U.S. patent application number 12/406063 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-17 for method of monetizing online personal beauty product selections.
This patent application is currently assigned to PHOTOMETRIA, INC.. Invention is credited to Kevin Barnes, Deepu John, David Kriegman, Satya Mallick, Vipanj Patel.
Application Number | 20090234716 12/406063 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41062548 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090234716 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mallick; Satya ; et
al. |
September 17, 2009 |
METHOD OF MONETIZING ONLINE PERSONAL BEAUTY PRODUCT SELECTIONS
Abstract
One or more embodiments of the program are directed to a
plurality of methods for monetizing online personalized beauty
product selections utilizing a technology for content-targeted
Internet advertising on a virtual makeover website. Methods
comprise: (1) categorizing facial features to select product
advertisements for co-branding in a product palette; (2) an auction
for webpage advertisement placements related to a user's facial
features; (3) transforming a makeover "look" to advertise
alternative products to produce the new look under different
lighting conditions; (4) a gifting system to allow sale and gifting
of products used to produce a makeover, where the makeover image
may be packaged with the selected products in a gift package; and
(5) recapturing users who would cancel a sale with an offer of less
expensive comparable products.
Inventors: |
Mallick; Satya; (San Diego,
CA) ; Barnes; Kevin; (San Diego, CA) ; Patel;
Vipanj; (Centennial, CO) ; John; Deepu; (San
Diego, CA) ; Kriegman; David; (San Diego,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DALINA LAW GROUP, P.C.
7910 IVANHOE AVE. #325
LA JOLLA
CA
92037
US
|
Assignee: |
PHOTOMETRIA, INC.
San Diego
CA
|
Family ID: |
41062548 |
Appl. No.: |
12/406063 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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61037323 |
Mar 17, 2008 |
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61037319 |
Mar 17, 2008 |
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61037314 |
Mar 17, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.54 ;
705/1.1; 705/14.66; 705/14.71; 705/26.1; 705/37 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0482 20130101;
G06Q 30/0269 20130101; G09G 5/06 20130101; G06F 3/04883 20130101;
G06Q 30/0601 20130101; G09G 2340/0407 20130101; G09G 2320/0666
20130101; G06Q 30/0256 20130101; G09G 5/14 20130101; G16H 30/40
20180101; G06Q 30/0275 20130101; G06Q 40/04 20130101; G09G 2340/10
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/10 ; 705/27;
705/14; 705/37; 705/1 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00; G06Q 99/00 20060101 G06Q099/00 |
Claims
1. A computer program product for increasing monetization of a
virtual makeover computer system by providing personalized makeover
product recommendations to a user of said system, said computer
program product comprising computer readable program code, said
computer readable program code executing in a tangible memory
medium and configured to: acquire a digital portrait for makeover
by a virtual makeover computer system; analyze a subject of said
digital portrait by said computer system to identify personal
features of said subject; select a first ranked recommended
products list for a product type associated with said subject's
identified personal features and wherein when any product on said
first ranked recommended products list also appears on an preferred
advertiser list, re-ranking said first ranked recommended products
list to produce a second ranked recommended products list ranked to
reflect preference for products of advertisers on said preferred
advertiser list; and present said second ranked recommended
products list for use on said digital portrait.
2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said personal
features are evaluated by said computer system to assign said
subject to a profile group, and wherein said profile group is used
to select said first ranked recommended products list.
3. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said personal
features further comprises facial features.
4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said first
ranked recommended product list is selected based on a look.
5. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said preferred
advertiser list comprises auction winners.
6. A computer program product for marketing personalized beauty
products by selecting preferred insert advertisement placement for
a website targeted at cosmetic consumers, said computer program
product comprising computer readable program code, said computer
readable program code executing in a tangible memory medium and
configured to: select a first paid advertisement for display on a
virtual makeover website from a pool of available advertisements;
evaluate a portrait by computational analysis for a presence of a
first facial feature, wherein when said first facial feature
exists, changing said selection of said first paid advertisement to
a second paid advertisement by a marketing method further
comprising: determining if said first facial feature has at least
one advertising bid on a facial feature bid list; determining a
highest bid for said first facial feature from said facial feature
bid list; selecting instead said second paid advertisement
reflecting said highest bid from said facial feature bid list; and
display said selected paid advertisement on said virtual makeover
website.
7. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein said highest bid
further comprises a plurality of high bids that exceed a threshold
value and wherein said second paid advertisement further comprises
an unordered plurality of advertisements from said plurality of
high bids and wherein said selected paid advertisement further
comprises said selected unordered plurality of advertisements
displayed in a rotating fashion on said virtual makeover
website.
8. A computer program product for monetizing personalized beauty
product selections from a virtual makeover website by offering a
shopper an additional product at checkout, said computer program
product comprising computer readable program code, said computer
readable program code executing in a tangible memory medium and
configured to: offer a shopper of a beauty product required to
create a first look associated with a first personalized virtual
makeover image an option at checkout to view said first
personalized virtual makeover image modified by said computer
readable program code for at least one alternative lighting
condition; and wherein said shopper selects said option, offer
additional products by a marketing method further comprising:
computing a second personalized virtual makeover image in view of
said selected at least one alternative lighting condition; offering
said shopper an at least one additional cosmetic product required
to create a second look associated with said second personalized
virtual makeover image; and wherein said shopper selects said at
least one additional cosmetic product, adding said selected at
least one additional cosmetic product to a shopping cart.
9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein said second
personalized virtual makeover image is displayed by said computer
readable program code to said shopper.
10. A computer program product for monetizing a virtual makeover
website comprising an online marketing method of offering a gifting
option at checkout, said method encoded into said computer program
product, said computer program product comprising computer readable
program code, said computer readable program code executing in a
tangible memory medium and configured to: provide a virtual
makeover website comprising an online store for selecting and
purchasing makeover products; offer a user of said virtual makeover
website an option to gift a makeover created with said website to a
recipient; and wherein when said user selects said gifting option,
said computer program product further configured to: offer said
user a gift announcement option, and where selected, delivering
said gift announcement to said recipient; determine said user's
gift packaging choice comprising offering to display a virtual
makeover image associated with said makeover on a gift package; and
display a completed gift transaction proposal to said user.
11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said makeover
is given as a virtual gift.
12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said virtual
gift is delivered to said recipient via a social networking
website.
13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said virtual
gift is delivered to said recipient via a virtual reality
program.
14. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said virtual
gift is delivered to said recipient via an instant messaging
program.
15. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein gifting said
makeover further comprises: purchasing of at least one cosmetic
product required to implement said makeover of said recipient by
said user and wherein said gathering further comprises gathering
recipient's shipping information.
16. A computer program product for increasing monetizing of a
virtual makeover website when a user fails to complete a purchase,
said computer program product comprising computer readable program
code, said computer readable program code executing in a tangible
memory medium and configured to: offer a user who fails to complete
a purchase of a first cosmetic product associated with a first
makeover image created using a virtual makeover website a
second-chance purchase option, said offering comprising: select a
second cosmetic product of lower cost and comparable color to said
first cosmetic product used in said first makeover image; create a
second virtual makeover image from said first makeover image
created by a user, substituting said second cosmetic product for
said first cosmetic product in said second makeover image; display
said second makeover image.
17. The computer program product of claim 16 further configured to:
fetch a product information for said second cosmetic product; and
display said product information for said second cosmetic product;
and offer to said user said second cosmetic product.
18. A computer program product for monetizing online personalized
beauty product selections from a virtual makeover location through
a virtual reality program, said computer program product comprising
computer readable program code, said computer readable program code
executing in a tangible memory medium and configured to: provide a
virtual makeover location associated with a virtual reality
program; compute a personal color profile for an avatar in said
virtual reality program when said avatar visits said virtual
makeover location; select a makeover option for said avatar to
alter an appearance of said avatar; display said makeover option to
said avatar; and apply said makeover option to alter said
appearance of said avatar.
19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein said virtual
makeover location alters said appearance of said avatar in exchange
for a payment.
20. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein said virtual
makeover location comprises a link to a real world virtual makeover
website capable of altering said appearance of said avatar in said
virtual reality program.
21. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein said virtual
makeover location is cobranded with a real world virtual makeover
website.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to three U.S. Provisional
Patent Applications, all filed on Mar. 17, 2008, and all co-owned
by the same assignee. These applications are entitled "SYSTEM AND
METHOD FOR CREATING AND SHARING PERSONALIZED VIRTUAL MAKEOVERS,"
Ser. No. 61/037,323, "GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR SELECTION OF
OPTIONS FROM OPTION GROUPS AND METHODS RELATING TO SAME," Ser. No.
61/037,319, and "METHOD OF MONETIZING ONLINE PERSONALIZED BEAUTY
PRODUCT SELECTIONS," Ser. No. 61/037,314, filed 17 Mar. 2008. These
provisional patent applications are hereby incorporated by
reference in their entirety into this specification.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to the field of computer programming
and is more particularly, but not by way of limitation, directed
toward a method of monetizing online personalized beauty product
selections by a computer user.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] The old adage is true--you never get a second chance to make
a first impression. Americans particularly seem to love to improve
and reinvent themselves. Cosmetics, personal care products,
clothing and accessories and personal improvement services are
marketed to women and men of all ages for the purpose of creating,
varying or maintaining an image. The personal product and personal
care industry, which includes such diverse products and services as
cosmetics, hair, skin and nail care products, cosmetic surgery
providers, supplement manufacturers, drugs, programs and devices
for losing weight, erasing wrinkles, acne treatment, removing
cellulite, easing tired muscles and otherwise improving health and
appearance, among other examples, is a multi-billion dollar
industry in the United States alone.
[0006] While in the past "makeovers" occurred in the privacy of a
consultant's shop or in the makeup chair at a department store's
beauty section, today's imaging technology enables "virtual
makeover" programs to be accessible to all in the privacy of their
own homes. Internet consumers are particularly attuned to the need
to present a "best face" to the world, as the existing online
virtual makeover websites demonstrate. However, these websites fail
to monetize fully the potential of advertising and marketing to
online virtual makeover users.
[0007] Some existing makeover websites provide users with a gallery
of model images, others also offer users the opportunity to upload
a photograph, edit and save edited images, and apply brand name
cosmetics and designer hairstyles to an image. Some makeover
websites charge a monthly fee for access to their library of
products and styles, such as TheHairStyler.com. All these websites
monetize their services by providing traditional Internet
advertising models including banner ads, pop-up advertising, and
search engine placement ads such as Google.RTM. AdWords.RTM.
placements. While some ads on the sites are at least somewhat
context sensitive, such as ads targeted at women or ads for
make-up, none of these prior art websites provide the technology to
create a platform for a finely targeted advertising campaign using
information that can be derived from the users of virtual makeover
websites.
[0008] What would be preferred is a method of monetizing online
virtual makeover websites using technology to create new
advertising models that could creatively combine new and older
advertising technologies to allow low cost expansion in a results
driven environment. A flexible online advertising program would
allow for quick expansion to multiple websites, easily increase bid
rates, and allow for easy alteration of premier page placements.
Such an approach would be an advancement because it would allow the
advertiser to abandon a failed approach and retool the campaign at
a lower cost than in traditional marketing. Presently, an online
advertising campaign might begin by placing an ad on
comparison-shopping search engine feeds, and/or using low bid
keywords for paid search sponsored listings to test an
advertisement. If the ad succeeds, it may be improved by the
addition of sound, flash animation and other newer techniques, and
eventually moved to placements that are more expensive. Tools such
as content-sensitive placement engines can be applied for slightly
higher cost to better place ads in front of the right consumers.
However, no technology presently exists to offer vendors of
cosmetic and personal care products and services, for example, the
ability to tailor advertising placements for particular color or
variety of a product or service directly to a consumer, with for
example, a given facial type, coloring, or facial feature.
[0009] While most virtual makeover websites provide advertising
space on the pages of the website or in popup advertisements, these
advertisements are not targeted to the particular consumer through
computational analysis of the facial features or other visual
criteria of an uploaded photograph to better identify key market
demographics for an individualized consumer. It would be desirable
to provide an advertising method that combines traditional Internet
advertising techniques with advanced technology to better target
advertisements to consumers based on, for example, demographics as
determined by image analysis of a photograph of the user, such as,
for example, the user's facial type, approximate age, hair type, or
presence of blemishes. Because of the limitations discussed above
in the prior virtual makeover websites, there is a need for a
method of better monetizing online makeover websites.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The invention is directed generally toward a plurality of
methods for monetizing online personalized beauty product
selections utilizing a technology for content-targeted Internet
advertising on a virtual makeover website. Traditional
content-sensitive advertising simply selects ads for display that
are related to a keyword that appears on a web page.
Content-targeted advertising, on the other hand, generates more
awareness and clicks because the products being advertised are
directly relevant to the theme or content of a webpage.
[0011] One or more embodiments of the invention may take the form
of a computer program or programs accessible, by example but not by
way of limitation, via the Internet and/or the World Wide Web
using, for example, a traditional web browser program, other
software program, or device capable of viewing a website or similar
type of static and/or dynamic document. Various embodiments may be
created as a single computer program or multiple computer programs,
scripts, object, modules or the like executing and communicating on
one or more servers or computers in a manner well understood by
those of ordinary skill in the art, and thus not detailed herein so
as to avoid obscuring the invention. As used herein, then, the term
"the program" or "the computer program" may refer to one or more
embodiments of the invention, but is not intended to be limiting as
to a particular form of a given embodiment. Further, it is within
the scope of the invention that a user of the program described
herein may access the program through a computer with a web
browser, a mobile web device, personal data assistant, a virtual
terminal, kiosk, application program installed on a particular
computer, through a framed interface using one or more servers, or
through any similar access device or method or mechanism known to
Internet users, but referred to herein as a "browser" not by way of
limitation but for simplicity of description.
[0012] Further, the computer program or programs referred to herein
may perform transformations ("editing") of images such as
photographic representations of people, artistic renderings of
people, or other types of representations of people known to those
in the graphic and photographic arts. Images, captured in digital
format or later digitized, subject to the present invention may
contain a representation of a single person, or in some embodiments
that of more than one person. The virtual makeover computer program
described herein may also transform "avatars" (representations of
players in a virtual world) or other objects in a digital or
digitized image. Some images subject to the present invention's
method may therefore be of animals or fantasy creatures or any
image subject to improvement by the addition of color. Not all
embodiments of the program described herein may perform
recommendations for non-human or non-photographic subjects, as such
is not required by the methods herein.
[0013] Virtual makeover websites may provide free "makeover"
editing, image storage, and image sharing functions to create
"cyber stickiness," a term used to describe a website whose design
encourages users to return time and again in the subject website.
Advertisers prefer websites with cyber stickiness, because visitors
will view more ads and be exposed to ads for a longer time. One or
more methods of the program may allow, for example, co-branding by
cosmetic companies whose products are offered for use in the
makeover editor. The term "editor" is used herein as a noun, in a
colloquial sense to describe a computer software program, module,
function or other software embodiment programmed to allow a user to
alter the appearance of a digital image. A "makeover editor" may
then be understood to allow a user to makeover (or "edit") an image
of a user to have a different, hopefully more attractive,
appearance. Thus, a makeover editing session will virtually
simulate a real-world makeover session. A real-world makeover
session, in that sense, might include anything in the colloquial
understanding of the term such as the application of cosmetics,
accessories, plastic or cosmetic surgery, dental surgery, or other
similar methods for altering the appearance of a subject. Cosmetic
manufacturers may have product data such as logos, color palettes,
product names, product pictures, and product descriptions of their
products, for example, they wish advertised only to a particular
user demographic determined by facial features, personal
characteristics and/or personal profile (called herein
collectively, a "user's personal features.")
