Method and system for determining the effectiveness of a stimulus

• US 6,385,590 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philip Levine
• Original Assignee: Philip Levine
• Inventors: Levine, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US09/717,096
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/14, 705/7, 709/224, 434/322, 600/544
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives

Abstract

The present invention is a method and system of analyzing a stimulus using a computer network such as the Internet. The invention can be used to more effectively analyze any stimulus that may be presented via a personal computer connected to the network by asking a participant attitudinal and/or behavioral questions regarding a stimulus while monitoring the participant'"'"'s behavior when interacting with the stimulus, and more specifically monitoring which portions of the stimulus the respondent views and for how long, asking a set of attitudinal and/or behavioral questions regarding the participant'"'"'s reaction to the stimulus, statistically analyzing the data collected to determine an effectiveness coefficient to the stimulus as an indication of its effectiveness.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the effectiveness of a stimulus, comprising the steps of:

a) presenting an interactive stimulus to a respondent using a data processing device;

b) as the user interacts with the stimulus, monitoring and recording interaction data comprising a pixel coordinate and a size of a stimulus display area;

c) presenting to the respondent a first set of attitudinal questions relating to the presented stimulus;

d) recording answers from the first set of attitudinal questions;

e) repeating steps a)-d) for a plurality of respondents representative of a target group of people to which the stimulus is directed; and

f) determining a stimulus effectiveness measure based at least in part on the recorded answers and the interaction data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) comprises recording interaction data in predetermined intervals of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step a), the interactive stimulus comprises a web page.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, in step a), the interactive stimulus comprises a web site.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, in step b), the interaction data comprises clickstream information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

g) asking the respondent a second, delayed set of attitudinal questions, wherein the delay is at least one hour; and

h) recording answers to the delayed second set of attitudinal questions,

wherein the effectiveness measure is further based at least in part on the recorded answers to the delayed second set of attitudinal questions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

g) personally interviewing the respondent; and

h) recording answers to questions asked during the personal interview,

wherein the effectiveness measure is further based at least in part on the recorded answers from the personal interview.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, in step g), the interview is conducted via telephone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step f) comprises statistically analyzing the answers recorded in step d) in combination with the interaction data recorded during step b).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step f), the effectiveness measure comprises a score indicative of the stimulus'"'"' effectiveness.

11. A computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more data processing devices to perform a method for evaluating the effectiveness of a stimulus, comprising the steps of:

a) presenting an interactive stimulus to a respondent using a data processing device;

b) as the user interacts with the stimulus, monitoring and recording interaction data comprising a pixel coordinate and a size of a stimulus display area;

c) presenting to the respondent a first set of attitudinal questions relating to the presented stimulus;

d) recording answers from the first set of attitudinal questions;

e) repeating steps a)-d) for a plurality of respondents representative of a target group of people to which the stimulus is directed; and

f) determining a stimulus effectiveness measure based at least in part on the recorded answers and the interaction data.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein step b) comprises recording interaction data in predetermined intervals of time.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein, in step a), the interactive stimulus comprises a web page.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein, in step a), the interactive stimulus comprises a web site.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein, in step b), the data comprises clickstream information.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instruction further comprise the steps of:

g) asking each respondent a second, delayed set of attitudinal questions, wherein the delay is at least one hour; and

h) recording answers to the delayed second set of attitudinal questions,

wherein the effectiveness measure is further based at least in part on the recorded answers to the delayed second set of attitudinal questions.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein step f) comprises statistically analyzing the answers recorded in step d) in combination with the interaction data recorded during step b).

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein, in step f), the effectiveness measure comprises a score indicative of the stimulus'"'"' effectiveness.

19. A data processing system for evaluating the effectiveness of a stimulus, comprising:

a processor, and

memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the data processing system to perform a method for evaluating the effectiveness of a stimulus, comprising the steps of;

a) presenting an interactive stimulus to a respondent using a data processing device display;

b) as the user interacts with the stimulus, monitoring and recording interaction data comprising a pixel coordinate and a size of a stimulus display area;

c) presenting to the respondent a first set of attitudinal questions relating to the presented stimulus;

d) recording answers from the first set of attitudinal questions;

e) repeating steps a)-d) for a plurality of respondents representative of a target group of people to which the stimulus is directed; and

f) determining a stimulus effectiveness measure based at least in part on the recorded answers and the interaction data.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein step b) comprises recording interaction data in predetermined intervals of time.

21. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein, in step a), the interactive stimulus comprises a web page.

22. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein, in step a), the interactive stimulus comprises a web site.

23. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein, in step b), the data comprises clickstream information.

24. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the computer readable instruction further comprise the steps of:

g) asking each respondent a second, delayed set of attitudinal questions, wherein the delay is at least one hour; and

h) recording answers to the delayed second set of attitudinal questions,

wherein the effectiveness measure is further based at least in part on the recorded answers to the delayed second set of attitudinal questions.

25. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein step f) comprises statistically analyzing the answers recorded in step d) in combination with the interaction data recorded during step b).

26. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein, in step f), the effectiveness measure comprises a score indicative of the stimulus'"'"' effectiveness.