U.S. patent application number 12/074250 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-09 for campaign manager.
Invention is credited to Donald R. Steul.
Application Number | 20080247534 12/074250 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39721613 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080247534 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Steul; Donald R. |
October 9, 2008 |
Campaign manager
Abstract
A process identifies multiple campaign activation points
associated with a voice-based menu hierarchy such that the
voice-based menu hierarchy is accessed by multiple callers. The
process continues by identifying a campaign associated with the
voice-based menu hierarchy and determining a campaign value
associated with the campaign. Additionally, the process determines
an opt-in rate associated with the campaign and determines a
likelihood that callers will reach each campaign activation point.
A score associated with the campaign is then calculated for each
campaign activation point.
Inventors: |
Steul; Donald R.; (San
Francisco, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
INNOVATION STRATEGIES, INC.
P.O. BOX 48577
SPOKANE
WA
99228
US
|
Family ID: |
39721613 |
Appl. No.: |
12/074250 |
Filed: |
February 28, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60903963 |
Feb 28, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
379/266.07 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06Q 30/0277 20130101; G06Q 30/0202 20130101; H04M 3/5158
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
379/266.07 |
International
Class: |
H04M 3/00 20060101
H04M003/00 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: identifying a plurality of campaign
activation points associated with a voice-based menu hierarchy,
wherein the voice-based menu hierarchy is accessed by a plurality
of callers; identifying a campaign associated with the voice-based
menu hierarchy; determining a campaign value associated with the
campaign; determining an opt-in rate associated with the campaign;
determining a likelihood that callers will reach each campaign
activation point; and calculating a score associated with the
campaign for each campaign activation point.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising identifying a
highest scoring campaign activation point for each campaign.
3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising identifying a
highest scoring campaign activation point based on a caller's
current location in the voice-based menu hierarchy.
4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the campaign value is set
by an administrator of the campaign.
5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the opt-in rate is the
predicted likelihood that a caller will opt-in to the campaign.
6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein calculating a score for a
campaign activation point includes multiplying together the
campaign value, the opt-in rate, and the likelihood that callers
will reach the campaign activation point, wherein the likelihood
that callers will reach the campaign activation point is a
percentage.
7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising recalculating
the score associated with the campaign at each campaign activation
point as the caller's location in the voice-based menu hierarchy
changes.
8. A method comprising: displaying a plurality of action blocks
contained in a voice-based menu hierarchy; displaying a plurality
of campaign activation points contained in a voice-based menu
hierarchy; displaying a campaign value proximate a campaign
activation point; displaying an opt-in rate associated with a
campaign proximate the campaign activation point; and displaying a
score associated with the campaign proximate the campaign
activation point.
9. A method as recited in claim 8 further comprising displaying an
indicator identifying a current location of a caller in the
voice-based menu hierarchy.
10. A method as recited in claim 8 further comprising: displaying a
second campaign value proximate a second campaign activation point;
displaying a second opt-in rate associated with the campaign
proximate the second campaign activation point; and displaying a
second score associated with the campaign proximate the second
campaign activation point.
11. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising highlighting
a highest scoring campaign activation point.
12. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the score associated
with the campaign is calculated by multiplying together the
campaign value, the opt-in rate, and a percentage likelihood a
caller will reach the campaign activation point.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/903,963, filed Feb. 28, 2007, the disclosure of
which is incorporated by reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to campaign management, such
as managing one or more advertising campaigns.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Various mechanisms are available for delivering
advertisements, promotional offers, and other information to
customers and other individuals or entities. These mechanisms
include print advertising, direct mail offers, email
advertisements, web-based marketing, telephone calls, and the like.
The effectiveness of certain mechanisms have been reduced recently
for various reasons. For example, the effectiveness of email
advertising has diminished due to the increased usage of spam
blockers and span filters. Similarly, "do not call" legislation has
placed limitations on outbound calls.
[0004] Inbound calls remain an effective mechanism for
communicating with customers and other individuals or entities. For
example, during a typical inbound phone call, the caller has fewer
distractions than when viewing a web page or other advertising
mechanism. Generally, the caller is listening to the audio
information provided via the telephone or other communication
device. Also, since the caller initiated the inbound call, the
caller is specifically interested in talking with the entity
receiving the call to ask a question, place an order, or obtain
other information. Thus, it is valuable to provide a campaign
manager that handles inbound calls and other communications with
customers as well as other individuals and entities.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Similar reference numbers are used throughout the figures to
reference like components and/or features.
[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates multiple campaign-related services,
systems, applications, and devices that may interact with a
campaign manager.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating various components of
an example campaign manager.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
procedure for managing one or more campaigns.
