Generating a score for a coupon campaign

• US 8,560,384 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Kavel, Thampy, Sajjit
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US13/345,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.13
• US Class Current: 705/14.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives

Abstract

Techniques are provided for generating, by a coupon distributor, a score that represents a quality of a coupon campaign that a coupon provider offers to the coupon distributor. The score may be generated based on the brand of the product, the product category to which the product belongs, the coupon value, and the percentage discount reflected by the coupon. One or more of these factors may be based on historical data that indicates the success (or failure) of previous coupon campaigns (e.g., of the same product, brand, and/or product category, and/or similar coupon value). The coupon distributor uses the score to, e.g., determine whether to accept a proposed coupon campaign, project the number of prints/redemptions of the coupon campaign, determine how to present the coupon, determine an amount to charge for running the coupon campaign, and/or determine products or product categories of coupons to which the coupon distributor should seek.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a computer, a plurality of attributes associated with a coupon campaign that has been offered to a coupon distributor by a coupon provider that is different than the coupon distributor and that provides a product or service to which a coupon of the coupon campaign pertains;

wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include attribute data of one or more prior coupon campaigns that completed previous to the coupon campaign and that are related to the coupon campaign;

determining a plurality of values that correspond to the plurality of attributes; and

generating, by the coupon distributor, using the computer and based on the plurality of values, a score that represents a quality of the coupon campaign.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include one or more of coupon value, percentage discount represented by the coupon value, brand of a product of the coupon campaign, or product category to which the product belongs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more prior coupon campaigns are:

(a) for the same product as a product of the coupon campaign, or

(b) for one or more products that are different than the product for the coupon campaign and

(1) belong to a particular product category to which the product for the coupon campaign also belongs, or

(2) that are of the same brand as a brand of the product for the coupon campaign.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining, determining, and generating are performed prior to the coupon distributor accepting the coupon campaign.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining, by the coupon distributor, based on the score, whether to accept the coupon campaign.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, prior to accepting the coupon campaign:

determining, based on the score and using the computer, to modify one or more terms of the coupon campaign;

generating, using the computer, one or more modified values based on one or more values, of the plurality of values, that correspond to the one or more terms;

sending, from the coupon distributor to the coupon provider, the one or more modified values.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, receiving, from the coupon provider, response data that indicates whether the coupon provider accepts the coupon distributor running the coupon campaign based on the one or more modified values.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, based on the score, an amount for the coupon distributor to charge the coupon provider for running the coupon campaign.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the amount to charge is a price per print, by a potential customer, of a coupon of the coupon campaign.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, based on the score, an estimate of a number of prints or redemptions that might occur if the coupon distributor runs the coupon campaign.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, based on the score, how often to or how to present, to potential customers, a coupon of the coupon campaign.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, based on a plurality of scores, each of which is associated with a different coupon campaign of a plurality of coupon campaigns, which coupons to display on a web page.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on a plurality of scores, each of which is associated with a different coupon campaign of a plurality of coupon campaigns, one or more product categories;

identifying one or more coupon providers that provide coupons for one or more products that belong to the one or more product categories.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include penetration data that indicates a number or percentage of households that a brand of the coupon campaign has penetrated.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include seasonality data that indicates, for a particular product or product category associated with the coupon campaign, one or more first metrics associated with a first time period and one or more second metrics associated with a second time period.

16. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

obtaining a plurality of attributes associated with a coupon campaign that has been offered to a coupon distributor by a coupon provider that is different than the coupon distributor and that provides a product or service to which a coupon of the coupon campaign pertains;

wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include attribute data of one or more prior coupon campaigns that completed previous to the coupon campaign and that are related to the coupon campaign;

determining a plurality of values that correspond to the plurality of attributes; and

generating, by the coupon distributor, based on the plurality of values, a score that represents a quality of the coupon campaign.

17. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include one or more of coupon value, percentage discount represented by the coupon value, brand of a product of the coupon campaign, or product category to which the product belongs.

18. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the one or more prior coupon campaigns are:

(a) for the same product as a product of the coupon campaign, or

(b) for one or more products that are different than the product for the coupon campaign and

(1) belong to a particular product category to which the product for the coupon campaign also belongs, or

(2) that are of the same brand as a brand of the product for the coupon campaign.

19. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the obtaining, determining, and generating are performed prior to the coupon distributor accepting the coupon campaign.

20. The one or more storage media of claim 19 wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes determining, by the coupon distributor, based on the score, whether to accept the coupon campaign.

21. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes, prior to accepting the coupon campaign:

determining, based on the score, to modify one or more terms of the coupon campaign;

generating one or more modified values based on one or more values, of the plurality of values, that correspond to the one or more terms;

sending, from the coupon distributor to the coupon provider, the one or more modified values.

22. The one or more storage media of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes, receiving, from the coupon provider, response data that indicates whether the coupon provider accepts the coupon distributor running the coupon campaign based on the one or more modified values.

23. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes determining, based on the score, an amount for the coupon distributor to charge the coupon provider for running the coupon campaign.

24. The one or more storage media of claim 23, wherein the amount to charge is a price per print, by a potential customer, of a coupon of the coupon campaign.

25. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes generating, based on the score, an estimate of a number of prints or redemptions that might occur if the coupon distributor runs the coupon campaign.

26. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes determining, based on the score, how often to or how to present, to potential customers, a coupon of the coupon campaign.

27. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes determining, based on a plurality of scores, each of which is associated with a different coupon campaign of a plurality of coupon campaigns, which coupons to display on a web page.

28. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes:

determining, based on a plurality of scores, each of which is associated with a different coupon campaign of a plurality of coupon campaigns, one or more product categories;

identifying one or more coupon providers that provide coupons for one or more products that belong to the one or more product categories.

29. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include penetration data that indicates a number or percentage of households that a brand of the coupon campaign has penetrated.

30. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include seasonality data that indicates, for a particular product or product category associated with the coupon campaign, one or more first metrics associated with a first time period and one or more second metrics associated with a second time period.

31. An apparatus comprising:

a campaign data receiving unit that is configured to obtain a plurality of attributes associated with a coupon campaign that has been offered to a coupon distributor by a coupon provider that is different than the coupon distributor and that provides a product or service to which a coupon of the coupon campaign pertains;

wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include attribute data of one or more prior coupon campaigns that completed previous to the coupon campaign and that are related to the coupon campaign;

wherein the campaign data receiving unit is further configured to determine a plurality of values that correspond to the plurality of attributes; and

an offer quality score (OQS) generation unit that is configured to generate, by the coupon distributor, based on the plurality of values, a score that represents a quality of the coupon campaign.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include one or more of coupon value, percentage discount represented by the coupon value, brand of a product of the coupon campaign, or product category to which the product belongs.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the one or more prior coupon campaigns are:

(a) for the same product as a product of the coupon campaign, or

(b) for one or more products that are different than the product for the coupon campaign and

(1) belong to a particular product category to which the product for the coupon campaign also belongs, or

(2) that are of the same brand as a brand of the product for the coupon campaign.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the OQS generation unit is configured to generate the score prior to the coupon distributor accepting the coupon campaign.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a proposed campaign acceptance unit that is configured to determine, based on the score, whether to accept the coupon campaign.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a logic, implemented at least partially in hardware, that is configured to:

determine, based on the score, to modify one or more terms of the coupon campaign;

generate one or more modified values based on one or more values, of the plurality of values, that correspond to the one or more terms;

send, from the coupon distributor to the coupon provider, the one or more modified values.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising a second logic, implemented at least partially in hardware, that is configured to receive, from the coupon provider, response data that indicates whether the coupon provider accepts the coupon distributor running the coupon campaign based on the one or more modified values.

38. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a logic, implemented at least partially in hardware, that is configured to determine, based on the score, an amount for the coupon distributor to charge the coupon provider for running the coupon campaign.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a logic, implemented at least partially in hardware, that is configured to generate, based on the score, an estimate of a number of prints of redemptions that might occur if the coupon distributor runs the coupon campaign.

40. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a logic, implemented at least partially in hardware, that is configured to determine, based on the score, how often to or how to present, to potential customers, a coupon of the coupon campaign.

41. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a logic, implemented at least partially in hardware, that is configured to determine, based on a plurality of scores, each of which is associated with a different coupon campaign of a plurality of coupon campaigns, which coupons to display on a web page.

42. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising:

a first logic, implemented at least partially in hardware, that is configured to determine, based on a plurality of scores, each of which is associated with a different coupon campaign of a plurality of coupon campaigns, one or more product categories;

a second logic, implemented at least partially in hardware, that is configured to identify one or more coupon providers that provide coupons for one or more products that belong to the one or more product categories.

43. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include penetration data that indicates a number of percentage of households that a brand of the coupon campaign has penetrated.

44. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include seasonality data that indicates, for a particular product or product category associated with the coupon campaign, one or more first metrics associated with a first time period and one or more second metrics associated with a second time period.

45. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the amount to charge is a price per print, by a potential customer, of a coupon of the coupon campaign.