Social network marketing plan comparison method and system

• US 8,296,175 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dey, Kuntal, Modani, Natwar, Nanavati, Amit Anil, Prasad, Subramanya Kabbinahithlu Narayana, Nagar, Seema
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell, Beth V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Ernest A
• Application Number:
  US12/685,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.29, 705/7.33, 705/14.52, 345/440
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A comparison method and system including retrieving by a computer, first data associated with first interactions between users associated with social networks. The computing system generates a first graph illustrating the first interactions. The computing system identifies targeted users associated with a marketing plan for the users. The computing system enables the marketing plan and retrieves second data associated with second interactions between the users. The computing system generates a second graph illustrating the second interactions, compares the second graph to the first graph, and generates a third graph illustrating first order differences between the first interactions and the second interactions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving, by a computer processor of a computing system, first data associated with first interactions between users associated with a plurality of social networks;

generating, by said computer processor based on said first data, a first graph illustrating said first interactions between said users;

identifying, by said computer processor, a group of users of said users, wherein said group of users comprise first targeted users associated with a first marketing plan associated with a first social network of said plurality of social networks;

first enabling, by said computer processor, said first marketing plan with respect to said users;

after performing said first enabling, retrieving by said computer processor, second data associated with second interactions between said users;

generating, by said computer processor based on said second data, a second graph illustrating said second interactions between said users;

comparing, by said computer processor, said second graph to said first graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said first graph to said second graph, a third graph illustrating first order differences between said first interactions and said second interactions with respect to said group of users, wherein said first order differences indicate effects of said first marketing plan;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said third graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said third graph;

determining, by said computer processor, second order differences comparing effects between said first marketing plan and a second marketing plan differing from said first marketing plan;

determining, by said computer processor based on an ontology map, third order differences comparing effects between two different pairs of social network marketing plans;

standardizing, by said computer processor, terminology associated with specifications of said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, and said two different pairs of social network marketing plans; and

performing, by said computer processor, an inference analysis with respect to said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, said two different pairs of social network marketing plans, and said users, wherein said performing said inference analysis comprises;

assigning unique style IDs to said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan and said two different pairs of social network marketing plans;

associating nodes, representing targeted users of said users, with first specified IDs of said unique style IDs;

associating a group of nodes of said nodes, representing first users of said targeted users, with final specified IDs of said first specified IDs; and

defining thresholds associated with said first users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said group of users are associated with said second marketing plan associated with said first social network, and wherein said method further comprises:

second enabling, by said computer processor, said second marketing plan with respect to said users;

after performing said second enabling, retrieving by said computer processor, third data associated with third interactions between said users;

generating, by said computer processor based on said third data, a fourth graph illustrating said third interactions between said users;

comparing, by said computer processor, said first graph to said fourth graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said first graph to said fourth graph, a fifth graph illustrating first order differences between said first interactions and said third interactions with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said fifth graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said fifth graph.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing, by said computer processor, said third graph to said fifth graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said third graph to said fifth graph, a sixth graph illustrating second order differences between said fifth graph and said third graph with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said sixth graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said sixth graph.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, by said computer processor based on said results of said analyzing said sixth graph, that said first marketing plan supports said second marketing plan.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, by said computer processor based on said results of said analyzing said sixth graph, that said first marketing plan competes with said second marketing plan.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, by said computer processor based on said results of said analyzing said sixth graph, that said first marketing plan dominates said second marketing plan.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said group of users are associated with a third marketing plan associated with said first social network, wherein said third marketing plan differs from said first marketing plan and said second marketing plan, and wherein said method further comprises:

third enabling, by said computer processor, said third marketing plan with respect to said users;

after performing said third enabling, retrieving by said computer processor, fourth data associated with fourth interactions between said users;

generating, by said computer processor based on said fourth data, a seventh graph illustrating said fourth interactions between said users;

comparing, by said computer processor, said first graph to said seventh graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said first graph to said seventh graph, an eighth graph illustrating first order differences between said first interactions and said fourth interactions with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said eighth graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said eighth graph.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said group of users are associated with a fourth marketing plan associated with said first social network, wherein said fourth marketing plan differs from said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, and said third marketing plan, and wherein said method further comprises:

fourth enabling, by said computer processor, said fourth marketing plan with respect to said users;

after performing said fourth enabling, retrieving by said computer processor, fifth data associated with fifth interactions between said users;

