U.S. patent application number 16/387550 was filed with the patent office on 2019-08-08 for system an method for selecting and associating categories tags with content.
The applicant listed for this patent is Yogesh Rathod. Invention is credited to Yogesh Rathod.
Application Number | 20190244222 16/387550 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40756210 |
Filed Date | 2019-08-08 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190244222 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rathod; Yogesh |
August 8, 2019 |
System an method for selecting and associating categories tags with
content
Abstract
System and method for presenting the structured and categories
tags includes presenting a user interface that includes the one or
more tags, wherein tags comprises system or user created structured
and categories tags; enabling the user to select one or more tags
from said categories list of tags for associating or relating or
assigning said selected one or more tags with said prepared
content; receiving input from the user indicating an association
between content and at least one of the tags and in response to the
input representing the association, associating the content and at
least one of the tags; storing association data representing the
association between the content and at least one of the tags; and
presenting the structured and categories tags includes presenting a
user interface that includes structured and categories tags for
enabling viewing user to view user selected tag specific
contents.
Inventors: |
Rathod; Yogesh; (Mumbai,
IN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Rathod; Yogesh |
Mumbai |
|
IN |
|
|
Family ID: |
40756210 |
Appl. No.: |
16/387550 |
Filed: |
April 18, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12954564 |
Nov 24, 2010 |
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16387550 |
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PCT/IB2008/000425 |
Jul 4, 2008 |
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12954564 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06F 16/58 20190101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20060101
G06Q030/02 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for associating one or more
structured and categorised tags or meta tags with contents, the
method comprising: enabling a user to select, capture, record, edit
and prepare one or more types of contents, wherein one or more
types of content comprises text, audio, video, photo, file,
location information and any combination thereof; presenting the
one or more structured and categories tags includes presenting a
user interface that includes the one or more tags, wherein tags
comprises system or user or user of network or expert created
structured and categories tags; enabling the user to select one or
more tags from said categories list of tags for associating or
relating or assigning said selected one or more tags with said
prepared content; receiving input from the user indicating an
association between content and at least one of the tags and in
response to the input representing the association, associating the
content and at least one of the tags; storing association data
representing the association between the content and at least one
of the tags; and presenting the structured and categories tags
includes presenting a user interface that includes structured and
categories tags for enabling viewing user to view user selected tag
specific contents.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein enabling
first user to create and provide one or more tags; store one or
more tags provided by first user; enabling second user to create
and provide one or more tags; store one or more said provided by
second user.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein enabling
third user to set privacy and control where to publish content with
associated one or more tags.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein receiving the
first content from the first user; and posting or publishing the
first content under selected one or more tags related to selected
category.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein enabling
users of network to view categories tags specific contents posted
by users of network.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein displaying
the first content and at least one of the categories tags including
at least one of the hyperlinked categories tags.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein enable user
to view and access hyperlinking tags, wherein in the event of
accessing a tag, displaying said accessed tag specific
contents.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein presenting
the one or more structured and categories tags includes presenting
a user interface that includes the one or more structured and
categories tags based on search query.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 identifying one or
more tags using the input from user including search keyword.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 receiving input of a
selected one of the one or more tags from the user and displaying
selected one or more tags specific contents published by users of
network under particular one or more tags.
11. A computer-implemented system for associating one or more
structured and categorised tags or meta tags with contents, the
system comprises: enable a user to select, capture, record, edit
and prepare one or more types of contents, wherein one or more
types of content comprises text, audio, video, photo, file,
location information and any combination thereof; present the one
or more structured and categories tags includes presenting a user
interface that includes the one or more tags, wherein tags
comprises system or user or user of network or expert created
structured and categories tags; enable the user to select one or
more tags from said categories list of tags for associating or
relating or assigning said selected one or more tags with said
prepared content; receive input from the user indicating an
association between content and at least one of the tags and in
response to the input representing the association, associating the
content and at least one of the tags; store association data
representing the association between the content and at least one
of the tags; and present the structured and categories tags
includes presenting a user interface that includes structured and
categories tags for enabling viewing user to view user selected tag
specific contents.
12. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 wherein first user
is configured to create and provide one or more tags; store one or
more tags provided by first user; second user is configured to
create and provide one or more tags; store one or more said
provided by second user.
13. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 wherein third user
is configured to set privacy and control where to publish content
with associated one or more tags.
14. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 wherein receive the
first content from the first user; and post or publish the first
content under selected one or more tags related to selected
category.
15. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 wherein enable
users of network to view categories tags specific contents posted
by users of network.
16. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 wherein display the
first content and at least one of the categories tags including at
least one of the hyperlinked categories tags.
17. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 wherein enable user
to view and access hyperlinking tags, wherein in the event of
accessing a tag, display said accessed tag specific contents.
18. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 wherein present the
one or more structured and categories tags includes present a user
interface that includes the one or more structured and categories
tags based on search query.
19. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 identify one or
more tags using the input from user including search keyword.
20. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 receive input of a
selected one of the one or more tags from the user and display
selected one or more tags specific contents published by users of
network under particular one or more tags.
Description
COPYRIGHTS INFORMATION
[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material which is subject to (copyright or mask work) protection.
The (copyright or mask work) owner has no objection to the
facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the
patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office
patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all (copyright or
mask work) rights whatsoever. The applicant acknowledges the
respective rights of various Intellectual property owners.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to Systems and Methods for
Global Online Brands Social Networks (BSN) Platform and Framework
for managing multiple Brands Networks, Users and customers brands
use management including creating and joining Brand Networks,
managing Brand Networks Members, Administrators, Collaborative and
Federated Brands Networks, User's Friends, Brands Group Lists,
applications and services and content editing, publishing,
submission, storage, retrieval, searching. Brands and related
Brands Networks include branded products and services or products
and services lines used or want to be used by users from one or
more brand owners including any retailer, manufacturer, seller,
dealer, distributor, firm, company, institute, college, school,
publisher, organization, web site, shop, mall and enabled by any
legal entities including patent, copyright and trademark,
collective trademarks, service mark, certification mark, logo,
known, local popular, and other country specific legal intellectual
laws. It's all about who uses and wants to use what, where, when,
why, how and related all services, applications and shared
contents. Users can create multiple brands group list and manage
portfolio of brands that user use or want to use. Multiple Brand
owners offer multiple services and application to customers or
prospective customers or brand network members and manage related
brands networks. BSN is all in one pre, during and post sales or
before, during and after purchase customer services including
brands related sales, e-commerce, marketing, promotion, support,
information, knowledge, user generated contents and services
including suggestion, guidance, answer, support, blogs and
like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention generally relates to a novel
Internet-based method of and system for managing portfolio of
user's brands and user or brand owner created brand networks and
marketing branded products and services thereto. The present
invention relates to a web-based information sharing system; and
more particularly, to a computer interface enabling companies and
consumers to share brand information, knowledge and offer services
like sales, e-commerce, marketing and promoting brands over the
World Wide Web. BSN platform facilitates B2B, B2C, C2B and C2C
sales, marketing, promotions and e-commerce transactions.
[0004] Brands or trademarks serve as identifiers of products and
services, and serve to distinguish a products and services of one
source provider from another. The owner of a brand uses it to
ensure that customers recognize the source of products and that it
is an indication of a consistent level of the product's quality.
Consumers can rely on a given brand to indicate the nature and
quality to which the consumer has become accustomed. In recent
years consumer choices among branded good have expanded enormously.
It is well recognized that branded goods and services are of
significant and increasing importance in trading in the growing
global economy.
[0005] Brands were originally developed as labels of ownership:
name, term, design, and symbol. However, today it is what they do
for people that matters much more, how they reflect and engage
them, how they define their aspiration and enable them to do more.
Powerful brands can drive success in competitive and financial
markets, and indeed become the organization's most valuable
assets.
[0006] A trademark or trade mark or service mark (represented by
the symbol .TM.) or mark is a distinctive sign or indicator of some
kind which is used by an individual, business organization or other
legal entity to identify uniquely the source of its products and/or
services to consumers, and to distinguish its products or services
from those of other entities. A trademark is a type of intellectual
property, and typically a name, word, phrase, logo, symbol, design,
image, or a combination of these elements. There is also a range of
non-conventional trademarks comprising marks which do not fall into
these standard categories.
[0007] Terms such as "mark", "brand" and "logo" are sometimes used
interchangeably with "trademark". However, the terms "brands" and
"branding" raise distinct conceptual issues and are generally more
appropriate for use in marketing or advertising context.
[0008] The Internet has become a new medium for finding and/or
displaying information of all types, including information about
products, services, and locations. The most common process through
which information on the Internet (collectively referred to as
"Content") is discovered is using Internet Search Engines ("Search
Engines"). Content includes but is not limited to all information,
communications, media, leaders, websites, images, tags, meta tags,
domain names, applications, and the like, whether displayed on or
through the Internet or through other methods and media. Search
Engines are typically operated by major Internet companies ("Search
Companies") that specialize or provide internet search ("Internet
Search" or "Search") as all or a portion of their content and value
to internet users, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Search Companies
operate Search Engines in order to present Internet users
("Internet Users") relevant information ("Search Results") on
search engine results pages and other Internet pages.
[0009] Internet Search has created several new industries described
below, yet it is still in its infancy, and, for a variety of
reasons, Internet Search is arguably less effective today than it
was a few years ago. As discussed in more detail below, Search
Companies face many new and daunting challenges trying to ensure
that their Search Engines provide Internet Users relevant and
compelling Search Results. These challenges include: a) the
prolific, exponential growth in both the depth and breadth of
Content, b) the rapid pace of changing Content, c) the difficulty
of interpreting (or parsing) search requests ("Search Requests") by
a variety of Internet Users, d) the depth, breadth and dynamic
nature of terms, keywords, phrases, and/or other search terms
("Search Terms") used in Search Requests, e) the need to develop
and maintain a taxonomy of Search Terms, and g) the increase in the
number and complexity of Content pages that are generated
dynamically instead of containing static, and more easily crawlable
and/or indexable Content. All of these challenges are associated
with providing relevant and optimized Search. One of the
increasingly popular types of Internet Searches are local Internet
searches ("Local Searches") that are focused on finding local
stores, products, and/or information near a specific location,
usually near the Internet User conducting the Search. In most
cases, these types of Internet Users are seeking information about
where to buy products and services at stores near where the
Internet Users are or are going to be. Location adds a new element
to Internet Searches, and Search Companies are just now focusing on
the unique nature and challenges of Local Searches.
[0010] Presently, an enormous amount of time, money and effort are
expended daily by thousands of manufacturers and retailers to
market, brand, advertise and sell their products and services to
consumers in both regional and global markets. Billions of dollars
are spent each year by manufacturer brands to inform, influence,
and persuade consumers to buy and consume their branded products
and services.
[0011] To create demand for their products and services,
Client/brands enlist advertising and marketing agencies to achieve
greater leverage and capacity to reach and influence empowered
consumers to buy their products and consume their services.
[0012] While the potential for marketing efficacy is highest at the
retail point-of-sale, manufacturer brands typically have little or
no control over the consumer experience with their branded
products, and this aspect of brand control resides with the online
retailer. And as consumers turn to their favorite retail websites
to find product information, promotions, and ultimately to purchase
products, the opportunity for brands to truly engage consumers at
the online retail point of sale is neither available or possible,
unless the manufacturer brand controls and operates its own
e-commerce enabled retail site.
[0013] To make online marketing even more difficult for
client/brands and their agencies, most online retailers avoid the
use of push-type marketing technologies such as pop-up and banner
advertisements on their e-commerce sites, as these marketing
technologies are general. They are annoying to consumers, and fail
to deliver relevant messaging to the consumer considering a product
purchase.
[0014] With the growing ineffectiveness of traditional marketing
mediums and the unrealized potential of online retail point of
sale, a great need has arisen in the global marketplace for a
better way of, and means for enabling manufacturer client/brands
and their marketing agencies to more effectively and efficiently
reach, serve and influence empowered consumers at online points of
purchase consideration and sale, so as to provide consumers with
improved service and better brand experiences at the online point
of sale, while helping online retailers build their own brands,
reduce online store overhead, and drive sales, while avoiding the
shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and
methodologies.
