Method and apparatus to compensate demand partners in a pay-per-call performance based advertising system

• US 20050165666A1
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
• Inventors: Altberg, Ebbe, Faber, Scott, Hirson, Ron, Halstead, Mark, Wong, Daric
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a method and apparatus to track demand partners in a pay-per call performance based advertising system. In one embodiment, the method and apparatus include assigning at least one telephonic reference to an advertiser, the reference is to be included in an advertisement on a media channel of a demand partner. The advertiser is assessed a charge based at least in part on telephonic connections to the advertiser via the telephonic reference. The demand partner tracked with a predefined tracking model based at least in part on activity related to the telephonic reference.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

assigning at least one telephonic reference to an advertiser, the reference to be included in an advertisement on a media channel of a demand partner;

assessing a charge to the advertiser based at least in part on telephonic connections to the advertiser via the telephonic reference; and

tracking the demand partner with a predefined tracking model based at least in part on activity related to the telephonic reference.

2. ). The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning further comprises assigning a different telephonic reference to the advertiser for each different demand partner of a set of demand partners;

and

tracking each demand partner based on a number of telephonic connections to the advertiser via a telephonic reference corresponding to the demand partner for the advertiser.

3. ) The method of claim 2, wherein the telephonic reference is a telephone number.

4. ) The method of claim 2, wherein the telephonic reference is telephone extension corresponding to a base telephone number.

5. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning further comprises assigning a base telephone number to a set of advertisers for a demand partner, and assigning a separate extension to each advertiser of the set of advertisers, the separate extension corresponding to the base telephone number;

and

tracking the demand partner based on a number of telephonic connections to each of the set advertisers via the separate extensions corresponding to the advertisers.

6. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the telephonic reference is an option, which when selected initiates establishing a telephonic connection between the advertiser and a customer;

and

the tracking further comprises tracking the demand partner based on a number of times the option is selected.

7. ) The method of claim 6, wherein the option when selected initiates establishing a voice-over IP telephonic connection between the advertiser and a customer.

8. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking includes, tracking each demand partner based on customer viewings of the advertisement at a demand partner'"'"'s site.

9. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning further comprises assigning a different telephonic reference to a first advertiser for each different demand partner of a set of demand partners, and

assigning one telephonic reference to a second advertiser, for each demand partner of the set of demand partners;

generating a statistical sample based on telephonic connections established to the first advertiser via the different telephonic references assigned to the first advertiser for each different demand partner of a set of demand partners;

tracking the demand partners based on the statistical sample.

10. ) The method of claim 9, wherein the tracking further comprises crediting the demand partners for telephonic connections established with second advertiser, based on the statistical sample.

11. ) The method of claim 9, wherein the telephonic references assigned to the first advertiser are telephone extensions corresponding to a base number.

12. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the telephonic reference to be provided in the advertisement is accessible via an option to reveal the telephonic reference in the advertisement;

and

the tracking the demand partner includes, tracking the demand partner based on a number of times the option is selected.

13. ) A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which when executed perform a method, comprising:

assigning at least one telephonic reference to an advertiser, the reference to be included in an advertisement on a media channel of a demand partner;

assessing a charge to the advertiser based at least in part on telephonic connections to the advertiser via the telephonic reference; and

tracking the demand partner with a predefined tracking model based at least in part on activity related to the telephonic reference.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the assigning further comprises assigning a different telephonic reference to the advertiser for each different demand partner of a set of demand partners;

and

tracking each demand partner based on a number of telephonic connections to the advertiser via a telephonic reference corresponding to the demand partner for the advertiser.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the telephonic reference is an option, which when selected initiates establishing a telephonic connection between the advertiser and a customer;

and

The tracking further comprises tracking the demand partner based on a number of times the option is selected.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the assigning further comprises assigning a different telephonic reference to a first advertiser for each different demand partner of a set of demand partners, and

assigning one telephonic reference to a second advertiser, for each demand partner of the set of demand partners;

generating a statistical sample based on telephonic connections established to the first advertiser via the different telephonic references assigned to the first advertiser for each different demand partner of a set of demand partners;

tracking the demand partners based on the statistical sample.

17. ) A system comprising:

a means for assigning at least one telephonic reference to an advertiser, the reference to be included in an advertisement on a media channel of a demand partner;

a means for assessing a charge to the advertiser based at least in part on telephonic connections to the advertiser via the telephonic reference; and

a means for tracking the demand partner with a predefined tracking model based at least in part on activity related to the telephonic reference.

18. ) The system of claim 17, wherein the means for assigning further comprises a means for assigning a different telephonic reference to the advertiser for each different demand partner of a set of demand partners;

and

a means for tracking each demand partner based on a number of telephonic connections to the advertiser via a telephonic reference corresponding to the demand partner for the advertiser.

19. ) The system of claim 17, wherein the telephonic reference is an option, which when selected initiates establishing a telephonic connection between the advertiser and a customer;

and

The tracking further comprises means for tracking the demand partner based on a number of times the option is selected.

20. ) The system of claim 17, wherein the means for assigning further comprises a means for assigning a different telephonic reference to a first advertiser for each different demand partner of a set of demand partners, and

a means for assigning one telephonic reference to a second advertiser, for each demand partner of the set of demand partners;

a means for generating a statistical sample based on telephonic connections established to the first advertiser via the different telephonic references assigned to the first advertiser for each different demand partner of a set of demand partners;

a means for tracking the demand partners based on the statistical sample.