Generating customized marketing messages at a customer level using current events data

• US 8,639,563 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Angell, Robert Lee, Kraemer, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Alvin L
• Application Number:
  US11/769,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20080249836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for generating customized marketing messages using current events data. In one embodiment, external marketing data is received from a set of sources to form the current events data. The current events data is processed to form dynamic data. A customized marketing message is generated for the customer using the dynamic data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating customized marketing messages using current events data, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving external marketing data from a set of sources;

responsive to detecting a customer entering a retail facility, filtering the external marketing data based upon a date the customer entered the retail facility to form the current events data;

receiving data regarding the customer to form customer data;

processing, by a processing unit, the current events data with the customer data to form dynamic data; and

generating a customized marketing message for the customer using the dynamic data.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

wherein receiving data regarding the customer further comprises;

receiving data regarding the customer in real-time from a set of detectors located inside the retail facility and a set of detectors located externally to the retail facility; and

wherein processing the current events data with the customer data further comprises;

processing the current events data with the data regarding the customer received in real-time to form the dynamic data.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the dynamic data indicates an event of interest to the customer occurs within a predetermined period of time, identifying items offered for sale by the retail facility associated with the event of interest to form identified items; and

generating a marketing message that includes an offer for a set of items in the identified items to form the customized marketing message.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein processing the current events data with the customer data to form dynamic data for the customer further comprises:

processing the current events data with external data gathered about the customer in real-time by a set of detectors located outside the retail facility to form the dynamic data, wherein the external data gathered about the customer in real-time includes a vehicle driven by the customer to the retail facility.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein processing the current events data with the customer data to form dynamic data for the customer further comprises:

processing the current events data with internal data gathered about the customer in real-time by a set of detectors located inside the retail facility to form the dynamic data, wherein the internal data gathered about the customer in real-time includes a current contents of a shopping container being used by the customer.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the current events data comprises data describing an event or a current news item.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the current events data comprises competitor marketing data, wherein competitor marketing data is data describing regular sale prices, discount sale prices, rebates, special offers, and incentives offered by competitors of the retail facility.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the current events data comprises data describing at least one of a holiday or an event day, wherein an event day is a day on which an event is scheduled to take place.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein processing the current events data to form dynamic data for a customer associated with a retail facility further comprises:

identifying the customer to form a customer identification; and

retrieving the data regarding the customer based on the customer identification.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein generating the customized marketing message further comprises:

analyzing the dynamic data using a set of data models to identify a set of personalized marketing message criteria;

selecting a set of modular marketing messages using the personalized marketing message criteria; and

dynamically generating the customized marketing message using the set of modular marketing messages as the customer is shopping at the retail facility.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the customized marketing message to a display device located on a shopping container being used by the customer for display of the customized marketing message to the customer in real-time as the customer is shopping inside the retail facility.

12. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium including computer usable program code for generating customized marketing messages using current events data, said computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code for receiving external marketing data from a set of sources;

computer usable program code for responsive to detecting a customer entering a retail facility, filtering the external marketing data based upon a date the customer entered the retail facility to form the current events data;

computer usable program code for receiving data regarding the customer to form customer data;

computer usable program code for processing the current events data with the customer data to form dynamic data for a customer; and

computer usable program code for generating a customized marketing message for the customer using the dynamic data.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

wherein the computer usable program code for receiving data regarding the customer further comprises;

computer usable program code for receiving data regarding the customer in real-time from a set of detectors located inside the retail facility and a set of detectors located externally to the retail facility; and

wherein the computer usable program code for processing the current events data with the customer data further comprises;

computer usable program code for processing the current events data with the data regarding the customer received in real-time to form the dynamic data.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

computer usable program code for identifying items offered for sale by the retail facility associated with an event of interest to the customer to form identified items in response to a determination that the dynamic data indicates the event of interest occurs within a predetermined period of time; and

computer usable program code for generating a marketing message that includes an offer for a set of items in the identified items to form the customized marketing message.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable program code for processing the current events data with the customer data to form dynamic data for the customer further comprises:

computer usable program code for processing the current events data with external data gathered about the customer in real-time by a set of detectors located outside the retail facility to form the dynamic data, wherein the external data gathered about the customer in real-time includes a vehicle driven by the customer to the retail facility.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable program code for processing the current events data with the customer data to form dynamic data for the customer further comprises:

computer usable program code for processing the current events data with internal data gathered about the customer in real-time by a set of detectors located inside the retail facility to form the dynamic data, wherein the internal data gathered about the customer in real-time includes a current contents of a shopping container being used by the customer.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

computer usable program code for transmitting the customized marketing message to a display device located on a shopping container being used by the customer for display of the customized marketing message to the customer in real-time as the customer is shopping inside the retail facility.

18. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the current events data comprises competitor marketing data, wherein competitor marketing data is data describing regular sale prices, discount sale prices, rebates, special offers, and incentives offered by competitors of the retail facility.

19. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the current events data comprises data describing at least one of a holiday or an event day, wherein an event day is a day on which an event is scheduled to take place.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising:

computer usable program code for identifying the customer to form a customer identification; and

computer usable program code for retrieving the data regarding the customer based on the customer identification.

21. A data processing system for generating customized marketing messages using current events data, the system comprising:

an external marketing manager, wherein the external marketing manager receives external marketing data from the set of sources;

an analysis server, including a processing unit, wherein the analysis servers filters the external marketing data based upon a date a customer enters a retail facility in response to receiving a signal indicating that the customer is entering the retail facility to form the current events data, wherein the analysis servers receives data regarding the customer to form customer data, and wherein the analysis server processes the current events data with the customer data to form dynamic data; and

a dynamic marketing message assembly, wherein the dynamic marketing message assembly generates a customized marketing message for the customer using the dynamic data.

22. The data processing system of claim 21

wherein the analysis server receives data regarding the customer in real-time from a set of detectors located inside the retail facility and a set of detectors located externally to the retail facility, and wherein the analysis server processes the current events data with the data regarding the customer received in real-time to form the dynamic data.

23. The data processing system of claim 22 further comprising:

a set of detectors located inside the retail facility, wherein the set of detectors gathers internal data about the customer in real-time, wherein the internal data gathered about the customer in real-time includes a current contents of a shopping container being used by the customer, and wherein the analysis server processes the current events data with the internal data gathered about the customer in real-time to form the dynamic data.

24. The data processing system of claim 21 further comprising:

a set of detectors located outside the retail facility, wherein the set of detectors gathers external data about the customer in real-time, wherein the external data gathered about the customer in real-time includes a vehicle driven by the customer to the retail facility, and wherein the analysis server processes the current events data with the external data gathered about the customer in real-time to form the dynamic data.

25. The data processing system of claim 21 further comprising:

a data storage device, wherein the external marketing manager retrieves the external marketing data from the data storage device, and wherein the data storage device stores at least one of current news items, competitor marketing data, holidays occurring within a predetermined period of time, and event data to form the external marketing data.

26. The data processing system of claim 21 further comprising:

a display for receiving the customized marketing message and displaying the customized marketing message in real-time as the customer is shopping inside the retail facility on a shopping container being used by the customer.

27. An apparatus for generating customized marketing messages using current events data, the apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system coupled to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit coupled to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to receive external marketing data from a set of sources;

in response to detecting a customer entering a retail facility, filter the external marketing data based upon a date the customer entered the retail facility to form the current events data;

receiving data regarding the customer to form customer data;

process the current events data with the customer data to form dynamic data; and

generate a customized marketing message for the customer using the dynamic data.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to receive data regarding the customer in real-time from a set of detectors located inside the retail facility and a set of detectors located externally to the retail facility;

and process the current events data with the data regarding the customer received in real-time to form the dynamic data.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to identify items offered for sale by the retail facility associated with an event of interest to the customer to form identified items in response to a determination that the dynamic data indicates the event of interest occurs within a predetermined period of time;

and generate a marketing message that includes an offer for a set of items in the identified items to form the customized marketing message.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to process the current events data with external data gathered about the customer in real-time by a set of detectors located outside the retail facility to form the dynamic data, wherein the external data gathered about the customer in real-time includes a vehicle driven by the customer to the retail facility.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to process the current events data with internal data gathered about the customer in real-time by a set of detectors located inside the retail facility to form the dynamic data, wherein the internal data gathered about the customer in real-time includes a current contents of a shopping container being used by the customer.

32. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the current events data comprises data describing an event or a current news item.

33. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the current events data comprises competitor marketing data, wherein competitor marketing data is data describing regular sale prices, discount sale prices, rebates, special offers, and incentives offered by competitors of the retail facility.

34. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to identify the customer to form a customer identification;

and retrieve the data regarding the customer based on the customer identification.

35. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to transmit the customized marketing message to a display device located on a shopping container being used by the customer for display of the customized marketing message to the customer in real-time as the customer is shopping inside the retail facility.