U.S. patent application number 13/330437 was filed with the patent office on 2012-07-26 for integration of multiple consumer communications.
This patent application is currently assigned to Catalina Marketing Corporation. Invention is credited to Kellie Katherine Dolan, J. Michael Erickson, Eric N. Williams.
Application Number | 20120191530 13/330437 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25247606 |
Filed Date | 2012-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120191530 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Williams; Eric N. ; et
al. |
July 26, 2012 |
INTEGRATION OF MULTIPLE CONSUMER COMMUNICATIONS
Abstract
A system, computer program product and method described herein
may be used to determine an effective medium by which to deliver
promotions. For example, the method may include delivering a
promotion to a customer, and determining a status of the delivered
promotion. The promotion may be delivered through an electronic or
hard delivery medium, and the status of the delivered promotion may
be determined based on electronic feedback from the customer or
based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the promotion.
An effective medium by which to deliver subsequent promotions may
be determined based on the status of the delivered promotion.
Subsequent promotions may be delivered using the determined
effective delivery medium.
Inventors: |
Williams; Eric N.; (Tampa,
FL) ; Erickson; J. Michael; (Cincinnati, OH) ;
Dolan; Kellie Katherine; (Tampa, FL) |
Assignee: |
Catalina Marketing
Corporation
St. Petersburg
FL
|
Family ID: |
25247606 |
Appl. No.: |
13/330437 |
Filed: |
December 19, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12105111 |
Apr 17, 2008 |
8082177 |
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13330437 |
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09826814 |
Apr 6, 2001 |
7415426 |
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12105111 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.42 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0277 20130101;
G06Q 30/0207 20130101; G06Q 30/0224 20130101; G06Q 30/0242
20130101; G06Q 30/0253 20130101; G06Q 30/0211 20130101; G06Q
30/0641 20130101; G06Q 30/0243 20130101; G06Q 30/0237 20130101;
G06Q 30/0212 20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101; G06Q 30/0272 20130101;
G06Q 30/0255 20130101; G06Q 30/0601 20130101; G06Q 30/0268
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14.42 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20120101
G06Q030/02 |
Claims
1-25. (canceled)
26. A method comprising: delivering a plurality of promotions to a
customer through a plurality of delivery mediums; determining a
status of each promotion delivered; determining an effective medium
for the customer based on the status of each promotion delivered;
and delivering promotions to said customer primarily through the
effective medium determined.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein delivering a plurality of
promotions to a customer through a plurality of delivery mediums
comprises delivering said plurality of promotions through an
electronic medium.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein delivering said plurality of
promotions through an electronic medium comprises delivering said
promotions to the customer through a kiosk, a point of sale (POS),
an electronic transaction device, or a customer computer.
29. The method of claim 27, wherein delivering said plurality of
promotions through an electronic medium further comprises
delivering said initial promotion via the Internet.
30. The method of claim 26, wherein delivering a plurality of
promotions to a customer through a plurality of delivery mediums
comprises delivering said plurality of promotions through a hard
copy medium.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein delivering said plurality of
promotions through a hard copy medium comprises delivering said
plurality of promotions to the customer through a direct mailing or
a hand delivery process.
32. The method of claim 26, wherein determining a status of each
promotion delivered comprises determining a status of a promotion
based on electronic feedback from the customer.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein determining a status of a
promotion based on electronic feedback from the customer comprises
receiving an explicit accept or reject indication from said
customer.
34. The method of claim 32, wherein determining a status of a
promotion based on electronic feedback from the customer comprises
receiving an implicit accept or reject indication from said
customer based on the customer printing or downloading, or
declining to print or download the initial promotion.
35. The method of claim 26, wherein determining a status of each
promotion delivered comprises determining a status of a promotion
based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the
promotion.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein determining a status of the
promotion based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the
promotion comprises determining a status of the promotion based on
purchase information of the product promoted by the promotion.
37. The method of claim 35, wherein determining a status of the
promotion based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the
promotion comprises determining a status of the promotion based on
redeeming information of the promotion.
38. The method of claim 35, wherein determining a status of the
promotion based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the
promotion comprises determining a status of the promotion based on
a delivery date of the promotion.
39. The method of claim 35, wherein determining a status of the
promotion based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the
promotion comprises determining a status of the promotion based on
an expiration date of said promotion.
40. The method of claim 26, wherein determining an effective medium
for the customer based on the status of each promotion delivered
comprises determining whether a delivery medium meets a
predetermined effectiveness criteria.
41. The method of claim 40, wherein determining whether a delivery
medium meets a predetermined effectiveness criteria comprises
determining the number of occurrences of a predetermined status
within a delivery medium.
42. The method of claim 40, wherein determining whether a delivery
medium meets a predetermined effectiveness criteria comprises
determining the frequency of the customer's use of the delivery
medium.
43-68. (canceled)
69. A system, comprising: a memory device having embodied therein,
data related to promotions; and a processor in communication with
said memory device, said processor configured to: deliver a
plurality of promotions to a customer through a plurality of
delivery mediums; determine a status of each promotion delivered;
determine an effective medium for the customer based on the status
of each promotion delivered; and deliver promotions to said
customer primarily through the effective medium determined.
70. The system of claim 69, wherein said processor is configured to
deliver said plurality of promotions through an electronic
medium.
71. The system of claim 70, wherein said processor is configured to
deliver said promotions to the customer through a kiosk, a point of
sale (POS), an electronic transaction device, or a customer
computer.
72. The system of claim 70, wherein said processor is configured to
deliver said initial promotion via the Internet.
73. The system of claim 69, wherein said processor is configured to
deliver said plurality of promotions through a hard copy
medium.
74. The system of claim 73, wherein said processor is configured to
deliver said plurality of promotions to the customer through a
direct mailing or a hand delivery process.
75. The system of claim 69, wherein said processor is configured to
determine a status of a promotion based on electronic feedback from
the customer.
76. The system of claim 75, wherein said processor is configured to
receive an explicit accept or reject indication from said
customer.
77. The system of claim 75, wherein said processor is configured to
receive an implicit accept or reject indication from said customer
based on the customer printing or downloading, or declining to
print or download the initial promotion.
78. The system of claim 69, wherein said processor is configured to
determine a status of a promotion based on predetermined status
criteria assigned to the promotion.
79. The system of claim 78, wherein said processor is configured to
determine a status of the promotion based on purchase information
of the product promoted by the promotion.
80. The system of claim 78, wherein said processor is configured to
determine a status of the promotion based on redeeming information
of the promotion.
81. The system of claim 78, wherein said processor is configured to
determine a status of the promotion based on a delivery date of the
promotion.
82. The system of claim 78, wherein said processor is configured to
determine a status of the promotion based on an expiration date of
said promotion.
83. The system of claim 69, wherein said processor is configured to
determine whether a delivery medium meets a predetermined
effectiveness criteria.
84. The system of claim 83, wherein said processor is configured to
determine the number of occurrences of a predetermined status
within a delivery medium.
85. The system of claim 83, wherein said processor is configured to
determine the frequency of the customer's use of the delivery
medium.
86-118. (canceled)
119. A computer readable medium storing instructions that when
executed by a processor configure the processor to: deliver a
plurality of promotions to a customer through a plurality of
delivery mediums; determine a status of each promotion delivered;
determine an effective medium for the customer based on the status
of each promotion delivered; and deliver promotions to said
customer primarily through the effective medium determined.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a method and
system for providing promotions to customers, and more specifically
to a method and system for providing a promotion to a customer
based on the status of a promotion previously delivered to the
customer. As used herein, the term "promotion" refers to any
promotion, advertisement, incentive, coupon, commercial, or
communication for promoting one or more goods and/or services.
[0003] 2. Discussion of the Background
[0004] It is well blown that manufacturers and retailers expend a
significant amount of resources distributing promotions in an
attempt to entice consumers to purchase a particular product. Due
to the variety of consumers in the marketplace today, it is
inevitable that different consumers will be enticed in different
ways by a promotion. For example, some consumers may be persuaded
to purchase a product based on creative advertising for the
product, while others are enticed solely by the dollar amount of a
purchase incentive for the product. While currently known
promotional strategies distribute targeted promotions to customers
based on the product purchase history of the customer, the present
inventors have recognized that the effectiveness of such
promotional programs is determined collectively based on the
overall sales for a particular product or retail store without
regard to the effectiveness of a particular promotion delivered to
a particular customer. The present inventors have also determined
that promotional programs of this type lead to distribution of
promotions to customers who are not likely to be enticed by the
promotion resulting in ineffective and wasted promotional
efforts.