[0014] The program described herein may perform an analysis of a
user's personal features that may include a computed analysis of an
uploaded photograph, digital image, line drawing, cartoon, painting
or other representation ("portrait") of a user, person, character,
virtual entity or other image for makeover. Such an analysis may
include details, when available, such as face shape, facial
features shape and placement (such as eye shape and location, nose
shape, lip size, chin shape and other distinct facial features.)
Such an analysis may also identify a user among a like-group based
on other personal features such as perceived age, hair, skin and
other aspects of the portrait, herein after referred to as a
"personal profile," may be discernible from a portrait or may be
obtained from data input by the user direct to the program. Product
data may thus be displayed to the user for an extensive period of
time while the user enjoys the use of the makeover program. The
makeover image editor of the program may even record which products
the user tries in the editor, and use that information to effect
the selection and placement of related banner advertising on the
makeover website.
[0015] It will be understood by those of skill in the art that the
information gained from a makeover program may be used to select
advertisements for the user when visiting websites other than those
of the program itself. For example, if the data gleaned from the
makeover program indicates that the user has blue eyes, that
information may be used to queue up advertisements directed at
people with blue eyes when the same user visits a different
website.
[0016] The combination of cyber stickiness and the opportunity for
co-branding makes virtual makeover websites desirable platforms for
advertisement of personal products such as cosmetics, accessories,
clothing, and other personal care products and services. In one or
more embodiments of the program, image processing technology makes
it possible to computationally analyze a portrait for facial
features and personal characteristics in order to categorize a user
of a virtual makeover editor for various marketing criteria such as
a personal color profile type from which recommended products will
be selected for presentation to the user as a color/product palette
for the virtual makeover, based on the user's personal
features.
[0017] In one or more embodiments, an auction of co-branding
opportunities for cosmetic manufacturers and other vendors based on
any of a user's personal features, broken down by product type, is
also in keeping with the spirit of the program. Products
recommended to the user may change for a given product type,
depending, for example, on the color of the product selected from
the presented palette, the user's personal features, a personal
color profile, or other similar basis as determined by the program
disclosed herein.
[0018] One or more embodiments may enhance monetizing of an online
virtual makeover website by providing an advertising auction system
related to particular facial features of a portrait. Using this
method, the program provides a method of selecting preferred
on-page advertising placements for auction for specialty targeted
leaderboard, sky scraper and other on-page advertisements to be
selected by bidder rank depending in part on various bid
categories, such as for example the profile group and/or personal
color profile type of the portrait. This is a hybrid advertising
model that uses sophisticated image analysis software to separate
consumers into more refined groups for traditional advertisement
placement bidding. For example, hair color manufacturers may wish
to advertise a particular hair-coloring product only to users with
gray hair. Or a particular color of eye shadow may be perfect for
consumers with blue eyes. Alternatively, a dermatologist may wish
to advertise services to consumers with drooping eyelids, weak
chins or sagging jowls. All these advertisers can achieve their
target audience by using facial feature auction ad placement. Any
facial feature that can be identified by the software algorithms
may be employed to provide a sophisticated content-targeting basis
for bidding for advertisement placement.
[0019] In one or more embodiments of the program, the advertising
model may be an improvement over the prior art because it both
allows a finer granularity to bidding based on facial features in a
portrait discerned from image interpretation instead of keyword
bidding, and also because it may generate more revenue for the
website sponsor (in this case, the virtual makeover website
operator) by charging more for advertising placement when the
desired user's personal features are present in the current
portrait, even if the user does not click on the sponsored
link.
[0020] One or more embodiments the program may offer the user the
opportunity to translate the "look" they have created in the
makeover editor into different lighting conditions, and
automatically select alternative products that will produce the
same look, for example, under the alternate lighting conditions.
The additional products may then be added to the user's shopping
cart with a single click of the mouse, for example, enhancing the
monetization of the makeover program. The terms "look" and
"makeover" are used together herein as nouns, in a colloquial sense
to describe a person's overall style, appearance and conformance to
societal norms. As such, giving a subject's image a "makeover" may
also include providing a digital image editor for directly editing
the portrait to give the subject a new look. This feature would
correspond to a real world effort to, for example, pluck eyebrows,
change hair color, or don a wig. Creating a new look may also
include changes beyond makeup and hairstyles, such as adding or
removing accessories such as color contact lens, eyeglasses, or
hats. In some instances changing accessories alone may create a new
look.
[0021] In one or more embodiments of the program, a user may upload
a portrait of a friend, perform a makeover, and purchase the
products used to create the new image for shipping to the subject
as a gift. In this embodiment, the makeover image may be packaged
on or with the gifted cosmetics and/or accessories in a gift box,
and/or sent by electronic or other means to the recipient of the
gift. Various embodiments may also offer the option of sending the
makeover image as part of an electronic gift announcement in
advance of or with the delivery of the gifted cosmetics and/or
accessories. In one or more additional embodiments, a user may
create a look for someone else, either from scratch or by copying a
look from a celebrity or other individual, and that look may be
"gifted" to a recipient.
[0022] One or more embodiments illustrate a method for monetizing
an online virtual makeover website utilizing post-sale add on
opportunities related to capturing users who would cancel a sale
with an offer of less expensive comparable products.
[0023] Finally, a "virtual makeover terminal" in Second Life and
other virtual reality programs may be provided using all or any of
the marketing techniques disclosed herein to allow users to
makeover a Second Life avatar. Similarly, a virtual makeover
website in the real world Internet may also be used to makeover the
appearance of a portable avatar, artistic rendering, or other image
of a face that meets the spirit of a portrait as defined herein.
Further, makeovers created in a "virtual world" may be gifted to
other denizens of the virtual world as a "virtual gift," or in
world makeovers may be gifted or purchased in the same way as
makeovers in the real world, as discussed herein. Marketing the
real world advertiser's products and systems "in world" through
virtual billboards, a virtual salon, virtual department stores and
through links to real world information can bring additional
customers to the real world virtual makeover website, further
increasing monetization thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the
invention will be more apparent from the following more particular
description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following
drawings wherein:
[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a method for monetizing an online virtual
makeover website utilizing facial similarities of a photograph to a
personal color profile in one or more embodiments of the
invention.
[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for monetizing an online virtual
makeover website utilizing a bidding system for demographics
related to particular facial features of the user.
[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates a method for monetizing an online virtual
makeover website utilizing post-sale add-on opportunities related
to products selected for alternative lighting conditions computed
from the virtual makeover of the present sale.
[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates a method for monetizing an online virtual
makeover website utilizing post-sale add-on opportunities related
to allowing a user to gift a makeover to friend.
[0029] FIG. 5 illustrates a method for monetizing an online virtual
makeover website utilizing post-sale add on opportunities related
to capturing users who would otherwise cancel a sale by offering
less expensive comparable products.
[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates a computer system that may be programmed
to perform the methods of one or more embodiments of the invention,
or provide user access to a computer or computers performing the
methods of one or more embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] The following descriptions of the various embodiments of the
invention are exemplary, rather than limiting, and many variations
and modifications are within the scope and spirit of the invention.
Although numerous specific details are set forth in order to
provide a thorough understanding of the program, it will be
apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments of
the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In
other instances, well-known features have not been described in
detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the program. The
preferred embodiments of the inventions are described herein in the
figures, Detailed Description, and Claims. Unless specifically
noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the
specification and claims be given the ordinary and accustomed
meaning as understood by those of ordinary skill in the applicable
art or arts. If any other meaning is intended, the specification
will specifically state that a special meaning is being applied to
a word or phrase.
[0032] While the various exemplars of the invention may be
described herein in terms of an online personalized beauty product
selection website, one or more embodiments of the invention may not
be so limited. One of ordinary skill in the art of marketing will
recognize that the techniques described herein may be applied to
other types of applications, as well as to other platforms. For
example, the application described could be expanded by one of
ordinary skill in the art to include body makeovers, fashion
makeovers, home makeovers or other types of applications where the
user is offered options to alter or improve an image. Similarly,
various alternative platforms may host the subject application of
the herein described marketing methods, including but not limited
to such platforms as kiosks, private enterprise networks, VPNs,
WANs, mobile phones, video music players, PDAs, game consoles,
handheld gaming devices, and other electronic devices.