[0009] FIGS. 4 and 5 are graphical representations of an example
voice-based menu hierarchy.
[0010] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
procedure for assigning scores to various campaign activation
points.
[0011] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example computing
device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The systems and methods described herein manage one or more
campaigns, such as advertising campaigns, and the like. In
particular, the disclosed systems and methods enable targeted,
revenue generating and/or informational campaigns within, for
example, voice applications or other systems. In certain
implementations, these systems and methods allow businesses to
up-sell, cross-sell, or communicate more effectively with inbound
callers and other customers. Additional tools are provided that
allow campaign managers to determine where to place particular
campaigns within a voice-based menu hierarchy.
[0013] In particular embodiments, a "user" is also referred to as a
"caller". Certain systems and methods described herein receive
calls (or requests for calls) from various callers. For example,
callers may place calls to request directory assistance (also
referred to as a "411 service"), call a business, call a friend,
and so forth. The caller may invoke a call via a conventional
telephone system, using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), or any
other communication system.
[0014] Particular examples discussed herein refer to receiving
calls via a telephone or a cellular phone. However, the systems and
methods described herein may also be utilized to process calls
received from any source using any type of data communication
mechanism and any kind of data response mechanism.
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates multiple campaign-related services,
systems, applications, and devices that may interact with a
campaign manager 102. Campaign manager 102 is capable of performing
a variety of campaign-related functions as described herein.
Campaign manager 102 is coupled to receive inbound calls 104 and
generate outbound calls 106. Campaign manager 102 can handle any
number of inbound calls 104 and outbound calls 106 simultaneously.
Campaign manager 102 is also coupled to receive inbound email 108
and generate outbound email 110. For example, campaign manager 102
may send and receive multiple email messages via an email
application program (not shown) and one or more data communication
networks (not shown).
[0016] Campaign manager 102 is also capable of receiving inbound
facsimiles 112 and generating outbound facsimiles 114. For example,
campaign manager 102 may send and receive multiple facsimiles via
facsimile software, facsimile hardware, or other mechanism.
Campaign manager 102 is also coupled to two voice applications 116
and 118. In one implementation, voice applications 116 and 118
receive various voice-related calls from any number of callers. In
response to these calls, voice applications 116 and 118 request
campaign-related information from campaign manager 102, as
discussed in greater detail below. Although only two voice
applications 116 and 118 are shown in FIG. 1, campaign manager 102
may be coupled to any number of voice applications. Additionally,
one or more mobile devices (e.g., cellular phones, wireless
devices, portable computing devices, and the like) may be coupled
to campaign manager 102.
[0017] Campaign manager 102 is also coupled to an application 120
and a data source 122. Application 120 can perform any function
that supports campaign manager 102 or requests support from
campaign manager 102. Data source 122 provides various types of
data to campaign manager 102, such as caller identity information,
call history data, and the like. A storage device 124 is also
coupled to campaign manager 102. Storage device 124 stores various
types of data used during the operation of campaign manager 102.
Although FIG. 1 shows one application 120, one data source 122, and
one storage device 124, campaign manager 102 may be coupled to any
number of applications, data sources, and storage devices.
[0018] Specific examples discussed herein relate to voice-based
campaigns and voice-based advertisements (e.g., playing voice or
other audio-based messages to callers). However, the systems and
methods discussed herein can be used with any type of campaign and
with any type of campaign manager. Alternate types of communication
formats include text messages, instant messages, audio files, text
attachments, and the like. The described systems and methods may be
implemented as a stand-alone system or may be incorporated into one
or more other systems.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating various components of
the example campaign manager 102. In the embodiment of FIG. 2,
campaign manager 102 is represented using a client-server
architecture. In this embodiment, campaign manager 102 includes a
campaign manager client 202 and a campaign manager server 204. In a
particular implementation, campaign manager client 202 is a Web
client. Campaign manager client 202 provides for the unified
control of one or more campaigns.
[0020] Campaign manager client 202 contains a campaign design
module 206, which allows a user to define a campaign. This campaign
definition includes, for example, a campaign name, data sources and
mappings, targeting rules and profiles, as well as call flow
transitions. Campaign manager client 202 also contains a profile
and event module 208, which allows a user to define a caller
profile. An example caller profile includes the name of the
profile, data sources and mappings, and assignment rules. Profile
and event module 208 also allows a user to define an event, such as
the event name, data sources and mappings, and event trigger
rules.
[0021] Campaign manager client 202 also contains a call flow design
module 210 and a campaign display module 212. Call flow design
module 210 allows a user to create and edit a campaign call flow.