[0005] In addition, it is known that manufacturers and retailers
distribute promotions for their products through a variety of
distribution mediums such as the postal service, newspapers or
magazines, printing from a point of sale terminal at a checkout
counter in a grocery store, and, most recently, the Internet. The
present inventors have recognized, however, that customers are
primarily exposed to promotional efforts through a small number of
mediums accessible and/or preferable to the individual customer,
and that current promotional programs attempt to deliver promotions
to individual customers without regard to the medium preferable to
the customer. These promotional programs also lead to ineffective
and wasted promotional efforts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to
provide a method, system and computer program product for solving
the above-noted problems.
[0007] This and other objects are achieved by providing a novel
method, system, and computer program product providing promotions
to a customer based on the status of promotions previously
delivered to the customer.
[0008] In a first embodiment of the present invention, the method
on which the system and computer program product are based includes
delivering an initial promotion to a customer, determining a status
of the initial promotion delivered, selecting a related promotion
based on the status of the initial promotion determined, and
delivering the related promotion to the customer. According to one
aspect of this embodiment, the initial and related promotions may
be delivered through an electronic or hard delivery medium.
According to another aspect of this embodiment, the status of the
initial promotion delivered may be determined by determining a
status of the initial promotion based on electronic feedback from
the customer or based on predetermined status criteria assigned to
the initial promotion. Where status criteria is used, the status is
determined based on purchase information of the product promoted by
the initial promotion or redeeming information, delivery date
information, or an expiration date of the initial promotion.
[0009] In another aspect of the first embodiment of the present
invention, the related promotion is selected based on the status of
the initial promotion determined by selecting a predetermined
related promotion associated with the status of the initial
promotion determined. Moreover, the delivering of an initial
promotion, determining a status of the initial promotion, selecting
a related promotion and delivering the related promotion may be
performed through a single medium in a single transaction with the
customer, or alternatively through at least two transactions with
the customer. Where at least two transactions are used, a single
delivery medium or at least two delivery mediums may be used to
perform the at least two transactions.
[0010] In a second embodiment of the present invention, the method
on which the system and computer program product are based includes
delivering a plurality of promotions to a customer through a
plurality of delivery mediums, determining a status of each
promotion delivered, determining an effective medium for the
customer based on the status of each promotion delivered, and
delivering promotions to the customer primarily through the
effective medium determined. According to one aspect of the second
embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of promotions
may be delivered through an electronic or hard delivery medium.
According to another aspect of this embodiment, the status of the
plurality of promotions delivered may be determined based on
electronic feedback from the customer or based on predetermined
status criteria assigned to each promotion. Where status criteria
is used, the status is determined based on purchase information of
the product promoted by the initial promotion or redeeming
information, delivery date information, or an expiration date of
the promotion.
[0011] In another aspect of the second embodiment, an effective
medium is determined for the customer based on the status of each
promotion delivered by determining whether a delivery medium meets
a predetermined effectiveness criteria. The predetermined
effectiveness criteria may be based on the number of occurrences of
a predetermined status within a delivery medium or the frequency of
the customer's use of the delivery medium.
[0012] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the
method on which the system and computer program product are based
includes delivering an initial promotion to a customer, determining
a status of the initial promotion delivered by monitoring customer
transactions at a point of sale (POS), selecting a related
promotion based on the status of the initial promotion determined,
and delivering the related promotion to the customer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of
the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the
same becomes better understood by reference to the following
detailed description when considered in connection with the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a system for providing promotions to a customer
based on the status of promotions previously delivered to the
customer in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 2A is a promotions tracking table for associating a
customer identifier (CD) with the promotion identifier, delivery
date, delivery medium, and status of each promotion delivered to
the customer associated with the CID in accordance with the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 2B is a related promotions table for associating a
promotion identifier with the possible statuses of the promotion as
well as related promotions corresponding to each status in
accordance with the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2C is a promotions table for associating a promotion
identifier with promotional information and status criteria for the
promotion relating to promotion identifier in accordance with the
present invention;
[0018] FIGS. 3A through 3C are exemplary promotions that may be
delivered as initial or related promotions according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a flow chart explaining the general process for
delivering related promotions to a customer based on the status of
a previously delivered promotion in accordance with the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a flow chart describing a process for determining
the status of a promotion according to status criteria and purchase
information of the product promoted according to an embodiment of
the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 6 is a flow chart describing a process for providing an
electronic promotion to an online customer based on the status of
an initial promotion delivered to the customer at the outset of the
online shopping event according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0022] FIG. 7 is a flow chart explaining a process of integrating
different delivery mediums to provide a promotion to a customer
based on the status of a previously delivered promotion according
to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 8 is a flow chart describing the process for
determining an effective delivery medium for a customer and
providing promotions to the customer through the effective delivery
medium according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 9 is a flow chart describing the process for
determining the effectiveness of a delivery medium according to an
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0025] FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of a computer system
programmed to perform one or more of the special purpose functions
of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG.
1 thereof, there is shown a system for providing promotions to a
customer based on the status of promotions previously delivered to
the customer in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention. The system of FIG. 1 includes a host computer 101, a
global database 103, a customer computer 105, a hard copy delivery
server 107, an electronic transaction device 109, and a wide area
network (WAN) such as the Internet 111. Associated with the host
computer is at least one retail store 113 which includes a retail
store computer 115, a store database 117, a store controller 119,
one or more points of sale (POS) 123, and one or more kiosks 125.
Each POS 123 includes a POS printer 127, a terminal 129, and a
scanner 131, while each kiosk 125 includes a kiosk printer 133, and
a customer interface 137.
[0027] The host computer 101 is any suitable workstation, server,
or other device, such as the computer system 1001 of FIG. 10, for
communicating with the customer computer 105, the hard copy
delivery server 107, the electronic transaction device 109 and the
retail store computer 115, and for storing information in and
retrieving information from the global database 103. The host
computer 101 delivers initial promotions to customers, determines
the status of the initial promotions delivered, and provides
related promotions to a customer based on the determined status of
the initial promotions according to one embodiment of the present
invention. Preferably, the host computer 101 is appropriately
programmed with server software for delivering Web pages to remote
clients or computers such as the customer computer 103 to provide
online shopping services for retail store 113. The host computer
101 communicates with the customer computer 105, the hard copy
delivery server 107, the electronic transaction device 109, and the
retail store computer 115 using any suitable protocol for
communicating directly or via the Internet 111.
[0028] The global database 103 is a file that includes records
containing information for providing promotions to a customer based
on the status of promotions previously delivered to the customer,
in accordance with the present invention. This information includes
promotion identifiers of promotions delivered to a customer, the
delivery date of the promotion, the medium through which the
promotion was delivered, and the status of the promotion as well as
status criteria for determining the status of a promotion, and
related promotions delivered based on the status of a previous
promotion. Records in the global database 103 contain fields
together with a set of operations for searching, sorting,
recombining, and other database functions as will become further
apparent below. While the global database 103 is shown as a single
database in FIG. 1, the global database 103 may be implemented as
two or more databases, if desired.
[0029] The global database 103 also includes information of each
purchase made by the customer in retail store 113. This information
is used for providing initial promotions based on customer purchase
history and determining the status of promotions in accordance with
the present invention, and may include, but is not limited to the
shelf keeping unit (SKU), brand, size, weight, price, date and time
of purchase, and customer identifier (CID) of the customer making
the purchase, for example. Portions of this information are
obtained from bar codes on purchase items, which are scanned by the
scanner 131 during a customer transaction at the POS 123 of the
retail store 113. These bar codes may contain UPC, JAN, and BAN
information. One or more of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,832,457; 5,649,114;
5,430,644; and 5,592,560 describe techniques for collecting
consumer purchase history information and for storing such
information in databases such as the global database 103 and the
store database 117, for example. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,832,457;
5,649,144; 5,430,644, and 5,592,560 are incorporated herein by
reference. Additionally, techniques for collecting consumer
purchase information and for storing such information in databases,
such as the global database 103 and the store database 117, are
described in other patents owned by Catalina Marketing and/or
Catalina Marketing International. Each patent owned by Catalina
Marketing and/or Catalina Marketing International is incorporated
herein by reference.
[0030] The customer computer 105 is any computer, that one or more
consumers can access, such as a home or office computer and may be
implemented as the computer 1001 of FIG. 10 for example. The
customer computer 105 may also be implemented as an interactive
television set, wireless hand held device or other hardwired or
wireless structure suitable for accessing remote computers via the
Internet 111. Interactive television systems are described in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,847,700, 5,721,583, and 5,552,735, and wireless
handheld devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,545,023,
5,133,076, and 5,900,875; for example. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,847,700,
5,721,583, and 5,552,735, 4,545,023, 5,133,076, and 5,900,875 are
incorporated herein by reference. The customer computer 105 is
preferably programmed with any suitable Web browser software that
permits the customer computer 105 to retrieve Web pages via the
Internet 111 from remote computers or servers such as the host
computer 101 in order to provide online shopping to the user of the
customer computer 105: The Web browser software may also be used to
transmit information provided by a consumer to remote computers
such as the host computer 101. According one embodiment of the
present invention, the customer computer 103 uses Internet 111
transmit customer identifier and status information to the host
computer 101, and to receive initial and related promotions from
the host computer 101.
