Audience matching network with performance factoring and revenue allocation

• US 20050165644A1
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo AD Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Morgan, David R., Lowry, Alison P., Wilson, Joseph G., Balasubramanian, Krishna, Locker, Donald J., Beyda, Gil, McDonald, Kevin M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,928,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.560
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0274 Split fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Performance based delivery of content to an audience member. A network of audience member information collection domains provide information about audience members. A profiled audience member may belong to a network segment. Delivery of an advertisement to the profiled audience member is accommodated based upon membership in the network segment and performance criteria. The performance criteria may be configured to benefit a publisher, such as by maximizing revenue. Allocating revenue based upon the collection of data used to target audience members is also provided.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for performance based delivery of content to an audience member, the method comprising:

managing audience segments corresponding to a network of audience member information collection domains;

determining that a profiled audience member is a member of a network segment that includes audience members having a set of attributes corresponding to profile data collected in the network of audience member information collection domains; and

accommodating the delivery of an advertisement to the profiled audience member based upon membership in the network segment and performance criteria configured to benefit a publisher of content in which the advertisement is placed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance criteria includes maximizing revenue to the publisher.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein accommodating the delivery of an advertisement includes selecting an advertisement with the highest available payment to the publisher.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the publisher a set of delivery criteria corresponding to potentially deliverable advertisements; and

selecting an advertisement with the highest available payment to the publisher based upon a comparison of current delivery metrics to the set of delivery criteria.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

optimizing the delivery of advertisement inventory served by a third party.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein optimizing the delivery of advertisement inventory served by the third party includes providing information about membership in the network segment in connection with an advertisement serving function of the third party.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network segment is defined by examining the data profiles for audience members that have engaged in a desired behavior.

8. An apparatus for performance based delivery of content to an audience member, the apparatus comprising:

means for managing audience segments corresponding to a network of audience member information collection domains;

means for determining that a profiled audience member is a member of a network segment that includes audience members having a set of attributes corresponding to profile data collected in the network of audience member information collection domains; and

means for accommodating the delivery of an advertisement to the profiled audience member based upon membership in the network segment and performance criteria configured to benefit a publisher of content in which the advertisement is placed.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the performance criteria includes maximizing revenue to the publisher.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein accommodating the delivery of an advertisement includes selecting an advertisement with the highest available payment to the publisher.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

means for receiving from the publisher a set of delivery criteria corresponding to potentially deliverable advertisements; and

means for selecting an advertisement with the highest available payment to the publisher based upon a comparison of current delivery metrics to the set of delivery criteria.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

optimizing the delivery of advertisement inventory served by a third party.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein optimizing the delivery of advertisement inventory served by the third party includes providing information about membership in the network segment in connection with an advertisement serving function of the third party.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the network segment is defined by examining the data profiles for audience members that have engaged in a desired behavior.

15. A computer implemented method for allocating revenue corresponding to the delivery of content to an audience member, the method comprising:

managing audience segments corresponding to a network of audience member information collection domains;

determining that a profiled audience member is a member of a network segment that includes audience members having a set of attributes corresponding to profile data collected in the network of audience member information collection domains;

accommodating the delivery of an advertisement to the profiled audience member based upon membership in the network segment; and

allocating revenue corresponding to the delivery of the advertisement based upon participation as a data provider in the collection of information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the network of audience member information collection domains includes a first domain and a second domain that is separate from the first domain, and the set of attributes includes a first attribute based upon information collected in association with activity by the profiled audience member in the first domain and a second attribute based upon information collected in association with activity by the profiled audience member in the second domain.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein allocating revenue includes accounting for participation of a first data provider for providing the first attribute and of a second data provider for providing the second attribute.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining an influence that information is deemed to have on audience member behavior; and

accounting for the influence in allocating revenue corresponding to the delivery of the advertisement.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the influence includes an examination of a set of factors associated with the collection of the information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of factors includes at least one factor selected from the group comprising recency, frequency, and primacy.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of factors includes a half-life analysis.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of factors includes at least one factor selected from the group comprising recency, frequency, segment correlation, half-life analysis, primacy, and intensity.