[0015] Since the development of the WWW and its enabling
information file formats and communication protocols, a number of
Internet-based advertising systems and networks have been developed
and deployed in the world of consumer product and service
advertising and promotion. Examples of commercially-available
Internet-based advertising and promotion systems include:
(http://www.realmedia.com); the DoubleClick"Internet Advertising
Sales, Advertising-Management And Media Services Network by
DoubleClick, Inc. (http://www.doubleclick.com) which employ its
proprietary DART`technology for collecting and analyzing audience
behavior, predicting which ads will be most effective, measures ad
effectiveness, and providing data for Web publishers and
advertisers; the Adfusion"`Integrated Advertising Marketing, Sales
and Management System by Adfusion, Inc. (http://www.adfusion.com)
which integrates all phases of the media buying process including
media research and planning, media inventory and yield management,
secure online negotiation, the transaction execution, and tracking
and post-campaign reporting; and the Promotions. On-Line Promotion
System by Promotions.com, Inc. (http://www.promotions.com) formerly
Webstakes.com, which develops customized online promotions for
clients providing technology and consulting services necessary to
run the promotions on clients' own Web sites, and offering direct
marketing e-mail services using a database of customer
profiles.
[0016] Consumers are now ready for an online environment in which
they can creatively express and communicate their feelings about
products as members of a virtual community.
[0017] The manufacturer, distributor, and/or producer (hereinafter,
the "promoter") of products or services, particularly consumer
products or services, generally seeks to have its products
available to the consumer in as many purchasing environments as
possible at a competitive price.
[0018] A brand community is a community formed on the basis of
attachment to a product. Recent developments in marketing and in
research in consumer behavior result in stressing the connection
between brand, individual identity and culture. Among the concepts
developed to explain the behavior of consumers, the concept of a
brand community focuses on the connections between consumers. A
brand community can be defined as an enduring self-selected group
of actors sharing a system of values, standards and representations
(a culture) and recognizing bonds of membership with each other and
with the whole. It is a specialized, non-geographically bound
community, based on a structured set of social relations among
admirers of a brand. Brand communities are characterized in shared
consciousness, rituals and traditions, and a sense of moral
responsibility. "Brand community" is the term used to describe
like-minded consumers who identify with a particular brand and
share significant traits, which describe as "shared consciousness,
rituals, traditions, and a sense of moral responsibility." The
researchers show that consumers may organize into these communities
to share their experiences of a brand. Conversely, consumers in an
identifiable brand community represent a cohesive group that
reflects the brand's values. A brand community model for marketing
includes prospects considering a brand choice, non-committals who
choose out of convenience or habit with no real preference, brand
admirers who truly prefer a brand, and brand enthusiasts who both
prefer and refer. In a world where advertising is losing
credibility, consumers are looking for other sources of
trust--communities provide an answer. Friendship is one of the
strongest bonds of trust. We trust our friends' recommendations,
advice and experience. Think about the last movie you saw,
restaurant you ate at or book that you read. Chances are a friend
recommended them, and you may very likely recommend them to
another. The future of those brands that take their market
seriously and question the influence of traditional above-the-line
advertising, will be considering establishing a brand community
where word-of-mouth will do the talking. These personal
testimonials will guarantee the results, and media money will be
spent on people rather than on creating ads and commercials. When
managed properly, brand communities could prove to be that elusive
new tool to tackle the ever growing competition. Brand communities
not only allow companies to collaborate with customers in all
phases of value creation--product design, pricing, places of
availability, and phases of promotion--but also provide companies
an effective platform on which to engage customers and create
loyalty towards the brand. Some of these qualities are shared
vision and mission with customers, A platform for customer
partnership, A platform for brand community, An emerging brand
value network, Openness and accessibility, 1:1 customer
relationships, Active customer participation.
[0019] Direct marketing is a sub-discipline and type of marketing.
It attempts to send its messages directly to consumers, without the
use of intervening media. This involves commercial communication
(direct mail, e-mail, and telemarketing) with consumers or
businesses, usually unsolicited and is focused on driving purchases
that can be attributed to a specific "call-to-action." This aspect
of direct marketing involves an emphasis on trackable, measurable
positive (but not negative) responses from consumers (known simply
as "response" in the industry) regardless of medium.
[0020] Database marketing is a form of direct marketing using
databases of customers or potential customers to generate
personalized communications in order to promote a product or
service for marketing purposes. The method of communication can be
any addressable medium, as in direct marketing. Database marketing
emphasizes gathering all available customer, lead, and prospect
information into a central database and using statistical
techniques to develop models of customer behavior, which are then
used to select customers for communications.
[0021] Personalized marketing (also called personalization, and
sometimes called one-to-one marketing) is an extreme form of
product differentiation. Whereas product differentiation tries to
differentiate a product from competing ones, personalization tries
to make a unique product offering for each customer. Personalized
marketing had been most practical in interactive media such as the
internet. A web site can track a customer's interests and make
suggestions for the future. Many sites help customers make choices
by organizing information and prioritizing it based on the
individual's liking. In some cases, the product itself can be
customized using a configuration system.
[0022] Direct response marketing is a form of marketing designed to
solicit a direct response which is specific and quantifiable. The
delivery of the response is direct between the viewer and the
advertiser, that is, the customer responds to the marketer
directly. This is in contrast to direct marketing in which the
marketer contacts the potential customer directly. In direct
marketing (such as telemarketing), there is no intermediary
broadcast media involved (which is why it is called direct). In
direct response marketing, marketers use broadcast media to get
customers to contact them directly. It is direct response marketing
because the communications from the customer to the marketer is
direct, and this differentiates it from direct marketing in which
the communications from the marketer to the customer is direct.
[0023] Internet marketing, also referred to as online marketing,
Internet advertising, eMarketing (or e-Marketing), is the marketing
of products or services over the Internet. When it applies to the
subset of website based ad placements it is commonly referred to as
Web advertising (Webvertising), and/or Web Marketing. The Internet
has brought many unique benefits to marketing including low costs
in distributing information and media to a global audience. The
interactive nature of Internet marketing, both in terms of instant
response and in eliciting response, are unique qualities of the
medium. Internet marketing ties together creative and technical
aspects of the internet, including design, development, advertising
and sales. Internet marketing methods and strategies encompass a
wide range of services such as search engine marketing (SEM) which
can be broken down into search engine optimization (SEO) and pay
per click (PPC), display advertising, text-based advertising,
behavioral marketing, software-based ads, e-mail marketing,
newsletter marketing, Customer Relationship Management Marketing
affiliate marketing, web press releases, interactive advertising,
online reputation management(ORM), online market research, and also
Social Media Marketing Methods such as blog marketing, multivariate
testing or optimization and viral marketing. When compared to the
ratio of cost against the reach of the target audience, Internet
marketing is relatively inexpensive. Companies can reach a wide
audience for a small fraction of traditional advertising budgets.
The nature of the medium allows consumers to research and purchase
products and services at their own convenience. Therefore,
businesses have the advantage of appealing to consumers in a medium
that can bring quick results. Emphasize business goals and use
methods such as CVP analysis when determining strategy and the
overall effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Benefits of It
includes One-to-one approach i.e. The targeted user is typically
browsing the Internet alone, so the marketing messages can reach
them personally. This is seen in search marketing, where the
advertisements are based on keywords entered by the user in a
search engine and appeals to a specific behavior or interest,
instead of broadly reaching out at a defined demographic.
[0024] Social media describes the online technologies and practices
that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and
perspectives with each other. Social media can take many different
forms, including Internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis,
podcasts, pictures and video. Technologies include: blogs, events,
social bookmarking, social news, opinion sites, photo and video
sharing, livecasting, podcasting, publishing, game sharing, virtual
world, social ads., picture-sharing, vlogs, wall-postings, email,
instant messaging, music-sharing, crowd sourcing, and voice over
IP, to name a few. Examples of social media applications are Google
Groups (reference, social networking), Wikipedia (reference and
collaboration), MySpace (social networking), Facebook (social
networking), YouTube (social networking and video sharing), Second
Life (virtual reality), Flickr (photo sharing), Twitter (social
networking and microblogging).
[0025] Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or
eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or
services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other
computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has
grown extraordinarily since the spread of the Internet. It is also
called "e-business," "e-tailing" and "I-commerce." E-commerce is a
type of business model, or segment of a larger business model, that
enables a firm or individual to conduct business over an electronic
network, typically the internet. Electronic commerce operates in
all four of the major market segments: business to business,
business to consumer, consumer to consumer and consumer to
business. Ecommerce has allowed firms to establish a market
presence, or to enhance an already larger market position, by
allowing for a cheaper and more efficient distribution chain for
their products or services.
[0026] Brand Engagement is a term loosely used to describe the
process of forming an attachment (emotional and rational) between a
person and a brand. It comprises one aspect of brand management.
What makes the topic complex is that brand engagement is partly
created by institutions and organizations, but is equally created
by the perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of those with
whom these institutions and organizations are communicating or
engaging with. As a relatively new addition to the marketing and
communication mix, brand engagement sits in the space between
marketing, advertising, media communication, social media,
organizational development, internal communications and human
resource management.
[0027] Brand engagement between a brand and its consumers/potential
consumers is a key objective of a brand marketing effort. In
general, the ways a brand connects to its consumer is via a range
of "touchpoints"--that is, a sequence or list of potential ways the
brand makes contact with the individual. Examples include retail
environments, advertising, word of mouth, online, and the
product/service itself.
[0028] Spend management is the way in which companies control and
optimize the money they spend. It involves cutting operating and
other costs associated with doing business. Whether it is the money
spent on goods or services for direct inputs, indirect material or
products and services.
[0029] A buyer (i.e. an individual at a company that has determined
a need for a particular product) will develop a document that lists
the need (i.e. the type of product they need and why),
specifications, the bidding process (how the process will work and
how suppliers will be scored), rules for the bidding process, and
other factors. Buyers will then invite suppliers to register
online, and open the event for a set period of time so that
suppliers can bid. At the end, the buyer awards the contract to one
of several suppliers. The award can be based on price, delivery
time (the time it takes the supplier to fulfill an order), or other
factors such as quality or how closely the product meets the
needs.
[0030] A reverse auction (also called procurement auction,
e-auction, sourcing event, e-sourcing or eRA) is a tool used in
industrial business-to-business procurement. It is a type of
auction in which the role of the buyer and seller are reversed,
with the primary objective to drive purchase prices downward.
[0031] CRM (customer relationship management) is an information
industry term for methodologies, software, and usually Internet
capabilities that help an enterprise manage customer relationships
in an organized way. For example, an enterprise might build a
database about its customers that described relationships in
sufficient detail so that management, salespeople, people providing
service, and perhaps the customer directly could access
information, match customer needs with product plans and offerings,
remind customers of service requirements, know what other products
a customer had purchased, and so forth.
[0032] Customer relationship management (CRM) is a multifaceted
process, mediated by a set of information technologies that focuses
on creating two-way exchanges with customers so that firms have an
intimate knowledge of their needs, wants, and buying patterns. In
this way, CRM helps companies understand, as well as anticipate,
the needs of current and potential customers. Functions that
support this business purpose include sales, marketing, customer
service, training, professional development, performance
management, human resource development, and compensation. Customer
service (also known as Client Service) is the provision of service
to customers before, during and after a purchase. Customer
Intelligence Management can be defined as the act of capturing,
managing, analyzing and applying customer information for
profitable growth.
[0033] Customer relationship management (CRM) generally relates to
existing customer base of branded products or services. Data of
customer base is generally private and not available to public.
Customers cannot communicate, collaborate and share their
experience, thought, idea with each other in social way. It does
not identify new customer base and identify new or competitors
market share or customer base of same line of products or services
and communicate and attract them. BSN platform provides universal
online social customers relation, retention and readymade new
customer base management system including finding new customer base
from existing market segmentation, multi social brands networks
with application and services provides all-in-one source services
to customer for their before, during and after purchase requirement
and end to end buying or shopping or service subscription or use
solution.
[0034] Now generally each Brand Owners maintain their online
presence via corporate full features web site or portal which
covers everything like products and services information, sales,
e-commerce, marketing and promoting the brands. But customers or
prospective customers or branded products and/or services users
have to visit each time all different sites for their different
products and services needs. What is needed, therefore, are methods
and systems for bottom to top approach where user disclose which
branded products and service they use and want to use or future use
via creating portfolio of brands and manage brands group lists and
related brand owner's brands networks which provide services to
customer or prospective customers including sales, e-commerce,
support, promotion and marketing of branded products and/or
services.