[0031] The hard copy delivery server 107 is a Web server programmed
to receive, store, and/or transmit information relating to hard
copy promotion delivery activities and may be implemented as a
general purpose computer such as the computer shown in FIG. 10. The
hard copy delivery server 107 may be associated with a postal
advertising center, door to door promotional flyer distribution
center, or other establishment for delivering hard copies of
promotions to customers. According to one embodiment, information
including information for identifying consumers, promotion
identifiers of hard copy promotions delivered to customers, and
delivery dates and mediums of hard copy promotions are
automatically or manually input into the hard copy delivery server
107 and transmitted via Internet 111 to the host computer 101 to be
used in accordance with the present invention. The hard copy
delivery server 107 may also receive requests or instructions
relating to hard copy promotions from the host computer 101.
[0032] The electronic transaction device 109 is similarly
configured as a Web server programmed to receive, store, and/or
transmit various types of information, including, information for
identifying consumers and status information for promotions
delivered to the electronic transaction device 109 by the host
computer 101. The electronic transaction device may be an automated
teller machine (ATM), a pay at the pump gasoline pump, a digital
photo center, or any other stand alone electronic device for
transacting business with a customer. According to one embodiment,
promotions are preferably transmitted from the host computer 101 to
the electronic transaction device 109 during the customer's
transaction at the device. The delivered promotions may be the
result of or serve as the basis for providing promotions to
customers based on the status of previous promotions as will be
further discussed below. Moreover, the status information may be
provided by the electronic transaction device 109 based on the
customer printing/downloading or declining to print/download the
promotion during the electronic transaction. The electronic
transaction device 109 may be implemented as a general purpose
computer such as the computer shown in FIG. 10.
[0033] The Internet 111 includes various networks and gateways for
linking together various computer networks and computers such as
host computer 101, customer computer 105, hard copy delivery server
107, and electronic transaction device 109.
[0034] The retail store 113 is generically referred to as a retail
location and is a place where goods are kept for retail sale to
customers. As noted above, many retail stores 113 may be connected
to the host computer 101.
[0035] The retail store computer 115 may be implemented using the
computer system 1001 of FIG. 10, for example, or any other suitable
PC, work station, server, or device for communicating with the host
computer 101, for storing and retrieving information in the store
database 117, for monitoring data transmitted between the terminal
129 and the store controller 119 (i.e., transaction data), and for
controlling the printers 127 and 133. According to one embodiment,
information including information for identifying consumers,
promotion identifiers of promotions delivered to customers through
POS 123 and kiosk 125, and delivery dates and mediums of the
promotions are transmitted to the host computer 101 to be used in
accordance with the present invention. Moreover, the transaction
data monitored by the retail store computer 115 is provided to the
host computer 101 for determining the status of a promotion. The
retail store computer may also deliver status information for
promotions delivered to the customer at the POS 123 and kiosk 125.
According to one embodiment, the status information is provided
based on the customer printing/downloading or declining to
print/download a promotion at the POS 123 or kiosk 125. The retail
store computer 115 communicates with the host computer 101 using
any suitable protocol for communicating with remote computers.
[0036] The store database 117 is a file that includes records
containing information for carrying out transactions at the point
of sale 123 by scanning bar codes printed on purchased items, and
for providing promotions to a customer based on the status of
promotions previously delivered to the customer, in accordance with
the present invention. The store database 117 includes information
for identifying customers as well as promotions and delivery dates
and mediums of the promotions delivered to customers by way of the
PUS 123 and kiosk 125. The store database 117 also includes
information of each purchase made by the customer in retail store
113. This information is used for providing initial promotions
based on customer purchase history and for determining the status
of promotions delivered to the customer. Records in the store
database 117 contain fields together with a set of operations for
searching, sorting, recombining, and other database functions for
associating bar codes with products and their corresponding prices.
Periodically (e.g., daily), sales transaction information stored in
the store database 117 is retrieved by the retail store computer
115 and sent to the host computer 101, which uses the information
to update the purchase history information stored in the global
purchase database 103.
[0037] The store controller 119 is any computer or device for
communicating with the terminal 129 and for using information
stored in the store database 117 to carry out transactions at the
POS 123. A description of a store controller 119 is found in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,173,851, for example.
[0038] The retail store 113 includes one or more points of sale
123. Each point of sale 123 preferably includes a corresponding
printer 127, a terminal 129, and a scanner 131. The printer 127
prints, for example, promotions in response to receiving commands
from the retail store computer 115 and/or host computer 101. The
terminal 129 may be implemented as a standard cash register and may
include a screen, credit card reader, and numeric key pad, for
example. The terminal 129 communicates with the store controller
119 and the scanner 131. The scanner 131 may be implemented as any
conventional scanning device for reading product information such
as an item code (e.g., UDC, EAN, or IAN) from bar codes or other
indicia on the product. Information read by the scanner 131 is
transmitted to the store controller 119 via the terminal 129. The
store controller 119, uses the scanned information and the
information stored in the store database 121 to determine
information of the transaction including SKU, product price,
quantity, and product description, for example.
[0039] If there are multiple points of sale 123 within the retail
store 113, then each terminal 129 is preferably arranged on a loop
with the store controller 123. The retail store computer 115 is
located in front of the store controller 119 on the loop so that
information transmitted from the terminal to the store controller
is monitored by the retail store computer 115.
[0040] The retail store 113 also includes one or more kiosks 125.
Kiosk 125 is any small structure and/or electronic unit for
transacting with a customer. Each kiosk 125 includes a customer
interface 137 and a printer 133. The kiosk 125 is coupled to the
store database 117 via the retail store computer 115. It is to be
understood that the retail store 113 is a retail store location
including, for example a building or similar area for making
purchase transactions as well as any parking area, walking area,
resting area, or any other area associated with the area for making
purchase transactions. Moreover, kiosk 125 may be located anywhere
in this broad area for making purchases of retail items. According
to an embodiment of the present invention, a customer inputs a CM
through the customer interface 137 and receives promotions that may
be printed from printer 133.
[0041] The customer interface 137 of kiosk 125 provides customer
with a means for manually inputting information into kiosk 125 and
may include a display for prompting the user to input information
or select an option. For example, the customer interface 137 may
include a keypad that allows a customer to input his or her CID and
to select options from a menu displayed on a screen. Printer 133 is
any one of a variety of conventionally known printing devices and
may be integral to the kiosk 125 or a portable printing device
coupled to the kiosk 125. It is to be understood that the kiosk 125
is an active device which includes a memory and a processor for
storing and processing data related to providing promotions to a
customer based on the status of previous promotions. Alternatively,
however, kiosk 125 may be an interface device which transfers
information to a computer system that is associated with the retail
store, via a local area network (LAN), for example, and includes a
memory and a processor for storing and processing data related to
providing promotions to a customer based on the status of previous
promotions.
[0042] It is to be understood that the system in FIG. 1 is for
exemplary purposes only, as many variations of the specific
hardware and software used to implement the present invention will
be readily apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art. For
example, the functionality of the retail store computer 115 and the
host computer 101 may be combined in a single device. To implement
these variations as well as other variations, a single computer
(e.g., the computer system 1001 of FIG. 10) may be programmed to
perform the special purpose functions of two or more of the devices
shown in FIG. 1. On the other hand, two or more programmed
computers may be substituted for any one of the devices shown in
FIG. 1. Principles and advantages of distributed processing, such
as redundancy and replication, may also be implemented as desired
to increase the robustness and performance of the system, for
example.
[0043] The present invention stores information relating to
consumer identifications, promotion identifiers, delivery dates and
mediums, and promotion statuses, for example. This information is
stored in one or more memories such as a hard disk, optical disk,
magneto-optical disk, and/or RAM, for example. One or more
databases, such as the global database 103 and store database 117
may store the information used to implement the present invention.
The databases are organized using data structures (e.g., records,
tables, arrays, fields, graphs, trees, and/or lists) contained in
one or more memories, such as the memories listed above or any of
the storage devices listed below in the discussion of FIG. 10, for
example.
[0044] FIGS. 2A-2C, depict data structures used for implementing a
system for providing promotions to a customer based on the status
of previous promotions according to an embodiment of the present
invention. The data structures are depicted in a relational format,
using tables, whereby information stored in one column (i.e.,
field) of a table is mapped or linked to information stored in the
same row (i.e., record) across the other column(s) of the table.
