Marketing campaign application for multiple electronic distribution channels

• US 9,514,484 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Chomsky, Mara K., Greenspan, David M., Schochet, Randi, Vakil, Elizabeth K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrahamson, Amanda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US13/926,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system is disclosed for allowing a merchant to create offers for distribution via multiple distribution channels. The distribution channels may include social media networks and location based services. The method may include receiving offer parameters for generating the offer, generating offer data based on the offer parameters and merchant transaction data, and determining data subsets of the offer data for distribution through multiple electronic distribution channels. The systems and methods may include associating a transaction account of the account holder with the offer, monitoring a transaction of the transaction account, comparing with a criterion governing the offer, and generating a report for the merchant. The report may include various metrics of the offer, such as return on investment, tracking information on the number of repeat customers and new customers during an offer period, and may occur approximately real-time with the transaction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting, by a computer-based system, a marketing campaign application via a graphical user interface, the marketing campaign application configured to present a plurality of selectable social media channels;

receiving, by the computer-based system and via the marketing campaign application, a selection of a first social media channel;

requesting, by the computer-based system and by the merchant campaign application, first authentication information for the first social media channel;

linking, by the computer-based system, the first social media channel with the merchant campaign application;

linking, by the computer based system, a second social media channel with the merchant campaign application in response to the receiving the selection of the second social media channel and second authentication information,

receiving, by the computer-based system, offer parameters for generating an offer associated with a merchant;

storing, by the computer-based system, data sets of the offer parameters in a database as ungrouped data elements formatted as a block of binary (BLOB) via a fixed memory offset;

partitioning, by the computer-based system and using a key field, the database according to a class of objects defined by the key field to speed searching for the offer parameters;

linking, by the computer-based system, data tables based on the type of data in the key fields;

annotating, by the computer-based system, the data sets to include security information establishing access levels;

obtaining, by the computer-based system, the offer parameters from the database;

generating, by the computer-based system, an offer based on the offer parameters and merchant transaction data;

creating, by the computer-based system, an opt-in criteria for the offer based on the first social media channel;

formatting, by the computer-based system, the offer for distribution through the first social media channel based on a first formatting protocol for the first social media channel;

wherein the first formatting protocol is customized for and defined by parameters of the first social media channel, and

wherein the offer includes the opt-in criteria as a point of interaction with the offer;

formatting, by the computer-based system, the offer for distribution through the second social media channel based on a second formatting protocol for the second social media channel;

wherein the second formatting protocol is customized for and defined by parameters of the second social media channel;

obtaining, by the computer-based system, transaction data of one or more transactions at the merchant from a third-party institution, wherein the transaction data corresponds to account holder data;

comparing, by the computer-based system, the one or more transactions with a criterion governing the offer;

generating, by the computer-based system, a first report based on the one or more transactions and account holder data for the first social media channel; and

generating, by the computer-based system, a second report based on the one or more transactions and the account holder data for the second social media channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first report is a portion of a merchant report and wherein the second report is a portion of the merchant report.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the computer-based system, a selection of at least one merchant location for redemption of the offer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first social media channel is configured to broadcast text and images, and the second social media channel is configured to broadcast text.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the computer-based system, a selection of the criterion governing the offer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the account holder is selected based on account history of the account holder, and wherein the account history comprises at least one of prior transaction data, loyalty points, reward points, location of prior transactions, past purchases, transaction amount, transaction volume, or account status.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the account holder is selected based on at least one of demographics or a location of the account holder.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the computer-based system, a location of the account holder based upon at least one of a zip code, a GPS signal, a location signal or a submitted location by the account holder.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein reporting information in the merchant report includes at least one of number of the offers transmitted, number of the offers accepted, number of the offers redeemed, total value of the redeemed offers, average size of the transaction involving the offer, or rate of the offer redemption.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein reporting information in the merchant report includes a return on investment, wherein the return on investment is based on a comparison of first transactions during an offer period and second transactions during a non-offer period.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting information in the report includes non-transaction information, and wherein the non-transaction information includes at least one of demographic information of the account holder or social media indicators.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising at least one of modifying the marketing campaign or generating a second offer based on the reporting information in the merchant report.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the computer-based system, the merchant report to an entity that provides the offer parameters.

