Methods, systems and apparatus to generate market segmentation data with anonymous location data

• US 9,613,363 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Miller, David R., Cochran, Laura, Stevens, Jeff, Nelson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): NEFF, MICHAEL R
• Application Number:
  US14/591,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20150127427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to determine a consumer classification segment. A disclosed example method involves generating, with a processor, a list of consumer classification segments based on geographic indicators associated with a mobile device, associating, with the processor, the mobile device with a first consumer classification segment of the list of consumer classification segments if the geographic indicators were retrieved while a first application was executed, and associating, with the processor, the mobile device with a second consumer classification segment of the list of consumer classification segments if the geographic indicators were retrieved while a second application was executed.

Claims

1. A method to provide tailored advertisements to a mobile device, comprising:

generating, by executing an instruction with a processor, a list of consumer classification segments based on geographic indicators associated with a mobile device, the mobile device associated with a hashed identifier to protect privacy of a user of the mobile device;

associating, by executing an instruction with the processor, the mobile device with a first consumer classification segment of the list of consumer classification segments if a first pattern of the geographic indicators were retrieved while a first application was executed, the first pattern satisfying a first threshold number of geographic indicators while the first application was executed;

associating, by executing an instruction with the processor, the mobile device with a second consumer classification segment of the list of consumer classification segments if a second pattern of the geographic indicators were retrieved while a second application was executed, the second pattern satisfying a second threshold number of geographic indicators while the second application was executed; and

presenting, by executing an instruction with the processor, an advertisement on the mobile device based on the associated one of the first consumer classification segment or the second consumer classification segment with the mobile device.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including protecting user privacy by translating the geographic indicators to form alternate geographic indicators associated with the mobile device.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the geographic indicators exhibit a zip+6 granularity and the alternate geographic indicators exhibit a zip+4granularity.

4. The method as defined in claim 2, further including calculating a centroid location based on addresses within the geographic indicators to translate the geographic indicators.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first application is indicative of at least one of a user home location, a user work location, or a user shopping location.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further including pushing an advertisement associated with the consumer classification segments in response to detecting usage of the first application within proximity of a store.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the geographic indicators include global positioning satellite data points from the mobile device.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the geographic indicators are associated with a potential rating index for zip markets (PRIZM) segmentation model.

9. An apparatus to provide tailored advertisements to a mobile device, comprising:

a segmentation system to generate a list of consumer classification segments based on geographic indicators associated with a mobile device, the mobile device associated with a hashed identifier to protect privacy of a user of the mobile device;

a segmentation application interface to;

associate the mobile device with a first consumer classification segment of the list of consumer classification segments if a first pattern of the geographic indicators were retrieved while a first application was executed, the first pattern satisfying a first threshold number of geographic indicators while the first application was executed; and

associate the mobile device with a second consumer classification segment of the consumer classification segments if a second pattern of the geographic indicators were retrieved while a second application was executed, the second pattern satisfying a second threshold number of geographic indicators while the second application was executed; and

a segmentation manager to transmit an advertisement to the mobile device based on which of the first consumer classification segment or the second consumer classification segment is associated with the mobile device.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, further including a privacy manager to protect user privacy by translating the geographic indicators into alternate geographic indicators associated with the mobile device.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the geographic indicators have a zip+6 granularity and the alternate geographic indicators have a zip+4granularity.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the privacy manager is to calculate a centroid location based on addresses within the geographic indicators to translate the geographic indicators.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the first application is indicative of at least one of a user home location, a user work location, or a user shopping location.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, further including a segmentation manager to push an advertisement associated with the first consumer classification segments in response to detecting execution of the first application within proximity of a store.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the geographic indicators include global positioning satellite data points from the mobile device.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the geographic indicators are associated with a potential rating index for zip markets (PRIZM) segmentation model.

17. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

generate a list of consumer classification segments based on geographic indicators associated with a mobile device, the mobile device associated with a hashed identifier to protect privacy of a user of the mobile device;

associate the mobile device with a first consumer classification segment of the list of consumer classification segments if a first pattern of the geographic indicators were retrieved while a first application was executed, the first pattern satisfying a first threshold number of geographic indicators while the first application was executed;

associate the mobile device with a second consumer classification segment of the list of consumer classification segments if, a second pattern of the geographic indicators were retrieved while a second application was executed, the second pattern satisfying a second threshold number of geographic indicators while the second application was executed; and

present an advertisement on the mobile device based on the associated one of the first consumer classification segment or the second consumer classification segment with the mobile device.

18. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to protect user privacy by translating the geographic indicators to form alternate geographic indicators associated with the mobile device.

19. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to associate a zip+6 granularity with the geographic indicators, and associate a zip+4 granularity with the alternate geographic indicators.

20. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to calculate a centroid location based on addresses within the geographic indicators to translate the geographic indicators.

21. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to associate the first application with at least one of a user home location, a user work location, or a user shopping location.

22. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to push an advertisement associated with one of the first consumer classification segments in response to detecting usage of the first application within proximity of a store.