Spontaneous delivery marketing system and method

• US 20070198334A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: U-Marketing Intellectual Properties Pte Limited
• Original Assignee: U-Marketing Intellectual Properties Pte Limited
• Inventors: Mebruer, Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/568,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198334A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices

Abstract

A spontaneous delivery marketing system and method is disclosed. Customised offers for consumers are generated by an application server (106) which extracts targeted offers for particular consumers from database (104) by application software contained in processor (P2) associated with the server (104) and server (106). Particular offers for particular consumers are transmitted to a first database (107). Consumers are identified without interaction by the consumers carrying a RFID tag (111) which is detected by an RFID reader (110) at a retail outlet. Any offers for the particular consumers detected are forwarded to the user'"'"'s mobile telephone (112) as a SMS message so the user is alerted to the offers applicable to that consumer.

Claims

1. A spontaneous delivery marketing system for providing offers to consumers, comprising:

a detection device for detecting consumers, in proximity to a location where merchandise is available to the consumers, without requiring interaction by the consumers;

a processor for generating offers applicable to a detected consumer based on data held in a database relating to characteristics of the detected consumer, so that from a number of offers available, those which relate to the detected consumer based on the characteristics of the consumer are generated, to thereby produce different offers specific to individual consumers;

an output device for supplying a message to a detected consumer, providing the offers available at the location to the consumer; and

wherein the detected consumer is therefore able to receive offers without physical interaction on his or her part, and to avail himself or herself of the offers contained in the message at the location.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the said location is a retail outlet, a mall, food court or event area.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the detection device comprises an RFID (radio frequency identification device) reader for reading an RFID tag carried by the consumer to identify a particular consumer.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the RFID tag can provide a unique code which provides a unique identification of a consumer so that individual consumers can be identified and distinguished from one another.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the RFID tag is contained in a card carried by the consumer.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the output device comprises a transmitter for wireless transmission of the message to the individual consumer'"'"'s mobile telephone or PDA.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the message is an SMS, EMS or MMS message.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the output device is a printer for printing a document containing the offer.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor receives a target file of offers for individual consumers from a central station, the target offers being based on data held at the central station relating to personal information associated with individual consumers.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first processor comprises a first server for receiving the file, a second server associated with the location being connected to the first server, and an EPOS terminal connected with the second server so that offers contained in the list for a particular consumer are transmitted from the first server to the second server and then to the EPOS terminal so that when a consumer identifies himself or herself at the EPOS terminal, purchases made by the consumer are provided in accordance with the offers contained in the message to the consumer.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the consumer identifies himself or herself by displaying the message to a person at the EPOS terminal, or by swiping a card which contains the user'"'"'s identifying data at the EPOS terminal.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the second server is also coupled to a retail server for obtaining data relating to the purchases made by particular customers.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein a second processor is located at the central location, the second processor comprising a head office database connected to the retail server for receiving data from the retail server relating to purchases made by particular customers, the head office database holding information relating to the consumers so that offers applicable to individual consumers can be made based on the data held in the database and particular products which marketers wish to promote by way of offers to consumers so that the offers to consumers are matched with characteristics of the consumers, so that consumers are provided with messages containing offers applicable to that consumer and tailored specifically for that consumer.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the retailer server may also include an inventory system for maintaining inventory data relating to products available at the location and for providing that data to the said database.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the retail server communicates with the second server for providing inventory data from the inventory system relating to products available for sale for use by the EPOS checkout during the purchase of products at the location.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the second processor further comprises an application server for producing the target file and transmitting the target file to the first server, the first server including a first server database for maintaining a database of specific offers targeted to specific consumers.