These data structures are used by the host computer 101 and/or the
retail store computer 115 to provide promotions to a customer based
on the status of previous promotions.
[0045] FIG. 2A is a promotions tracking table 201 that includes a
field 203 for storing customer identifiers. Each customer or
consumer is provided with a CID that identifies the particular
customer. A CID is any identifier that is scanned, read, or
otherwise entered into a computer system to identify a customer.
Each customer may have multiple CIDs. Preferably, the CID is
represented as a bar code so that it can be quickly scanned at
checkout by the scanner 131, although any other type of machine
readable or non-machine readable implementations for storing or
displaying identifications may be used, including magnetic strips,
memory chips, and smart cards. Examples of possible consumer IDs
are credit card numbers, debit card numbers, social security card
numbers, driver's license numbers, checking account numbers, street
addresses, names, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, frequent
customer card numbers, shopper card identifications (SCIDs), or
shopper loyalty card numbers issued by the retail store 113,
although any other suitable form of identification may be used.
[0046] Promotion tracking table 201 also includes a field 205 for
storing promotions delivered to the customer associated with the
customer identifier in field 201, fields 207 and 209 for storing
the delivery date and delivery medium respectively of each
promotion in field 205, and a field 211 for storing the status of
each promotion in field 205. As seen in FIG. 2A, fields 205, 207,
209, and 211 of the promotions tracking table 201 include multiple
records associated with a single CID in field 203. The promotions
of field 205 are preferably represented by a unique promotions ID
number such as a barcode, and the delivery dates of field 207 are
preferably represented in numerical format to reduce data to be
processed and transmitted. The delivery medium in field 209
indicates the medium through which the promotion of field 205 was
promotioned to the customer, and field 211 indicates the status of
the promotion as will be further described below.
[0047] To illustrate the use of promotion tracking table 201, FIG.
2A includes exemplary entries for two customers. The first entry of
FIG. 2A shows that field 203 contains the number "052799" as a
customer identifier, and in the same record, fields 205, 207, and
209 indicate that the customer associated with CID 052799 received
the promotion "ADV2787" on "11/02/00" through the medium of the
"Cust. Comp," and PI2787 on the same day through the same medium.
Field 211 further reveals that ADV2787 and PI2787 have a reject and
accept status respectively. The second entry of FIG. 2A shows that
field 203 contains the number "090269" as a customer identifier,
and in the same record, field 205 contains the entries "ADV8711",
"PI8711", "PI7858", "PI7859" and "PI8200" as five promotions that
have been delivered to the customer associated with the CID 090269.
In field 207 of this record are the entries "10/10/00", "10/26/00",
"10/30/00", "11/03/00" and "11/03/00 as delivery dates
corresponding to ADV8711, PI8711, PI7858, PI7859, and PI8200
respectively. Similarly, field 209 shows the entries "DIRECT MAIL",
"CUST. COMP", "ELECT. TRANS", "KIOSK", and "POS" as the promotion
medium, and field 211 indicates "REJECT", ACCEPT", "REJECT",
"ACCEPT", and "UNKNOWN" as the status of the five promotions
respectively. Thus, the promotions tracking table 201 associates
each customer identifier with the promotions delivered to the
customer, the promotion date and medium of each promotion, and the
status of each promotion. The promotions tracking table 201 is
preferably stored in the global database 103 but may be stored in
the store database 117 or any other suitable database.
[0048] As also seen in FIG. 2A, a promotion status entry in field
211 of the promotions tracking table 201 may include a "(H)" flag
indicating that the promotion associated with the flagged status
has served as the basis for determining a related promotion. The
(H) flag allows records to be identified as historical records so
that they will not be accessed and processed for certain processing
steps of the present invention thereby improving efficiency.
Moreover, the "(H)" flagged records are retained within the
promotions tracking table 201 for historical analysis as will be
further discussed below.
[0049] FIG. 2B is a related promotions table 213 that includes a
field 215 for storing promotions, a field 217 for storing the
possible statuses for each promotion in field 215, and a field 217
for storing related promotions for each status of each promotion.
Fields 217 and 219 include multiple records for storing different
statuses and associated related promotions for each promotion
identified in field 215. Thus, as seen in the first entry of table
213, the promotion associated with the promotions identifier
ADV8711 can achieve a status of "ACCEPT" or "REJECT" as indicated
by field 217. Field 219 indicates that the related promotion for
the accept status is "10 CENTS OFF BRAND X SWEETENER," while the
promotion "25 CENTS OFF BRAND X SWEETENER" relates to the reject
status for promotion ADV8711. The promotion status and related
promotions for PI8711, PI7858, PI2787, and ADV2787 are also
illustrated in FIG. 2B. As seen in the record of PI2787, several
related promotions may be available for each status of each
promotion.
[0050] FIG. 2C is a promotions table 221 that includes a field 223
for storing promotion identifiers, a field 225 for storing
promotions associated with the promotions identifiers of field 223,
and a field 227 for storing the status criteria associated with the
promotions of field 225. As indicated above, the promotion
identifier fields 205 and 217 of the promotion tracking table 201
and the related promotions table 213 respectively are preferably
populated with promotions identifiers to reduce data processing and
transfer times. Field 225 of the promotions table 221 includes all
promotion information associated with each promotion identifier.
For example, while the promotion identifier is merely an
alphanumeric symbol, the promotion information associated with this
alphanumeric symbol may be the type of promotion, the product
related to the promotion, the text of the promotion, the expiration
date of the promotion, and any other relevant information such as
formatting characteristics for printing the promotion. Thus, as
seen in the first entry of promotions table 221, the promotion
ADV8711 is an advertisement for Brand X sweetener that reads "BRAND
X SWEETENER, JUST ONE CALORIE." The Promotion promotions table 221
includes similar promotion information for PI8711, PI7858, PI7859,
ADV2787 and PI2787.
[0051] The promotions table 221 also includes status criteria field
227 which stores the criteria for determining the status of the
promotion delivered to the consumer if the consumer does not
provide the feedback to indicate a status as wilt be discussed
below. The status criteria preferably sets a time frame in which a
promotion must be redeemed or the product related to the promotion
must be purchased by the customer. For example, the first entry in
field 227 of promotions table 221 reads "accept if purchase within
2 weeks, else reject" indicating the criteria for achieving an
accept and reject status for promotion ADV8711. Similarly, table
221 indicates that PI7858 will achieve a status of accept if the
consumer purchases the product related to the promotion within 2
weeks or redeems the promotion before its expiration date,
otherwise the promotion will be rejected. As should be understood
by one of ordinary skill in the art, any criteria may be set for
determining a variety of statuses of promotions.
[0052] The data structures embodied by the present invention
include the data structures shown in FIGS. 2A through 2C, as
described above. Alternatively, any other desired manner of
implementing the data structures embodied by the present invention
may be equivalently implemented so that the desired functionality
and corresponding practical application are achieved.
[0053] FIGS. 3A-3C are examples of promotions that may be delivered
to a consumer in accordance with the present invention. As shown in
FIGS. 3A and 3B, the promotions may be purchase incentives which
include a reward to be received by the customer, and may or may not
include a loyalty condition to be satisfied by the customer in
order to receive the reward. The loyalty condition indicates what a
person must do to receive the reward. The reward may be a check,
coupon, discount, certificate, redeemable medium, and/or other
positive benefit to a person who meets the condition. For example,
purchase incentive 301 of FIG. 3A includes reward 303 (60 off brand
B coffee) which has no loyalty condition associated with it. A
customer that makes a purchase of brand B coffee at a retail store
105 that accepts the purchase incentive will receive a 60 discount
without any further action. FIG. 3B shows a purchase incentive 305
having a reward 307 and a loyalty condition 309. The reward of "1/2
off brand R shoes" is given to the customer only if the condition
of "buy a pair of brand R shoes of greater value" is satisfied. The
purchase incentives 301 and 305 are preferably remarkable
promotions designed to cause a customer to switch to a particular
brand of product or to promote brand loyalty for a product.
However, it is to be understood that each purchase incentive may be
tailored to suit different purposes, as desired.
[0054] FIG. 3C is an exemplary advertisement 311 that may be
delivered to the customer according to an embodiment of the present
invention. The advertisement includes a message 313 designated to
promote a particular brand and product. Thus, as seen in FIG. 3C,
brand X sweetener is promoted to the consumer as being just one
calorie. The advertisements are preferably accompanied by visual
images of the product in an appealing manner in order to promote
the product to the customer.
[0055] As seen in FIGS. 3A through 3C, each promotion preferably
includes a promotion identifier located somewhere on the promotion.