Campaign display module 212 allows a user to view a graphical
representation of key performance indicators associated with a
particular campaign. Campaign manager client 202 further contains a
configuration module 214, which allows developers to configure
campaigns and allows users to specify profile-based configuration
settings for various applications.
[0022] Campaign manager server 204 contains a campaign interface
module 216, which allows developers to expose campaign activation
points (discussed below) at "design time" and execute associated
campaigns at "run time" within an application. Campaign manager
server 204 further contains a campaign data collection module 218,
which collects historical transaction and metric data pertaining to
one or more campaigns. Campaign manager server 204 also contains a
campaign platform module 220, which provides various interface
components and other framework. Campaign platform module 220 also
includes data integration functions, data communication functions,
user authentication, and call logging functions for multiple
campaigns. Campaign manager server 204 also includes campaign data
storage 222, which stores various data related to multiple
campaigns. In a particular implementation, campaign platform module
220 "plays" one or more voice campaigns. For example, campaign
platform module 220 may generate VXML (voice extensible markup
language) for a non-interactive campaign or an interactive
campaign.
[0023] In addition to the data stored by campaign data storage 222,
campaign manager 102 may also receive data and other information
from any number of different sources, such as marketing
applications, enterprise applications, legacy systems, data
sources, databases, and the like.
[0024] In a typical environment, campaign management includes a
variety of functions, such as research and analysis of market and
customer data. For example, if sales of an existing category of
product or service increase quickly, a business may consider a
campaign to make customers (or potential customers) aware of
products or services from that business in the particular category.
After a particular campaign is defined, the process identifies the
people being targeted and determines how to reach those people.
Execution of the campaign involves one or more functions performed
across one or more channels. For example, a particular campaign may
include mailing an announcement that contains an invitation to call
the business to learn more about a particular product or service.
Response to the campaign is monitored and stored for future
campaign planning and analysis. Campaign performance is measured
during the campaign and after the campaign is completed.
[0025] Particular embodiments discussed herein focus on campaign
execution and performance measurement for audio-based
communications. For example, these embodiments provide support for
targeting rules, interactive voice campaign execution,
prospect-specific response tracking, real-time and historical
performance analysis, and capture of customer information. In other
embodiments, similar systems and procedures are used for
visual-based communications as well as audio- and visual-based
communications.
[0026] To properly accommodate the various contexts in which a
campaign can be invoked, a campaign may have multiple components,
such as an entry transition, a body, an exit transition, input and
output data, metrics that measure campaign performance, and the set
of rules that define the manner in which the campaign is applied. A
particular campaign may have multiple entry transitions, bodies,
and exit transitions. The various components for each caller are
selected based on information known about the caller, the time of
day, day of week, and various other factors.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
procedure 300 for managing one or more campaigns. Initially, a
voice application communicates with a caller (block 302). For
example, the voice application may be providing the caller with
directory service, account information, customer service, technical
support, or any other service. A typical voice application provides
the caller with a series of options (also referred to as a voice
application menu hierarchy) that permit the caller to navigate to
the desired function or information. One or more campaign
activation points are identified within the menu hierarchy. Each
campaign activation point represents a predetermined point at which
an associated campaign is launched. The determination of where to
place campaign activation points within the menu hierarchy is
discussed herein.
[0028] Procedure 300 continues by determining whether the caller
has navigated to a campaign activation point (block 304). If not,
the voice application continues communicating with the caller until
a campaign activation point is reached. When a campaign activation
point is reached, the voice application notifies the campaign
manager that a campaign activation point was encountered (block
306). The campaign manager then identifies information associated
with the caller (block 308). Next, the campaign manager attempts to
identify specific campaign components for the caller (block 310).
As mentioned above, specific campaign components may include an
entry transition, a body, and an exit transition.
[0029] If the campaign manager does not identify specific campaign
components for the caller, procedure 300 branches to block 314,
which returns control of the call back to the voice application. If
the campaign manager identifies specific campaign components for
the caller, procedure 300 branches from block 312 to block 316,
where the campaign manager invokes the identified campaign
components. The procedure then continues to block 318, which
determines whether all campaign components have been executed. If
any components remain to be executed, the procedure waits at block
318 until all campaign components are fully executed. After all
campaign components are fully executed, the procedure continues to
block 314, which returns control of the call back to the voice
application.
[0030] In alternate embodiments, procedure 300 does not return
control of the call back to the voice application after executing
all campaign components. Instead, procedure 300 may pass control of
the call to a different application, may transfer the call to a
call center queue, or may disconnect the call as determined by the
campaign exit rules.