[0035] Thus, it is clear that there is great need in the art for an
improved method of and apparatus for enabling multiple brand owners
to manage brands social networks and provide one source products
and services related sales, e-commerce, promotion, support and
marketing communications to customers or prospective customers
anywhere along the World Wide Web (WWW), while avoiding the
shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and
methodologies.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0036] The principal object of the present invention is to provide
Global Online Platform and Framework for Brands Social Networks
(BSN) where brand owners and users or customers or prospective
customers can create or generate categories Brands Groups Lists or
disclose or submit or publish portfolio of use or want to use
brands and create or join brands related brand networks and
communicate and collaborate with other same or same line or same
category brands users or brand customers or brand networks members
and share knowledge, information, experience. Users or members or
customers or prospective customers can transact with all needed
brands in one place for their wide range of purchase requirements
like pre(before)-purchase requirements including knowledge,
information, comparison, search, match, guidance, suggestion,
review, feedback, experience, enquiry, presentation and answer,
during purchase requirements including presentation, negotiation,
comparison, training and learning, e-commerce, sales and marketing,
promotion, product locators and post(after)-purchase requirements
including support, notifications of updates, new arrivals, exchange
offers.
[0037] Another significant objective of the present invention is to
provide one source universal collaborative and federated social
customers relationships, retention and readymade target customer
base management (SCRM) and customers brands use management for
multiple brands related products and services from multiple
sources.
[0038] Yet another important objective of the present invention is
to provide one source all services and supports require for
implementing each steps or phase of Collaborative and Federated
Customers Services Life Cycle (CSLC) for multiple brands networks
or branded products and services owners. Customers Services Life
Cycle (CSLC) phase includes Requirements Phase to Identify a need
for a products and services, Determine the requirements for the
product, Find the product that will meet the requirements. It
Provides answers to What is this thing, Why would I want it, Which
one is right for me, How much will I need. BSN Platform facilitates
in Product and Services Advertising, Product Demonstration, Product
Comparison/evaluation, Product requirements/specs. In Acquisition
Phase, Identify the product sources, Evaluate the products in the
market, Order the product, Pay for the product, Test and accept the
product. It Provides answers to Where do I get it, How do I order
it, How do I take possession, How do I pay for it, How do I test
and install it. BSN Platform facilitates in Finding source &
availability, Malls, Search engines, Advertising, Online
customization, ordering, payment, Product delivery, Online delivery
of digital products, linkage to carrier for physical delivery,
Product installation, FAQ's for troubleshooting & installation.
In Ownership Phase, Learn to use the product effectively, Monitor
use of the product, Upgrade the product, maintain the product. It
Provides answers to How do I train people to use it, How do I
maintain it, Where do I take it for maintenance, How do I get an
upgrade. BSN Platform facilitates to provide online tutorials and
training sessions to learn to use the product, Provide online
troubleshooting support, Get online feedback from customer for
product design enhancements, Monitor the use and remind for upgrade
or replenishment, Aftersales service. In Retirement Phase, Dispose
the product--resell or return, Account for the resources, Replace
the retired product, Evaluating the product. BSN Platform
facilitates to create a used product market to facilitate
reselling, Provide accounting service and discounts for usage,
Create options for returning old product for a new one. Thus Multi
Brand Customers Services Life Cycle (MCSLC) supports customers in
Pre-purchase including Products and services search &
discovery, Comparison shopping & selection, Negotiation--price,
delivery etc., while Purchase including order placement, payment,
receipt and Post-purchase including customer service, warranty,
return etc. BSN Platform facilitates Presales interaction including
Customer inquiry & order planning, Cost estimation and pricing,
while purchase and Products and services delivery including order
receipt & entry, order selection, prioritization, order
scheduling, order fulfillment and delivery and Post sales including
Order billing & payment management, Customer service and
support.
[0039] Yet another important objective of the present invention is
to provide one source products and services supports, information,
knowledge, comparison, advertising, marketing, sales, promotion,
e-commerce services to the customers.
[0040] Yet another significant aspect of the present invention is
to provide Search, Match and Compare Engine to search the Branded
products and services and related contents resources.
[0041] Yet another significant aspect of the present invention is
to provide multiple brands communities or brand social networking
capability to users to easily share, communicate and collaborate
with other same product and services line brand users and brand
owners.
[0042] Yet another significant aspect of the present invention is
to provide platform to facilitate creation of brands related User
Generated or Created Contents (UGC) or Consumer Generated Content
(CGC) including blog, article, comments, video, photos,
presentation, stories and other resources.
[0043] Yet another significant aspect of the present invention is
to enable brand users to create or generate brands user specific
personalized Portfolio of Brands Use List or Need or Wish List in
form of categories Brands Group Lists which are shared, private and
public editable and relate brands networks which provide
Knowledgebase, information, support, social network resource like
which friend uses my same brand and discuss and share ideas,
opinions, suggestion and experience with members. Users get
all-in-one multiple services and resources from multiple sources
including brand owners, experts, brand network members, friends,
friends' friends, Brands Social Networks (BSN) and 3.sup.rd party
partners.
[0044] Yet another significant aspect of the present invention is
to provide benefits to Users so that users can use global online
brands social networks platform in multiple useful way before,
during and after purchase of products and services including what's
new, alternative and best, location of availability, comparative
analysis, what is advance, friend users, knowledge, experience,
guidance, suggestions, answers, information, features, how to use,
User to User or Customer to Customer support, health related issues
in products and services use by users. User can participate
actively with brand social networks and share thoughts with other
user or prospective users.
[0045] Yet another significant aspect of the present invention is
to provides benefits to Brand owner so that Brand owner of products
and services knows and retains their customer base and attracts new
customers by providing support, sales, promotion, marketing,
e-commerce, contest, survey, poll, article, blogs and other
services and activities. Brand owner can start or integrate
corporate brand related social networking for existing customers or
prospective customers.
[0046] Yet another significant aspect of the present invention is
to provide advertisers a new type of advertising and brand building
systems that include targeted advertising system, collaborative
advertising system, competitive advertising system, advertising
partnership via new advertising network system where selected
brands social networks integrate with partners' portals or sites or
products as per preferences and sites contents and services
match-making with brand networks category and contents.
[0047] Another significant objective of the present invention is to
understand Consumer behavior including how people buy, what they
buy, when they buy and why they buy. It attempts to understand the
buyer decision making process, both individually and in groups. It
studies characteristics of individual consumers such as
demographics, psychographics, and behavioral variables in an
attempt to understand people's wants. It also tries to assess
influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends,
reference groups, and society in general. BSN platform facilitates
searching for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating, and
disposing of products and services so as to satisfy their needs and
desires including the consumer searches for information required to
make a purchase decision from personal sources, commercial sources,
public sources and personal experience, to compare various brands
and products, to decide which brand to purchase and to evaluate
their purchase decision.
[0048] Another significant objective of the present invention is to
facilitate engagement of customers with one another, with a company
or a brand. The initiative for engagement can be either consumer or
company-led and the medium of engagement can be online. Leveraging
customer contributions is an important source of competitive
advantage--whether through advertising, user generated product
reviews, customer service FAQs, forums where consumers can
socialize with one another or contribute to product development.
Customers engage via Bookmarking, Tagging, Adding to group,
Collaborative Filtering like Rating, Voting, Commenting, Endorsing,
Favouritising, Content Creation like Upload (User Generated
Content), Blogging, Fan community participation, Create mash-ups,
Podcasting, Vlogging and Adding Friends, Networking, Create Fan
Community and like. Highly engaged customers are loyal and can give
valuable recommendations for improving quality of offering, filter,
categorize and rate the market from head to tail and help in
tagging, reviewing, rating and recommending and word of Mouth
advertising. BSN facilitates customers engagement via Encouraging
collaborative filtering, Community development, Community
participation, Help consumers engage with one another, Solicitation
of user generated content, Customer self-service and provides
customer engagement metrics like Root metrics including Duration of
visit, Frequency of visit, % repeat visits, Recency of visit, Depth
of visit (% of site visited), CTR, Sales, Lifetime value and Action
metrics including RSS feed subscriptions, Bookmarks, tags, ratings,
Viewing of high-value or medium-value content. `Depth` of visit can
be combined with this variable to include Inquiries, Providing
personal information, Downloads, Content, re-syndication, Customer
reviews, Comments (their quality is another indicator of the degree
of engagement) and Ratio between posts and comments plus trackbacks
and is useful for planning like identify where CE-marketing efforts
should take place; which of the communities that the target
customers participate in are the most engaging?, specify the way in
which target customers engage, or want to engage, with the company
or offering and measuring effectiveness and how successful
CE-marketing efforts have been at engaging target customers.
[0049] Another significant objective of the present invention is to
facilitate market segment identification, segment characterization,
segment evaluation and target segment selection. The overall intent
is to identify groups of similar customers and potential customers;
to prioritize the groups to address; to understand their behavior;
and to respond with appropriate marketing strategies that satisfy
the different preferences of each chosen segment. Improved
segmentation can lead to significantly improved marketing
effectiveness. Variables Used for Segmentation include Geographic
variables like region of the world or country, East, West, South,
North, Central, coastal, hilly, etc., country size like
Metropolitan Cities, small cities, towns, Density of Area like
Urban, Semi-urban, Rural, climate like Hot, Cold, Humid, Rainy,
Demographic variables like age, gender (Male and Female), family
size, family life cycle, education (Primary, High School,
Secondary, College, Universities), income, occupation,
socioeconomic status, religion, nationality/race, language,
Psychographic variables like personality, life style, value,
attitude, Behavioral variables like benefit sought, product usage
rate, brand loyalty, product end use, readiness-to-buy stage,
decision making unit, Profitability, income status.
[0050] Another significant objective of the present invention is to
facilitate co-branding via federated brands networks including
co-branding with a single product or service with more than one
brand name. Co-branding is same-company co-branding i.e. when a
company with more than one product promotes their own brands
together simultaneously, Joint venture co-branding when two or more
companies going for a strategic alliance to present a product to
the target audience. E.g. British Airways and Citibank formed a
partnership offering a credit card where the card owner will
automatically become a member of the British Airway's Executive
club and multiple sponsors co-branding. This form of co-branding
involves two or more companies working together to form a strategic
alliance in technology, promotions, sales, etc. e.g.
Citibank/American Airlines/Visa credit card partnership.
[0051] Another significant objective of the present invention is to
provide Market research facility for systematically gathering,
recording and analyzing data and information about customers,
competitors and the market. Its uses include helping create a
business plan, launch a new product or service, fine tune existing
products and services, and expand into new markets.
[0052] Another significant objective of the present invention is to
integrate BSN platform with partners' web sites or portal or
products or services as per preferences and mutual agreements and
integrate as a services with 3rd party products, services and
business process including ERP, spend management, customer
relationship management (CRM) and like.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0053] The present invention now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form
a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific
embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. This invention
may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,
these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the
invention to those skilled in the art. Among other things, the
present invention may be embodied as methods or devices.
Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely
hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an
embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. The following
detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting
sense.
[0054] Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms
take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context
clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase "in one embodiment" as used
herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it
may. Furthermore, the phrase "in another embodiment" as used herein
does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it
may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments of the invention
may be readily combined, without departing from the scope or spirit
of the invention.
[0055] In addition, as used herein, the term "or" is an inclusive
"or" operator, and is equivalent to the term "and/or," unless the
context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "based on" is not
exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not
described, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In
addition, throughout the specification, the meaning of "a," "an,"
and "the" include plural references. The meaning of "in" includes
"in" and "on."
[0056] Moreover, the present invention makes use of the following
terms, definitions, acronyms, and abbreviations for describing the
Global Online Brands Social Networks (BSN) Platform and
Framework.
[0057] Content: Generally, content refers to virtually any material
that may be provided for use within an internet website, including,
but not limited to text, music, pictures, graphics, cartoons, audio
narratives, videos, movies, or the like. Additionally, in one or
more embodiments, the content can further include articles and/or
images. For example, the content can also include videos, pictures,
logos, illustrations, animations, music, audio recordings, source
code, pseudo code, messages, emails, alerts, instant messages, or
virtually any other type of content that can be digitally
represented. Moreover, content may be considered to be independent
of its format. Thus, content may include any of a variety of
formats, including, without limit, image files, video files, audio
files, documents, database files, spreadsheets, Hypertext Markup
Language (HTML) files, or the like. Content may also be classified
as user generated content "UGC."