[0033] One or more embodiments of the invention described hereafter
are directed toward a method of monetizing online personalized
beauty product selections. This application relies in part on the
novel programming algorithms and user interface elements disclosed
in two copending U.S. Patent applications filed on the same day by
the same inventors and owned by the same assignee. These
applications are entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING AND
SHARING PERSONALIZED VIRTUAL MAKEOVERS," Ser. No. ______,
hereinafter known as the "Personalized Makeovers co-pending patent
application" and "GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR SELECTION OF OPTIONS
FROM OPTION GROUPS AND METHODS RELATING TO SAME," Ser. No. ______,
hereinafter, "the Graphical User Interface (GUI)" co-pending patent
application. These patent applications are hereby incorporated by
reference into this specification.
Content-Targeted Advertising
[0034] The program provides a plurality of methods for monetizing
online personalized beauty product selections utilizing an improved
technology for content-targeted Internet advertising on a virtual
makeover website. A more common "content-sensitive" or "keyword"
advertising approach is well known in the industry and is
exemplified by Google's.RTM. AdSense.RTM. program. A webmaster may
insert a java script from Google.RTM. into a webpage. Each time the
page is accessed the java script pulls advertisements from
Google's.RTM. AdSense.RTM. engine that match keywords found on the
webpage by Google's.RTM. advertisement placement software engine
and displays the ads on the webpage. These ads are typically small
text items of 10-20 words, and are often referred to as "sponsored
links." Because the ads are selected by Google.RTM. based on
keywords found in content on the webpage, the ads are said to be
"content-sensitive." If a user clicks on an advertisement served
from Google the user is redirected to the advertisers' website and
the website serving the ad earns a portion of the money that the
advertiser is paying Google.RTM. for the referral or click. This
final aspect of the model is often referred to as "pay-per-click"
(PPC) advertising.
[0035] Content-sensitive advertising uses very broad-brush
techniques such as searching a webpage for metatags and/or keywords
to select ads to place on a website. Thus, in a simplified example,
an ad bidding for the keyword "makeover" might end up on a virtual
makeover website, or on a website about the "Extreme Makeover Home
Edition".RTM. TV show.
[0036] Content-targeted advertising, on the other hand, generates
more awareness and clicks because the products being advertised are
directly relevant to the theme or content of a webpage, not just a
metatag or keyword. Under this model, cosmetic advertisers placing
content-sensitive ads for BOTOX.RTM. would specifically bid that it
appear on a virtual makeover websites--perhaps as large
leaderboards (banner ads typically 728.times.90 pixels) or
skyscrapers (vertical banners usually around 120.times.600 pixels),
for example. However, there is no way to know if the advertisement
for BOTOX.RTM. in this context is being shown to a 20 year-old or a
70 year-old woman. Is the top bidder for today's home page
leaderboard an ad for BOTOX.RTM. or mascara? The 20 year-old is
unlikely to click on the former, but may be willing eyeballs for
the later. Content-targeted advertising gathers data from multiple
sources to place advertisements on the right page in front of the
right user.
[0037] The program may allow advertisers to place advanced
content-targeted advertisements because it may provide data about
the user related to more than website context (virtual makeovers)
and user profiles (which may be blank or intentionally misleading).
By detecting information about the user or subject from the
uploaded photograph, an embodiment of the program may provide
advertisers information about the user's age, gender, hair color,
eye color, and skin tone, among other information described
elsewhere herein. Further, the program comprises the concept of
correlating the information discerned from image analysis with
information provided by the user in profile or other user provided
data. Where image processing may detect a user has olive skin, but
the user provides information that the skin is "light," both of
these may be used to arrive at an answer that is more accurate than
each of the individual data items alone. One or more embodiments of
the program may review the user's behavior to determine if the user
is examining "night" looks and provide advertisements for night
clubs and cocktail dresses, or if a user is trying on curly hair
styles, providing advertisements for hair curling devices and
products. This information may be used to provide other such more
targeted ad selection, improving the monetization of the virtual
makeover program.
[0038] In broad strokes, the more advanced prior art virtual
makeover websites may allow users to upload one or more digital
images, usually in exchange for viewing advertisements. Preferred
digital images are portrait photographs, particularly "head shots."
A portrait, as used herein, means a headshot photograph, digital
image, streaming video image, animation, avatar or artistic
rendering or other image of a person's face. The user then uses the
graphical user interface of the website to perform a "virtual
makeover"--editing the appearance of the image in terms of
hairstyle, hair color, makeup, and eye color by selecting generic
cosmetic colors or brand name cosmetics and applying them to the
image using the technology of the program. Users may then save,
print, email, post to a social networking website or otherwise
share the edited image with others. Some such websites may then
offer to sell the products used in the makeover to the consumer,
providing great convenience in allowing the user to obtain the
exact brands and colors desired without having to shop extensively
to find the precisely desired products. Numerous cosmetic
manufacturers operate virtual makeover websites in order to promote
their own products. For example, MaryKay.com is one such website.
Other virtual makeover websites may be operated by media companies
that provide site content in order to sell Internet advertising, as
well as companies that sell products from more than one personal
care product manufacturer.
[0039] Virtual makeover websites may provide free makeover editing,
image storage, and image sharing functions to create "cyber
stickiness." Cyber stickiness, the ability to hold the attention of
a website visitor and keep them returning to the site over and
over, is a trait greatly desired by advertisers. The method of the
program allows co-branding by cosmetic companies whose products are
offered for use in the makeover editor. Cosmetic manufacturers may
have their logos, color schemes and product names displayed to the
users for extensive time period, and the use of the products may be
recorded to effect the placement of banner advertising on the
editor page, home page, check out page, gallery and other pages of
the website using traditional cookie and other advertising
techniques well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The
combination of cyber stickiness and co-branding makes virtual
makeover websites desirable platforms for advertisement of
cosmetics and other personal care products and services.
[0040] Companies that may be interested in marketing to users of
virtual makeover websites are varied, including producers and
providers of goods and services as diverse as: lipstick, lip liner,
lip gloss, blush, foundation, skin care products such as anti-aging
creams and lotions, wrinkle removers, fade cream, acne products,
mascara, eye liner, eye shadow, makeup brushes, hair color, hair
styling products, shampoo, teeth whitening products, exercise
equipment, perfume, and hair dryers, as examples. Accessory
manufacturers may also be interested in marketing to users of
virtual makeover websites that may allow users to apply their
products to makeover images. Examples of accessories that may be
available in one or more embodiments of the program include, but
are not limited to: eyeglasses, sunglasses, jewelry, hats, scarves,
colored and regular contact lenses, tattoos, and piercings. In
addition, providers of services, by way of example but not
limitation such as: face lifts and implants, dental services, hair
styling, weight loss programs, liposuction, tanning services, and
portrait studios may be customers for well targeted Internet
advertising to particularly identified users. As used herein, the
term product class may include any of the products and services
listed in this paragraph, as well as similarly related products and
services of interest to users of virtual makeover websites.
[0041] The novel image processing technology aspect of the program,
as described in the Personalized Makeovers and GUI copending
applications referenced and incorporated above, makes it possible
to computationally analyze a portrait for facial features and
personal characteristics in order to categorize a user of a virtual
makeover editor for various marketing criteria. For the purposes of
this description, facial features encompass a broad range of
characteristics that can be identified by image processing
technology as applied to a portrait. By way of example, but not
limitation, facial features may include detailed physical
characteristics such as: face shape, eye shape, eye color, width
between eyes, lip thickness, hair type, hair line, hair color, gray
hair, droopy eyelids, brow width, nose shape, fat deposits,
wrinkles, blotches, freckles, acne, skin tone, skin type (oily,
dry, normal), teeth color, teeth alignment, and chin shape, among
others. Facial features, as used herein, may also include
individual characteristics and demographic classes that can be
discerned from image processing, alone or in combination with other
information entered into the virtual makeover system by the user
such as: gender, race, ethnicity, skin color, age and weight.