As indicated above, the promotion identifier allows the promotion
to be processed and transmitted to remote computers in an efficient
manner. The promotion identifier may be an alphanumeric number as
shown in FIGS. 3A through 3C, or a bar code or other machine
readable code. Also evident in FIGS. 3A through 3C is that the
promotions of the present invention may promote a variety of retail
products and services.
[0056] According to the present invention, an initial promotion is
delivered to the consumer and a related promotion is subsequently
delivered to the same customer based on the status of the initial
promotion. FIG. 4 is a flow chart explaining the general process
for delivering related promotions to a customer based on the status
of a previously delivered promotion. In step 401, an initial
promotion is delivered to a customer. The initial promotion may be
delivered to the customer by any of a variety of different delivery
mediums including the customer computer 105, the electronic
transaction device 109, POS 123, kiosk 125, or by hard copy
delivery through postal service or home delivery flyer campaigns.
The initial promotion may be a standard promotion delivered to all
customers, or a targeted promotion selected for a particular
customer based on the purchase history of the customer. Techniques
for providing targeted promotions to customers based on purchase
history can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/609,663, filed on Jul. 3, 2000, U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/613,904, filed Jul. 11, 2000 and U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 09/667,543, filed Sep. 22, 2000, which are incorporated herein
by reference.
[0057] Once the initial promotion is delivered to the customer,
information necessary for determining the status of the initial
promotion is stored in the promotions tracking table 201 as seen in
step 403. Specifically, the CID of the customer to whom the
promotion was delivered, the promotion identifier, the promotion
delivery date, and the promotion delivery medium are written to
fields 205, 207, 209, and 211 respectively of the promotion
tracking table 201. This information may be written to the
promotions tracking table 201 for each promotion at the time of
delivery of the promotion in step 401, or written to the promotion
tracking table 201 in bulk depending on the delivery medium of the
initial promotion. For example, electronic promotions delivered to
the-customer computer 105 or electronic transaction device 109 are
transmitted from the host computer 101 to each of these devices via
the Internet 111 in response to the customer inputting a CID into
the device. As the information to be stored in fields 203 205, 207,
and 209 of the purchase tracking table 201 is available to the host
computer 101 at the time of delivery, it is preferable for the host
computer 101 to write the information to the purchase tracking
table 201 at the time of delivery of each promotion. On the other
hand, as information relating to hard copy promotions must be input
to the hard copy delivery server 107 and, therefore, is not
available to the host computer 101 at the time of delivery, it is
preferable to store the information in the hard copy delivery
server 107 and periodically deliver the information in bulk to the
host computer 101 for storage in the purchase tracking table 201
within global database 103. As for information relating to
promotions delivered by POS 123 or kiosk 125, this information
preferably can be transmitted to the host computer at the time of
delivery of each promotion, or stored in store database 117 for
periodic bulk delivery to host computer 101.
[0058] Once the initial promotion information is stored in the
promotions tracking table 201, the status of the initial promotion
is determined in step 405. Where the promotion is delivered to the
customer via an electronic medium, the status of the promotion may
be determined in near real time based on feedback from the
customer. For example, where the promotion is delivered from the
host computer 101 to the electronic transaction device 109 via
Internet 111, the user may be asked to accept or reject the
promotion by inputting a command using an input device of the
electronic transaction device 109. In another embodiment, the
customer feedback is provided based on the customer
printing/downloading or declining to print/download the promotion.
For example, if the customer prints or downloads the promotion at
electronic transaction device 109, the transaction may be
determined to have an "accept" status, while declining to
print/download the promotion results in a "reject" status. Where
the promotion is not electronically delivered, or the status is not
otherwise indicated by feedback from the customer, the host
computer 101 determines the status of the promotion based on status
criteria and transactions relating to the product promoted by the
promotion as will be discussed with respect to FIG. 5. Whether the
status of the promotion, is determined based on feedback from the
customer or on status criteria according to FIG. 5, once
determined, the host computer 101 writes the known status to field
211 of the purchase tracking table 201 within global database
103.
[0059] Once the status of the initial promotion is determined and
stored to the promotions tracking table 201 in step 405, the host
computer 101 selects a related promotion based on the status of the
delivered promotion as seen in step 407. In selecting a related
promotion for a customer, the host computer 101 first accesses the
promotion tracking table 201 within global database 103 and
identifies the initial promotion previously delivered to the
customer in the record of field 205 associated with the customer's
CID. The host computer 101 then obtains the status associated with
the initial promotion from field 211 of the promotion tracking
table. Once the promotion and status of the initial promotion are
identified, the host computer 101 accesses the related promotions
table 213 and finds the initial promotion in field 215 and the
status in field 217 of this table. The host computer 101 then
selects a related promotion from field 219 that corresponds to this
promotion and status.
[0060] It is noted that the selection of a related promotion is
preferably accomplished for each individual customer when the
customer inputs a CID into the customer computer, electronic
transfer device, kiosk or POS. Alternatively, however, the host
computer may periodically (for example, nightly) access the
purchase tracking table 201 and determine related promotions for
all promotions in the promotions tracking table 201 having a known
status. The related promotions are then stored in a database as
promotions to be delivered to an associated customer the next time
the customer interacts with the host computer 101.
[0061] With the related promotions selected, the related promotion
is delivered to the customer as seen in step 409. As with delivery
of the initial promotion in step 401, the related promotion may be
delivered through a variety of different mediums including
electronic mediums and hard copy delivery mediums. According to a
preferred embodiment, once a related promotion is delivered to a
customer, the initial promotion which served as the basis for the
related promotion is flagged in the purchase tracking table 201.
This allows the information pertaining to the initial promotion to
be retained in the global database for subsequent historical
analysis such as determining an effective promotion delivery medium
as will be discussed with respect to FIG. 8. In one embodiment, the
initial promotion is marked with an "(H)" indicating that the
record is historical in nature as seen in FIG. 2A.
[0062] According to a preferred embodiment, the related promotion
delivered to the customer can serve as the basis for a subsequent
related promotion in the same way as the initial promotion as
described above. Thus, as seen in decision block 411 of FIG. 4, the
related promotion may be tracked by returning the process flow to
step 403 where fields 203, 205, 207, and 209 of the promotions
tracking table 201 are populated with the CID of the customer to
whom the related promotion was delivered, the promotion identifier,
the promotion delivery date, and the promotion delivery medium
respectively of the related promotion. Subsequent steps 405, 407,
and 409 are then performed on the related promotion as discussed
above. As also shown by decision block 411, there is preferably a
mechanism for not tracking a related promotion. This may be
desirable where several different promotions for a particular
product have been delivered to the customer and rejected by the
customer thereby indicating that the customer is not a user of the
product.
[0063] It is noted that steps 401-409 of FIG. 4 can be performed
through a single medium as part of a single transaction such as an
online shopping event as will be discussed with respect to FIG. 6
below, or may be performed through integration of different mediums
as part of different transactions as will be discussed with respect
to FIG. 7. Moreover, although the process of FIG. 4 is described
with regard to a single initial promotion and a single related
promotion, it is to be understood that a plurality of initial
promotions may be delivered to a customer in which case steps
403-411 are performed on each promotion. For example, step 407 for
selecting a related promotion may involve selecting several related
promotions for a particular customer based on several previously
delivered initial promotions. In this embodiment, the host computer
101 selects related promotions by accessing the promotions tracking
table 201 and identifying the several previously delivered
promotions associated with the CID of the customer. In this regard,
the host computer 101 identifies only delivered promotions having a
known status and not having been previously used to determine a
related promotion (i.e. not having an (H) flag). The host computer
101 then accesses the related promotions table 213 and selects a
related promotion corresponding to each previously delivered
promotion identified as described above.
[0064] As mentioned above, where the status of a promotion is not
indicated by feedback of the customer, the status is determined
based on a predetermined status criteria assigned to the promotion.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart describing a process for determining the
status of a promotion according to status criteria and purchase
information of the product promoted according to an embodiment of
the present invention. In step 501, host computer 101 accesses the
promotions tracking table 201 within the global database 103 and
identifies the delivered promotion having an unknown status in
field 211 of the promotions tracking table. As discussed with
respect to FIG. 2C above, these promotions are identified by an
"unknown" designation in field 211. In a preferred embodiment, the
host computer 101 identifies promotions having an unknown status on
a customer by customer basis in response to the customer
transmitting his or her CID to the host computer 101 during an
interaction with the host computer 101 such as a transaction at
electronic transaction device 109. In another embodiment,
identification of promotions having an unknown status may occur
periodically for a large number of customers. More generally, it is
to be understood that step 501 may involve identifying several
promotions having an unknown status in which case all subsequent
steps of FIG. 5 are applied to each promotion identified.