[0058] User: Various entities may perform actions, or assume
particular roles. While typically, an entity may assume a single
role, the invention is not so constrained, and an entity may also
assume a plurality of roles or personae. Thus, within the present
invention, a "User" is member of one or more Brand Networks or
"User" is "Friends" of other user or "User" is Brand Owner's
administrator or "User is "Experts" or "User" is developer of the
applications and services or "User" is partner of the Global Online
Brands Social Networks. The terms "administrator" or "admin" refer
to those entities whose primary role includes establishing the
editorial workflows and/or creating accounts, and managing the
architecture for the BSN for use by editors and/or authors. The
terms "end-user," and "user" refer to those entities that may
register for use of the BSN, and typically provide "user generated
contents". While an entity typically represents a person, the
invention is not so limited. Thus, an entity may include virtually
any person, group of persons, businesses, organizations, or even a
computing structure including a program, or the like.
[0059] Global Online Brands Social Networks: Is a platform and
framework for managing the profiles of platform users and brand
networks, multiple brands related networks, brand network's
members, brand network related "user generated contents" or
publications, brand network specific application and platform
applications and services.
[0060] Brand: Brand comprises plurality of products and services,
products and services line within a product and service category
used by users from any retailer, manufacturer, sellers, firm,
company, institute, college, schools, organization, web site, shop,
mall and enabled by any legal entities including patent, copyright
and trademark, collective trademarks, certification mark, logo,
known, locally popular, and other country specific legal laws.
[0061] Brand Network and Brand Network Page: Brand network is user
or expert or brand owner administrator or BSN system
administrator-created brand-specific public or private or trusted
social networks. Any user of global brands networks platform can
join existing public network or join or create new or private
networks. Brand network includes brand network page and details,
administrators' activities, news and notifications, statistics,
joined network members' profiles, publications of user or expert or
brand-owner-generated contents and attached applications and
services. Brand network owner's administrator invites users to
join, become a member of the network, advertise and promote the
brand network. Network members can submit or publish the contents
or use contents published by other members, participate in the
brand network specific applications e.g. survey, poll, contest, use
custom applications for authoring blogs, articles, stories and use
services provided by brand owners like e-commerce, support,
marketing, answer.
[0062] User and User Page: User is a Registered User of Global
Social Brands Networks Platform and can be general, premium,
partner, expert user and brand owner's administrators including one
or more individuals, team or association, collaboration of one or
more pre-identified individuals and one or more entities including
but not limited to company, associations, organization,
professional bodies, social bodies, shops, manufacturer,
wholesaler, supplier, dealers and distributor, web site, portal,
research agency, governmental bodies and enterprises or an entity
that exists as a particular and discrete unit. Each user has a home
page and a profile page. User administration of profile page
includes editing profiles and extended profiles, accounting
settings, setting privacy for search, profile and content
publishing, distribution, subscribing, communication and
collaboration. Users search, find, add and invite friends. User can
create and/or generate (N) number of Brands Group Lists, create and
become a member of (N) numbers of public and private brand networks
and publish and subscribe network specific contents, participate
with network specific activities like polls, survey, events,
contest. Profile page includes user's all friends, friends lists,
all user's created and joined public and private networks, friends
in other networks, profile details, user's and friends status and
news, profile statistics, user's publications list, applications
attached with profile page e.g. events, notes, photos, videos,
groups, answer, blog.
[0063] Brand Network Member: Users of Global Social Brands Networks
Platform, when join or create specific brand network, they become
member of that particular brand networks. Member has rights to use
network page, view, publish and subscribe contents, services and
applications of all or particular members or experts or brand
network's administrator, participate to particular groups, events,
survey, poll, contest applications, provide human services to other
network members like answer, analysis, guidance and use services
provided by brand owner like e-commerce, answer, support and other
services. Members can communicate and invite their friends and
friends' friends to join particular brand networks.
[0064] Friend: Social Brands Networks Platform Users can search,
find, add, suggest, confirm and invite their friends to join Social
Brands Networks Platform, related social brand networks and user's
friends group.
[0065] Friends of Friends: Social Brands Networks Platform Users
can view the profile of friends' friends and invite them to join
user's friends groups.
[0066] Brands Resource Book: Brands Resource Book is a content
management interface where users of Social Brands Networks Platform
can compose structured, free-form and application related contents
via compose brand interface, user can publish contents or
publications to particular brand networks and all publications of
user are shown in publish box of Brands Resource Book. User can
receive all contents from all joined brand networks in brand Inbox
interface based on users' inbox privacy settings including
receiving contents from selected brand networks or form selected
publishers. User can take actions on contents including rank,
comments and report abuse and participate.
[0067] Brand Compose: Member of any brand network including Social
Brands Networks Platform's user or expert or brand owner can
compose brand related contents including structures (tag specific
contents including review, suggestion, answer, FAQ, experience,
features, health), free form and application specific contents like
text, photo, video, music, blog, articles, animation, news,
presentation, graphics, files and other digital resources and
publish the contents as per privacy policies set by publisher i.e.
user including publish publication to one or more networks or
restricted to particular groups of members. User can also draft the
publication and publish later.
[0068] Brand Publish Box: All published publications of all joined
brand network of publisher i.e. user is shown to brand publish box.
User can see publication related statistics including number. of
readers or subscribers, hits, visits, comments, actions and points
earned.
[0069] Brand Inbox: All publications of all joined networks' all
subscribed publishers come in Inbox. Network member can read
publications and related statistics including number of
subscribers, hits, visits, comments and points and level of
authors. Member can take actions on contents like give comments and
feedbacks, assign points and ranks, unsubscribed or block contents,
mark as top or favorite publisher.
[0070] Brand Users Generated Contents and services: General Users
of Global Social Brands Networks Platform's can submit user's
generated contents including structured, free form and application
specific contents in the form of text, audio, movie, animation,
images, graphics, video, files, slide and other digital resources.
Online general users can provide services to other members of
network like answer, support, guidance, suggestion, analysis,
collaborative search and other human mediated services.
[0071] Brand Experts Generated Contents and services: Global Social
Brands Networks Platform's registered domain specific expert
provides value added services and contents to brand network's
members or subscribers including expert contents, support, answer,
analysis, promotion, sales, marketing, referrer and other expert
services.
[0072] Brand owners' Administrators: is an administrator user or
representative appointed by of brand owners to manages the brand
networks including members, contents, publication, analysis,
creating new administrators, attaching applications, offering
services, filtering or censoring content publications and other all
administrative and management activities.
[0073] Brand owners and admin Generated Contents and services:
Brand owner provides all members or subscribers of brand network
quality contents including reliable contents like products and
services details, catalogue, videos, photos, presentation, article,
FAQ, white papers, demo, training, information, knowledge and
valuable services to customers and prospective customers includes
e-commerce, replay, support, answer, support.
[0074] Structured Tags: System or user or expert created Structured
Tags provide readymade tags like review, features, price, quality,
specification, suggestion, comments, guidance, health, warning,
how, why, compare, alternative etc. to write or author tag specific
contents or relate content with particular tags.
[0075] Structured Content: Structured Content is divided into
multiple predefined forms like photos, videos, music slides,
presentation, text resources and contents, file resources.
Structured and organized content is useful for viewing, searching,
matching, comparing, storing, analyzing, filtering and sorting.
[0076] Free Form & Unstructured Content: Free Form content
includes any types of combination of resources in any form
including text, photos, videos, music, files, links and blog or
article in any style, language and format.
[0077] Application related Content: Application related Contents
are full feature applications for specific needs like blog,
article, stories, slide show, presentation, podcasting, catalogue,
demo and training.
[0078] Brand Network and Profile Page Applications: Application
type includes (1) Content authoring and publishing, (2)
applications for network members to participate including poll,
contest, survey, games, fill-form, u-to-u answer (3) service
specific applications including e-commerce, promotion, sales,
marketing, gifts, news, support, inquiry, answer. Applications can
be developed by controller or authorized developers or expert or
general users and applications can be integrated with profile page
or brand network page.
[0079] Brand Network Experts: Brand Network Experts is a person or
company or organization or any other entity that qualifies as an
expert for one or brand network and provides value added contents
and services to all members of one or more brand networks.
[0080] Brand Owner: Brand Owner is a person or company or
organization or any legal entity who owns the brand of particular
products or services or web site or any other things. Brand Owner's
appointed representative administrators can manage the brand
network. Brand owner can request the controller to acquire the
readymade brand network for support, advertising, e-commerce,
sales, marketing and promotion activities based on mutual
agreements and payment system including pay per member or pay per
action or pay per lead or pay per click or pay per impression.
Brand owner can integrate brand specific network with their
corporate site or portal.
[0081] Brand Public Network: All users of Global Social Brands
Networks Platform can join or create public brand network. One
unique brand has only one public network. Public brand network is
always owned and managed by brand owner or controller or system.
All members of public brand network can read contents, give
comments and points, participate and use applications, publish and
subscribed contents.
[0082] Brand Private Network: All users of Global Social Brands
Networks Platform can join or create private brand network with the
permission and privacy policies of brand network owner or creator
or administrator. Multiple users can create multiple private
networks for a unique brand and invite friends and users to join or
become member of network. Member of network can subscribe and
publish the contents, give comments and assign points.
[0083] Brand Trusted Network: Trusted Brand Network creator and all
joined members register via trusted official e-mail, mobile phone,
paid identity and any other trusted identifications.
[0084] Brand User: Brand User is a user of particular brand and
brand category related products and services e.g. Colgate brand
toothpaste user where Colgate is a brand name and toothpaste is a
brand category.
[0085] Brand Category: Brand Category is a taxonomy wise category
and sub-category of brand network.
[0086] Brand User to Brand User: In Brand User to Brand User, Brand
User can share information and knowledge including contents with
other same Brand Users and provide supports, answers, suggestion,
experience, guidance, alternatives, best line of products and
services, training, presentation.
[0087] Brand User to Brand Owner: In Brand User to Brand Owner,
Brand User joins the network of Brand Owner, participate the
events, application and services of Brand Owner, contribute and
share the knowledge, information and contents, purchase or shop
products and services, give feedbacks and suggestions, invite
friends to join the network, read or subscribe the publication of
Brand Owner.
[0088] Brand Owner to Brand User: In Brand Owner to Brand User,
Brand Owner creates brand network, invites users of brands,
publishes quality contents and news, analyzes members data related
to poll, survey and contest and provide applications and services
for e-commerce, sales, marketing, advertising, brand building,
promotion, supports, content publishing, communication and
collaboration.
[0089] Brand Network Partners: Brand Network Partners including any
individual or company or marketing agency or research agency or
distributor or retail shop or mall or any other entity request the
controller for partnership regarding integrating brand networks
with web sites, services, products and portals and owning brand
networks for marketing, competitors research, promoting, sales,
e-commerce and advertising multiple brands products and services
based on predefined filtered criteria including brand category,
location, preferences, age group, gender and selected brand
networks with mutual agreements and payment system.
[0090] Brands Networks Generator Templates: User can use multiple
user or expert or system-generated, readymade brands-group
lists-generated templates to create or generate Brands Group Lists
including shared, public and collaborative Brands Group Lists for
easily joining multiple brands networks as per user preferences,
location, gender, career, status, education, interest, hobby, age,
income range, life style, living standard, cast, work, on demand
information and based on extended profiles.
[0091] Extended Profiles: Extended Profiles is domain and subject
specific readymade system or experts or users created profile
templates or form or wizard for acquiring users domain or subject
specific details to identify the preferences, prospective customers
for particular brands and helps in presenting brand group list
generated templates and generating or creating suggestive brands
group lists.
[0092] Brand Social Graph: A brand social graph is global mapping
of brand users with brand owners.
[0093] Brands Database: Pre-created brand database includes all
updated popular brands name list and use for validating the user
created brand network name with brands name list database.
[0094] Friends List: User can manually create categories friends
list and System automatically generates and updates brand, brand
category and brand networks' specific confirmed friends list.
[0095] Brands Group Lists: Global online brands social networks'
user's profiles comprise domain and subject specific extended
profile details which are used for automatically or manually
generating list of user's prospective and suggestive portfolio of
brands based on categories subject and domain specific selected
brands templates. User can select multiple brands of products and
services used by user and quickly identify and join or create
related brand networks. System also applies artificial intelligence
for generating user specific suggestive brand lists.
[0096] My News: My news feature Global online brands social
networks platform including all actions news and updates of user
and all friends and all joined brand networks like who join which
brand network, who publish what, who install which application,
what's new in products, services, events etc.
[0097] Cross Brand Networks Lists: Cross Brand Networks Lists is
system and user generated cross brand networks lists for related
taxonomies and categories e.g. toothpaste related competitors or
alternative related brands list.