[0031] The following Table identifies and describes various
components and terms used when describing and defining a campaign.
Certain campaigns may use a portion of the items shown in Table
1.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Item Description Example Caller A person who
interacts A customer or a with the system prospect Invoking A
voice-based An account Application application that interacts
information voice with the caller and self-service invokes the
Campaign application Manager Profile A categorization of the
"Affluent caller based on caller Homeowner" - A data and/or
demographic homeowner with a information home valued over $1M
Profile Rule A rule that determines $Property Value > whether a
caller should $1M and $Income > be included in the $100000
associated profile Event An outside or business Federal interest
occurrence rates drop below a threshold; Inventory level exceeds
target Event Rule A rule that determines $newAFR - whether the
associated $oldAFR >= 0.25 event has occurred Campaign A
marketing or Selling mortgage communication initiative refinancing
tied to business drivers Campaign View A context specific Selling
mortgage application of a refinancing to campaign affluent
homeowners who are calling for account balances Campaign Rule A
rule that determines Affluent whether an associated Homeowners and
campaign view should be (FedRateDrop or offered by the Campaign
MortgageAge >5) Manager Entry Transition A re-usable dialog that
"Would you like to transitions between the hear how you can
invoking application and save $400 per the associated campaign
month on your view mortgage payment?" Body A re-usable call flow
that "With Acme Bank's generally represents the interest-only main
portion of the mortgages, you can associated campaign lower your
view mortgage payment significantly. Here's how it works . . . "
Exit Transition A re-usable call flow that "Please hold while I
transitions between the connect you with a associated campaign
representative." view and its exit state Campaign Caller A record
of a caller's A caller heard and History history relative to a
declined this campaign. campaign 3 months ago Profile A place in an
invoking Before the system Assignment Point application's call flow
greeting; before a which has been call flow exit designated by the
application designer as a sensible point to get/update caller
profile assignments Campaign A place in an invoking After read-back
of Activation Point application's call flow account balances; which
has been reflects the intent of designated by the the caller to get
application designer as a account information sensible campaign
insertion point; reflects caller intent Associations A link between
two A customer may be campaign entities associated with one or more
profiles
[0032] A particular invoking application may contain any number of
campaign activation points, including no campaign activation
points. A campaign activation point, which represents caller intent
by virtue of its placement within an application or transition, may
be associated with any number of campaigns. When a caller reaches a
campaign activation point within a voice application, there may be
multiple associated campaigns. In this situation, the campaign
manager prioritizes the delivery of the multiple associated
campaigns according to rankings, prioritizations, and "tie breaker"
rules specified by the user. Additionally, a campaign may be
associated with any number of events. Campaign history information
is maintained for each caller, thereby allowing the campaign
manager to determine whether a particular caller has already been
offered a specific campaign.
[0033] In a particular embodiment, when a call is received by a
self-service application, that application invokes the campaign
manager and passes the Automatic Number Identification (ANI) and
Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) information to the
campaign manager as input. The campaign manager then attempts to
assign the caller to one or more profiles based on evaluation of
profile rules. If none of the user-defined profiles match, the
caller is assigned to the system's default profile. When assigning
profiles, the campaign manager may also attempt to load external
profile-related data. For example, the ANI information could be
used to retrieve demographic data from a data source, including
third party data sources. The data, such as geographic area,
affluence level, age, gender, and the like may be used by one or
more of the profile assignment rules.
[0034] After the campaign manager has finished its profile
assignments, it loads the configuration settings associated with
the highest weighted profile. If no profile-based configuration
settings are available for the assigned profile, the default
configuration settings are used. After loading the proper
configuration settings, the campaign manager passes control back to
the self-service application. The self-service application then
plays a welcome prompt according to the configuration settings
mapped to the caller's profile. For example, the welcome prompt
might play "Welcome to our Premier Executive line" instead of
"Welcome to our Premier line" depending on the caller profile.
After the welcome prompt is played, the self-service application
calls the campaign manager again--to determine whether to offer a
campaign and, if so, which campaign to offer.
[0035] When targeting campaigns to callers, several factors are
considered. In general, callers will lose patience (and businesses
will lose customers) if they offer promotions that have little or
no value. The serial nature of phone calls magnifies this factor
since a caller is unable to ignore an unwanted solicitation--they
must wait until the system allows them to move on. However, unlike
other marketing channels such as email, direct mail, and the Web
where "eyes" are often difficult to attract, the conversational
nature of a phone call has the "ears" attention most of the time.
Thus, the percentage of "offers" in which a caller is attentive is
significantly higher with phone calls than with many other
marketing channels.