[0065] Once the promotion with an unknown status has been
identified, the host computer 101 accesses the promotions table 221
and obtains the status criteria pertaining to the promotion
identified as seen in step 503. As part of step 503, if the
promotions identified in step 501 are identified by promotion
identifier only, the promotions information is also retrieved from
promotions table 221 for use in step 505 wherein the host computer
101 obtains purchase information for the product related to the
identified promotion having an unknown status. As discussed with
respect to FIG. 1 above, the retail store computer 115 monitors and
records all purchases within retail store 113 and periodically
transfers the purchase information to the global database 103 via
the host computer 101. In step 505, the host computer 101 accesses
this history in the global database 103 for the customer who
received a promotion that has an unknown status. From the
customer's history, the host computer 101 determines whether the
customer purchased the product related to the promotion. The host
computer 101 then applies the purchase information to the status
criteria to determine the status of promotions as indicated by
decision blocks 507 and 511 of FIG. 5.
[0066] According to one embodiment, the host computer determines
the status of a promotion by first determining whether the accept
criteria has been satisfied as seen in decision block 507. As is
clear from the status criteria discussion of FIG. 2C above, the
status criteria preferably sets a time frame in which the customer
must redeem the promotion or purchase the product related to the
promotion. Thus, as part of decision block 507, the host computer
101 obtains the date that the promotion was delivered to the
customer by referring to the purchase tracking table 201, obtains
the date of a purchase of the product promoted by reference to the
purchase history stored for each customer in the global database
103, and determines the time frame between these two dates. The
host computer then compares this time frame to the criteria time
frame and, if the purchase was made within the criteria time frame,
determines that the accept criteria for the promotion is satisfied
and updates the promotion status field 211 of the promotion
tracking table 201 with an "ACCEPT" status as seen in step 509. If
the accept criteria is not satisfied, because the promoted product
was not purchased or purchased too late, the host computer 101
determines whether it is still possible to satisfy the accept
criteria as seen in decision block 511. In doing so, the host
computer 101 obtains the date that the status is being determined
by reference to art internal clock, for example, and determines the
time frame between this date and the date of delivery of the
promotion. The host computer 101 then makes a comparison as
discussed above to determine if the criteria time frame has lapsed.
If it is no longer possible to satisfy the accept criteria, because
the criteria time frame has lapsed or the product was purchased too
late, then the promotion status field 211 of the promotions
tracking table 201 is updated with a "REJECT" status as in step
513. If the accept criteria can be satisfied, because no purchase
has been made and the criteria time frame has not lapsed, then the
process ends and the status of the particular promotion remains
unknown until the next time the host computer 101 determines the
status of promotions as discussed above. It should be understood by
one of ordinary skill in the art that, while the example of FIG. 5
shows two decision blocks implementing an accept/reject criteria,
any number of decision blocks may be implemented in the host
computer to implement any status criteria.
[0067] As mentioned above, the present invention may be implemented
through a single medium as part of a single transaction or through
different mediums as part of multiple transactions. FIG. 6 is a
flow chart describing a process for providing an electronic
promotion to an online customer based on the status of an initial
promotion delivered to the customer at the outset of the online
shopping event according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0068] In step 601, the host computer 101 is accessed from the
customer computer 105 for example. This is done by using the web
browser on the customer computer 105 to locate the URL of the host
computer 101. As part of the login process, the customer inputs a
CID into the customer computer 105 for electronic transfer to the
host computer 101 via the Internet 111. For example, if the
customer associated with CID 052799 uses customer computer 105 for
an online shopping event, the customer computer 105 transmits CID
052799 from customer computer 105 to host computer 101 as part of
the online shopping event. The CID may be input manually, by
scanning a card or other medium having the customer's CID printed
thereon in bar code format, or by swiping a magnetic identification
card in a magnetic card reader connected to the customer computer
105. Still alternatively, the CID may be stored in the customer
computer 105 and automatically transmitted to the host computer 101
as part of the login process.
[0069] Once the host computer 101 has received the customer's CID,
the host computer 101 generates an initial promotion and
electronically delivers the promotion which is received by the
customer computer 105 as seen in step 603. The initial promotion
may be a standard promotion transmitted to all customers who log
onto the host computer shopping site, or a targeted promotion
associated with the CID of the customer based on the customer's
purchase history. After delivering the advertisement, the host
computer 101 then writes the information relating to the
advertisement to the promotions tracking table 201. Thus,
continuing with the example above, as seen in the first entry of
FIG. 2A, customer 052799 receives the advertisement ADV2787 "Brand
R shoes, dress for success" at his customer computer 105 at the
outset of his online Nov. 2, 2000 shopping event. According to a
preferred embodiment, the initial promotion is delivered to the
customer computer 105 prior to the commencement of the electronic
shopping event. That is, the host computer 101 does not provide the
customer computer 105 with access to the online shopping
environment until the customer acknowledges receipt of the initial
promotion. This acknowledgment may be in the form of an immediate
selection of the product related to the promotion, or inputting a
command into the customer computer to advance to step 605 where
shopping items arc selected for purchase.
[0070] The online customer then browses the shopping web site
associated with retail store 113 and located on host computer 101,
and selects items for purchase as indicated by step 605. While
browsing, the customer is provided with details about each product
and its cost. Items selected by the customer are temporarily stored
by the host computer 101 and placed, for example, in a "shopping
cart" where they await payment in a bulk transaction at the closing
of the shopping event. When finished browsing the shopping site,
the customer initiates payment for the items selected as seen in
step 607. This is preferably done by simply selecting an area on a
graphical user interface or otherwise transmitting a command to the
host computer 101. Also, the payment initiation in step 607 prompts
the host computer 101 to determine the status of the initial
promotion and to transmit a related promotion to the customer
computer 105 in steps 609 and 611 respectively.
[0071] According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, while the
status of an online promotion may be determined from customer
feedback as each item is placed in the shopping cart, in
determining the status of the initial promotion, the host computer
101 first identifies what product is related to the promotion
delivered to the customer in step 603 by referring to promotions
table 221. The host computer 101 then reviews the stored items in
the customer's "shopping cart" to determine whether these items
include the product related to the initial promotion. If the
product is located in the customer's shopping cart, the promotion
related to the product is given an "accept" status because the
customer intends to purchase the product. If, however, the product
is not within the customer's shopping cart, the host computer
assigns the promotion a "reject" status. The host computer 101 then
writes the determined status to the purchase tracking table 201 as
previously discussed. Thus, returning to the example of customer
052799, the first entry of the purchase tracking table 201 shows
that ADV2787 has a "reject" status indicating that Brand R shoes
were not placed in the customer's shopping cart.
[0072] With the status of the initial promotion known, the host
computer 101 then selects and transmits a related promotion to the
customer computer 105 based on the status of the initial promotion
as seen in step 611. The related promotion is selected by accessing
the related promotion table 213 as discussed with respect to FIG. 4
above. Where the initial promotion was accepted, the host computer
101 preferably sends another similar promotion for another product.
If the initial promotion is rejected, the host computer may send
another promotion that makes the product more attractive to the
customer. Returning again to the above example, as customer 052799
rejected the ADV2787 advertisement for Brand R shoes, host computer
101 selects purchase incentive PI2787 for 1/2 off Brand R shoes as
the related promotion in field 219 of related promotions table 213
and then writes the information for this promotion to the
promotions tracking table 201 as seen in FIG. 2A. As also seen in
FIG. 2A, ADV2787 is flagged with an "(H)" designation indicating
its use in determining a related promotion.
[0073] As with the initial promotion, in a preferred embodiment,
the customer must acknowledge receipt of the related promotion
before completing the payment transaction. According to the
embodiment of FIG. 6, the customer acknowledges receipt of the
related promotion by electing to pay for the previously selected
items or selecting new items in view of the related promotion being
promoted as shown in decision block 613. If the customer elects to
select new items, the customer inputs a command indicating this
into the customer computer 105 and the host computer 101 returns
the customer to step 605, where detailed information is provided
for shopping items and items can again be added to the shopping
cart. If, however, the customer docs not wish to return to the
shopping environment, the customer can proceed to pay for the items
in the shopping cart in step 615.
[0074] As mentioned above, the present invention is not restricted
to providing related promotions through a single delivery medium
during a single transaction such as an online shopping event. FIG.
7 is a flow chart explaining a process of integrating different
delivery mediums to provide a promotion to a customer based on the
status of a previously delivered promotion according to an
embodiment of the present invention. To facilitate understanding of
integrating different delivery mediums in accordance with the
present invention, the activities of the customer associated with
CID 090269 will be discussed in the description of FIG. 7.