Color Palette Placement Bidding
[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates one or more embodiments of a method for
monetizing an online virtual makeover website utilizing a facial
similarities algorithm to analyze a user portrait and assign the
user to a personal color profile type from which recommended
products will be selected for presentation to the user as a
color/product palette for the virtual makeover. Other embodiments
may vary from this process and are still in keeping with the spirit
of the program, including other methods of determining and
presenting a recommendation to the user. Some alternative
algorithms for selecting and presenting recommended products may be
found in the co-pending Personalized Makeovers application. At step
110, the software may use its evaluation of the portrait to
identify facial similarities between the face in the portrait and
predetermined facial characteristics, and identify the face to a
personal color profile type.
[0043] For the purposes of this description a personal color
profile type may include any aspect of facial similarity to one of
any number of models, as supported in the copending Personalized
Makeovers patent application, as well as including but not limited
to characteristics related to: face shape, skin tone, skin color,
skin discolorations, eye placement, eye color, eye shape, nose size
and shape, lip placement, lip thickness, lip shape, indications of
ethnicity, indications of gender, indications of age, indications
of weight, hairline, hair color, and ambient lighting. The
algorithms and methods described in the Personalized Makeovers
co-pending patent application, incorporated above, support this
step in part. Briefly, factors considered by the algorithms include
evaluation of skin type, face shape and other similar facial
characteristics to determine a personal color profile type. Factors
such as hue and saturation, and/or other mathematical evaluations
may be used to determine the similarity of the portrait face's
personal color profile type to the closest predetermined profile
group in order to recommend a preferred color palette for that
portrait. For the purposes of the discussion herein, and not by way
of limitation, a profile group may include, for example: skin types
(oily, dry, normal); hair color (red head, brunette, blonde, dark
haired); various ethnic types such as Asian, African American,
Caucasian, Hispanic and others; face shape such as oval, heart
shaped, round, flat and others; and eye color such as blue eyed. A
profile group may be extended into other marketing categories such
as, for example: seniors; teens; men; children; overweight; gray
haired; wrinkled; and tanned. A preferred color palette for a
personal color profile group may be established either by a
professional cosmetician or by another expert, or may be
established by mathematical computations as described in the
previously referenced copending system and method application.
Additionally, selection of the elements of a preferred color
palette may be based on preferred selections of prior users
(popularity) using techniques such as regression, pattern
classification or machine learning.
[0044] At step 120, the software then may compute or otherwise
determine the closest profile group for the portrait in relation to
its personal color profile type. At step 125, the program may test
to see if the user has selected a preferred manufacturer. If so
then at step 140, a list of products for all product types for that
manufacturer, for the portrait's corresponding profile group, will
be retrieved from a products data store, to be used to constitute
the color palettes for the makeover editor. For the purposes of
this description, the term product type may include at least
makeover products such as: foundation, blush, concealer, lipstick,
lip liner, lip gloss, eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, colored
contact lenses, hair color, hairstyle, and facial accessories such
as sunglasses, hair clips, hats, henna images and other such
products. Processing may then proceed to step 180. If the user has
not selected a preferred manufacturer, a list of recommended
products for this profile group is retrieved at step 130 and
processing may proceed to step 150.
[0045] At step 150, the program may consider that certain
advertisers may have bid to have their products more highly placed
on the preferred product list for this profile group. Products
selected for placement in this way will be co-branded with logo,
color palette, color identifiers and other brand and product
specific information. The user may be able to apply the exact color
of the product to the portrait and see the effect under particular
lighting conditions. This offers the cosmetic manufacturer a
tremendous advantage in terms of advertising opportunity. The
system of the program may use bidding systems familiar to those of
ordinary skill in Internet advertising to create a bid list for
placement on the preferred products list for a given profile group.
This system may be as specific as to allow manufactures to bid for
some facial types, ethnicities, ages and other characteristics
described above using a particular palette, product line, or other
brand segment. This approach provides a highly tailored context for
advertisers and particularly advertisers of beauty products,
accessories and personal care services.
[0046] Where an advertiser has a bid for a particular profile
group, for example, at step 160, the software may determine the
highest bidder for each product type and re-rank the product list
so that the highest bidder for each product type for that profile
group has its product appear at the top of the recommended products
list for a given portrait's determined personal color profile type.
The program may select a second or lower ranking bidder's products
for presentation as an alternative product in one or more
embodiments of the intervention. The program may record the change
of ranking to bill the winning bidder at step 170. In some
embodiments, the program may select a group of high bidders instead
of a single winning bidder, where all bids exceed some
predetermined minimum or threshold. In that case, the winning
bidders may have their ads presented in an unordered series.
Alternative embodiments may use other forms of bid ranking
understood to those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0047] At step 180, the ranked recommended products list for each
product type is presented to the user when the appropriate tab for
that product type is selected on the graphical user interface, as
detailed in the co-pending GUI patent application referenced
above.
[0048] In one or more embodiments, auctioning co-branding
opportunities for cosmetic manufacturers and others based on
profile group, broken down by product type, is also in keeping with
the spirit of the program. Products recommended to the user may
change for a given product type, depending on the color of the
product selected from the presented palette, as further explained
in the GUI patent application referenced above.
Facial Feature Based Preferred Ad Placement
[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for monetizing an online virtual
makeover website by providing an advertising auction system related
to particular facial features of a portrait. Using this method, the
program provides a novel method of selecting preferred banner and
other types of on-page advertising placements for auction for
specialty targeted leaderboard, sky scraper and other on-page
advertisements to be selected by bidder rank depending in part on
various bid categories, such as for example the profile group
and/or personal color profile type of the portrait. One of ordinary
skill in the marketing arts will recognize that the program also
support any other advertisement type as well. Advertisements
targeted by the methods of the program may be sent to the user via
email in the form of text, images, videos, banners, promotions,
coupons, or other well-known marketing vehicles.
[0050] In a typical Internet auction-based advertising system,
advertisers do not pay for the display of their advertisement,
usually shown as a small "sponsored link" in a sidebar of the web
page. Other systems allow advertisers to bid to place in-page
advertisements on portal pages, home pages and other content rich
environments. Typically, in auction-based online advertising, if a
visitor clicks on an advertisement a browser redirects the user to
the associated website, and then the advertiser is billed its "bid
price" for the placement. Advertisements that appear without
receiving a click, with the exception of some prime placement ads,
are generally displayed without cost to the advertiser. Bidding for
various placements, typically on key words applied to a search
engine or portal, is a dynamic free market system. Some ad
placements have minimum bids while others do not. Bidders may
monitor, up and lower their bids at will. Sophisticated software is
also available to support advertisers in managing their bids and
bid prices. As ads may rotate in a given placement on the display
page, a bidder does not always have to be the highest bidder to
receive traffic from a pay-per-click (PPC) advertisement. Because
the ad sponsor also profits when a user clicks an ad, a high bid
price for a stagnant ad benefits no one. Alternatively, some
systems allow an advertiser to pay for ads based the number of
times the ad is shown, such as the common Cost per Thousand-type
(a.k.a. CPM) advertisement model. Under this model, a publisher's
advertisement inventory may also be sold by auction.
[0051] Such an auction-based advertising system is a traditional
advertising model for Internet websites. However, the method of the
program may provide a hybrid advertising model by using
sophisticated image analysis software to separate consumers into
more refined groups for advertisement placement bidding. Instead of
a traditional bidding system, the program provides a method to
allow advertisers to bid for users who have particular facial
features. For example, hair color manufacturers may wish to
advertise a particular hair coloring product only to users with
gray hair. A particular color of eye shadow may be perfect for
consumers with blue eyes. Alternatively, a dermatologist may wish
to advertise services to consumers with drooping eyelids, weak
chins or sagging jowls. Any facial feature that can be identified
by the software algorithms of the copending Personalized Makeovers
patent application, identified above, may be employed to provide a
sophisticated content-targeting basis for bidding for advertisement
placement.