generating, by said computer processor based on said fifth data, a ninth graph illustrating said fifth interactions between said users;

comparing, by said computer processor, said first graph to said ninth graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said first graph to said ninth graph, an tenth graph illustrating first order differences between said first interactions and said fifth interactions with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said tenth graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said tenth graph.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing, by said computer processor, said eighth graph to said tenth graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said eighth graph to said tenth graph, an eleventh graph illustrating second order differences between said eighth graph and said tenth graph with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said eleventh graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said eleventh graph.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

comparing, by said computer processor, said sixth graph to said eleventh graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said sixth graph to said eleventh graph, a twelfth graph illustrating third order differences between said sixth graph and said eleventh graph with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said twelfth graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said twelfth graph.

11. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining;

deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein the code in combination with said computing system is capable of performing support services upon being executed by a computer processor of said computing system; and

performing said support services by implementing steps of;

retrieving, by said computer processor, first data associated with first interactions between users associated with a plurality of social networks;

generating, by said computer processor based on said first data, a first graph illustrating said first interactions between said users;

identifying, by said computer processor, a group of users of said users, wherein said group of users comprise first targeted users associated with a first marketing plan associated with a first social network of said plurality of social networks;

first enabling, by said computer processor, said first marketing plan with respect to said users;

after performing said first enabling, retrieving by said computer processor, second data associated with second interactions between said users;

generating, by said computer processor based on said second data, a second graph illustrating said second interactions between said users;

comparing, by said computer processor, said second graph to said first graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said first graph to said second graph, a third graph illustrating first order differences between said first interactions and said second interactions with respect to said group of users, wherein said first order differences indicate effects of said first marketing plan;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said third graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said third graph;

determining, by said computer processor, second order differences comparing effects between said first marketing plan and a second marketing plan differing from said first marketing determining, by said computer processor based on an ontology map, third order differences comparing effects between two different pairs of social network marketing plans;

standardizing, by said computer processor, terminology associated with specifications of said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, and said two different pairs of social network marketing plans; and

performing, by said computer processor, an inference analysis with respect to said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, said two different pairs of social network marketing plans, and said users, wherein said performing said inference analysis comprises;

assigning unique style IDs to said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, and said two different pairs of social network marketing plans;

associating nodes, representing targeted users of said users, with first specified IDs of said unique style IDs;

associating a group of nodes of said nodes, representing first users of said targeted users, with final specified IDs of said first specified IDs; and

defining thresholds associated with said first users.

12. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code configured to perform method upon being executed by a computer processor of said computing system, said method comprising:

retrieving, by said computer processor, first data associated with first interactions between users associated with a plurality of social networks;

generating, by said computer processor based on said first data, a first graph illustrating said first interactions between said users;

identifying, by said computer processor, a group of users of said users, wherein said group of users comprise first targeted users associated with a first marketing plan associated with a first social network of said plurality of social networks;

first enabling, by said computer processor, said first marketing plan with respect to said users;

after performing said first enabling, retrieving by said computer processor, second data associated with second interactions between said users;

generating, by said computer processor based on said second data, a second graph illustrating said second interactions between said users;

comparing, by said computer processor, said second graph to said first graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said first graph to said second graph, a third graph illustrating first order differences between said first interactions and said second interactions with respect to said group of users, wherein said first order differences indicate effects of said first marketing plan;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said third graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said third graph;

determining, by said computer processor, second order differences comparing effects between said first marketing plan and a second marketing plan differing from said first marketing plan;

determining, by said computer processor based on an ontology map, third order differences comparing effects between two different pairs of social network marketing plans;

standardizing, by said computer processor, terminology associated with specifications of said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, and said two different pairs of social network marketing plans; and

performing, by said computer processor, an inference analysis with respect to said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, said two different pairs of social network marketing plans, and said users, wherein said performing said inference analysis comprises;

assigning unique style IDs to said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan and said two different pairs of social network marketing plans;

associating nodes, representing targeted users of said users, with first specified IDs of said unique style IDs;

associating a group of nodes of said nodes, representing first users of said targeted users, with final specified IDs of said first specified IDs; and

defining thresholds associated with said first users.