Moreover, the promotions tracking table 207 the related promotions
table 213, and the promotions table 221 will also be referred to in
relation to customer 090269's activities. However, it is to be
understood that the use of customer 090269 in discussing FIG. 7 is
illustrative only and any combination of different mediums,
promotions, and criteria may be utilized in accordance with the
present invention.
[0075] In the process indicated in. FIG. 7, a promotion is first
delivered to a customer by way of direct mailing and, as discussed
with respect to FIG. 4 above, the information relating to the
mailed promotion is input to the hard copy delivery server 107 and
then transmitted to the host computer 101 for storage in the
promotions tracking table 201 as indicated in step 701. For
example, as seen in FIG. 2A, the second entry of purchase tracking
table 201 indicates that the customer associated with CID 090269
was delivered promotion ADV8711 on Oct. 10, 2000 by way of direct
mail. Reference to promotions table 221 in FIG. 2C reveals that
this promotion is the advertisement "brand x sweetener, just one
calorie." In step 703, the host computer 101 determines the status
of the mailed promotion and stores this status in the promotions
tracking table 201 as described in FIG. 5 above. Referring again to
the second customer entry of the purchase tracking table 201, it is
seen that ADV8711 has a "reject" status indicating that the
advertisement for brand x sweetener did not persuade the customer
associated with CID 090269 to purchase brand x sweetener within two
weeks as set forth in the status criteria field 227 of the
promotions table 221. With the status of the mailed promotion
known, the host computer 101 may now send a related promotion to
the customer associated with CID 090269 at a future
opportunity.
[0076] In the example of FIG. 7, the next opportunity occurs when
the customer uses customer computer 105 to browse the Internet, for
example. Thus, as seen in step 705, the host computer 101 selects a
related promotion based on the status of the mailed promotion and
transmits the related promotion to the customer via Internet 111
and customer computer 105. Since mailed promotion ADV8711 was
rejected by the customer, the host computer transmits purchase
incentive PI8711 for "25 cents off brand X sweetener" to customer
computer 105 as required by related promotions table 213. Thus, as
seen in purchase tracking table 201, promotion PI8711 was delivered
to customer 090269 on Oct. 26, 2000 by way of customer computer
105. Along with delivering the related promotion, host computer 101
also flags the mailed advertisement with an (H) designation. As
also seen in the promotions tracking table, the status of promotion
PI8711 is determined in step 707 as "accept," indicating that the
customer redeemed the promotion as required by the status criteria
shown in table 221.
[0077] Customer 090269 then purchases gasoline at a "pay at the
pump" gas station where the customer swipes his credit card into an
electronic transaction device at the pump thereby entering his CID
into the device. The CID is transmitted to the host computer 101
which again accesses the related promotions table 213, and selects
a related promotion based on the status of the customer computer
promotion determined in step 707, and transmits the related
promotion to the electronic transaction device 109 at the gas pump
as seen in step 709. Because the promotion for sweetener was
accepted by the customer, the host computer 101 preferably selects
a related promotion for a product that is a compliment for
sweetener. Thus, as seen in the promotions tracking table 201, the
host computer 101 transmits PI7858 for 30 cents off brand B coffee
to the electronics transaction device 107 on Oct. 30, 2000 and
flags promotion PI7858 with an (H). As also seen in the promotions
tracking table 201, step 711 of determining the status of the
promotion delivered to the electronic transaction device results
PI7858 having a "reject" status due, for example, to the customer
declining to print the promotion at the electronic transaction
device 107.
[0078] The customer next goes to retail store 113 and visits in
store kiosk 125 where the customer inputs his CID to obtain
information and promotions. Kiosk 125 transmits the CID to host
computer 101 which selects a related promotion based on the
promotion status determined in step 711, and transmits the related
promotion to kiosk 125 as shown in step 713. Since the 30 cent
coffee coupon was rejected by the customer at the gas pump, the
host computer 101 now delivers PI7859 for 60 cents off brand B
coffee to the customer at kiosk 125 on Nov. 3, 2000, as reflected
in the promotions tracking table 201. The status of this promotion
is then determined in step 715 and, as shown in the promotions
tracking table, PI7859 is accepted by the customer either by
immediately printing or by redeeming the purchase incentive at the
POS 123 during the customer's shopping event at retail store 113.
Where the promotion is redeemed by the POS 125, the promotion is
either scanned or manually input to the POS 125 by a retail store
cashier at the checkout counter of retail store 113. According to a
preferred embodiment, this information is immediately transmitted
via the retail store computer 115 to host computer 101 which
updates the status of the promotion in the promotions tracking
table 201 and retrieves a related promotion and transmits the
related promotion back to the POS via the retail store computer 115
as indicated by step 717. Because the 60 cent coffee coupon was
accepted by the customer, the promotion transferred to POS 125 by
the host computer 101 is preferably for a complementary product
such as non-dairy creamer. The status of this promotion remains
unknown until determined by the host computer 101 as previously
discussed.
[0079] While the example described in FIG. 7 depicts a customer
that is exposed to promotional efforts through a variety of
different mediums, as discussed in the background section above, a
customer may be exposed to only one or a small number of
promotional mediums. FIG. 8 is a flow chart describing the process
for providing promotions to the customer primarily through the
effective delivery mediums according to an embodiment of the
present invention. In step 801, promotions are delivered to a
customer through a variety of different delivery mediums including
electronic delivery mediums and hard copy delivery mediums. As seen
in FIG. 1, for example, a customer may receive promotions by
delivery to a customer computer 105 or electronic transaction
device.109 over Internet 111, or by way of POS 123 or kiosk 125. As
part of step 801, the identifying information, delivery date, and
delivery medium for each promotion is stored fields 205, 207, and
209 of the promotions tracking table 201 and associated with the
customer's CID as discussed with respect to FIG. 4 above. The host
computer 101 then determines the status of each promotion in each
medium and writes the determined statuses to field 211 of the
promotions tracking table 201 in step 803 as also previously
described.
[0080] In step 805, host computer. 101 determines an effective
delivery medium for the customer based on the statuses determined
in step 803. An effective delivery medium is a delivery medium that
the customer generally uses to obtain promotional information for
various products and services. For example, in addition to postal
services, a customer may have a customer computer 105 with access
to the Internet, both of which are common 111 mediums for the
delivery of promotional information. However, the customer may not
read direct mail promotions because he or she prefers to obtain
promotional information from the Internet 111 using the customer
computer 105. Thus, the customer computer 105 would be an effective
delivery medium for this customer while direct mailing would not.
As another example, a customer may obtain promotional information
for one type of retail product, for example groceries, by direct
mail, while obtaining promotional information for another type of
retail product, for example clothing items, by customer computer
105. Thus, a delivery medium may be effective only for a particular
type of retail product. How the host computer 101 determines the
effectiveness of a delivery medium for customers will be discussed
with respect to FIG. 9.
[0081] Once the effectiveness of each delivery medium has been
determined, the host computer 101 provides promotions to the
customer primarily through the effective mediums as seen in step
807. In the case of electronic promotions delivered by the host
computer 101, the host computer 101 simply delivers these
promotions to the customer through delivery mediums that have been
determined to be effective. In the case of hard copy promotion
delivery mediums, however, the host computer 101 may transmit a
message to the hard copy delivery server 107 indicating that a
particular customer should be removed from the mailing list because
the customer does not ordinarily respond to direct mailing or flyer
delivery promotions. In a preferred embodiment, the host computer
101 continually monitors the effectiveness of each medium. Thus, as
shown by the process flow arrow 809 of FIG. 8, even after a medium
is determined to be effective for the delivery of promotions, the
host computer 101 may monitor the status of promotions delivered
through the effective mediums and periodically update the
effectiveness of the medium. In addition, the host computer 101 may
periodically deliver promotions to a customer through a variety of
delivery mediums as in step 801 to account for life changes of
customers that also change the effectiveness of a delivery
medium.
[0082] FIG. 9 is a flow chart describing the process for
determining the effectiveness of a delivery medium in accordance
with the present invention. In step 901, the host computer 10I
accesses the purchase tracking table 201 in global database 103.
Although this may be done on a customer by customer basis as part
of the delivery of promotions to a customer, in a preferred
embodiment, the host computer 101 periodically, for example
monthly, accesses the purchase tracking table 201 in order to
determine and update the effectiveness of delivery mediums for all
of the customer identifiers stored within the purchase tracking
table 201. In this embodiment, the subsequent process steps of FIG.
9 are performed for each customer identifier in field 203 of the
purchase tracking table 201.
[0083] Once the purchase tracking table 201 is accessed, the host
computer 101 sorts the promotions previously delivered to the
customer by delivery medium as shown by step 903. Sorting by
delivery medium allows the host computer to obtain a history of the
promotion statuses for each delivery medium of a particular
customer.
