Capturing marketing events and data models

• US 7,689,453 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Selby, David A., Ramsey, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayat; Bradley B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singh; Gurkanwaljit
• Application Number:
  US11/120,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.31
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0243 Comparative campaigns
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A database system and method applying data models to candidate(s) with respect to marketing event(s). The database system comprises a first database structure storing a first list of candidates, a second database structure storing a plurality of data models, a third database structure storing a second list identifying marketing events, and a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium. The database manager software application comprises a retrieving tool and an application tool. The retrieving tool is for retrieving at least one data model from the data models in said second database structure. The application tool is for applying the at least one data model to the at least one candidate from the first list of candidates with respect to a first marketing event from the second list.

Claims

1. A database system comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said database system comprising a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, a first database structure storing a first list of candidates, a second database structure storing a plurality of data models, and a third database structure storing a second list identifying marketing events and a third list of calculated value scores associated with the marketing events, wherein said database manager software application comprises a retrieving tool, a computing tool, an optimization tool, and an application tool, wherein each marketing event from said second list comprises a marketing offer and an identified channel means for communicating said marketing offer, and wherein said value scores are associated with an expected profit gain associated with each said marketing offer, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the computer processor implements a method comprising;

retrieving by said retrieving tool, at least one data model from said plurality of data models in said second database structure;

applying by said application tool, said at least one data model to at least one candidate from said first list of candidates with respect to a first marketing event from said second list;

applying, by said optimization tool, constraint data to said marketing events, wherein said constraint data comprises first data and second data, wherein said first data consists of an amount of money regarding execution costs for offering said marketing events to said at least one candidate, wherein said second data consists of budgetary data regarding a total budgeted amount allotted for offering all of said marketing events, and wherein said execution costs comprise costs for promotional materials, mailing costs, and telemarketing costs;

receiving, by said computing device, timing constraints associated with offering successive marketing events comprising a same type of marketing offer;

first determining, by said optimization tool in response to said receiving said timing constraints, that said first marketing event of said marketing events comprises a same type of marketing offer as a marketing offer comprised by a second marketing event of said marketing events;

second determining, by said optimization tool in response to said receiving said timing constraints, that a timing conflict exists between offering said first marketing event and offering said second marketing event;

eliminating, by said optimization tool from said second list in response to said first determining and said second determining, said first marketing event;

computing, by said computing tool, response probability scores for said marketing events and all of said candidates, wherein each of said response probability scores are computed using said at least one data model; and

computing by said computing tool, a ranking score for each of said marketing events for all of said candidates, wherein each of said ranking scores is computed by multiplying a value score from said third list with an associated response probability score of said response probability scores; and

generating, by said computer processor, a final ranking list comprising each of said marketing events in a specified order associated with said ranking scores, wherein said final ranking list does not comprise said first marketing event.

2. The database system of claim 1, wherein said application tool is for applying a specified constraint to said first marketing event with respect to said at least one candidate.

3. The database system of claim 2, wherein said specified constraint comprises a timing conflict related to offering said first marketing event to said at least one candidate.

4. The database system of claim 2, wherein said wherein said specified constraint comprises a budget constraint related to offering said first marketing event to said at least one candidate.

5. The database system of claim 1, wherein said first list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said marketing events from said second list.

6. The database system of claim 1, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

7. The database system of claim 1, wherein each identified channel means is selected from the group consisting of a telephone call, an email, a text message, and standard mail.

8. A selection method, comprising:

providing a database system comprising a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, a first database structure storing a first list of candidates, a second database structure storing a plurality of data models, and a third database structure storing a second list identifying marketing events and a third list of calculated value scores associated with the marketing events, wherein said database manager software application comprises a retrieving tool, a computing tool, an optimization tool, and an application tool, wherein each marketing event from said second list comprises a marketing offer and an identified channel means for communicating said marketing offer, and wherein said value scores are associated with an expected profit gain associated with each said marketing offer;

retrieving by said retrieving tool, at least one data model from said data models in said second database structure;

applying by said application tool, said at least one data model to at least one candidate from said first list of candidates with respect to a first marketing event from said second list;

applying, by said optimization tool, constraint data to said marketing events, wherein said constraint data comprises first data and second data, wherein said first data consists of an amount of money regarding execution costs for offering said marketing events to said at least one candidate, wherein said second data consists of budgetary data regarding a total budgeted amount allotted for offering all of said marketing events, and wherein said execution costs comprise costs for promotional materials, mailing costs, and telemarketing costs;