[0098] Federated Brand Networks Lists: Federated Brand Networks
Lists are brand list of collaborative or federated partnership
related to one or more brands and brands networks. User and system
can also generate plurality of federated brand networks lists based
on custom need, task, job, program, events, activities and
workflow.
[0099] Multi Brand Customers Services Life Cycle (MCSLC): are multi
brands and brands networks related Collaborative and Federated
Customers Services Life Cycle Platform of BSN which provides end to
end supports services to customers or users or prospective
customers for products and services they used or want to buy &
use or buy in near future. BSN platform supports in each stage or
step or phase of Customer Services Life Cycle process of one or
more branded products or services including in Requirements Stage,
Establish Requirements: Helping the customer to understand what a
product or service does and how it can meet their particular need.
Specifying: Determining the specific features or model of the
product or service that is appropriate for the particular customer.
In Acquisition Stage, Sourcing: Making it easy for the customers to
find a location to obtain the product or service. Ordering: The
customer accepts the suppliers offer to sell the product or service
and provides specifics regarding features and delivery. Paying: Pay
For: The mechanism by which the customer pays for the product and
the means by which that payment is authorized. Obtaining: Taking
ownership of the product or beginning to receive the particular
service. Refers to the means by which the product or service is
distributed to the customer. Test & Accept: Demonstrating
product or service meets the customer's requirement. Information
based products or services can often be tested prior to purchase.
In Ownership Stage, Training: The process that supports resource
utilization by making the customer capable of making use of the
resource to its full extent. Maintaining: Helping the customer to
analyze, diagnose, and repair problems with the product or service.
Assist in tracking usage (how the product is being used, amount
remaining, problems in usage, recommendations for more effective
use).Upgrading to improved version. In Retirement Stage, Replace,
Return & Dispose: Returning the product; reselling the product;
recognizing the need to buy a new one; disposing of the product;
trading the product in; returning a rental product. Replacing a
product that has been consumed or beyond repair. Accounting for:
Helping the customer to understand how much they are spending (or
saving) on the product, the use of the product, and or other
resources used in conjunction with the product. Evaluating: The
final "tally" by the customer for the life-cycle experience. Were
expectations met? Satisfied? Customers give feedbacks to brand
owners and provide comments, ranks, reviews, suggestions, guidance,
experience, tips & tricks, answer, support to other customers
or users regarding products and services.
[0100] Universal Social Customers Relationship & Retention
Management (SCRM): is social way of communication, collaboration,
sharing between customers or prospective customers or past
customers or users or members or subscribers or client base or
public & guest user of all brand networks of branded products
and services including all competitors for branded products and
services in democratic or social way. Customer base includes all
competitors' customers' base i.e. complete market of a particular
products and services line or category e.g. "Pizza market" or
"Mobile Market". Brand owner of particular products or services can
reach whole market related prospective customers or customers. BSN
is a multi model network environment which provides social
customers relationship management where multiple networks of
branded products and services of similar line or category or domain
or subject exist and differs from conventional customer
relationship management which covers only customers of brand
owner's brands and not all competitors' brands or market or public
base related prospective customer base. BSN provides holistic
solution for identifying, attracting, differentiating, and
retaining customers.
[0101] Briefly stated, the invention is directed to providing a
system, method, and devices that enable general users to create or
generate user's brands portfolio lists used or want to be used by
users and creates or join related brand networks and invite friends
to join brand networks, publish or subscribe to users or members or
experts or brand owners publications, manage profile, brand
networks, applications, contents and friends, view statistics,
updates and all news of network, participate in activities or
events of brand networks, take actions on brand networks, contents
and members or users of brand networks.
[0102] Further, the invention is directed to providing a system,
method, and devices that enable brand owners to create brand
specific network, invite users of parent network i.e. Brands Social
Networks (BSN) to become members of their brand networks, publish
quality content publications for brand network, manage members,
applications, users or members generated contents and services
offered by brand owner to the members of brand network or customers
or prospective customer of brands related products and/or
services.
[0103] Further, the invention is directed to providing a system,
method, and devices that enable experts to provide value added
services to brand network members including answer, quality
contents, supports and sales, marketing and promotion related
services on behalf of brand owners or sponsors and to receive
compensation for such actions.
[0104] Further, the invention is directed to providing a system,
method, and devices that enable partners to integrate BSN platform
with partner's web sites or portals or services or products to
provide additional feature to their users and share revenue with
BSN System. Additionally, since multiple Brands Networks
integration with a multiple websites can attract large audiences,
subsequent viewing of Brand Networks and published publications can
also generate revenue or any other form of compensation with
click-through on related advertisements, affiliates, e-commerce,
lead generation, and other business methods. This user behavior can
generate significant revenue or other compensation for the
partners; and even for a website owner. The Revenue Share System
(RSS) determines and enables a partner to receive a share of the
revenue or other compensation that their integrated brands networks
generate through the use of the BSN System. In one embodiment, the
RSS may be implemented as a separate component, even on a distinct
computing device; however, the RSS may also be implemented as a
component integrated within the BSN, or within a same computing
device.
[0105] In one embodiment, the RSS may determine compensation and
revenue share based on click-through actions, a number of times a
user's page is viewed, a mouse over by a viewer of the page over
such as advertisements on the user's page, over portions of a
defined content, or the like. The invention is not limited to these
mechanisms for determining compensation and revenue share, however,
and virtually any other mechanism may also be employed to provide
revenue or other compensation to a expert user, and/or website
owners, and to encourage the user to continue to provide content
through use of the BSN.
[0106] Further, the invention is directed to providing a system,
method, and devices that enable advertisers to better target
advertising including collaborative, competitive and social
advertising.
[0107] In one embodiment, the BSN also provides a suite of online
or smart online or smart client or smart devices or visual or peer
to peer enabled applications and default services like
registration, search engine, payment system and tools that enable
several administrative and management features as described
below.
[0108] Successfully implementing brand network depends on
Facilitation, Quality of community manager/community management
team, Exclusive product and service offers for community members,
Ability to search/recommend user-generated content, Ability for
community members to connect with like-minded people, Ability for
members to develop reputation within the community, Ability for
members to help others, Ability to do transactions in community,
e.g., buy products or support services, Ability to conduct
time-limited activities, e.g., run brainstorming sessions, discuss
hot topics, Community focused around a hot topic/issue, Attracting
people to the community, Getting people to join, Getting people to
engage, e.g., post, ask questions, Getting people to keep coming
back, functionality/technology features, skilled community
managers/facilitators.
[0109] BSN platform facilitates brand owners and administrators of
brand networks in sales, e-commerce, support services, marketing
and promotion activities including Deliver buzz/publicity value,
Drive referral, Target new/specific audience, Support ad campaign,
Seed influencers, Leverage a sponsorship or new news, Create
novelty, Build better customer experience, Get noticed by
bloggers/social media, Meet/go deeper with a tough-to-reach
audience, Chase younger and more networked audience, Diffuse bad
word of mouth, Improve credibility of message, Incubate a community
of brand fans/ambassadors, Build brand love/affinity, Build a
worthy cause, Drive brand loyalty/lifetime value of users,
Accelerate sales, Launch a product/service, Build
awareness/exposure, Deliver web traffic, Deliver live traffic,
Drive overall marketing spend efficiency, Drive/upsell revenue,
Launch in a specific geography, Reduce customer acquisition costs,
Save operational costs, Create a new distribution channel,
Participate in a dialogue/conversation, Target localization of
international/national effort, Improve customer support, Create an
account specific/alliance-based program, Ego/want personal brand to
be noticed and talked about, Act as a sounding board/stimulus for a
lot of ideas, Follow a competitor/improve on a competitive effort,
Identify superior real world insight, Work with a new agency/get
new ideas, Test market for the rest of the company, Convert
competitive users/ask for reappraisal, Solve a problem,
Skirt/circumvent regulations. The purpose of online brands
communities or networks is Insights/market research, Customer
support, New product development, Idea generation, Product testing,
Customer/client loyalty, Market thought leadership/brand building,
Developer relations, Amplifying word of mouth, Employee
communication, Public relations, General marketing, Reputation
management. Business objectives for brands communities or networks
are: Reduce market research costs, Reduce customer acquisition
costs, Reduce customer support costs, Bring outside ideas into
organization faster, Increase customer loyalty, Improve new product
success ratios, Increase product/brand awareness, Generate more
word of mouth, Improve public relations effectiveness. Business
measures to assess the effectiveness of the brands communities or
networks are Increased sales attributable to the community,
Improved Net Promoter score, Improved customer satisfaction scores,
More referrals, Number of new leads, Number of new trials, Number
of new ideas from community, Number of new ideas from community
adopted by organization, Decline in emails/calls into
service/support, Improved brand perception scores, Greater
awareness, Repeat sales. Web analytic measures to assess the
effectiveness of the brands communities or networks are Number of
visitors, Number of repeat visitors, Number of registered users,
Number of "active" users, How often people post/comment, How often
people visit, Number of RSS feeds, Number of people who subscribe
via email, Increase in search engine rank for your brand/company,
Changes in traffic over time, e.g. doubling registered users in a
month, Page views, Time on site, Citations on other sites.
[0110] BSN platform facilitates customers to Enable
voice-of-customer, Assess trends and changes in customer needs,
Gain customer insight on how to improve and develop products and
services, Humanize brand through direct interactions with
customers, Empower customers to solve their own and each other's
problems, Identify and empower passionate customers as brand
advocates, Connect prospects to a supportive and engaged customer
community, Align community to strategic business and marketing
goals, Achieve adoption and participation by targeted audience,
Facilitate an environment of open discussion to encourage the free
flow of information, Use community tools to obtain feedback and
respond to customer advice, Define community ROI using management
reporting mechanisms, Humanize brand through open, two-way dialogue
with target audience, Obtain direct, immediate feedback on products
and services, Provide a channel to deliver information and services
to customers, partners and others, Enable target audience to
interact, share best practices and create original content, Elevate
brand by identifying and rewarding community participants who help
to grow and nurture the community, Extend product reach and open
new market opportunities, Improve operational efficiency to
maintain a competitive edge, Foster innovation through team
collaboration, Formally capture industry-leading expertise,
knowledge and intellectual property (IP).
[0111] The BSN System employs a variety of algorithms to maintain
the integrity of the system. For example, one or more fraud
algorithms are provided to ensure that content generated by users
is not fraudulently used to generate revenue or other compensation
by either the content's author or third parties. There is also a
mechanism for determining the value of a publication, and in turn
the royalty payment to the user. This mechanism combines, amongst
other factors, the popularity of the content, its quality, as well
as the value its readers draw to an advertiser. Additional
algorithms are in place to detect "junk" content. A user rating
system can provide feedback on content and this rating can be
employed by itself or with other factors to determine the content's
value to other users and quality.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0112] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present
invention are described with reference to the following drawings.
In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts
throughout the various figures unless otherwise specified.
[0113] For a better understanding of the present invention,
reference will be made to the following Detailed Description Of The
Embodiments, which are to be read in association with the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0114] FIG. 1 is a system diagram of one embodiment of an
environment in which the invention may be practiced;
[0115] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a
client device useable to interact within the environment of FIG.
1;
[0116] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of one embodiment of
a network device useable within the environment of FIG. 1;
[0117] FIG. 4 shows an overview diagram of one embodiment of users
Brands Social Networks Platform of the environment of FIG. 1;
[0118] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of an overview of a process
for the Brands Social Networks (BSN) Platform;
[0119] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart of a detail overview of a
process for the Brands Social Networks (BSN) Platform;
[0120] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart of a Friends and/or Members
Management of a process for the Brands Social Networks (BSN)
Platform;
[0121] FIG. 8 illustrates a flow chart of a Brand Networks
Management of a process for the Brands Social Networks (BSN)
Platform;
[0122] FIG. 9 illustrates a flow chart of an Applications
Management of a process for the Brands Social Networks (BSN)
Platform;
[0123] FIG. 10 illustrates a flow chart of a Brand Networks related
Content Management of a process for the Brands Social Networks
(BSN) Platform;
[0124] FIG. 11-29 show different screen shots of various
embodiments of user interfaces for employing the Brands Social
Networks (BSN) System, in accordance with the invention.
[0125] FIG. 30 shows a visual indication of a BSN Brand Networks
and Friends Group and related all actions and activities.
[0126] FIG. 31 shows a visual indication of a BSN Brand Owner's
Brand Networks and Members and related all actions and
activities.