[0052] In one or more embodiments of the program, the advertising
model may be an improvement over the prior art, because it both
allows a finer granularity to bidding based on facial features in a
portrait discerned from image interpretation instead of keyword
bidding, and also because it generates more revenue for the website
sponsor (in this case, the virtual makeover website provider) by
charging more for ad placement when the desired facial feature or
features are present in the current portrait, even if the user does
not click on the sponsored link. This method provides added value
to the advertiser who is being charged a premium even without PPC
traffic to its website, because an ad is being displayed to a key
demographic. One or more embodiments of the program may allow the
bidder to display a sponsored link, or alternatively to display a
full leaderboard or skyscraper ad, or similar in-page graphic
advertisement on a rotating basis.
[0053] FIG. 2 illustrates such a model in one or more embodiments
of the program. At step 210, a program in the spirit of the program
may determine the block of advertisements for display on a page of
a virtual makeover website using methods well known to those of
ordinary skill in the art. At step 220, the program may check to
see if any advertisers have bid for higher placement for any
particular facial features. Bids may take different forms. For
example, one or more embodiments may permit bids for the existence
of particular facial features, such as people with large eyes and
narrow heads. Other embodiments may include or provide bidding for
the existence of a particular facial feature, such as acne. If
there are no placement bids, control passes to step 270. If
placement bids are registered, at step 230 the program may use any
of a number of well-known means to determine the highest bidder,
and any of a number of well-known means to flag the feature or
features accordingly, as indicated at step 240. In some
embodiments, the program may select a group of high bidders and
present their advertisements in an unordered fashion. Next, the
program may check to see if the image analysis software has
identified any flagged features in the present portrait. If not,
control passes to step 270. If so, at step 250 the program may
re-organize or otherwise alter the list of advertisements to be
displayed in a given placement, including but not limited to
selecting particular blocks of advertisements, re-ordering the list
of advertisements, or altering the location of particular
advertisements to preferred locations on the page, depending on the
bidding system and granularity available through the program. At
step 260 any changes in the proscribed order of advertisements
based on bidding for facial features is noted for billing purposes,
and control passes to step 270. At step 270, the advertisements as
organized by previous steps are displayed on the website page in
their now proscribed order and placement.
Color Correcting Add-On Marketing
[0054] One attractive aspect of Internet marketing is the ease with
which shoppers may be enticed to purchase add-on products before
completing an online transaction, commonly referred to as
"up-selling." Once a "shopping cart" is reviewed and complete, the
shopper can easily be offered additional impulse-type products for
purchase, especially when enticed with bonus or bargain pricing or
shipping. In the program, up-selling options can be made especially
attractive by offering the shopper the option of increasing the
value of their time invested in creating the makeover and select
the products by offering to "retool" the makeover for additional
lighting conditions. Using methods of "color correcting" described
in the copending Personalized Makeovers patent application, the
program may offer the user the opportunity to translate the look
they have created in the makeover editor into different lighting
conditions, and automatically select alternative products that will
produce the same look for the new conditions.
[0055] The program may inform the shopper that certain looks may
not translate well into all lighting conditions where a user may
appear. For example, a look designed for bright daylight may look
washed out under the florescent lights of a business office. An
elegant look designed for a date at a dark nightclub or an evening
on the Vegas strip will look garish in bright daylight. If the
purchaser plans to be seen outdoors in bright sunlight or
moonlight, candlelight, or perhaps soft incandescent light of a
home, different variations of the makeover may be computed and
displayed. Each such display may instruct the user as to
alternative products to achieve the look in the altered lighting
condition. A single click may add all the products to the user's
checkout basket, increasing the total sale of products.
[0056] FIG. 3 illustrates a method for monetizing an online virtual
makeover website utilizing post-sale add-on opportunities related
to products selected for alternative lighting conditions computed
from the virtual makeover of the present sale. At step 310, a user
may choose to purchase the products selected during the current
makeover from the virtual online makeover website. In one or more
embodiments of the program such sales may be completed using a
fulfillment company, directly from the website operator, through
affiliate program referrals to appropriate vendors, or any other
method of sales transaction and fulfillment well known to those of
ordinary skill in the art of Internet sales. For example, at step
320, the program may offer the user the option of viewing the
makeover under different lighting conditions. If the user declines,
the sale completes at step 330. If the user accepts, the user is
asked to select a lighting condition. Lighting conditions offered
may include, but are not limited to: daylight, sunset, twilight,
photographic light, flash, stage light, florescent light,
incandescent light, candlelight, moonlight, and nightclub or dim
lighting. Other alternative images might include changes for
season, such as Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring variations of a
look, looks for holidays (for example, a Christmas version), look
variations for more formal or less formal occasions, or other
variations that may be understood by customers. At step 340, the
user may cycle through each choice offered, or all choices may all
be offered on a single webpage. The program may compute the altered
images at step 350 using techniques and a complementary palette of
products as described in the copending Personalized Makeovers
patent application to achieve the modified look or looks. At step
360, the program may offer the user a list of products used to
achieve the modified look for purchase. At step 370, the user may
select the additional products, which may then be added directly to
the user's shopping cart or other checkout mechanism.
Alternatively, a list of required products may be created for
printing. To further encourage the additional sale, standard
techniques such as add on offers of free shipping, coupons, and
free gifts may be used to entice the purchaser to increase the
sale, using techniques well known to those in the art of Internet
sales.
Gifting Makeovers to Create Viral Marketing
[0057] The methods of monetizing an online virtual makeover website
described herein may also be extended to encompass gift sales. Two
exemplary methods of "gifting" a virtual makeover will be described
in this section, though other methods including the monetizing
approaches described herein are also in keeping with the spirit of
this disclosure.
[0058] A makeover using the methods of the program may be performed
on any uploaded portrait and does not require that the user be the
subject of the portrait. In fact, many virtual makeover websites
allow users to makeover portraits of models and celebrities for fun
and practice with the tool. This flexibility allows a program in
the spirit of the program to permit users to upload portrait of a
friend or anyone else and perform a makeover on that portrait.
[0059] The program may embody a concept of a "look" as a collection
of makeup, hairstyle components, accessories and other makeover
items, selected for form a package referred to herein as a "look."
From a marketing perspective, a "look" is a product, sometimes
composed of multiple items, which may be thought of in abstract
terms. A "look" may be stored, sold, purchased, given away, shared,
transmitted, "thrown" (as on Facebook, for example,) applied to
other images, posted on a social network or website, sent by
instant message, or turned into a new digital image or
photograph.
[0060] In one or more embodiments of the program, a user may upload
a portrait of a friend, perform a makeover, and purchase the
products used to create the new image for shipping to the subject
as a gift. In one or more embodiments, the makeover image may be
packaged on or with the gifted cosmetics and/or accessories in a
gift box, and/or sent by electronic or other means to the recipient
of the gift. As a further embodiment, a celebrity look may be
applied to a portrait, and that look may be "gifted" to a
subject.
[0061] Other vehicles for gifting a makeover that are well known to
those of ordinary skill in the art of Internet marketing may be
used to provide this unique service. For example, a user may use
Instant Messaging (IM) to gift a makeover. Makeovers may be posted
via websites, chat rooms, bulletin boards or any other means of
electronic communications that supports communications that may
include images or image references or links. Where a gifted
makeover is applied to an image other than a person, for example an
avatar, or perhaps a cartoon, pet, or other image, the makeover may
be considered one or more embodiments of a "virtual makeover." A
virtual makeover may or may not be associated with the same of
products to create the makeover.