17. A method of spontaneous delivery of marketing offers to consumers, comprising:

detecting consumers in proximity to a location where merchandise is available to the consumers, without requiring interaction by the consumers;

generating offers applicable to a detected consumer based on data held in a database relating to characteristics of the detected consumer, so that from a number of offers available, those which relate to the detected consumer based on the characteristics of the consumer are generated, to thereby produce different offers specific to individual consumers;

outputting a message to a detected consumer, providing the offers available at the location to the consumer; and

wherein the detected consumer is therefore able to receive offers without physical interaction on his or her part, and to avail himself or herself of the offers contained in the message at the location.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the said location is a retail outlet, a mall, food court or event area.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein detecting consumers comprises detecting an RFID tag carried by the consumer with an RFID reader to identify a particular consumer.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein outputting the message comprises wireless transmission of the message to the individual consumer'"'"'s mobile telephone or PDA.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the message is an SMS, EMS or MMS message.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein outputting the message comprises printing a document containing the offer.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the method further comprises receiving a target file of the offers for individual consumers from a central station, the target offers being based on data held at the central station relating to personal information associated with individual consumers.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the method comprises receiving the file at a first server, transferring the file to a second server associated with the location, and to an EPOS terminal so that offers contained in the file for a particular consumer are transmitted from the first server to the second server and then to the EPOS terminal so that offers contained in the list for a particular consumer are transmitted from the office server to the store server and then to the EPOS terminal so that when a consumer identifies himself or herself at the EPOS terminal, purchases made by the consumer are provided in accordance with the offers contained in the message to the consumer.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the consumer may identify himself or herself by displaying the message to a person at the checkout terminal, or by swiping a card which contains the user'"'"'s identifying data at the EPOS terminal.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the method further comprises compiling a database of information relating to the consumers so that offers applicable to individual consumers can be made based on the data held in the database and particular products which marketers wish to promote by way of offers to consumers so that the offers to consumers are matched with characteristics of the consumers, so that consumers are provided with messages containing offers applicable to that consumer and tailored specifically for that consumer.

27. A spontaneous delivery marketing system for providing offers to consumers, comprising:

a detection device for detecting consumers, in proximity to a location where merchandise is available to the consumers, without requiring interaction by the consumers;

a first processor for receiving a file of offers, the first processor being associated with the location;

a second processor at a central station for compiling the offers for transmission to the first processor;

an output device for providing a message to a consumer containing offers from the file of offers; and

an EPOS terminal at the location at which payment for goods or services can be made, and for receiving the file of offers relating to a consumer from the second processor so that if the consumer purchases offers included in the message, the consumer pays for those offers in accordance with the offers as transmitted to the EPOS terminal.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the consumer identifies himself or herself by displaying the message to a person at the EPOS terminal, or by swiping a card which contains a user'"'"'s identifying data at the EPOS terminal.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the second processor compiles a list of specific offers for consumers based on a database contained at the central station, the offers being based on data held in the database which relates to personal information associated with the individual consumers so that specific offers are generated for specific individual consumers.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein the detection device comprises RFID reader for reading an RFID tag carried by the consumer to identify a particular consumer.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the second processor comprises a head office database connected to a retail server for receiving data from the retail server relating to purchases made by particular customers, the head office database holding information relating to the consumers so that offers applicable to individual consumers can be made based on the data held in the database and particular products which marketers wish to promote by way of offers to consumers so that the offers to consumers are matched with characteristics of the consumers, so that consumers are provided with messages containing offers applicable to that consumer and tailored specifically for that consumer.

32. A method of spontaneous delivery of marketing offers, comprising:

detecting consumers in proximity to a location where merchandise is available to the consumers, without requiring interaction by the consumers;

compiling offers at a central station for transmission to the location;

processing a file of the offers at the location;

providing a message containing offers from the file of offers to a consumer; and

receiving the file of offers relating to a consumer by an EPOS terminal at the location so that if the consumer purchases offers included in the message, the consumer pays for those offers in accordance with the offers as transmitted to the EPOS terminal.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the consumer identifies himself or herself by displaying the message to a person at the EPOS terminal, or by swiping a card which contains a user'"'"'s identifying data at the EPOS terminal.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the list of offers for a consumer is a specific list for an individual consumer based on a database contained at the central station, the offers being based on data held in the database which relates to personal information associated with the individual consumers so that specific offers are generated for specific individual consumers.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the detection step comprises detecting an RFID tag carried by the consumer to identify a particular consumer.