[0127] FIG. 32 shows an visual indication of a BSN Multi Brand
Customers Services Life Cycle (MCSLC) Platform.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0128] Illustrative Operating Environment
[0129] FIG. 1 shows components of one embodiment of an environment
in which the invention may be practiced. Not all the components may
be required to practice the invention, and variations in the
arrangement and type of the components may be made without
departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. As shown,
system 100 of FIG. 1 includes local area networks ("LANs")/wide
area networks ("WANs")-(network) 105, wireless network 110, mobile
device (client device) 102, client device 104, third party partner
server 106, and Brands Social Networks (BSN) System 116. BSN
Platform 116 further includes Revenue sharing System 108, Data
Management Server 113, Web Services and Communication Server 112,
and Web and Application Server 114.
[0130] One embodiment of a client device is described in more
detail below in conjunction with FIG. 2. Generally, however, mobile
device 102 is one example of a client device that is portable, and
may include virtually any portable computing device capable of
receiving and sending a message over a network, such as network
105, wireless network 110, or the like. Such devices include
portable devices such as, cellular telephones, smart phones,
display pagers, radio frequency (RF) devices, infrared (IR)
devices, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), handheld computers,
laptop computers, wearable computers, tablet computers, integrated
devices combining one or more of the preceding devices, or the
like. As such, mobile device 102 typically ranges widely in terms
of capabilities and features. For example, a cell phone may have a
numeric keypad and a few lines of monochrome LCD display on which
only text may be displayed. In another example, a web-enabled
mobile device may have a touch sensitive screen, a stylus, and
several lines of color LCD display in which both text and graphics
may be displayed.
[0131] A web-enabled mobile device may include a browser
application that is configured to receive and to send web pages,
web-based messages, or the like. The browser application may be
configured to receive and display graphics, text, multimedia, or
the like, employing virtually any web based language, including a
wireless application protocol messages (WAP), or the like. In one
embodiment, the browser application is enabled to employ Handheld
Device Markup Language (HDML), Wireless Markup Language (WML),
WMLScript, JavaScript, Standard Generalized Markup Language (SMGL),
HyperText Markup Language (HTML), eXtensible Markup Language (XML),
or the like, to display and send a message.
[0132] Mobile device 102 also may include at least one other client
application that is configured to receive content from another
computing device. The client application may include a capability
to provide and receive textual content, multimedia information, or
the like. The client application may further provide information
that identifies itself, including a type, capability, name, or the
like. In one embodiment, mobile device 102 may uniquely identify
themselves through any of a variety of mechanisms, including a
phone number, Mobile Identification Number (MIN), an electronic
serial number (ESN), network address (such as an IP address, port
number, and/or the like), or other device identifier. The
information may also indicate a content format that the mobile
device is enabled to employ. Such information may be provided in a
message, or the like, sent to client device 104, BSN Platform 116,
or other computing devices.
[0133] Mobile device 102 may also be configured to communicate a
message, such as through Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia
Message Service (MMS), instant messaging (IM), internet relay chat
(IRC), Mardam-Bey's IRC (mIRC), Jabber, or the like, between
another computing device. However, the present invention is not
limited to these message protocols, and virtually any other message
protocol may be employed.
[0134] Mobile device 102 may further be configured to include a
client application that enables the end-user to log into an
end-user account that may be managed by another computing device,
such as BSN Platform 116. Such end-user account, for example, may
be configured to enable the end-user to receive emails,
send/receive IM messages, SMS messages, RSS feeds, to access
selected web pages, create and/or publish content, receive
compensation, feedback, or the like.
[0135] Client device 104 may include virtually any computing device
capable of communicating over a network to send and receive
information, including email messages, IM messages, SMS messages,
RSS feeds, or the like. Furthermore, client device 104 may be
configured to enable a user to manage brands networks, members,
friends, application and contents including create and/or publish
content, to receive comments or other feedback or actions
associated with the content and/or to receive compensation based in
part on the content, advertisements associated with the content, or
the like for expert users.
[0136] The set of such devices may include devices that typically
connect using a wired communications medium such as personal
computers, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or
programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, or the like.
Similarly, client device 104 may include one or more applications
as described above in conjunction with mobile device 102.
[0137] Wireless network 110 is configured to couple mobile device
102 and its components with network 105. Wireless network 110 may
include any of a variety of wireless sub-networks that may further
overlay stand-alone ad-hoc networks, or the like, to provide an
infrastructure-oriented connection for mobile device 102. Such
sub-networks may include mesh networks, Wireless LAN (WLAN)
networks, cellular networks, or the like.
[0138] Wireless network 110 may further include an autonomous
system of terminals, gateways, routers, or the like connected by
wireless radio links, or the like. These connectors may be
configured to move freely and randomly and organize themselves
arbitrarily, such that the topology of wireless network 110 may
change rapidly.
[0139] Wireless network 110 may further employ a plurality of
access technologies including 2nd (2G), 3rd (3G) generation radio
access for cellular systems, WLAN, Wireless Router (WR) mesh, or
the like. Access technologies such as 2G, 3G, and future access
networks may enable wide area coverage for mobile devices, such as
mobile device 102 with various degrees of mobility. For example,
wireless network 110 may enable a radio connection through a radio
network access such as Global System for Mobile communication
(GSM), General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM
Environment (EDGE), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA),
or the like. In essence, wireless network 110 may include virtually
any wireless communication mechanism by which information may
travel between mobile devices 102-104 and another computing device,
network, or the like.
[0140] Network 105 is configured to couple BSN Platform 116 and/or
RSS 108 with other computing devices, including, client device 104,
and through wireless network 110 to mobile device 102. Network 105
is enabled to employ any form of computer readable media for
communicating information from one electronic device to another.
Also, network 105 can include the Internet in addition to local
area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), direct
connections, such as through a universal serial bus (USB) port,
other forms of computer-readable media, or any combination thereof.
On an interconnected set of LANs, including those based on
differing architectures and protocols, a router acts as a link
between LANs, enabling messages to be sent from one to another.
Also, communication links within LANs typically include twisted
wire pair or coaxial cable, while communication links between
networks may utilize analog telephone lines, full or fractional
dedicated digital lines including T1, T2, T3, and T4, Integrated
Services Digital Networks (ISDNs), Digital Subscriber Lines (DSLs),
wireless links including satellite links, or other communications
links known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, remote
computers and other related electronic devices could be remotely
connected to either LANs or WANs via a modem and temporary
telephone link. In essence, network 105 includes any communication
method by which information may travel between 106, client device
104, and other computing devices.
[0141] Additionally, communication media typically embodies
computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules,
or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave,
data signal, or other transport mechanism and includes any
information delivery media. The terms "modulated data signal," and
"carrier-wave signal" include a signal that has one or more of its
characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode
information, instructions, data, or the like, in the signal. By way
of example, communication media includes wired media such as
twisted pair, coaxial cable, fiber optics, wave guides, and other
wired media and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and
other wireless media.
[0142] One embodiment of BSN Platform 116 is described in more
detail below in conjunction with FIG. 4 and flowchart 5 and sitemap
flowcharts 6 to 10. Briefly, however, BSN Platform 116 includes one
or more network devices configured to enable content publishing for
users to share content over a network with others.
[0143] As shown in FIG. 1, BSN Platform 116 includes a Data
Management Server 113 which hosts multiple databases 121 including
Brand List, BSN Users and Brand Networks Profile, Members,
synchronization, log, statistics, transactions and actions,
Contents that is configured to provide data storage and analytics
for content, feedback to the content, reporting services, and/or
revenue analysis. Data Management Server 113 may also include data
about the user and users' profiles, including, but not limited to
login, password, region information, preferences and brand networks
contents, or the like.
[0144] Web Services 112 is configured to provide various web
services to a user including various search tools, synchronization,
communication, collaboration, user interfaces, accounting tools,
registration services, security services, or the like, that enable
a user or partners to access, edit, and/or otherwise publish, or
maintain content useable for a BSN and integrate website or portal
or products or services with BSN Platform.
[0145] Web and Applications Server 114 is configured to enable
display and/or management of one of more brand networks online web
sites or smart online or smart client enabled applications. In one
embodiment, Web and Applications Server 114 may provide access to
BSN and partners websites that enable integration, publishing and
retrieval of brand networks and content for display. In one
embodiment, Web and Applications Server 114 may include one or more
websites controlled or otherwise managed for providing professional
content. Such content may be written in multiple languages and
configured to be executed on a variety of different computing
platforms, and/or configurations. In one embodiment, automatic
reformatting of the content may be performed to enable the content
to be available through a variety of different communication
mechanisms, including, but not limited to web pages, RSS feeds,
emails, or like.
[0146] Thus, while Web and Applications Server 114 is illustrated
as a single computing device, the invention is not so limited. For
example, Web and Applications Server 114 may represent a plurality
of different computing devices. Similarly, Web Services and
Communication Server 112, and/or Data Management Server 113 may
also represent a plurality of computing devices, rather than a
single computing device. Therefore, devices that may operate as
components of BSN Platform 116 include personal computers desktop
computers, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or
programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, servers, network
appliances, or the like.
[0147] 3rd Party Partner Server 106 represents virtually any
computing device configured to provide a plurality of third party
services, including integration of BSN Brands Networks with
partners or brand owners website, content and services,
advertisement content, or the like. In one embodiment, RSS (Revenue
Sharing System) 108 may be provided within 3rd Party Partner Server
106, to provide revenue and/or other compensation to the BSN
Platform 116 based on different mechanisms, including pay per
member, pay per action or lead or e-commerce commission or pay per
clicks for advertisements, or the like. In one embodiment, 3rd
Party Partner Server 106 may provide the advertisement content, or
the like, and then receive information from RSS 108 indicating how
much compensation to be provided, based on reports provided by RSS
108, or the like. Brand Owners integrate related brand networks
with company web site or use online brand network on BSN platform
and share revenue or pay based on per member or per action or per
lead or per e-commerce transaction and like. Partners integrate
related one or more brand networks with web site or portal or
products or services and share revenue with BSN based on different
advertising model and e-commerce or sales transactions. Devices
that may operate as components of 3rd Party Partner Server 106
include personal computers desktop computers, multiprocessor
systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics,
network PCs, servers, network appliances, or the like.
[0148] Illustrative Client Device
[0149] FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of client device 200 that may be
included in a system implementing the invention. Client device 200
may include many more or less components than those shown in FIG.
2. However, the components shown are sufficient to disclose an
illustrative embodiment for practicing the present invention.
Client device 200 may represent, for example, client devices 102 or
104 of FIG. 1.
[0150] As shown in the figure, client device 200 includes a
processing unit (CPU) 222 in communication with a mass memory 230
via a bus 224. Client device 200 also includes a power supply 226,
one or more network interfaces 250, an audio interface 252, video
interface 259, a display 254, a keypad 256, an illuminator 258, an
input/output interface 260, an optional haptic interface 262, and
an optional global positioning systems (GPS) receiver 264. Power
supply 226 provides power to client device 200. A rechargeable or
non-rechargeable battery may be used to provide power. The power
may also be provided by an external power source, such as an AC
adapter or a powered docking cradle that supplements and/or
recharges a battery.
[0151] Client device 200 may optionally communicate with a base
station (not shown), or directly with another computing device.
Network interface 250 includes circuitry for coupling client device
200 to one or more networks, and is constructed for use with one or
more communication protocols and technologies including, but not
limited to, global system for mobile communication (GSM), code
division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access
(TDMA), user datagram protocol (UDP), transmission control
protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), SMS, general packet radio
service (GPRS), WAP, ultra wide band (UWB), IEEE 802.16 Worldwide
Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), SIP/RTP, or any of a
variety of other wireless communication protocols. Network
interface 250 is sometimes known as a transceiver, transceiving
device, or network interface card (NIC).
[0152] Audio interface 252 is arranged to produce and receive audio
signals such as the sound of a human voice. For example, audio
interface 252 may be coupled to a speaker and microphone (not
shown) to enable telecommunication with others and/or generate an
audio acknowledgement for some action. Display 254 may be a liquid
crystal display (LCD), gas plasma, light emitting diode (LED), or
any other type of display used with a computing device. Display 254
may also include a touch sensitive screen arranged to receive input
from an object such as a stylus or a digit from a human hand.
[0153] Video interface 259 is arranged to capture video images,
such as a still photo, a video segment, an infrared video, or the
like. For example, video interface 259 may be coupled to a digital
video camera, a web-camera, or the like. Video interface 259 may
comprise a lens, an image sensor, and other electronics. Image
sensors may include a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor
(CMOS) integrated circuit, charge-coupled device (CCD), or any
other integrated circuit for sensing light.