[0084] As discussed above, the status of previously delivered
promotions that served as the basis for related promotions are
flagged with an (H). In a preferred embodiment, step 903 of sorting
promotions by delivery medium is conducted only for (H) flagged
promotions however, all promotions having a known status may be
included. In step 905, the host computer 101 then applies a
predetermined effectiveness criteria to the status history of each
delivery medium. The predetermined effectiveness criteria provides
the basis for determining whether a delivery medium has been
effective in promoting products to the customer associated with the
CID. According to one embodiment, the criteria may set forth that
five consecutively rejected promotions delivered through the same
delivery medium renders the delivery medium ineffective. If five
consecutive rejections do not occur, the delivery medium is
maintained as an effective medium. Thus, the predetermined
effectiveness criteria may be based on the number of occurrences or
the frequency of occurrence of a particular promotion status within
a delivery medium.
[0085] In another embodiment, the predetermined effectiveness
criteria may be based on how frequently the customer uses the
delivery medium. For example, the effectiveness criteria may state
that if the customer conducts a transaction at the electronic
transaction device 109 less than 3 times per month, the electronic
transaction device 109 is an ineffective medium. Moreover, it is to
be understood that more complicated criteria for determining
varying levels of effectiveness may be implemented without
deviating from the principles of this invention. For example, the
effectiveness criteria may be based on the delivery medium, the
activity of a particular customer, the type of retail product, or
any other relevant criteria. Once the criteria is applied to each
delivery medium, the effectiveness of each delivery medium is
stored in association with the particular customer in step 907 to
complete the process of determining the effectiveness of a delivery
medium for a customer.
[0086] Portions of the invention may be conveniently implemented
using conventional general purpose computers or microprocessors
programmed according to the teachings of the present invention, as
will be apparent to those skilled in the computer art. Appropriate
software can be readily prepared by programmers of ordinary skill
based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be
apparent to those skilled in the software art.
[0087] FIG. 10 illustrates a computer system 1001 upon which an
embodiment according to the present invention may be implemented.
Computer system 1001 includes a bus 1003 or other communication
mechanism for communicating information, and a processor 1005
coupled with bus 1003 for processing the information. Computer
system 1001 also includes a main memory 1007, such as a random
access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device (e.g., dynamic
RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), coupled to
bus 1003 for storing information and instructions to be executed by
processor 1005. In addition, main memory 1007 may be used for
storing temporary variables or other intermediate information
during execution of instructions to be executed by processor 1005.
Computer system 1001 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 1009
or other static storage device (e.g., programmable ROM (PROM),
erasable PROM (EPROM), and electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM)
flash ROM) coupled to bus 1003 for storing static information and
instructions for processor 1005. A storage device 1011, such as a
magnetic disk or optical disc, is provided and coupled to bus 1003
for storing information and instructions.
[0088] The computer system 1001 may also include special purpose
logic devices (e.g., application specific integrated circuits
(ASICs)) or configurable logic devices (e.g., generic array of
logic (GAL) or reprogrammable field programmable gate arrays
(FPGAs)). Other removable media devices (e.g., a compact disc, a
tape, and a removable magneto-optical media) or fixed, high density
media drives, may be added to the computer system 1001 using an
appropriate device bus (e.g., a small computer system interface
(SCSI) bus, an enhanced integrated device electronics (IDE) bus, or
an ultra-direct memory access (DMA) bus). The computer system 1001
may additionally include a compact disc reader, a compact disc
reader-writer unit, or a compact disc juke box, each of which may
be connected to the same device bus or another device bus.
[0089] Computer system 1001 may be coupled via bus 1003 to a
display 1013, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying
information to a computer user. The display 1013 may be controlled
by a display or graphics card. The computer system includes input
devices, such as a keyboard 1015 and a cursor control 1017, for
communicating information and command selections to processor 1005.
The cursor control 1017, for example, is a mouse, a trackball, or
cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and
command selections to processor 1005 and for controlling cursor
movement on the display 1013. In addition, a printer may provide
printed listings of the data structures shown in FIGS. 2A through
2C, or any other data stored and/or generated by the computer
system 1001.
[0090] The computer system 1001 performs a portion or all of the
processing steps of the invention in response to processor 1005
executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions
contained in a memory, such as the main memory 1007. Such
instructions may be read into the main memory 1007 from another
computer-readable medium, such as storage device 1011. One or more
processors in a multi-processing arrangement may also be employed
to execute the sequences of instructions contained in main memory
1007. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used
in place of or in combination with software instructions. Thus,
embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware
circuitry and software.
[0091] As stated above, the system 1001 includes at least one
computer readable medium or memory programmed according to the
teachings of the invention and for containing data structures,
tables, records, or other data described herein. Stored on any one
or on a combination of computer readable media, the present
invention includes software for controlling the computer system
1001, for driving a device or devices for implementing the
invention, and for enabling the computer system 1001 to interact
with a human user, e.g., a customer. Such software may include, but
is not limited to, device drivers, operating systems, development
tools, and applications software. Such computer readable media
further includes the computer program product of the present
invention for performing all or a portion (if processing is
distributed) of the processing performed in implementing the
invention.
[0092] The computer code devices of the present invention may be
any interpreted or executable code mechanism, including but not
limited to scripts, interpreters, dynamic link libraries, Java
classes, and complete executable programs. Moreover, parts of the
processing of the present invention may be distributed for better
performance, reliability, and/or cost.
[0093] The term "computer readable medium" as used herein refers to
any medium that participates in providing instructions to processor
1005 for execution. A computer readable medium may take many forms,
including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media,
and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example,
optical, magnetic disks, and magneto-optical disks, such as storage
device 1011. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main
memory 1007. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper
wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 1003.
Transmission media also may also take the form of acoustic or light
waves, such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data
communications.
[0094] Common forms of computer readable media include, for
example, hard disks, floppy disks, tape, magneto-optical disks,
PROMs (EPROM, EEPROM, Flash EPROM), DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, or any other
magnetic medium, compact disks (e.g., CD-ROM), or any other optical
medium, punch cards, paper tape, or other physical medium with
patterns of holes, a carrier wave (described below), or any other
medium from which a computer can read.
[0095] Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in
carrying out one or more sequences of one or more instructions to
processor 1005 for execution. For example, the instructions may
initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer. The
remote computer can load the instructions for implementing all or a
portion of the present invention remotely into a dynamic memory and
send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem
local to computer system 1001 may receive the data on the telephone
line and use an infrared transmitter to convert the data to an
infrared signal. An infrared detector coupled to bus 1003 can
receive the data carried in the infrared signal and place the data
on bus 1003. Bus 1003 carries the data to main memory 1007, from
which processor 1005 retrieves and executes the instructions. The
instructions received by main memory 1007 may optionally be stored
on storage device 1011 either before or after execution by
processor 1005,
[0096] Computer system 1001 also includes a communication interface
1019 coupled to bus 1003. Communication interface 1019 provides a
two-way data communication coupling to a network link 1021 that is
connected to a local network (e.g., LAN 1023). For example,
communication interface 1019 may be a network interface card to
attach to any packet switched local area network (LAN). As another
example, communication interface 1019 may be an asymmetrical
digital subscriber line (ADSL) card, an integrated services digital
network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide a data communication
connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. Wireless
links may also be implemented. In any such implementation,
communication interface 1019 sends and receives electrical,
electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams
representing various types of information.
[0097] Network link 1021 typically provides data communication
through one or more networks to other data devices. For example,
network link 1021 may provide a connection through LAN 1023 to a
host computer 1025 or to data equipment operated by a service
provider, which provides data communication services through an IP
(Internet Protocol) network 1027 (e.g., the Internet 131). LAN 1023
and IP network 1027 both use electrical, electromagnetic or optical
signals that carry digital data streams. The signals through the
various networks and the signals on network link 1021 and through
communication interface 1019, which carry the digital data to and
from computer system 1001, are exemplary forms of carrier waves
transporting the information. Computer system 1001 can transmit
notifications and receive data, including program code, through the
network(s), network link 1021 and communication interface 1019.
[0098] Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the
present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It
is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended
claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as
specifically described herein. For example, while the invention has
been described with respect to a customer printing a promotion
delivered to the customer, it is to be understood that promotions
delivered in accordance with the present invention may be
downloaded by the customer to a hand held device. According to this
embodiment, the consumer may obtain an initial or related promotion
as discussed with respect to FIG. 4 above; however, rather that
printing out the promotion, the customer may download the promotion
to the hand held customer computer where it can be displayed and
stored for later use.
* * * * *