[0036] Factors that influence the applicability of an offer or a
message include the caller's profile, which includes personal
information as well as behavioral history, current intent,
surrounding events, and the campaign history with the caller. Each
factor individually can have a significant impact on the success of
a campaign. Combining two or more factors can have an event greater
impact on the campaign's success.
[0037] The following Table identifies various factors and
combinations of factors that can impact the success of a
campaign.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Factor Examples Profile A caller with a
child and over $10,000 in a checking account is a prospect for an
educational savings product such as a 529 account. A male in their
20s and 30s from New England is a prospect for Boston sports gear.
A caller who transfers money from their checking to savings account
every month is a prospect for an automatic funds transfer service.
A caller who opted for first class for a previous reservation is a
prospect for first class for a new reservation. Event A caller is a
prospect for increased homeowners coverage after a bad storm. A
caller is a prospect for allergy medications during allergy season.
A business may choose to promote a product that has reached a high
inventory level. Intent A caller who is changing their address is a
prospect for new checks. A caller who is paying their power bill is
a prospect for an automatic payment service. Campaign A caller who
has opted out of this campaign in History the past is not a strong
prospect for this campaign. A caller who has opted out of a similar
campaign within the last 30 days is not a strong prospect for this
campaign. A caller who has opted in to this campaign may not be a
strong prospect for this campaign. Profile + Event A male in their
20s and 30s from New England who has previously purchased Patriots
merchandise is a strong prospect for ordering the Patriots Super
Bowl DVD just after the Super Bowl. A caller with a child and over
$10,000 in a checking account who transfers money from their
checking to savings account every month is a strong prospect for a
new educational savings product when the government introduces new,
education friendly tax laws. Profile + Intent A caller who
transfers money from their checking to savings account every month
(profile) is a strong prospect for an automatic funds transfer
service when they are calling to transfer money (intent). Profile +
Event + A caller with a with over $10,000 in a checking Intent
account (profile) who is calling to transfer funds to a savings
account (intent) is a strong prospect for a CD after the stock
market has a bad week (event).
Campaign Scoring
[0038] The campaign manager allows users to define multiple
customer profiles for the purpose of campaign targeting. The
campaign manager also allows users to assign various
profile-specific application configuration settings. A profile
definition includes, for example, a profile name, a profile
description, and one or more profile rules. Rules may be linked
together with various operators such as AND, OR, or NOT. The
campaign manager also allows users to activate rules, deactivate
rules, and modify existing rules. The default profile cannot be
altered, deleted, or deactivated.
[0039] The campaign manager further allows users to define multiple
events for the purpose of campaign targeting. An event definition
includes, for example, the name of the event, a description of the
event, and one or more customer rules associated with the event.
Events can be activated, deactivated, and modified by a user.
[0040] When an inbound call is received, the caller has proactively
sought to communicate with the entity receiving the call.
Therefore, this type of interaction is referred to as "intent"
driven (i.e., driven by the intent of the caller). A caller may
have one or more reasons for initiating contact with the entity.
Typically, when handling inbound calls, the number of campaigns
offered to the caller are limited. If a caller is subject to many
different campaigns, the caller is likely to terminate the call.
Similarly, if the caller is offered the same campaign more than
once, the caller may become frustrated and terminate the call.
Thus, it is important to identify campaigns that are most likely to
be of interest to the caller, and identify when to offer the
campaign to the caller. The campaign manager helps advertisers,
marketers, and other users regulate the number of campaigns
presented wile optimizing selection of campaigns based on
historical call flow usage statistics, campaign conversion (i.e.,
opt-in) probabilities, and business value.
[0041] The campaign manager allows users to define global rules
that govern campaign delivery at both a system and session level.
For example, session rules allow a user to define policies
regarding the maximum number of campaigns that can be delivered on
a given call, how many campaigns can be delivered in succession,
and how many times a caller declines campaigns before the system
stops delivering campaigns to that caller.
[0042] By defining various global rules for campaigns, users can
prevent callers from receiving too many campaigns during a single
call. However, the user must provide information that allows the
campaign manager to determine when to offer a particular campaign.
For example, should a campaign be offered early in the call flow or
should the campaign manager wait for a more targeted point in the
call flow that might occur later in the call. However, if the
campaign manager waits for a later point in the call flow, that
later point may never be reached by the caller. For example, if a
generic campaign is offered immediately after a welcome message
(when little is known about the caller's intent), a more targeted
campaign with a higher likelihood of success may not be offered
later in the call due to the policies regarding the number of
campaigns that can be delivered. However, if the generic campaign
is skipped in favor of a future, more targeted campaign, there is a
risk that the call will end before the more targeted campaign is
offered. For example, the caller may terminate the call prior to
reaching the later point or may follow a different path through the
menu hierarchy.