[0154] Keypad 256 may comprise any input device arranged to receive
input from a user. For example, keypad 256 may include a push
button numeric dial, or a keyboard. Keypad 256 may also include
command buttons that are associated with selecting and sending
images. Illuminator 258 may provide a status indication and/or
provide light. Illuminator 258 may remain active for specific
periods of time or in response to events. For example, when
illuminator 258 is active, it may backlight the buttons on keypad
256 and stay on while the client device is powered. Also,
illuminator 258 may backlight these buttons in various patterns
when particular actions are performed, such as dialing another
client device. Illuminator 258 may also cause light sources
positioned within a transparent or translucent case of the client
device to illuminate in response to actions.
[0155] Client device 200 also comprises input/output interface 260
for communicating with external devices, such as a headset, or
other input or output devices not shown in FIG. 2. Input/output
interface 260 can utilize one or more communication technologies,
such as USB, infrared, Bluetooth.TM., or the like. Optional haptic
interface 262 is arranged to provide tactile feedback to a user of
the client device. For example, the optional haptic interface may
be employed to vibrate client device 200 in a particular way when
another user of a computing device is calling.
[0156] Optional GPS transceiver 264 can determine the physical
coordinates of client device 200 on the surface of the Earth, which
typically outputs a location as latitude and longitude values. GPS
transceiver 264 can also employ other geo-positioning mechanisms,
including, but not limited to, triangulation, assisted GPS (AGPS),
E-OTD, CI, SAI, ETA, BSS or the like, to further determine the
physical location of client device 200 on the surface of the Earth.
It is understood that under different conditions, GPS transceiver
264 can determine a physical location within millimeters for client
device 200; and in other cases, the determined physical location
may be less precise, such as within a meter or significantly
greater distances. In one embodiment, however, mobile device may,
through other components, provide other information that may be
employed to determine a physical location of the device, including
for example, a MAC address, IP address, or the like.
[0157] Mass memory 230 includes a RAM 232, a ROM 234, and other
storage means. Mass memory 230 illustrates another example of
computer storage media for storage of information such as computer
readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other
data. Mass memory 230 stores a basic input/output system ("BIOS")
240 for controlling low-level operation of client device 200. The
mass memory also stores an operating system 241 for controlling the
operation of client device 200. It will be appreciated that this
component may include a general purpose operating system such as a
version of UNIX, or LINUX.TM., or a specialized client
communication operating system such as Windows Mobile.TM., or the
Symbian.RTM. Operating system. The operating system may include, or
interface with a Java virtual machine module that enables control
of hardware components and/or operating system operations via Java
application programs.
[0158] Memory 230 further includes one or more data storage 244,
which can be utilized by client device 200 to store, among other
things, applications 242 and/or other data. For example, data
storage 244 may also be employed to store information that
describes various capabilities of client device 200. The
information may then be provided to another device based on any of
a variety of events, including being sent as part of a header
during a communication, sent upon request, or the like. Moreover,
data storage 244 may also be employed to store multimedia
information and/or content for later publication, editing, or the
like, as well as other information including address lists, contact
lists, personal preferences, or the like. At least a portion of the
content may also be stored on a disk drive or other storage medium
(not shown) within client device 200.
[0159] Applications 242 may include computer executable
instructions which, when executed by client device 200, transmit,
receive, and/or otherwise process messages (e.g., SMS, MMS, IM,
email, and/or other messages), content, and enable
telecommunication with another user of another client device. Other
examples of application programs include calendars, editors, email
clients, IM applications, SMS applications, VOIP applications,
contact managers, task managers, transcoders, database programs,
word processing programs, security applications, spreadsheet
programs, games, search programs, and so forth. Applications 242
may further include browser 245. Browser 245 may include virtually
any of a variety of client applications configured to receive
and/or provide communications of web pages, and other content over
a network. Browser 245 typically provides for a graphical display
of various web pages, including user interfaces provided, in part,
by another computing device over the network. Browser 245 may
include a variety of security features, and/or other plug-in
applications, modules, applets, scripts, or the like, to enable
display of animation, videos, playing of audio files, or the like.
Browser 245 and applications 242 are configured to enable a user to
prepare content for publication to BSN Platform 116 of FIG. 1.
Moreover, through one or more of applications 242, the user may
receive notification of and/or compensation for their contributed
content.
[0160] Illustrative Server Environment
[0161] FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of a network device, according
to one embodiment of the invention. Network device 300 may include
many more components than those shown. The components shown,
however, are sufficient to disclose an illustrative embodiment for
practicing the invention. Network device 300 may represent, for
example, an integrated BSN Platform and Frameworks includes Users
Profiles, Friends, Brand Networks, Applications and Contents
Management System. Thus, in one embodiment, network device 300 may
represent an integrated device for managing BSN Platform 116 and
RSS 108 of FIG. 1. However, it should be clear from above, that
such components also may be distributed across a plurality of
different computing devices. Thus, FIG. 3 should not be construed
as constraining or limiting the invention in any manner, but
instead is intended as merely one of a variety of possible
implementations.
[0162] In any event, network device 300 includes processing unit
312, video display adapter 314, and a mass memory, all in
communication with each other via bus 322. The mass memory
generally includes RAM 316, ROM 332, and one or more permanent mass
storage devices, such as hard disk drive 328, tape drive, optical
drive, and/or floppy disk drive. The mass memory stores operating
system 320 for controlling the operation of network device 300. Any
general-purpose operating system may be employed. Basic
input/output system ("BIOS") 318 is also provided for controlling
the low-level operation of network device 300. As illustrated in
FIG. 3, network device 300 also can communicate with the Internet,
or some other communications network, via network interface unit
310, which is constructed for use with various communication
protocols including the TCP/IP protocol. Network interface unit 310
is sometimes known as a transceiver, transceiving device, or
network interface card (NIC).
[0163] The mass memory as described above illustrates another type
of computer-readable media, namely computer storage media. Computer
storage media may include volatile, nonvolatile, removable, and
non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for
storage of information, such as computer readable instructions,
data structures, program modules, or other data. Examples of
computer storage media include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or
other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or
other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic
disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium
which can be used to store the desired information and which can be
accessed by a computing device.
[0164] The mass memory also stores program code and data. One or
more applications 350 are loaded into mass memory and run on
operating system 320. Examples of application programs may include
transcoders, schedulers, calendars, database programs, word
processing programs, HTTP programs, customizable user interface
programs, IPSec applications, encryption programs, security
programs, VPN programs, SMS message servers, IM message servers,
email servers, account managers, and so forth.
[0165] Mass memory further includes web server 356, data stores
358, and applications 350. Applications 350 are shown to include
Brand Networks (BSN) Platform server 352 and Revenue Sharing System
(RSS) server 354 and online applications and services server 355.
Web server 356 includes virtually any application configured to
delivers Web pages and other content to browsers and other client
applications via at least the HTTP protocol. However, web server
356 may also be configured to provide scripts, user interfaces,
accounting interfaces, editors, security, or the like, to the
client application. Moreover, web server 356 may employ a variety
of other communication protocols, beyond HTTP. For example, web
server 356 may be configured to manage email communication
protocols, SMS protocols, IM protocols, or the like. Moreover web
server 356 may employ a variety of scripts, applets, programs, or
the like, to enable communications of content with a client
application. In one embodiment, web server 356 may represent, in
part, web properties services provided through Web Properties
Server 114 of FIG. 1 and described in more detail below in
conjunction with FIG. 4. In one embodiment, web server 356 may also
obtain the content and/or user interfaces, applications, or the
like, from data stores 358.
[0166] Data stores 358 may include any of a variety of storage
mechanisms, configured to store, and otherwise managed content,
applications, scripts, applets, or the like. As such, data stores
358 may be a database, a file structure, or the like. Data stores
358 may store the content into a category structure, such as
folders, albums, graphs, trees, or the like, based on a user
account, a web service, or the like. In one embodiment, data stores
358 may represent the Data Management services illustrated in FIG.
1, and described in more detail below in conjunction with FIG.
4.
[0167] BSN Platform 352 is described in more detail below in
conjunction with FIG. 4. Briefly, however, BSN Platform 352
includes a variety of components to provide web services to a user,
including search tools, user interfaces, plug-and-play modules, or
the like. Various embodiments of example user interface screens are
described in more detail below.
[0168] RSS 354 is described in more detail below. Briefly, however,
RSS 354 includes applications, and/or data configured to determine
Revenue Sharing for partners including Brand Owners, Developers and
Partners like 3.sup.rd party web sites, portals, research agency,
based on a variety of mechanisms, including but not limited to pay
per member, pay per action or lead or sales transaction,
impressions of the content by others, click-through activities of a
viewer of the content, mouse overs by a viewer on a webpage
including the content, or the like. Embodiments of various user
interface screens are described in more detail below.
[0169] Illustrative Overview BSN Platform Architecture
[0170] FIG. 4 shows an overview diagram of one embodiment of a BSN
platform for the environment of FIG. 1. As such, FIG. 4 provides an
expanded illustration of BSN Platform 116 and third party Partner
servers 106 of FIG. 1. BSN Platform Architecture 400 may include
many more components than those shown. The components shown,
however, are sufficient to disclose an illustrative embodiment for
practicing the invention.
[0171] As shown, BSN Platform Architecture 400 includes web
properties 441, which represents one embodiment of an expansion of
Web Properties Server 114's architecture. BSN Platform Architecture
400 also includes web services 442, which represents one embodiment
of an expansion of Web Services Server 112's architecture. BSN
Platform Architecture 400 further includes Data Management 443,
which represents one embodiment of an expansion of Data Management
Server 113 of FIG. 1 and Users Management 444 which represents one
embodiment of an expansion of client device 104 and 102 of FIG. 1.
Moreover, as shown, BSN Platform Architecture 400 also includes
Partners 445, which represents one embodiment of an expansion of
3rd Party Partner Server 106 of FIG. 1. In one embodiment, Web
Properties 441, Web Services 442, and Data Management 443 represent
BSN Platform 116 of FIG. 1.
[0172] As illustrated, Partners 445 may include Revenue Sharing
Systems (RSS) 436, Brand Owners 417, Brand Network Partners (3rd
party web sites, portals, products and services) 411, content
partners 401, Advertise partners 402 and Developers Partners 403.
However, Partners 445 is not constrained to include only these
types of partner servers/services, and others may be included,
without departing from the scope of the invention. Revenue Sharing
Systems (RSS) 436, for example, may represent virtually any
computing system configured to include third party advertisements,
advertisement revenues, or other services that may provide and/or
other compensation to BSN Platform 116 based on different
mechanisms, including, but not limited to a number of
advertisements displayed, pay per click (PPC), cost per thousand
(CPM), cost per lead (CPL), cost per action for an advertisement
(CPA), mouse over costs, impression fees and revenue sharing for
integration of one or more brands networks with brand owners or
partners website or portal including pay per join member, pay per
sales or ecommerce transaction, pay per visit or action, or the
like. BSN Platform 116, and its illustrated components in FIG. 4,
may communicate with Revenue Sharing Systems (RSS) 401 using a
variety of different protocols, including, but not limited to FTP,
HTTP, SOAP, or the like. In one embodiment, information provided by
Revenue Sharing Systems (RSS) 401 may be obtained, and/or provided
to BSN 116 through Brand Networks Use Statistics, Revenue share
Accounting, Metering, Analytics and Reporting and Revenue Share
data store 405.
[0173] Contents partner 401 represents commerce partners that are
in communication with the web services application 433 via one or
more protocols, including, but not limited to, 3rd party APIs, FTP,
HTTP, SOAP, or the like. Through contents partner 401, the web
service application 433 may expose a plurality of e-commerce
functions that can be used across multiple websites. It should be
noted, that the invention is not limited to contents partners, and
other content partners may also be included, such as audio
partners, graphical partners, advertising or e-commerce or
marketing partners or the like.
[0174] As shown, Data Management 443 includes Brands Networks' Use
Statistics and Revenue Sharing related Accounting, Metering,
Analytics, Reporting data store 405, Users & Networks Profile
and Contents Database store 408, and Brand Database store 412.