13. A computing system comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when enabled by the computer processor implements a comparison method comprising:

retrieving, by said computer processor, first data associated with first interactions between users associated with a plurality of social networks;

generating, by said computer processor based on said first data, a first graph illustrating said first interactions between said users;

identifying, by said computer processor, a group of users of said users, wherein said group of users comprise first targeted users associated with a first marketing plan associated with a first social network of said plurality of social networks;

first enabling, by said computer processor, said first marketing plan with respect to said users;

after performing said first enabling, retrieving by said computer processor, second data associated with second interactions between said users;

generating, by said computer processor based on said second data, a second graph illustrating said second interactions between said users;

comparing, by said computer processor, said second graph to said first graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said first graph to said second graph, a third graph illustrating first order differences between said first interactions and said second interactions with respect to said group of users, wherein said first order differences indicate effects of said first marketing plan;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said third graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said third graph;

determining, by said computer processor, second order differences comparing effects between said first marketing plan and a second marketing plan differing from said first marketing plan;

determining, by said computer processor based on an ontology map, third order differences comparing effects between two different pairs of social network marketing plans;

standardizing, by said computer processor, terminology associated with specifications of said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, and said two different pairs of social network marketing plans; and

performing, by said computer processor, an inference analysis with respect to said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, said two different pairs of social network marketing plans, and said users, wherein said performing said inference analysis comprises;

assigning unique style IDs to said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan and said two different pairs of social network marketing plans;

associating nodes, representing targeted users of said users, with first specified IDs of said unique style IDs;

associating a group of nodes of said nodes, representing first users of said targeted users, with final specified IDs of said first specified IDs; and

defining thresholds associated with said first users.

14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein said group of users are associated with said second marketing plan associated with said first social network, wherein said second marketing plan differs from said first marketing plan, and wherein said method further comprises:

second enabling, by said computer processor, said second marketing plan with respect to said users;

after performing said second enabling, retrieving by said computer processor, third data associated with third interactions between said users;

generating, by said computer processor based on said third data, a fourth graph illustrating said third interactions between said users;

comparing, by said computer processor, said first graph to said fourth graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said first graph to said fourth graph, a fifth graph illustrating first order differences between said first interactions and said third interactions with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said fifth graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said fifth graph.

15. The computing system of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises:

comparing, by said computer processor, said third graph to said fifth graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said third graph to said fifth graph, a sixth graph illustrating second order differences between said fifth graph and said third graph with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said sixth graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said sixth graph.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computer processor based on said results of said analyzing said sixth graph, that said first marketing plan supports said second marketing plan.

17. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said group of users are associated with a third marketing plan associated with said first social network, wherein said third marketing plan differs from said first marketing plan and said second marketing plan, and wherein said method further comprises:

third enabling, by said computer processor, said third marketing plan with respect to said users;

after performing said third enabling, retrieving by said computer processor, fourth data associated with fourth interactions between said users;

generating, by said computer processor based on said fourth data, a seventh graph illustrating said fourth interactions between said users;

comparing, by said computer processor, said first graph to said seventh graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said first graph to said seventh graph, an eighth graph illustrating first order differences between said first interactions and said fourth interactions with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said eighth graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said eighth graph.

18. The computing system of claim 17, wherein said group of users are associated with a fourth marketing plan associated with said first social network, wherein said fourth marketing plan differs from said first marketing plan, said second marketing plan, and said third marketing plan, and wherein said method further comprises:

fourth enabling, by said computer processor, said fourth marketing plan with respect to said users;

after performing said fourth enabling, retrieving by said computer processor, fifth data associated with fifth interactions between said users;

generating, by said computer processor based on said fifth data, a ninth graph illustrating said fifth interactions between said users;

comparing, by said computer processor, said first graph to said ninth graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said first graph to said ninth graph, an tenth graph illustrating first order differences between said first interactions and said fifth interactions with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said tenth graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said tenth graph.

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein said method further comprises:

comparing, by said computer processor, said eighth graph to said tenth graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said eighth graph to said tenth graph, an eleventh graph illustrating second order differences between said eighth graph and said tenth graph with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said eleventh graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said eleventh graph.

20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein said method further comprises:

comparing, by said computer processor, said sixth graph to said eleventh graph;

generating, by said computer processor based on said comparing said sixth graph to said eleventh graph, a twelfth graph illustrating third order differences between said sixth graph and said eleventh graph with respect to said group of users;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said twelfth graph; and

storing, by said computer processor, results of said analyzing said twelfth graph.