[0062] FIG. 4 illustrates a method for monetizing an online virtual
makeover website utilizing post-sale add-on opportunities related
to allowing a user to gift a makeover to a friend. Second chance or
post-sale opportunity marketing methods are discussed below;
however such opportunities are also ripe for generating additional
sales through gifting. Once a "look" is defined, it may be stored,
copied, translated, gifted or shared to produce additional sale
opportunities. At step 410, the program may display a completed
makeover image. At step 420, somewhere during the completion,
saving, or checkout process, the user will be asked if the purchase
is a gift. If not, the sale completes at step 430. If the purchase
is a gift, the program gathers shipping and other information at
step 440, using methods well known to those in the art. Next, the
program may inquire at step 450 if the free gifts, if any, that
accompany the cosmetic purchase are to be included in the gift, or
sent to the sender. At step 470, a gift announcement may be
offered. At step 485, the program may offer to display the makeover
image on the outside of the shipping package. All such information
is noted in the shipping instructions, as steps 460, 480 and 490.
Finally, control returns to step 430 to complete the sales
transaction.
[0063] In an additional or alternate embodiment, a user of a social
networking site may use the program to "gift" a makeover to another
such user. For the purposes of this description, the website
Facebook will be used as an example, but any other similarly
enabled social networking site may be used to perform a similar
monetization of a virtual makeover website. In the case of a social
network member, the member may use a program in the spirit of the
program to gift a makeover to a Facebook friend using the gifting
mechanism of the Facebook system, and send the actual gift of
products to subject of the makeover as described above. The social
networking embodiment has the added benefit of the viral marketing
of word-of-mouth excitement that can be generated on social
networking websites, allowing increased hits and sales on the
virtual makeover website.
Second Chance Sales
[0064] Users may approach a virtual makeover website as a low risk
way to experiment with a new image or look, but with no intention
of purchasing anything from the website. Other users may enjoy time
spent trying alternative images without the resources to purchase
their preferred high-end cosmetic products. When such a user has
completed a makeover session, the user may place the cosmetics used
in the makeover into a shopping cart just to find out what this
"dream makeover" would cost. These dabblers will use the resources
of the virtual makeover website, including storage and bandwidth,
with no hope for a return on investment.
[0065] A method to capture these consumers is needed to provide
manufacturers with new customers in the cutthroat cosmetics market.
More and more prestige (high-end) brand cosmetic manufacturers have
realized the need for diversified marketing channels as sales of
products at high-end retail outlets has stagnated in a competitive
market. Prestige products are moving to mass retail locations and
taking market share from mass brands. Prestige product
manufacturers are also repackaging and retooling products into
down-market alternative brands to attract the more conservative
shopper. Dabblers on a virtual makeover website are prime targets
for down-market alternative products. This consumer desires the
prestige brand, but will not or cannot pay the price point of the
premium brand products.
[0066] FIG. 5 illustrates a method for monetizing an online virtual
makeover website utilizing post-sale add on opportunities related
to capturing users who would cancel a sale with an offer of less
expensive comparable products. At step 510, the user may create a
"dream" look and add the required products to a virtual "shopping
cart" such as those well known in the art of Internet sales. When
asked to complete the sale, at step 520, the user may agree and the
method may proceed to step 530 to complete the sale, followed by a
return to the editor at step 580. If instead the user chooses to
cancel the sale, then at step 540 the program may offer to
re-compute the makeover image using alternative less expensive
products. If the user chooses to view the makeover using
alternative products selected by the program using methods
described in the copending Personalized Makeovers patent
application referenced above, the program may fetch information
from a data store regarding comparable but less expensive products
for this palette group at step 550. At step 560, the program may
re-compute and display the revised makeover image. The program may
then automatically, or on selection by the user, reconstitute the
user's shopping cart using the new, less expensive products at step
570, and again ask the user to complete the sale by returning to
step 520.
[0067] Other embodiments for post-sale add on opportunities include
allowing the user to select a color for a product and then offering
a set of choices of similar products that match a user's selected
preferences, such as, for example but not by way of limitation:
organic products, products developed without animal testing,
products for a particular skin type, products from a particular
manufacturer, or products in a particular price range. Alternative
product selections may also be offered for multiple products at a
time, for example in a matrix arranged on criteria and product type
and sorted by price.
Alternative Embodiments
[0068] The marketing method of the program may be used on the
Internet in real world websites, and may translate equally well
into virtual reality (VR). In VR programs and/or websites, such as
Second Life, users create avatars to represent their physical
presence as they explore, meet others, conduct commerce and play
online. Second Life provides a true international economy, where
"Linden Dollars" may be converted to actual legal tender at a
floating rate reported world wide in many currencies. A "virtual
makeover" terminal, store, kiosk, island or other "location" in
Second Life or other VR world may use all or any of the marketing
techniques disclosed herein to allow users to makeover an avatar.
Avatars may use the virtual makeover location embodiment to apply
one or more makeover options presented to the avatar by the virtual
makeover location embodiment, including recommended products and
gifting of makeovers as discussed elsewhere herein. Similarly, a
virtual makeover website in the real world Internet may also be
used to makeover the appearance of a portable avatar, artistic
rendering, or other image of a face that meets the spirit of a
portrait as described herein. Marketing the real world system "in
world" in a virtual world through virtual billboards, a virtual
salon, virtual department stores and through links to real world
information, can bring additional customers to the real world
virtual makeover website, further increasing monetization
thereof.
[0069] Additional embodiments of a program in the spirit of the
invention may provide other marketing vehicles for product
manufacturers, such as providing a makeover game, where the prize
may be sponsored by a particular product brand or advertiser and
customized to the winner's personal features. For example, a game
prize may include a custom formulated foundation product that a
given manufacturer will award to some number of contest winners,
where each shade is custom designed for the user. In this way, the
program may provide increased monetization by providing additional
marketing vehicles that are both a product and a promotional
advertisement.
[0070] One or more embodiments for monetizing online personalized
beauty product selections may include providing advertisers with a
customized venue for presenting a product to customer, such as a
particular palette of looks created just for a particular cosmetic
brand, or a shop-front of looks programmed for a particular
hairstylist, for example, which can be provided free of charge, or
for a fee, to vendors and service providers who may choose to
advertise through the program.
[0071] One or more embodiments of the program may evaluate and
categorize the looks or styles based on user-specific criteria as
described elsewhere herein, and recommend to the user those that
are appropriate and preferable based on criteria such as brand or
look. The program may then further monetize the makeover
opportunity by charging such advertisers for providing this
customized additional venue for their advertisements and/or
products.
[0072] Other embodiments of the program may provide a bidding or
recommendation system based on user's color selection independent
of correlation to a user's personal features or profile. In one or
more embodiments, a user may select a product color and that alone
may trigger a product recommendations and/or placement advertising
of a winner of an auction for the color alone. For example, a user
selecting "Berry Red" lipstick may receive an ad placed by the
winner of an auction for "Berry Red." Thus, the recommendation
engine may key off the user's choice of color alone. This
embodiment may be implemented irrespective of product line. In one
or more embodiments, a matrix or table may be used to where the
columns correspond to a product category, such as lipstick,
foundation, mascara, and others. The rows of the matrix may be
product choices sorted in any user-preferred order, such as
decreasing price. In the first column, lipsticks whose colors are
close to the selected color are presented in price sorted order.
Each cell of such a matrix may have a radio button for the user to
select that cell, and only one cell may be selected in each column.
In this example, a user may select a cell in each column and the
entire makeover may be transformed to utilize the selected
products. The user may then choose the most expensive options for
similar colors, or the least expensive options or some combination
thereof, for example. This and related embodiments may be used to
recommend products, as well as to provide opportunities for second
chance sales. Those in the art will recognize that these
embodiments may provide other options for recommendations or second
chance sales where the user may restrict choices, select
alternative products, or express product preferences other than
color such as, for example, a preferred brand, organic products,
products not tested on animals, products for sensitive skin or
other criteria known by those in the art.
Computer System Architecture
[0073] One or more embodiments of the invention may be implemented
in the form of one or more computer programs that when executed in
computer memory may cause one or more computer processors to
initiate the methods and processes described herein. The files
assembled to makeup the software program may be stored on one or
more computer-readable medium and retrieved when needed to carry
out the programmed methods and processes described herein. Within
the scope of a computer-implemented embodiment of the invention,
readers should note that one or more embodiments of the invention
may comprise computer programs, data and other information further
comprising but not limited to: sets of computer instructions, code
sequences, configuration information, data and other information in
any form, format or language usable by a general purpose computer
or other data processing device, such that when such a computer or
device contains, is programmed with, or has access to said computer
programs, the data and other information transforms said general
purpose computer into a machine capable of performing the methods
and processes described herein, and specifically such as those
described above.
