Method for selecting relevant campaign messages for transmission to recipients

• US 20040204989A1
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harbick, Andrew, Compton, John Benjamin, Prater, Alexander, Round, Matt, Dicker, Russell
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure

Abstract

The present invention is directed to automating the sending of campaign messages in computing environments. Campaign scores are determined for messaging campaigns and eligible recipients are assigned to campaigns with a higher score. More specifically, eligible recipients are assigned to a particular messaging campaign if the campaign is the “best” campaign for each eligible recipient based on the campaign score. Additionally, a portion of the eligible recipients are reserved as a control group for each campaign. After campaign messages have been sent out to assigned recipients, the behavior of the recipients who received campaign messages and the behavior of the control group members are differentiated to update the campaign'"'"'s score. Continually updating campaign scores makes it possible to continually update which campaign is best for a particular recipient.

Claims

1. (Canceled)

2. A computer implemented method for selecting a campaign message to send to a recipient, the method comprising:

determining if said recipient is eligible to receive campaign messages;

obtaining a campaign score for an active campaign if said recipient is eligible to receive campaign messages;

determining if said campaign score meets predetermined criteria; and

if said campaign score meets predetermined criteria, selecting a campaign message related to said active campaign to send to said recipient.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said predetermined criteria is said campaign'"'"'s score equaling or exceeding a threshold campaign score.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining a campaign score for an active campaign comprises:

setting said campaign score for the active campaign to an average score; and

updating said campaign score based on subsequent performance of said active campaign.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining a campaign score for an active campaign comprises:

setting said campaign score for the active campaign to the campaign score of at least one other campaign of similar type; and

updating said campaign score based on subsequent performance of said active campaign.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining a campaign score for an active campaign comprises:

combining campaign scores for a plurality of campaigns of; and

updating said campaign score based on subsequent performance of said plurality of campaigns.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining a campaign score for an active campaign comprises:

identifying a test group of eligible recipients who will receive a testing campaign;

identifying a control group of eligible recipients who will not receive the testing campaign;

sending the testing campaign to said test group;

comparing behavior of said test group who has received the testing campaign to behavior of the control group who has not received the testing campaign; and

updating said campaign score based on said comparison.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein no more than a predetermined number of campaign messages are selected to be sent to said recipient.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein no more than a predetermined number of campaign messages are selected to be sent to said recipient in a period of time.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the campaign message selected to be sent is sent only during a predetermined time period.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said campaign messages are selected from a group consisting of electronic mail messages, short message service messages, WAP messages, instant messenger messages, and audio messages.

12. A campaign message selected by the method of claim 2.

13. A computer implemented method for processing campaigns, the method comprising:

defining a planning period for a plurality of active campaigns;

identifying each recipient eligible to receive campaign messages from said plurality of active campaigns in said planning period;

defining a lookahead period for a plurality of future campaigns;

identifying each recipient eligible to receive campaign messages from said plurality of future campaigns in said lookahead period; and

for each recipient eligible to receive campaign messages, assigning the recipient to a best campaign selected from the plurality of active campaigns in said planning period and the plurality of future campaigns in said lookahead period.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the best campaign is the active campaign from the planning period having the highest campaign score.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining if any of the future campaigns from the lookahead period have a higher campaign score than the best campaign;

for each such future campaign, discounting the campaign score of the future campaign to a present value; and

determining if the future campaign with the highest discounted campaign score is better than the best campaign.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the recipient is deferred assignment to the best campaign if the future campaign with the highest discounted campaign score is better than the best campaign.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the best campaign is the campaign from the plurality of active campaigns and the plurality of future campaigns that has the highest campaign score.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the recipient is deferred assignment to the best campaign if the best campaign is a future campaign from the lookahead period.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the lookahead period is a period of time set to occur after the planning period.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein a length of the lookahead period is determined based on the discount applied to the campaign score for the future campaign.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein a length of the planning period is determined based upon a frequency at which new active campaigns are generated.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein a recipient is considered eligible for receiving campaign messages if said recipient'"'"'s inbox data indicates that said recipient is eligible to receive a campaign message.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein said recipient is considered eligible for receiving campaign messages if said recipient has not already been selected to receive a campaign message during the planning period.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising adding the assigned recipients to a message plan used to schedule delivery of campaign messages to assigned recipients during said planning period.

25. A message plan produced by the method of claim 24.

26. A computer implemented method for automatically determining campaign scores, the method comprising:

obtaining a testing campaign for a current planning period;

assigning eligible testing recipients to said testing campaign;

reserving a portion of said eligible testing recipients as a test control group;

sending test campaign messages to an unreserved portion of assigned eligible testing recipients;

calculating a test campaign score for said testing campaign by differentiating the actions of the unreserved portion of assigned eligible testing recipients and the actions of the test control group after said testing campaign messages are sent; and

updating said testing campaign to an active campaign; and

assigning said test campaign score as the active campaign score of the active campaign.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising generating a metric to measure said actions of the unreserved portion of assigned eligible recipients and the test control group for the testing campaign, wherein said metric comprises a metric selected from the group consisting of:

revenue per message, purchases per message, and revenue per purchase.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said test campaign score corresponds to the standard deviation value of said metric from the metrics of other campaigns.

29. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to:

determine if said recipient is eligible to receive campaign messages;

obtain a campaign score for an active campaign if said recipient is eligible to receive campaign messages;

determine if said campaign score meets predetermined criteria; and

if said campaign score meets predetermined criteria, select a campaign message related to said active campaign to send to said recipient.

30. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to:

obtain a testing campaign for a current planning period;

assign eligible testing recipients to said testing campaign;

reserve a portion of said eligible testing recipients as a test control group;

send test campaign messages to the unreserved portion of assigned eligible testing recipients;

calculate a test campaign score for said testing campaign by differentiating the actions of the unreserved portion of assigned eligible testing recipients and the test control group after said testing campaign messages are sent; and

update said testing campaign to an active campaign; and

assign said test campaign score as the active campaign score of the active campaign.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, whose contents further cause a computing system to add the assigned recipients to a message plan used to schedule delivery of campaign messages to assigned recipients during said planning period.

32. A computer system for selecting a campaign message to send to a recipient, the system comprising:

a database for storing campaign messages; and

a sender server in communication with said database, wherein the sender server is configured to;

determine if said recipient is eligible to receive campaign messages stored in said database;

obtain a campaign score for an active campaign if said recipient is eligible to receive campaign messages;

determine if said campaign score meets predetermined criteria; and

if said campaign score meets predetermined criteria, select a campaign message related to said active campaign to send to said recipient.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising a registration server in communication with said sender server for registering said active campaign so that campaign messages from said active campaign may be selected for sending by said sender server.

34. The system of claim 32, further comprising an inbox manager server in communication with said sender server for regulating how often said recipient may receive campaign messages sent by said sender server.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising a metrics server in communication with said sender server for measuring subsequent performance of said active campaign.