METHODS AND APPARATUS TO MONITOR IN-STORE MEDIA AND CONSUMER TRAFFIC RELATED TO RETAIL ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20080294487A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Media Research LLC A Delaware Limited Liability Company
• Inventors: Nasser, Kamal
• Application Number:
  US12/110,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20080294487A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to monitor in-store media and consumer traffic related to retail environments are disclosed herein. In a disclosed example method to monitor presentations of media in a monitored establishment, a floor layout map of a monitored establishment is displayed a medium profile associated with a medium presented at a location on the floor layout map is presented in response to receiving a user selection of the location on the floor layout map. The example method also involves storing a media type classification code, a media characteristic identifier code, and location information indicative of the location on the floor layout map in association with the medium profile.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring presentations of media in a monitored establishment, comprising:

displaying a floor layout map of a monitored establishment;

presenting a medium profile associated with a medium presented at a location on the floor layout map in response to receiving a user selection of the location on the floor layout map; and

storing a media type classification code, a media characteristic identifier code, and location information indicative of the location on the floor layout map in association with the medium profile.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein displaying the floor layout map comprises displaying the floor layout map in response to receiving a user selection of the floor layout map from a plurality of user-selectable floor layout maps associated with a plurality of monitored establishments.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the media type classification code in connection with a listing of a plurality of other media type classification codes;

presenting the media characteristic identifier code in connection with a listing of a plurality of other media characteristic identifier codes; and

configuring each of the media type classification codes and each of the media characteristic identifier codes to be user selectable.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the medium is at least one of an advertisement medium or an informational medium.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the monitored establishment is at least one of a commercial establishment or a retail establishment.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising storing a captured image of the medium in association with the medium profile.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising storing at least one of an audio code or an audio signature representative of the medium in association with the medium profile.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising communicating the medium profile to a plurality of portable computers configured for use by agents instructed to survey at least one of the monitored establishment or another monitored establishment.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising generating a barcode associated with the medium profile.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising adhering a barcode label including the barcode on the medium.

11. An apparatus to monitor presentations of media in a monitored establishment, comprising:

a map interface to display a floor layout map of a monitored establishment; and

a data associator to;

retrieve a medium profile associated with a medium presented at a location on the floor layout map in response to receiving a user selection of the location on the floor layout map, and

associate a media type classification code, a media characteristic identifier code, and location information indicative of the location on the floor layout map with the medium profile.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising a user input interface to receive a user selection of the floor layout map from a plurality of user-selectable floor layout maps associated with a plurality of monitored establishments, and wherein the map interface is further to display the floor layout map in response to receiving the user selection.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising a display interface to:

display the media type classification code in connection with a listing of a plurality of other user-selectable media type classification codes; and

display the media characteristic identifier code in connection with a listing of a plurality of other user-selectable media characteristic identifier codes.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the medium is at least one of an advertisement medium or an informational medium.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the monitored establishment is at least one of a commercial establishment or a retail establishment.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising an image handler to store a captured image of the medium in association with the medium profile.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising a media representation data handler to store at least one of an audio code or an audio signature representative of the medium in association with the medium profile.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising a communication interface to communicate the medium profile to a plurality of portable computers configured for use by agents instructed to survey at least one of the monitored establishment or another monitored establishment.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising a product code generator to generate a barcode identifier associated with the medium profile.

20. A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

display a floor layout map of a monitored establishment;

present a medium profile associated with a medium presented at a location on the floor layout map in response to receiving a user selection of the location on the floor layout map; and

store a media type classification code, a media characteristic identifier code, and location information indicative of the location on the floor layout map in association with the medium profile.

21-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method of monitoring media in monitored establishments, comprising:

displaying a first image associated with a first zone of a monitored establishment captured at a first time;

displaying a second image associated with the first zone of the monitored establishment captured at a second time;

copying first information from a first medium profile associated with the first image to a second medium profile associated with the second image if a medium represented in the first image is also represented in the second image; and

generating second information in the second medium profile if the medium represented in the first image is not represented in the second image.

30. A method as defined in claim 29, further comprising displaying the first and second images contemporaneously.

31. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the medium is at least one of an advertisement medium or an informational medium.

32. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the monitored establishment is at least one of a retail establishment or a commercial establishment.

33. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the first image is captured on a first date and the second image is captured on a second date different from the first date.

34. A method as defined in claim 33, further comprising:

when the medium is expected to be presented on the first and second dates based on a schedule for the medium;

storing in-compliance information associated with the medium if the medium is represented in the first image and the second image; and

storing non-compliance information associated with the medium if the medium is represented in the first image and not in the second image.

35. An apparatus to monitor media in monitored establishments, comprising:

an image handler to display a first image associated with a first zone of a monitored establishment captured at a first time and display a second image associated with the first zone of the monitored establishment captured at a second time; and

a data associator to copy first information from a first medium profile associated with the first image to a second medium profile associated with the second image if a medium represented in the first image is also represented in the second image and store second information in the second medium profile if the medium represented in the first image is not represented in the second image.

36. An apparatus as defined in claim 35, wherein the image handler is further to display the first and second images contemporaneously.

37. An apparatus as defined in claim 35, wherein the medium is at least one of an advertisement medium or an informational medium.

38. An apparatus as defined in claim 35, wherein the monitored establishment is at least one of a retail establishment or a commercial establishment.

39. An apparatus as defined in claim 35, wherein the first image is captured on a first date and the second image is captured on a second date different from the first date.

40. An apparatus as defined in claim 39, wherein when the medium is expected to be presented on the first and second dates based on a schedule for the medium, the data associator is further to:

store in-compliance information associated with the medium if the medium is represented in the first image and the second image; and

store non-compliance information associated with the medium if the medium is represented in the first image and not in the second image.

41. A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

display a first image associated with a first zone of a monitored establishment captured at a first time;

display a second image associated with the first zone of the monitored establishment captured at a second time;

copy first information from a first medium profile associated with the first image to a second medium profile associated with the second image if a medium represented in the first image is also represented in the second image; and

generate second information in the second medium profile if the medium represented in the first image is not represented in the second image.

42-46. -46. (canceled)