System and method of storing data related to social publishers and associating the data with electronic brand data

• US 8,856,019 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Truex Media Inc.
• Original Assignee: True[X] Media, Inc.
• Inventors: Marchese, Joseph John
• Primary Examiner(s): BROCKINGTON III, WILLIAM S
• Application Number:
  US11/752,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20080033776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,695 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.29, 705/7.31, 705/7.11
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system and method of storing data related to social publishers and associating the data with electronic brand data is disclosed. The system includes an online persona definition module configured to receive information about a social publisher and, based on the received information, associate personality traits with the social publisher. A social influence measurement module receives social network metrics and social network activities related to social publishers and determine a level of social influence for the social publishers. A brand promoter management module is configured to receive data from the brand promoter, the including targeting elements for an advertising campaign, including a specified a level of social influence and a set of personality traits. The brand promoter may also upload brand art to display within the social network. An association is configured to determine if social publishers meet the targeting elements. An offer selection module allows selected social publishers to accept sponsorship offers and display the brand art within their social content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for building a brand campaign in a social networking system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system from a brand promoter, a budget and brand art for a brand campaign in a social networking system;

receiving, by the computer system, one or more target attributes of social publishers in the social networking system, the target attributes selected by the brand promoter to sponsor as part of the brand campaign;

prior to activating the brand campaign, estimating, by the computer system and transmitting to a device of the brand promoter, a campaign fulfillment metric comprising a reach and burn rate indicating an expected number of impressions to other members in the social networking system of the brand art based at least in part on the target attributes and the budget, wherein the estimated campaign fulfillment metric is estimated based, at least in part, on a social influence level of social publishers having the target attributes and who are estimated to accept an offer to receive compensation for allowing the brand art to be automatically included within social content of the social publishers having the target attributes;

responsive to activating the brand campaign, identifying, by the computer system, a social publisher having the target attributes selected by the brand promoter, the identified social publisher being a member of the social networking system;

communicating, by the computer system to a device of the identified social publisher, the offer for the identified social publisher to receive compensation in exchange for the identified social publisher allowing the brand art to be automatically included within social content of the identified social publisher, the social content published by the social networking system; and

responsive to receiving from the device of the identified social publisher an acceptance of the offer, causing the brand art to be automatically included within the social content of the identified social publisher displayed to other members in the social networking system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the budget includes a bid amount for each page served with the brand art.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the estimated campaign fulfillment metric responsive to a change in the budget.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the campaign fulfillment metric is estimated based, at least in part, on a number of social publishers suitable for displaying the brand art and an estimate of acceptance of offers by the social publishers.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the estimate of acceptance of offers by the social publishers is estimated based, at least in part, on a competitiveness of a bid amount.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an indication of an expiration of time or exhaustion of budget for the brand campaign; and

receiving an advertiser modification of the budget or expiration date of the brand campaign, in response to sending of the indication of the expiration of time or exhaustion of budget.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the target attributes received include a minimum social influence measurement of a social publisher suitable for displaying the brand art.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the compensation is non-monetary compensation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the social publishers are bloggers and the social content are blogs authored by the social publishers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the social content is user generated content published on personal webpages of the social publishers

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the target attributes include one or more demographics of social publishers.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the target attributes include a social influence estimate of social publishers.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions configured to be executed by a processor, the instructions when executed cause the building of a brand campaign in a social networking system by a series of steps, the steps comprising:

receiving from a brand promoter a budget and brand art for a brand campaign in a social networking system;

receiving one or more target attributes of social publishers in the social networking system, the target attributes selected by the brand promoter to sponsor as part of the brand campaign;

prior to activating the brand campaign, estimating and transmitting to a device of the brand promoter, a campaign fulfillment metric comprising a reach and burn rate indicating an expected number of impressions to other users in the social networking system of the brand art based at least in part on the target attributes and the budget, wherein the estimated campaign fulfillment metric is estimated based, at least in part, on a social influence level of social publishers having the target attributes and who are estimated to accept an offer to receive compensation for allowing the brand art to be automatically included within social content of the social publishers having the target attributes;

responsive to activating the brand campaign, identifying by the computer system, a social publisher having the target attributes selected by the brand promoter, the identified social publisher being a member of the social networking system;

communicating by the computer system to a device of the identified social publisher, an offer for the identified social publisher to receive compensation in exchange for the identified social publisher allowing the brand art to be automatically included within social content of the identified social publisher, the social content published by the social networking system; and

responsive to receiving from the device of the identified social publisher an acceptance of the offer, causing the brand art to be automatically included within the social content of the identified social publisher displayed to other members in the social networking system.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the budget includes a bid amount for each page served with the brand art.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the campaign fulfillment metric is estimated, at least in part, based on a number of social publishers suitable for displaying the brand art and an estimate of acceptance of offers by the social publishers.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the estimate of acceptance of offers by the social publishers is estimated based, at least in part, on a competitiveness of a bid amount.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the steps further comprise:

sending an indication of an expiration of time or exhaustion of budget for the brand campaign; and

receiving an advertiser modification of the budget or expiration date of the brand campaign, in response to sending of the indication of the expiration of time or exhaustion of budget.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the target attributes received include a minimum social influence measurement of a social publisher suitable for displaying the brand art.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the compensation is non-monetary compensation.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the social publishers are bloggers and the social content are blogs authored by the social publishers.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the social content is user generated content published on personal webpages of the social publishers.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the target attributes include one or more demographics of social publishers.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the target attributes include a social influence estimate of social publishers.

15. The computer readable storage medium of 13, the steps further comprising:

modifying the estimated campaign fulfillment metric responsive to a change in the Budget.