Systems and methods for generating highly responsive prospect lists
First Claim
1. A method for generating a targeted list of prospective customers for a first list purchaser, the method comprising:
- providing in a computer-readable medium a database of prospect lists of prospective purchasers, the database associating with each of a plurality of the prospect lists (i) at least one list purchaser who used the prospect list and (ii) for each list purchaser who used that prospect list, data that indicate whether feedback from the list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list; and
using a computer system to;
identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one said prospect list that the database associates with the first list purchaser and with data that indicate that the first list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list, thereby forming a first list group of which each member is a prospect list thus identified;
identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one other list purchaser indicated by the data to have reported a successful use of a list in the first list group;
for each such other list purchaser, identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one prospect list of which a successful use is indicated by the data to have been reported by that other list purchaser;
thereby forming a second list group of which each member is a prospect list thus identified andprovide the first list purchaser access to a targeted list of prospective customers drawn from among said second list group consisting of at least one prospect list thus identified.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for generating a highly targeted list of prospective customers for a list purchaser at least partially based on successful prospect lists previously used by the list purchaser, based on prospect lists used by related list purchasers, such as list purchasers in the same or similar industry as the list purchaser, based on previous customers of the list purchaser or based on any combination of this data. The systems and methods of the present invention are particularly suited to network-based prospect list services that provide prospect lists from a database to prospect list purchasers, such as direct marketers, over a computer network, such as the Internet. A system for implementing a computerized prospect list service includes a server computer hosting a prospect list service accessible via client computers to a plurality of list purchasers and a database of prospect lists. The prospect list service includes a user interface having controls for a list purchaser to access information concerning prospect lists stored in the database. The prospect list service is preferably available via a computer network to assist a first list purchaser in generating and accessing a list of prospective customers based on previously successful lists of prospective customers generated for the first list purchaser.
43 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method for generating a targeted list of prospective customers for a first list purchaser, the method comprising:
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providing in a computer-readable medium a database of prospect lists of prospective purchasers, the database associating with each of a plurality of the prospect lists (i) at least one list purchaser who used the prospect list and (ii) for each list purchaser who used that prospect list, data that indicate whether feedback from the list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list; and using a computer system to; identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one said prospect list that the database associates with the first list purchaser and with data that indicate that the first list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list, thereby forming a first list group of which each member is a prospect list thus identified; identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one other list purchaser indicated by the data to have reported a successful use of a list in the first list group; for each such other list purchaser, identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one prospect list of which a successful use is indicated by the data to have been reported by that other list purchaser;
thereby forming a second list group of which each member is a prospect list thus identified andprovide the first list purchaser access to a targeted list of prospective customers drawn from among said second list group consisting of at least one prospect list thus identified. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for directing a computer to:
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communicate with a database of prospect lists of prospective purchasers, the database associating with each of a plurality of the prospect lists (i) at least one list purchaser who used the prospect list and (ii) for each list purchaser who used that prospect list, data that indicate whether feedback from the list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list; and identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one said prospect list that the database associates with the first list purchaser and with data that indicate that the first list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list, thereby forming a first list group of which each member is a prospect list thus identified; identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one other list purchaser indicated by the data to have reported a successful use of a list in the first list group; for each such other list purchaser, identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one prospect list of which a successful use is indicated by the data to have been reported by that other list purchaser;
thereby forming a second list group of which each member is a prospect list thus identified andprovide the first list purchaser access to a targeted list of prospective customers drawn from among said second list group consisting of at least one prospect list thus identified. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for implementing a computerized prospect list of prospective purchasers, the system comprising:
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a database of prospect lists of prospective purchasers, the database associating with each of a plurality of the prospect lists (i) at least one list purchaser who used the prospect list and (ii) for each list purchaser who used that prospect list, data that indicate whether feedback from the list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list; and a server computer configured to provide the prospect list to a plurality of list purchasers via client computers by; identifying, in the database of prospect lists, at least one said prospect list that the database associates with the first list purchaser and with data that indicate that the first list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list, thereby forming a first list group of which each member is a prospect list thus identified; identifying, in the database of prospect lists, at least one other list purchaser indicated by the data to have reported a successful use of a list in the first list group; for each such other list purchaser, identifying, in the database of prospect lists, at least one prospect list of which a successful use is indicated by the data to have been reported by that other list purchaser;
thereby forming a second list group of which each member is a prospect list thus identified andproviding the first list purchaser access to a targeted list of prospective customers drawn from among said second list group consisting of at least one prospect list thus identified. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method for generating a targeted list of prospective customers for a first list purchaser, the method comprising:
using a computer system to; identify, in a computer database of prospect lists, a successful list of prospective customers that the computer database associates with the first list purchaser and with data that indicate that the first list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list; identify, in the computer database, at least one other prospect list that includes at least one of the prospective customers included in the successful list of prospective customers for the first list purchaser; and provide to the first list purchaser access to a targeted list of prospective customers, the targeted list including at least one of the prospective customers from the at least one other prospect list. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for directing a computer to:
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identify, in a computer database of prospect lists, a successful list of prospective customers that the computer database associates with the first list purchaser and with data that indicate that the first list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list; identify, in the computer database, at least one other prospect list that includes at least one of the prospective customers included in the successful list of prospective customers for the first list purchaser; and provide to the first list purchaser access to a targeted list of prospective customers, the targeted list including at least one of the prospective customers from the at least one other prospect list. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A computer system for generating a targeted list of prospective customers for a first list purchaser, the computer system comprising:
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means for storing a database of prospective lists of prospective purchasers, the database associating with each of a plurality of the prospect lists (i) at least one list purchaser who used the prospect list and (ii) for each list purchaser who used that prospect list, data that indicate whether feedback from the list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list; a network interface for connective the computer system to a computer network, the computer system being accessible over the computer network via client computers to a plurality of list purchasers; means for providing a user interface comprising controls whereby a list purchaser can access information concerning prospect lists stored in the database; and means for generating the targeted list for the first list purchaser, the means being configured to; identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one said prospect list that the database associates with the first list purchaser and with data that indicate that the first list purchaser reported a successful use of that prospect list, thereby forming a first list group of which each member is a prospect list thus identified; identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one other list purchaser indicated by the data to have reported a successful use of a list in the first list group; for each such other list purchaser, identify, in the database of prospect lists, at least one prospect list of which a successful use is indicated by the data to have been reported by that other list purchaser;
thereby forming a second list group of which each member is a prospect list thus identified andprovide the first list purchaser access to a targeted list of prospective customers drawn from among said second list group consisting of at least one prospect list thus identified. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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Specification