[0043] The decision to "offer now" versus "offer later" is based on
a risk-benefit analysis. Determining a campaign's "risk" is based
on the likelihood that the campaign will be offered during a
session and, if offered, the probability that the caller will
"opt-in" and eventually take action, such as complete a purchase,
enroll in a program, etc. A campaign's "benefit" is based on the
value it brings to the business if successful, such as revenue,
cost reduction, increased awareness, and the like. Campaign risk
can be calculated using call flow statistics and opt-in (or
conversion) rate. For example, if 70% of qualified callers ask for
account balance and 1% are likely to enroll in a certificate of
deposit (CD) offered after account balance is provided, the risk
factor is 70%.times.1%=0.007. In some situations, it is not
possible to measure the opt-in rate or the conversion rate. In
these situations, the campaign manager allows a user to manually
assign a campaign's estimated (or predicted) opt-in rate and
conversion rate.
[0044] Similarly, a campaign's value can be difficult to calculate
directly. Although some campaigns may complete a transaction that
has an associated monetary value, other campaigns will be indirect
and may not involve specific revenue or cost savings. For example,
a bill payment promotion by a financial institution may have more
strategic value than immediate monetary value. Customers that
sign-up for the financial institution's bill payment service may
also sign-up for other products or services from that same
financial institution. When the campaign value cannot be
specifically calculated, the campaign manager allows a user to
manually assign a campaign's estimated (or predicted) value.
[0045] FIGS. 4 and 5 are graphical representations of an example
voice-based menu hierarchy. FIGS. 4 and 5 are used to illustrate
how a risk-benefit campaign delivery model is used by the campaign
manager to determine whether to offer a campaign at a specific
activation point or wait for a future opportunity.
[0046] Referring to FIG. 4, a caller has heard a welcome prompt
(block 402) and has reached campaign activation point A. At this
point, the campaign manager knows very little about the caller's
intent. In this example, two different campaigns are being targeted
to callers. A first campaign (the "SmartCD campaign") offers
customers a certificate of deposit (CD) that has an interest rate
that automatically increases as Federal interest rates increase. A
second campaign (the "home equity line campaign") offers customers
a no-fee home equity line of credit.
[0047] The campaign manager calculates a campaign "score" for each
of the two campaigns. The campaign score is used to rank multiple
campaigns and to compare the value of launching a campaign at
different points in the menu hierarchy. The campaign score is
calculated based on a campaign value (CV), a profile opt-in rate
(POR) and the likelihood that the caller will reach particular
campaign activation points in the menu hierarchy.
[0048] In the example of FIG. 4, the campaign value of campaign 1
is assigned as 100 and the campaign value of campaign 2 is assigned
as 60. The campaign values are typically assigned by the person or
entity defining the campaign, such as a bank manager in this
example. The profile opt-in rate for campaign 1 is 0.5% and the
profile opt-in rate for campaign 2 is 0.2%. The profile opt-in rate
is the predicted likelihood that the caller will opt-in to the
campaign at a particular point in the menu hierarchy. The profile
opt-in rate can be based on historical data, data associated with
similar campaigns, or approximations. The campaign score is
calculated by multiplying the campaign value with the profile
opt-in rate and with the probability that the caller will reach the
particular campaign activation point. In this example the caller is
already at campaign activation point A, so the probability of
reaching that point is 100%. In the example of FIG. 4, at campaign
activation point A, the score associated with campaign 1 is 0.50
and the score associated with campaign 2 is 0.12. If the campaign
manager was simply considering which campaign to activate at
campaign activation point A, the campaign manager would activate
campaign 1 due to its higher score.
[0049] However, if the campaign manager considers the entire menu
hierarchy, the campaign manager will evaluate whether launching a
campaign at a different campaign activation point in the menu
hierarchy would likely achieve greater success (e.g., a higher
opt-in rate for the campaign). For example, the campaign manager
may evaluate the campaign scores of other campaign activation
points based on the probability that the caller will reach the
associated campaign activation point in the menu hierarchy. For
example, in FIG. 4, the historical usage statistics predict a 58%
chance that a caller will ask for account balances (block 404)
after hearing the welcome prompt. Thus, the score associated with
activating campaign 1 at campaign activation point H is 0.70
(100*0.012*0.58). Based on the scores calculated in this example,
the score associated with activating campaign 1 at campaign
activation point H is better than activating campaign 1 at campaign
activation point A (score of 0.70 versus 0.50).
[0050] In another example, at campaign activation point G in FIG.
