Dynamic online experience modification and inventory optimization based on statistically significant geo-location parameter

• US 8,438,060 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Symons, Matthew, Fender, Miles, Bose, Piu
• Primary Examiner(s): OBEID, FAHD A
• Application Number:
  US12/366,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/14.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

An online experience of a user is dynamically configured at the micro-regional level based to achieve an objective associated with sales of a product. A catchment zone is determined, which identifies the geographic region associated with the objective and the product. The online user experience for users in the catchment zone is modified to achieve the objective.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically determining modifications for online experiences based on an objective associated with sales of a product, the system comprising:

data storage to store online behavior data and offline sales data used to determine a smallest geo-location parameter of statistical significance;

a dynamic regioning module executed by a processor to

determine online behavior of users, wherein the online behavior is related to the product,

determine granularities of a geo-location parameter for the on-line behavior of users,

determine a smallest granularity of the granularities of the geo-location parameter,

determine whether the smallest granularity is statistically significant for estimating an impact of the online behavior on offline sales of the product based on the online behavior data and the offline sales data and one or more parameters associated with the online behavior and offline sales,

in response to a determination that the smallest granularity is statistically significant, use the smallest granularity as the smallest geo-location parameter, and

in response to a determination that the smallest granularity is not statistically significant, repeatedly determine whether a next higher granularity of the granularities is statistically significant until a granularity of statistical significance is determined, and select the statistically significant granularity as the smallest geo-location parameter;

a catchment zone determination module, executed by the processor, to determine a catchment zone, wherein the catchment zone is a geographic area that is targeted based on the objective, and the catchment zone determination module is operable to modify the catchment zone based on the smallest geo-location parameter; and

an online modifications module, executed by the processor, to determine one or more modifications to the online user experience for the catchment zone to achieve the objective.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the online modifications module uses marketing return on investment (MROI) modeling to determine an impact of online behavior on offline sales of the product and to identify modifications to the online user experience for the catchment zone.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an online modifier implementing the one or more modifications to the online user experience for each user determined to be in the catchment zone.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more modifications to the online user experience comprise modified web pages and modified online promotions.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic regioning module determines whether the smallest granularity is statistically significant from a minimum number of data points for the online behavior data and the offline sales data that are needed to avoid or minimize a probability of failing to detect real effects of the online behavior on the offline sales for the smallest granularity.

6. A method to dynamically determine modifications for online experiences based on an objective, the method comprising:

storing online behavior data and offline sales data of a product to determine online behavior of users, wherein the online behavior is related to the product;

determining, by a processor, granularities of a geo-location parameter for on-line behavior of users;

determining a smallest granularity of the granularities of the geo-location parameter;

determining whether the smallest granularity is statistically significant for estimating an impact of the online behavior on offline sales of the product based on the online behavior data and the offline sales data and one or more parameters associated with the online behavior and offline sales;

in response to determining the smallest granularity is statistically significant, using the smallest granularity as a smallest geo-location parameter;

in response to determining the smallest granularity is not statistically significant, repeatedly determining whether a next higher granularity of the granularities is statistically significant until a granularity of statistical significance is determined, selecting the statistically significant granularity as the smallest geo-location parameter;

determining a catchment zone, wherein the catchment zone is a geographic area that is targeted based on the objective;

modifying, by the processor, the catchment zone based on the smallest geo-location parameter; and

determining one or more modifications to an online user experience related to the product and for the catchment zone.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the objective is associated with controlling inventory for the product, and the method comprises:

determining inventory of the product for stores in the catchment zone, wherein the one or more modifications are modifications to the online user experience for the catchment zone to control the inventory of the product.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more modifications include modifications for a website and the modifications are implemented only for visitors to the web site determined to be in the catchment zone.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more modifications to the web site include at least one of changing contents of web pages at the website and the method comprises providing online promotions of the product at the website.

10. At least one computer readable medium storing computer code that when executed on one or more computer systems is to:

determine granularities of a geo-location parameter for on-line behavior of users, wherein the on-line behavior is related to a product;

determine a smallest granularity of the granularities of the geo-location parameter;

determine whether the smallest granularity is statistically significant for estimating an impact of the online behavior on offline sales of the product based on one or more parameters associated with the online behavior and offline sales of the product;

in response to determining the smallest granularity is statistically significant, use the smallest granularity as a smallest geo-location parameter;

in response to determining the smallest granularity is not statistically significant, repeatedly determine whether a next higher granularity of the granularities is statistically significant until a granularity of statistical significance is determined, and select the statistically significant granularity as the smallest geo-location parameter;

determining a catchment zone, wherein the catchment zone is a geographic area that is targeted based on the objective;

modify the catchment zone based on the smallest geo-location parameter; and

modify an online user experience related to the product for the catchment zone.

11. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the objective is associated with controlling inventory for the product, and code is to:

determine inventory of the product for stores in the catchment zone; and

modify an online user experience for the catchment zone to control the inventory of the product.

12. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the code to modify an online user experience is to:

determine whether a visitor to a web site is in the catchment zone; and

modify the web site to control the inventory of the product if the user is in the catchment zone.

13. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the code to modify the web site is to:

change contents of web pages at the website.

14. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the code to modify the web site is to:

provide online promotions of the product at the website.

15. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the code to modify the catchment zone is to:

identify the smallest geo-location parameter as the catchment zone if the determined catchment zone is smaller than the smallest geo-location parameter.

16. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the catchment zone is a granularity larger than the smallest geo-location parameter.

17. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the code to determine the smallest geo-location parameter further is to:

dynamically determine the smallest geo-location parameter as online and offline product data and one or more of the variables vary over time.

18. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the code to modify an online user experience related to the product and for the catchment zone is to:

dynamically modify the online user experience as online behavior and offline sales data and the objective vary over time.

19. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the code is to:

determine one or more modifications to the online user experience based on marketing return on investment (MROI) modeling.