14. A system comprising:

a processor configured for generating an offer,

a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor,

the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

presenting, by the processor, a marketing campaign application via a graphical user interface, the marketing campaign application configured to present a plurality of selectable social media channels;

receiving, by the processor and via the marketing campaign application, a selection of a first social media channel;

requesting, by the processor and by the merchant campaign application, first authentication information for the first social media channel;

linking, by the processor, the first social media channel with the merchant campaign application;

linking, by the processor, a second social media channel with the merchant campaign application in response to the receiving the selection of the second social media channel and second authentication information,

receiving, by the processor, offer parameters for generating an offer associated with a merchant;

storing, by the processor, data sets of the offer parameters in a database as ungrouped data elements formatted as a block of binary (BLOB) via a fixed memory offset;

partitioning, by the processor and using a key field, the database according to a class of objects defined by the key field to speed searching for the offer parameters;

linking, by the processor, data tables based on the type of data in the key fields;

annotating, by the processor, the data sets to include security information establishing access levels;

obtaining, by the processor, the offer parameters from the database;

generating, by the processor, an offer based on the offer parameters and merchant transaction data;

creating, by the processor, an opt-in criteria for the offer based on the first social media channel;

formatting, by the processor, the offer for distribution through the first social media channel based on a first formatting protocol for the first social media channel;

wherein the first formatting protocol is customized for and defined by parameters of the first social media channel, and

wherein the offer includes the opt-in criteria as a point of interaction with the offer;

formatting, by the processor, the offer for distribution through the second social media channel based on a second formatting protocol for the second social media channel;

wherein the second formatting protocol is customized for and defined by parameters of the second social media channel;

obtaining, by the processor, transaction data of one or more transactions at the merchant from a third-party institution, wherein the transaction data corresponds to account holder data;

comparing, by the processor, the one or more transactions with a criterion governing the offer;

generating, by the processor, a first report based on the one or more transactions and account holder data for the first social media channel; and

generating, by the processor, a second report based on the one or more transactions and the account holder data for the second social media channel.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising receiving, by the processor, a selection of at least one merchant location for redemption of the offer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the offer is applied, at the at least one merchant location, to the transaction.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising receiving, by the processor, a selection of the criterion governing the offer.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the account holder is selected based on account history of the account holder, and wherein the account history comprises at least one of prior transaction data, loyalty points, reward points, location of prior transactions, past purchases, transaction amount, transaction volume, or account status.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the account holder is selected based on at least one of demographics or a location of the account holder.

20. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer-based system, cause the computer-based system to perform operations comprising:

presenting, by the computer-based system, a marketing campaign application via a graphical user interface, the marketing campaign application configured to present a plurality of selectable social media channels;

receiving, by the computer-based system and via the marketing campaign application, a selection of a first social media channel;

requesting, by the computer-based system and by the merchant campaign application, first authentication information for the first social media channel;

linking, by the computer-based system, the first social media channel with the merchant campaign application;

linking, by the computer based system, a second social media channel with the merchant campaign application in response to the receiving the selection of the second social media channel and second authentication information,

receiving, by the computer-based system, offer parameters for generating an offer associated with a merchant;

storing, by the computer-based system, data sets of the offer parameters in a database as ungrouped data elements formatted as a block of binary (BLOB) via a fixed memory offset;

partitioning, by the computer-based system and using a key field, the database according to a class of objects defined by the key field to speed searching for the offer parameters;

linking, by the computer-based system, data tables based on the type of data in the key fields;

annotating, by the computer-based system, the data sets to include security information establishing access levels;

obtaining, by the computer-based system, the offer parameters from the database;

generating, by the computer-based system, an offer based on the offer parameters and merchant transaction data;

creating, by the computer-based system, an opt-in criteria for the offer based on the first social media channel;

formatting, by the computer-based system, the offer for distribution through the first social media channel based on a first formatting protocol for the first social media channel;

wherein the first formatting protocol is customized for and defined by parameters of the first social media channel, and

wherein the offer includes the opt-in criteria as a point of interaction with the offer;

formatting, by the computer-based system, the offer for distribution through the second social media channel based on a second formatting protocol for the second social media channel;

wherein the second formatting protocol is customized for and defined by parameters of the second social media channel;

obtaining, by the computer-based system, transaction data of one or more transactions at the merchant from a third-party institution, wherein the transaction data corresponds to account holder data;

comparing, by the computer-based system, the one or more transactions with a criterion governing the offer;

generating, by the computer-based system, a first report based on the one or more transactions and account holder data for the first social media channel; and

generating, by the computer-based system, a second report based on the one or more transactions and the account holder data for the second social media channel.