4, the campaign value of campaign 1 is 100, the profile opt-in rate
is 10.2%, and the likelihood that the caller will reach campaign
activation point G is 6%. Thus, the score is
100*0.102*0.06=0.61.
[0051] The campaign score associated with each campaign changes as
the caller navigates through the menu hierarchy. For example, in
FIG. 5 the menu hierarchy is the same as FIG. 4, but the caller has
navigated to campaign activation point G and requested a rate quote
(block 502). When the caller has reached campaign activation point
G, historical data indicates that there is a 4% likelihood that the
caller will ask for account balance information (block 504) and
reach campaign activation point H. As discussed above with respect
to FIG. 4, when the caller is at campaign activation point A, the
score for campaign 1 is 0.70. However, when the caller is at
campaign activation point H, the score for campaign 1 drops to 0.05
(100*0.012*0.04). This drop is due to the change in likelihood (58%
to 4%) that the caller will navigate to campaign activation point H
in the future. Thus, the score associated with activating a
campaign at different campaign activation points changes as the
caller navigates through the menu hierarchy.
[0052] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a
procedure 600 for assigning scores to various campaign activation
points. Initially, the procedure identifies one or more campaign
activation points in a menu hierarchy (block 602). These campaign
activation points represent locations in the menu hierarchy where
one or more campaigns can be activated or launched. The procedure
continues by identifying one or more campaigns (block 604) and
determines a campaign value associated with each campaign (block
606). The campaign value may be assigned based on the expected
revenue generated by the campaign, the value of the campaign to
future business, or any number of other factors.
[0053] Procedure 600 continues by determining an opt-in rate
associated with each campaign (block 608) and determining a
likelihood that a caller will reach each campaign activation point
in the menu hierarchy (block 610). Next, the procedure calculates a
score associated with each campaign at each campaign activation
point (block 612). As discussed above, this score can be calculated
by multiplying the campaign value with the profile opt-in rate and
with the probability that the caller will reach the particular
campaign activation point. In alternate embodiments, the score can
be calculated using any number of factors or parameters, including
factors discussed herein.
[0054] Based on the caller's current location in the menu
hierarchy, procedure 600 identifies the highest scoring campaign
activation point for each campaign (block 614). As mentioned above,
the highest scoring campaign activation point for each campaign may
change as the caller navigates through the menu hierarchy.
[0055] In a particular embodiment, the opt-in rate can be specified
based on historical data or using estimated opt-in rate
information. If an estimated opt-in rate is used, after the first N
offers, the estimated opt-in rate may be replaced with the actual
opt-in rate calculated based on the first N offers. Additionally,
the opt-in rate may vary among different groups of callers. For
example, the opt-in rate for a home equity loan campaign may differ
among callers that are in different income groups, different age
groups, different geographic areas, and the like.
[0056] Campaigns can be defined using any number of different
parameters and other settings. In one embodiment, each campaign
includes one or more of: a campaign name, a campaign description,
estimated revenue generated by each instance of the campaign,
actual revenue generated by previous instances of the campaign,
estimated savings recognized by each instance of the campaign,
campaign value, estimated cost to set-up the campaign, and campaign
status. Campaigns can be enabled and disabled by the campaign
manager based on rules, campaign results, or instructions from an
administrator or other user.
[0057] Various campaign rules control the activating, enabling, and
disabling of campaigns. For example, a particular campaign rule
limits a campaign to a single playback for each caller. Other
campaign rules define a maximum number of campaigns that are played
to a caller during each call, or define a maximum number of
campaigns that are played to a caller during a particular time
period. Additional campaign rules identify one or more campaigns
that should not be played to a caller if that caller rejects
another campaign during the same call. Alternatively, a campaign
rule may identify one or more campaigns that should not be played
to a caller if that caller has already received a particular
campaign during the same call, regardless of whether the particular
campaign was accepted or declined.
[0058] The campaign manager tracks and records various campaign
metrics for use in measuring campaign performance, editing campaign
parameters and rules, planning future campaigns, and the like. The
following Table identifies example campaign metrics that may be
tracked and recorded by the campaign manager.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Metric Description Calls The number of calls
answered by a voice "site" (e.g., all calls received by a voice
processing system). Opportunities The number of times an associated
activation point was reached and the caller was eligible to be
offered a campaign. Offers The number of times the associated
campaign was offered. Offer Rate The percentage of offers per
opportunities. Opt-Ins The number of times an associated campaign
was accepted. Opt-In Rate The percentage of opt-ins per offers.
