Apparatus, system and method for a brand affinity engine using positive and negative mentions and indexing

• US 8,285,700 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritone Media
• Original Assignee: Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Steelberg, Ryan, Steelberg, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHONG H
• Application Number:
  US12/708,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 707/731, 707/748, 707/771, 707/708, 705/14.4, 705/14.6, 705/14.69, 705/14.73
• US Class Current: 707/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method of implementing a computerized brand affinity engine. The apparatus, system and method include at least a plurality of computerized access points having accessible thereto a plurality of sites mentioning at least one sponsor, a categorized, hierarchical database of keywords, wherein at least the keywords falling in at least one category of the hierarchy correspond to a sponsor category of the at least one sponsor, and a tracker, wherein the tracker tracks positive ones of the mentions of the at least one sponsor on ones of the plurality of sites and negative ones of the mentions of the at least one sponsor on ones of the plurality of sites, in accordance with positive and negative keywords of the categorized, hierarchical database in the sponsor category, and wherein the tracker issues an rating with regard to the at least one sponsor in accordance with the positive ones and the negative ones of the mentions. An assessment of optimal sponsors for particular markets and/or in particular geographies that additionally increases sponsorship opportunities in particular markets and/or in particular geographies is thereby provided.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for assessing a keyword as a primary subject of a site, comprising:

accepting a search input seeking the keyword on the site;

locating at least one result responsive to said accepting;

comparing the result with known terms associated with the keyword, known distances of the known terms from the keyword, and known locations of the keyword on the site; and

assessing that the keyword is the primary subject of the site in accordance with said comparing

wherein the comparing comprises applying a plurality of rules to the site; and

wherein the plurality of rules includes determining a distance of at least two of the associated terms and the keyword from one of a visual center of the site and a visual edge of the site.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said accepting comprises providing an Internet search engine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the known terms are hierarchical in the association with the keyword.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rules includes determining a presence of at least two of the associated terms proximate to the keyword on the site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rules includes determining a distance of at least two of the associated terms from the keyword on the site.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the site comprises one of an RSS feed and an internet page.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyword is indicative of a person.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the associated terms comprises a nickname for the person.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the person is an athlete.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyword is indicative of a movie.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyword is indicative of one of a television show, a song, an artist, and an actor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyword is indicative of a good for sale.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyword is indicative of a service for sale.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon assessing the keyword as the primary subject, rating a use of the keyword on the site.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated terms are hierarchical with respect to the keyword.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein multiple levels of the hierarchy are used for the assessment as the primary subject of the site.