/222, 395/226, 395/228, 705/5, 705/7, 705/8, 705/10, 705/12, 705/22, 705/26, 705/28, 705/14, 455/2
• US Class Current: 379/92.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast

Abstract

A system and method are provided for monitoring and analyzing audience response to a broadcast promotion. The specific embodiment for fund-raising campaigns for public television stations is addressed, wherein the taking of pledges over the telephone is automated, the response data entered directly into a computer with the use of scripted screens. The effectiveness of segments of the campaign is calculated by correlating the response data, including the number of telephone calls received, with each promotion segment. Additional methods of manipulating and displaying response data are also disclosed, including the use of demographic and audience ratings to provide an indication of the effectiveness of a promotion segment.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing audience response to a broadcast promotion having a plurality of time-sequential segments, the system comprising:

means for receiving a communication from an audience member at a time;

means for storing response data comprising means for storing a name, an address, and a telephone number of the audience member and the time of the communication received from the audience member;

means for tabulating the response data and the communication times from all responding audience members;

means for correlating in time the response date with the segments of the promotion, thereby providing effectiveness information for each segment of the promotion;

means for accessing the correlated response data and promotion segments for a specific broadcast promotion and for forming a set of audience members, the set including all audience members who communicated during the specific broadcast promotion; and

means for initiating a communication with the set of audience members during a repeat broadcast of the specific broadcast promotion after a predetermined time for attempting to elicit a response from the audience members.

2. The system recited in claim 1, further comprising means for displaying the time correlation of the response data.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of segments comprises a first segment and a second segment, each comprising a common feature, the first and the second segments being nonsequential, further comprising means for integrating the response data of the common feature over the first and the second segments, thereby providing effectiveness information for the common feature of the promotion.

4. The system recited in claim 1, further comprising means for determining whether the communication from the audience member is a valid communication, and wherein the means for storing response data and the time of the communication received from the audience member comprises means for storing response data and the time of the valid communication received from the audience member.

5. A system for analyzing audience response to a plurality of broadcast promotions, each having a plurality of time-sequential segments, at least one segment in one promotion having a like segment in another promotion, the system comprising:

means for receiving a communication from an audience member at a time;

means for storing response data comprising means for storing a name, an address, and a telephone number of the audience member and the time of the communication received from the audience member;

means for tabulating the response data and the communication times from all responding audience members for each promotion;

means for correlating in time the response data with the segments of each promotion, thereby providing effectiveness information for each segment of each promotion;

means for correlating the effectiveness information for like segments from the plurality of promotions, thereby providing effectiveness information for each segment over the plurality of promotions;

means for accessing the correlated response data and promotion segments for a specific broadcast promotion and for forming a set of audience members, the set including all audience members who communicated during the specific broadcast promotion; and

means for initiating a communication with the set of audience members during a repeat broadcast of the specific broadcast promotion after a predetermined time for attempting to elicit a response from the audience members.

6. A method for analyzing audience response to a broadcast promotion having a plurality of time-sequential segments, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication from an audience member at a time;

storing response date comprising a name, an address, and a telephone number of the audience member and the time of the communication received from the audience member;

tabulating the response data and the communication times from all responding audience members;

correlating in time the response data with the segments of the promotion, thereby providing effectiveness information for each segment of the promotion;

accessing the correlated response data and promotion segments for a specific broadcast promotion and forming a set of audience members, the set including all audience members who communicated during the specific broadcast promotion; and

initiating a communication with the set of audience members during a repeat broadcast of the specific broadcast promotion after a predetermined time for attempting to elicit a response from the audience members.

7. The method recited in claim 6, further comprising the step of displaying the time correlation of the response data.

8. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the plurality of time-sequential segments comprises a first and a second segment, each comprising a common first feature, the first and the second segments being nonsequential, further comprising the step of integrating the response data of the first feature over the first and the second segments, thereby providing effectiveness information for the first feature of the promotion.