System and method of targeted marketing

• US 6,925,441 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1997
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Experian Information Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Marketswitch Corp. (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Jones, Charles L. III, Eginton, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US08/958,675
• Time in Patent Office: 2,836 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/1, 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/7.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements

Abstract

A system and method of targeted marketing to consumers, including businesses and associates, based upon the financial characteristics of the consumer, type offer being made and the channel of communication for delivery of the offer. The consumer is characterized based upon financial, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors. The offer is characterized based upon the consumer and the potential for the consumer accepting the offer. The channel of communication for delivery of the offer is also characterized and combined with the consumer and consumer-offer characteristics to arrive at a net present value of the offer to be made. If the net present value is sufficient the offer is processed and presented to the consumer. If the net present value is not sufficient, the offer is revised to present a better value to the consumer (or discarded if the required offer value can not be created) thereby enhancing the chances that the consumer will accept the offer in question. In this way the system and method of the target marketing creates value in both releasing, and not releasing, specific offers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers, said computer-implemented method comprising the steps of:

creating an electronic customer database;

creating an offer of goods and services to be made to a specific customer in the customer database;

analyzing the offer to be made to a customer in terms of the likelihood of the customer to accept the offer;

calculating, using the computer a value of the offer to be made to the customer as an offer value by calculating a net present value of the offer for measuring a future executed transaction value in advance of the offer being release, wherein the calculation of the net present value comprises combining a customer value, an offers-specific value, and a cost-of-offer value; and

presenting a offer to the customer when the offer value resulting from the net present value calculation is at or above a specific offer value threshold;

whereby a likelihood that the customer responds positively to the offer is increased.

2. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 1 wherein creating a customer database further comprises creating a database of a plurality of customer transaction histories.

3. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 2 wherein creating a customer database further comprises creating a database of a plurality of customer profiles.

4. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 3 wherein creating a customer database further comprises creating a database of demographic and statistical data for a plurality of customer groups.

5. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 4 wherein the demographic database comprises general information about the demographic group to which the specific customer belongs.

6. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 3 wherein the customer profiles comprise at least financial, economic, and behavioral information about specific customers.

7. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 6 wherein the financial and economic information about specific customers comprises annual income, credit rating, amount of debt, amount of credit available, prior transaction behavior, family status and household behavioral economic indicators.

8. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 2 wherein the customer transaction histories comprise information concerning a spending habits of specific customers.

9. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 8 wherein the spending habits of specific customers comprises information about a frequency of purchases, a dollar amount of individual purchases, and the types of goods and services purchased for specific customers.

10. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 1 wherein analyzing the offer to be made to customers further comprises creating a product valuation relating to a market demand factor for goods and services being offered.

11. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 1 wherein analyzing the offer to be made to customers further comprises evaluating a channel over which the offer is to be made.

12. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 1 wherein analyzing the offer to be made to customers further comprises evaluating a cost of the goods and services offered an incentive offered to the customer to purchase the goods and services offered, and a revenue generated from a purchase by the customer of the and services offered.

13. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 1 wherein creating a customer database comprises the step of creating a customer value score based upon information relating to purchasing habits of the customer.

14. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 1 establishing the offer value threshold comprises establishing a net present value below which the offer is not made to the customer.

15. The method for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific customers of claim 1 wherein creating the customer database further comprises updating the customer database with information concerning the offer of goods and services that is made to the customer.

16. A system for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific consumers comprising:

goods and services offered by content providers;

channels of communications over which offers are made;

offer generation means connected to the channels of communications for providing offers of goods and services to the customer;

a customer database connected to the offer generation means; and

offer value calculation means connected to the customer database and offer generation means for calculating the value of the offer to the customer;

wherein the offer value calculation means comprises logic that combines a cost-of-offer score with an offer specific score and a customer value score to arrive at a net present value of the offer for measuring a future executed transaction value in advance being made; and

wherein the offer to the customer is made only when a resulting net present value is at or above a specific offer value threshold.

17. The system for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific consumers of claim 16, wherein the customer database comprises:

a plurality of data structures forming;

a customer transaction history database;

a customer profile database; and

a demographic and statistical data database; and

means to revise data structures stored in the customer database to reflect customer purchasing experiences.

18. The system for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific consumers of claim 16 wherein the channels of communication are taken from the group consisting of invoice mailings, statement mailings, the Internet, electronic mail, and telephones.

19. The system for targeted marketing of goods and services to specific consumers of claim 16 wherein the cost of offer score comprises:

a cost of the channel of communication over which the offer is being made;

a cost of the contract for the offer;

an incentive to the customer to purchase the offer; and

expected contract revenue resulting from the customer purchasing the offer being made.