Offer Abandons The number of abandons during the "offer" portion of
a campaign. The offer portion is the entry transition up to the
opt-in point. Offer Duration The duration of the offer portion of a
campaign. Campaign The number of abandons during a campaign,
Abandons including the offer portion. Campaign The duration of a
campaign, including the offer Duration portion. A Leads The number
of campaign deliveries yielding an "A" lead. B Leads The number of
campaign deliveries yielding an "B" lead. C Leads The number of
campaign deliveries yielding an "C" lead. D Leads The number of
campaign deliveries yielding an "D" lead. Conversions The number of
campaign deliveries yielding a conversion (e.g., enrollment, order,
etc.) Conversion Rate The percentage of conversions per offers.
Units The number of units sold (or provided) as a result of a
campaign. Revenue The revenue generated from a campaign. Delivery
Cost The cost associated with delivering a campaign (e.g.,
per-minute-cost * duration) Return On The return on investment
(e.g., total revenue to Investment (ROI) date - total cost to date;
total cost = initial cost + delivery cost)
Alternate embodiments may use additional metrics not shown in Table
3 and/or may omit one or more metrics shown in Table 3.
[0059] Measuring the performance of a marketing campaign is
important. Changing the wording of a phrase or request can have a
large impact on the results of a campaign. Various performance
metrics, such as the metrics discussed above with respect to Table
3, are monitored and recorded for analysis and evaluation. Certain
metrics can be filtered geographically (e.g., on a state-by-state
basis). A caller's state can be identified based on the caller's
profile and/or their ANI.
[0060] Various goals can be defined for profiles, campaigns, and so
forth. Each goal can have an associated visual indicator that
displays how well the actual performance corresponds to the goal
setting. The goal settings and the associated visual indicators can
be set and modified by the user. The user can also define the
positions of the various visual indicators with respect to one
another. Different color-coding definitions are used to provide a
quick indication of whether a particular goal is being met.
[0061] In addition to the visual indicators discussed above,
reports are generated that identify the values of multiple
performance metrics over a period of time.
[0062] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example computing
device 700. Computing device 700 may be used to perform various
procedures, such as those discussed herein. Computing device 700
can function as a server, a client, or any other computing entity.
Computing device 700 can be any of a wide variety of computing
devices, such as a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a server
computer, a handheld computer, and the like.
[0063] Computing device 700 includes one or more processor(s) 702,
one or more memory device(s) 704, one or more interface(s) 706, one
or more mass storage device(s) 708, and one or more Input/Output
(I/O) device(s) 710, all of which are coupled to a bus 712.
Processor(s) 702 include one or more processors or controllers that
execute instructions stored in memory device(s) 704 and/or mass
storage device(s) 708. Processor(s) 702 may also include various
types of computer-readable media, such as cache memory.
[0064] Memory device(s) 704 include various computer-readable
media, such as volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM))
and/or nonvolatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM)). Memory
device(s) 704 may also include rewritable ROM, such as Flash
memory.
[0065] Mass storage device(s) 708 include various computer readable
media, such as magnetic tapes, magnetic disks, optical disks, solid
state memory (e.g., Flash memory), and so forth. Various drives may
also be included in mass storage device(s) 708 to enable reading
from and/or writing to the various computer readable media. Mass
storage device(s) 708 include removable media and/or non-removable
media.
[0066] I/O device(s) 710 include various devices that allow data
and/or other information to be input to or retrieved from computing
device 700. Example I/O device(s) 710 include cursor control
devices, keyboards, keypads, microphones, monitors or other display
devices, speakers, printers, network interface cards, modems,
lenses, CCDs or other image capture devices, and the like.
[0067] Interface(s) 706 include various interfaces that allow
computing device 700 to interact with other systems, devices, or
computing environments. Example interface(s) 706 include any number
of different network interfaces, such as interfaces to local area
networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), wireless networks, and
the Internet.
[0068] Bus 712 allows processor(s) 702, memory device(s) 704,
interface(s) 706, mass storage device(s) 708, and I/O device(s) 710
to communicate with one another, as well as other devices or
components coupled to bus 712. Bus 712 represents one or more of
several types of bus structures, such as a system bus, PCI bus,
IEEE 1394 bus, USB bus, and so forth.
[0069] For purposes of illustration, programs and other executable
program components are shown herein as discrete blocks, although it
is understood that such programs and components may reside at
various times in different storage components of computing device
700, and are executed by processor(s) 702. Alternatively, the
systems and procedures described herein can be implemented in
hardware, or a combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware.
For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits
(ASICs) can be programmed to carry out one or more of the systems
and procedures described herein.
[0070] Although the description above uses language that is
specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is
to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims
is not limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather,
the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of
implementing the invention.
* * * * *