Identifying and tracking grouped content in e-mail campaigns

• US 9,177,263 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cama, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Woolcock, Madhu
• Application Number:
  US12/131,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,710 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/246
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for identifying and tracking grouped content in e-mail campaigns. An instruction set is placed in an e-mail to form a modified e-mail, wherein the modified e-mail contains a grouped content having a plurality of levels that are expandable to present additional content. The modified e-mail is sent to a distribution list, wherein the instruction set is used to track information about the grouped content.

Claims

1. A computer system for identifying and tracking grouped content in e-mail campaigns, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, and program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to select an e-mail for tracking, wherein a body of the e-mail contains a grouped content having a plurality of sections, where a section of the plurality of sections is expandable to present additional content associated with the section, and wherein each section comprises a summary level and a full text level;

program instructions to add an instruction set into the e-mail to form a modified e-mail, the instruction set including a script to identify when a recipient of the modified e-mail expands one of the plurality of sections and to identify which of the plurality of sections is expanded;

program instructions to send the modified e-mail with the instruction set to the recipient, the instruction set tracking whether the recipient expands one of the plurality of sections to view the additional content associated with the section; and

program instructions to execute the instruction set in response to a manipulation of the grouped content by the recipient, wherein the instruction set collects information about the grouped content and sends the information to a collection device, and wherein the information about the grouped content comprises a grouped content title, a date the modified e-mail was opened, a time the modified e-mail was opened, a date the modified e-mail was pre-viewed, a time the modified e-mail was pre-viewed, a date the grouped content was expanded, a time the grouped content was expanded, a date the grouped content was collapsed, a time the grouped content was collapsed, a subject of the modified e-mail, a name of an associated campaign, a user name, a browser type, an e-mail client type, a level of the e-mail client, whether a reader used a replica mailbox database, whether the reader used a master mailbox database, an internet sub-domain, and a transmission control protocol over Internet Protocol address.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the grouped content is a twisty.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the instruction set comprises at least one of hypertext markup language and extensible markup language.

4. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

program instructions to execute the instruction set in the modified e-mail when the modified e-mail is pre-viewed, wherein the instruction set sends information to the collection device about the modified e-mail and a reader that pre-viewed the modified e-mail.

5. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

program instructions to receive the information sent by the instruction set, analyze the information with information received from other instruction sets to form an analysis, and generate a report from the analysis.

6. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

program instructions to convert the e-mail from a native format to a markup language format to form a convert e-mail;

program instructions, responsive to converting the e-mail, to parse the convert e-mail to identify at least one item, wherein the item is selected from the group consisting of attachments, sections, hyperlinks, and combinations thereof;

program instructions to place the instruction set in the convert e-mail to form the modified e-mail, wherein the instruction set is associated with the at least one item; and

program instructions to convert the modified e-mail from the markup language format back to the native format.

7. A computer program product for identifying and tracking grouped content in e-mail campaigns, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices having program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to select an e-mail for tracking, wherein a body of the e-mail contains a grouped content having a plurality of sections, where a section of the plurality of sections is expandable to present additional content associated with the section, and wherein each section comprises a summary level and a full text level;

program instructions to add an instruction set into the e-mail to form a modified e-mail, the instruction set including a script to identify when a recipient of the modified e-mail expands one of the plurality of sections and to identify which of the plurality of sections is expanded;

program instructions to send the modified e-mail with the instruction set to the recipient, the instruction set tracking whether the recipient expands one of the plurality of sections to view the additional content associated with the section; and

program instructions to execute the instruction set in response to a manipulation of the grouped content by the recipient, wherein the instruction set collects information about the grouped content and sends the information to a collection device, and wherein the information about the grouped content comprises a grouped content title, a date the modified e-mail was opened, a time the modified e-mail was opened, a date the modified e-mail was pre-viewed, a time the modified e-mail was pre-viewed, a date the grouped content was expanded, a time the grouped content was expanded, a date the grouped content was collapsed, a time the grouped content was collapsed, a subject of the modified e-mail, a name of an associated campaign, a user name, a browser type, an e-mail client type, a level of the e-mail client, whether a reader used a replica mailbox database, whether the reader used a master mailbox database, an internet sub-domain, and a transmission control protocol over Internet Protocol address.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to receive the information sent by the instruction set;

program instructions to analyze the information with information received from other instruction sets to form an analysis; and

program instructions, to generate a report from the analysis.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to convert the e-mail from a native format to a markup language format to form a convert e-mail;

program instructions responsive to converting the e-mail, to parse the convert e-mail to identify at least one item, wherein the item is selected from the group consisting of attachments, sections, hyperlinks, and combinations thereof;

program instructions to place the instruction set in the convert e-mail to form the modified e-mail, wherein the instruction set is associated with the at least one item; and

program instructions to convert the modified e-mail from the markup language format back to the native format.