[0074] Various embodiments of the invention may be implemented as a
method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard
programming and/or engineering techniques to produce software,
firmware, hardware, computer-readable media or any combination
thereof. The term "article of manufacture" (or alternatively,
"computer program product,") as used herein is intended to
encompass a computer program of any form accessible from any
computer-readable device, carrier or media. In addition, the
software in which various embodiments are implemented may be
accessible through a transmission medium, such as for example, from
a server over the network. The article of manufacture in which the
program is implemented may also employ transmission media, such as
a network transmission line and/or a wireless transmission media.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications may
be made to this configuration without departing from the scope of
the invention.
[0075] A computer-readable medium suitable to provide computer
readable instructions and/or computer readable data for the methods
and processes described herein may be any type of magnetic,
optical, electrical or other storage medium including disk, tape,
CD, DVD, flash drive, thumb drive, storage card, distributed
storage or any other memory device, location, approach or other
storage medium or technique known to those of skill in the art.
[0076] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the methods
described here may not be limited as to the type of computer it may
run upon and may for instance operate on any generalized computer
system that has the computational ability to execute the methods
described herein and can display the results of the user's choices
on one or more display devices. Display devices appropriate for
providing interaction with the invention described herein includes,
but is not limited to, computer monitors, cell phones, PDAs,
televisions, or any other form of computer controllable output
display. As used herein, a computer system refers to but is not
limited to any type of computing device, including its associated
computer software, data, peripheral devices, communications
equipment and any required or desired computers that may achieve
direct or indirect communication with a primary computing
device.
[0077] In one or more embodiments of the invention, a
general-purpose computer may be utilized to implement one or more
aspects of the invention. In one or more embodiments of the
invention, the computer may include various input and output means,
including but not limited to a keyboard or other textual input
devices, a display device such as a monitor or other display
screen, and a pointing device and/or user selection indicator such
as a mouse, keypad, touch screen, pointing device, or other known
input/output devices known to those of skill in the art. The
general purpose computer described herein may include one or more
banks of random access memory, read only memory, and one or more
central processing unit(s). The general purpose computer described
herein may also include one or more data storage device(s) such as
a hard disk drive, or other computer readable medium discussed
above. An operating system that executes within the computer memory
may provide an interface between the hardware and software. The
operating system may be responsible for managing, coordinating and
sharing of the limited resources within the computer. Software
programs that run on the computer may be performed by an operating
system to provide the program of the invention with access to the
resources needed to execute. In other embodiments the program may
run stand-alone on the processor to perform the methods described
herein.
[0078] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the method(s)
described herein, when loaded on or executing through or by one or
more general purpose computer(s) described above, may transform the
general purpose computer(s) into a specially programmed computer
able to perform the method or methods described herein. In one or
more embodiments of the invention, the computer-readable storage
medium(s) encoded with computer program instructions that, when
accessed by a computer, may cause the computer to load the program
instructions to a memory there accessible, thereby creates a
specially programmed computer able to perform the methods described
herein as a specially programmed computer.
[0079] The specially programmed computer of the invention may also
comprise a connection that allows the computer to send and/or
receive data through a computer network such as the Internet or
other communication network. Mobile computer platforms such as
cellular telephones, Personal Desktop Assistants (PDAs), other
hand-held computing devices, digital recorders, wearable computing
devices, kiosks, set top boxes, games boxes or any other
computational device, portable, personal, real or virtual or
otherwise, may also qualify as a computer system or part of a
computer system capable of executing the methods described herein
as a specially programmed computer.
[0080] FIG. 6 depicts a general-purpose computer and peripherals,
when programmed as described herein, may operate as a specially
programmed computer capable of implementing one or more methods,
apparatus and/or systems of the invention. Processor 607 may be
coupled to bi-directional communication infrastructure 602 such as
Communication Infrastructure System Bus 602. Communication
Infrastructure 602 may generally be a system bus that provides an
interface to the other components in the general-purpose computer
system such as Processor 607, Main Memory 606, Display Interface
608, Secondary Memory 612 and/or Communication Interface 624.
[0081] Main memory 606 may provide a computer readable medium for
accessing and executed stored data and applications. Display
Interface 608 may communicate with Display Unit 610 which may be
utilized to display outputs to the user of the specially-programmed
computer system. Display Unit 610 may comprise one or more monitors
that may visually depict aspects of the computer program to the
user. Main Memory 606 and Display Interface 608 may be coupled to
Communication Infrastructure 602, which may serve as the interface
point to Secondary Memory 612 and Communication Interface 624.
Secondary Memory 612 may provide additional memory resources beyond
main Memory 606, and may generally function as a storage location
for computer programs to be executed by Processor 607. Either fixed
or removable computer-readable media may serve as Secondary Memory
612. Secondary Memory 612 may comprise, for example, Hard Disk 614
and Removable Storage Drive 616 that may have an associated
Removable Storage Unit 618. There may be multiple sources of
Secondary Memory 612 and systems of the invention may be configured
as needed to support the data storage requirements of the user and
the methods described herein. Secondary Memory 612 may also
comprise Interface 620 that serves as an interface point to
additional storage such as Removable Storage Unit 622. Numerous
types of data storage devices may serve as repositories for data
utilized by the specially programmed computer system of the
invention. For example, magnetic, optical or magnetic-optical
storage systems, or any other available mass storage technology
that provides a repository for digital information may be used.
[0082] Communication Interface 624 may be coupled to Communication
Infrastructure 602 and may serve as a conduit for data destined for
or received from Communication Path 626. A Network Interface Card
(NIC) is an example of the type of device that once coupled to
Communication Infrastructure 602 may provide a mechanism for
transporting data to Communication Path 626. Computer networks such
Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN), Wireless
networks, optical networks, distributed networks, the Internet or
any combination thereof are some examples of the type of
communication paths that may be utilized by the specially program
computer system of the invention. Communication Path 626 may
comprise any type of telecommunication network or interconnection
fabric that can transport data to and from Communication Interface
624.
[0083] To facilitate user interaction with the specially programmed
computer system of the invention, one or more Human Interface
Devices (HID) 630 may be provided. Some examples of HIDs that
enable users to input commands or data to the specially programmed
computer of the invention may comprise a keyboard, mouse, touch
screen devices, microphones or other audio interface devices,
motion sensors or the like, as well as any other device able to
accept any kind of human input and in turn communicate that input
to Processor 607 to trigger one or more responses from the
specially programmed computer of the invention are within the scope
of the system of the invention.
[0084] While FIG. 6 depicts a physical device, the scope of the
system of the invention may also encompass a virtual device,
virtual machine or simulator embodied in one or more computer
programs executing on a computer or computer system and acting or
providing a computer system environment compatible with the methods
and processes of the invention. Where a virtual machine, process,
device or otherwise performs substantially similarly to that of a
physical computer system of the invention, such a virtual platform
will also fall within the scope of a system of the invention,
notwithstanding the description herein of a physical system such as
that in FIG. 6.
[0085] One or more embodiments of the invention are configured to
enable the specially programmed computer of the invention to take
the input data given and transform it into a computer system that
monetizes online personalized beauty product selections by applying
one or more of the methods and/or processes of the invention as
described herein. Thus the methods described herein are able to
transform the raw input data provided to the system of the
invention into a resulting output of the system using the specially
programmed computer as described. Particularly, the systems and
methods described herein transform an image or digital portrait and
user selections into sales of personalized beauty products, gifted
"looks," advertising revenue and revised digital images.
[0086] It is believed that a method of monetizing online
personalized beauty product selections will be understood from the
foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes
may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts
without departing from the spirit or scope of the program or
sacrificing all of the material advantages, the forms herein above
described being merely preferred or exemplary embodiments
thereof.
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