receiving, by said computing device, timing constraints associated with offering successive marketing events comprising a same type of marketing offer;

first determining, by said optimization tool in response to said receiving said timing constraints, that said first marketing event of said marketing events comprises a same type of marketing offer as a marketing offer comprised by a second marketing event of said marketing events;

second determining, by said optimization tool in response to said receiving said timing constraints, that a timing conflict exists between offering said first marketing event and offering said second marketing event;

eliminating, by said optimization tool from said second list in response to said first determining and said second determining, said first marketing event;

computing, by said computing tool, response probability scores for said marketing events and all of said candidates, wherein each of said response probability scores are computed using said at least one data model; and

computing by said computing tool, a ranking score for each of said marketing events for all of said candidates, wherein each of said ranking scores is computed by multiplying a value score from said third list with an associated response probability score of said response probability scores; and

generating, by a computer processor of said database system, a final ranking list comprising each of said marketing events in a specified order associated with said ranking scores, wherein said final ranking list does not comprise said first marketing event.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising applying by said application tool, a specified constraint to said first marketing event with respect to said at least one candidate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said specified constraint comprises a timing conflict related to offering said first marketing event to said at least one candidate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said specified constraint comprises a budget constraint related to offering said first marketing event to said at least one candidate.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said first list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said marketing events from said second list.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein each identified channel means is selected from the group consisting of a telephone call, an email, a text message, and standard mail.

22. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

removing, by said optimization tool from said third list, a third marketing event of said first group; and

reallocating, by said optimization tool, monetary funds associated with said third marketing event to a fourth market event of said first group.

15. A computer-executable program product comprising computer executable instructions tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium that when executed by said computer perform the method steps comprising an algorithm adapted to implement a selection method within a database system, said database system comprising a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, a first database structure storing a first list of candidates, a second database structure storing a plurality of data models, and a third database structure storing a second list identifying marketing events and a third list of value scores associated with the marketing events, wherein said database manager software application comprises a retrieving tool, a computing tool, an optimization tool, and an application tool, wherein each marketing event from said second list comprises a marketing offer and an identified channel means for communicating said marketing offer, and wherein said value scores are associated with an expected profit gain associated with each said marketing offer, said method comprising the steps of:

retrieving by said retrieving tool, at least one data model from said data models in said second database structure;

applying by said application tool, said at least one data model to at least one candidate from said first list of candidates with respect to a first marketing event from said second list;

applying, by said optimization tool, constraint data to said marketing events, wherein said constraint data comprises first data and second data, wherein said first data consists of an amount of money regarding execution costs for offering said marketing events to said at least one candidate, wherein said second data consists of budgetary data regarding a total budgeted amount allotted for offering all of said marketing events, and wherein said execution costs comprise costs for promotional materials, mailing costs, and telemarketing costs;

receiving, by said computing device, timing constraints associated with offering successive marketing events comprising a same type of marketing offer;

first determining, by said optimization tool in response to said receiving said timing constraints, that said first marketing event of said marketing events comprises a same type of marketing offer as a marketing offer comprised by a second marketing event of said marketing events;

second determining, by said optimization tool in response to said receiving said timing constraints, that a timing conflict exists between offering said first marketing event and offering said second marketing event;

eliminating, by said optimization tool from said second list in response to said first determining and said second determining, said first marketing event;

computing, by said computing tool, response probability scores for said marketing events and all of said candidates, wherein each of said response probability scores are computed using said at least one data model; and

computing by said computing tool, a ranking score for each of said marketing events for all of said candidates, wherein each of said ranking scores is computed by multiplying a value score from said third list with an associated response probability score of said response probability scores; and

generating, by a computer processor of said database system, a final ranking list comprising each of said marketing events in a specified order associated with said ranking scores, wherein said final ranking list does not comprise said first marketing event.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said method further comprises applying by said application tool, a specified constraint to said first marketing event with respect to said at least one candidate.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said specified constraint comprises a timing conflict related to offering said first marketing event to said at least one candidate.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said specified constraint comprises a budget constraint related to offering said first marketing event to said at least one candidate.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said first list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said marketing events from said second list.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein each identified channel means is selected from the group consisting of a telephone call, an email, a text message, and standard mail.