[0175] Revenue Sharing related data 405 represents any storage
mechanism that enables storage reporting, and related analytics. In
one embodiment, Revenue Sharing related data 405 may include a
database, a spreadsheet, program and data, or the like. In one
embodiment, Revenue Sharing related data 405 is part of the data
management layer of the BSN Platform 116 and can be arranged to run
OLAP, or the like, and to provide reporting services. Revenue
Sharing related data 405 may also be arranged to store detailed
logs from defined partner's and brand owners websites and overlay
the logs with revenue data and/or other compensation data that is
retrieved from 3rd party advertisement revenue systems. The Revenue
Sharing related data 405 can be used for reporting, accounting, and
revenue share and/or other compensation sharing of brands networks,
partner's websites, and/or other 3rd party websites. Thus, in one
embodiment, at least a portion of Revenue Sharing related data 405
may be employed to provide at least some data or other support to
RSS 108 of FIG. 1.
[0176] Users & Networks Profiles and Contents Database store
408 includes a local database, spreadsheet, file, program, or the
like. Content retrieved, for example, by internet search 432 may be
stored in content data store 408. The content can be exposed via an
internal web application, script, applet, API, or the like, which
can be used by a search mechanism to index or otherwise access the
stored content.
[0177] Users & Networks Profiles and Contents Database store
408 includes a database, file, spreadsheet, program, or the like,
for storing information, such as professional content (for some
properties), individual and collaborative content, as well as user
tips and comments, or the like. In at least one embodiment, the
content can be stored in XML. However, the invention is not so
constrained, and the content may also be stored in any of a variety
of formats. User & content store 408 can also store user
account information, transactions, actions, user security
information, user profile data, or the like, and provide for
retrieval of revenue and/or other compensation specific information
from the Revenue Sharing related database 405.
[0178] Brands List database store 412 includes a database, file,
spreadsheet, program, or the like, for storing information, such as
Brands Name List for validating the user created Brand Network
legal name. In at least one embodiment, the content can be stored
in XML. However, the invention is not so constrained, and the
content may also be stored in any of a variety of formats.
[0179] Applications, API and Web services 442 include BSN Platform
Plug-and-play and integration API, Search Engine, Default and
Developers Online, smart online and smart client applications and
services 432, media web services 433, and Experts Compensation
System (ECS) 434, Advertising System 435, Revenue Sharing System
(RSS) 436.
[0180] Internet Search Engine 432 includes an internal search
appliance, crawler application, and/or spider application, or the
like, that crawls and indexes one or more network sites to find
different types of content, e.g., "how to" content, or the like, on
websites that may be controlled by the BSN Platform 116. The
content may be stored locally in a database and made available via
the Media web services 433. Internet search engine 432 may further
allow users to search through the content generated by and residing
in BSN Platform 116.
[0181] Media web services 433 is arranged to include content
retrieval, tip/comment retrieval and submission, user registration
and login, publication creation, publication edits and wiki
functions, e-commerce products, internal searches, content searches
across the web, or the like. Thus, in one embodiment media web
services 433 is configured to provide user interface screens to
enable a user to register for and use the invention to create and
publish content. In one embodiment, media web services 433 provides
the user interfaces such as those described in more detail below.
Moreover, in one embodiment, media web services 433 can enable
caching of content and other information for fast retrieval by a
user, administrator, or the like.
[0182] Wiki platform 432 includes a wiki type platform to enable
collaborative development of web content. In one embodiment, wiki
platform 432 may operate substantially similar to the wiki media
open source platform for creating brand specific collaborative
content creation or editing, submission or publishing and
filtering. In one embodiment, wiki platform 432 may provide
editing, and/or formatting tools, version control tools, or the
like, as well as rules, procedures, policies, security, or the
like, for its use. In one embodiment, wiki platform 432 may be
included within BSN plug-and-play 413. In one embodiment, a user
may access wiki platform 432 though media web services 433.
[0183] BSN Platform plug-and-play integration API 413 provides a
series of forms, scripts, code, applets, or the like. In one
embodiment, the forms can be embedded in a client application,
interface, or the like, such as through javascript, iFRAME, or as a
hosted ASP application. BSN Platform plug-and-play 413 can
communicate with the media web services 433 using SOAP, or
virtually any other protocol, to enable its functions, including
user registration and login, or content creation and submission.
This layer of the system can maintain forms used to submit
different content formats. It can also act as a central management
server to manage logins across different websites.
[0184] Web properties 441 include websites 416, RSS 436, and Plug
& Play API 413. RSS 436 includes virtually any mechanism
configured to enable a website to log viewing traffic and/or
clicks, mouse-overs, feedback, or the like. The RSS may, in one
embodiment, be continuously written to cache and/or periodically
written as XML, or the like, to disk. In one embodiment, a separate
service may access the logs from disk and write them to a logging
database, such as Revenue sharing related data store 405, or the
like.
[0185] Websites 411 represents websites that employs BSN Platform
116 to enable retrieval of content and to perform related BSN
Platform functions via communication with the media web services
433. In one embodiment, plug and play code may be employed by
websites 411 and 417 to manage user logins, and/or related account
services. Websites 411 and 417 can also be used for creating new
brands networks, registration of new members and generating new
content and enabling users to edit existing content collaboratively
using various tools and user interfaces provided by web services
431.
[0186] One embodiment of code 413 includes client side javascript
code configured to enable "injection" of forms, or the like, into a
client's website i.e. brand owner or partners web site or portal or
products or services. In one embodiment, code 413 may perform such
injections using one or more mechanisms, including, for example,
iFRAME. Code 413 may be further configured to enable management of
user logins, sessions, and/or content creation. Once code 413 is
injected or otherwise provided to the website, the user can
customize parameters associated with its use. Use of code 413 may
then provide the user with access to user interface screens, such
as those described below, for use in managing brands networks and
content publications through the BSN, and/or managing Revenue
sharing through the RSS. In one embodiment, the BSN Platform may be
configured using an Application Service Provider (ASP), or the
like, where the brands networks and related publishing of various
contents, applications and services may then be hosted on, for
example, a 3rd level domain name and/or configured to hosts a user
Interface of the client's website. In one embodiment, a user
session may be maintained between the client website and the BSN
Platform though use of cookies. However, the invention is not so
constrained, and other mechanisms may also be employed. Moreover,
in one embodiment, the communication between the user and the BSN
Platform and/or BSN Platform interfaces may be over a secure
network connection, using for example, SS/TLS, or other secure
tunneling protocols.
[0187] Websites 416 include those websites that may be managed or
otherwise controlled by the operators, administrators, or the like,
for the BSN Platform. In one embodiment, website 416 may include a
local data store 417. Local data store 417 may be employed, for
example, to store and/or manage professional content that may be
written in multiple languages for use in running on a plurality of
different platforms. In one embodiment, websites 416 may be able to
access media web services 433 to retrieve individual and
collaborative content. Websites 416 may also access for use other
components within online, smart client, API and web services 442,
including for example, the BSN plug-and-play 413 to manage user
logins, profiles, and/or to create new brands networks and
publications or other content, and/or to comment on existing
content.
[0188] Generalized Operation
[0189] The operation of certain aspects of the invention will now
be described with respect to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 illustrates a flow
chart of an overview of process 500 for the Brand Social Networks
(BSN) Platform. Process 500 may be implemented within a single
computing device, such as described above in conjunction with FIG.
3. Process 500 may also be distributed across a plurality of
computing devices, such as described in conjunction with FIG. 1,
above.
[0190] In any event, process 500 of FIG. 5, may begin, after a
start block, where users manually or automatically create their
Portfolio of Brands Groups Lists via Brands Groups Lists Generator
and join or create related and selected brands networks
502.Further, BSN users can manage and invite friends and members of
brands networks to grow the networks 503. Users or Members of
brands networks can Publish and use other users Publications 504.
In one embodiment, the user may initially interact with various
user interfaces to the BSN Platform to access applications,
services, API, scripts, tools, applets, or the like, for use in
creating and managing Brands Networks, managing contents for
publication 505 and registered user can take actions on brands
networks and related contents including comments, rank, flag,
review, and like 506. In one embodiment, the user may initially
perform a registration as described in conjunction with the user
interface screens below.
[0191] The user may then provide content to the BSN Platform using
such additional screen interfaces, applications, or the like,
provided by BSN Platform. In one embodiment, the user may provide
the content using a variety of different formats, using a variety
of different computing languages, or the like.
[0192] Processing then moves to block 504, where content may then
be published onto and/or through the variety of Brands Networks,
and/or other communication mediums, as described above. In one
embodiment, the user providing the content may indicate where the
content is to be published. In another embodiment, a website, or
communication medium provider, or the like, might determine which
content is to be published, where, and/or when. In still another
embodiment, an advertisement provider, or other third party content
providers, may also influence where, when, and/or how the user's
content might be published.
[0193] Moving to block 507, Revenue Sharing tools are employed to
monitor metrics useable in determining if and/or when to provide
compensation to an expert content provider and revenue share to
website owner including brand owners and partners websites or
portals or products or services. Such determination, as noted
above, may be based on a variety of metrics, including, but not
limited to pay per actions or transactions or visits or leads,
clicks, mouse overs, and feedback regarding the content, website,
or the like.
[0194] Process 500 then flows to block 507, where compensation may
be provided to the content provider of block 504. As noted above,
the compensation may be provided based on exceeding a threshold
value, exceeding a time period, or any of a variety of other
defined criteria. While the above discussions may indicate that
compensation may be provided in terms of a financial compensation,
the invention is not so limited. For example, compensation may also
be provided as discounts in other products and/or services.
Moreover, in one embodiment, where an expert content provider has
obtained a reputation for quality contributions of content, the
expert content provider may also receive compensation in terms of
being able to influence which advertisements might be associated
with their published content, where the content is published, or
the like. Thus, compensation may be reflected to the content
provider in a plurality of different ways, without departing from
the scope of the invention. In any event, process 500 then may
return to perform other actions. For example, in one embodiment,
process 500 may be repeated each time a user creates or generates
Brands Group Lists, Creates or joins selected preferred brands
networks, searches & invites friends and grows the brands
networks, publishes brand network specific publications and uses
other members publications, manages profiles and attaches-detaches
application and services, takes actions on brand networks, members
and publications like ranks, comments, blocks and removes. BSN
shares revenue with partners web sites, Application provider
Developers, Content providers, Experts and Brand owners, or the
like. Moreover, process 500 may be performed per user, or
collectively for a plurality for users.
[0195] It will be understood that each block of the flowchart
illustration, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart
illustration, can be implemented by computer program instructions.
These program instructions may be provided to a processor to
produce a machine, such that the instructions, which executed on
the processor, create means for implementing the actions specified
in the flowchart block or blocks. The computer program instructions
may be executed by a processor to cause a series of operational
steps to be performed by the processor to produce a computer
implemented process such that the instructions, which executed on
the processor to provide steps for implementing the actions
specified in the flowchart block or blocks. The computer program
instructions may also cause at least some of the operational steps
shown in the blocks of the flowchart to be performed in parallel.
Moreover, some of the steps may also be performed across more than
one processor, such as might arise in a multi-processor computer
system. In addition, one or more blocks or combinations of blocks
in the flowchart illustration may also be performed concurrently
with other blocks or combinations of blocks, or even in a different
sequence than illustrated without departing from the scope or
spirit of the invention.
[0196] Accordingly, blocks of the flowchart illustration support
combinations of means for performing the specified actions,
combinations of steps for performing the specified actions and
program instruction means for performing the specified actions. It
will also be understood that each block of the flowchart
illustration, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart
illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based
systems which perform the specified actions or steps, or
combinations of special purpose hardware and computer
instructions.
[0197] Illustrative User Interfaces and Site Mapping
[0198] The operation of certain aspects of the invention will now
be described with respect to various embodiments of user interfaces
to the BSN Platform. FIGS. 6 to 10 shows a detail overview diagram
of one embodiment of a process site map for the BSN platform. It
should be noted that the BSN Platform may be employed by different
brands, trade names, users, or the like. Thus, a plurality of
different users may simultaneously and distinctly employ the BSN
Platform in a variety of ways. In another embodiment, different
websites and/or other communication mediums may be used. In one
embodiment, arrangements of websites, or other communication
mediums may be based on a third party's linking agreement, or the
like, including agreements based on logo displays, link references,
or the like. In several embodiments, a user may be provided a
website based on tab interfaces, page templates, or the like.
[0199] In any event, FIG. 6 provides an overview of various
interfaces, and process actions that a user may employ while
creating and managing Brand Networks and/or Publishing Content.
Site map 600 of FIG. 6 shows an example of websites 601 useable for
accessing, creating, and/or otherwise managing Brand Networks and
content for publication. As noted, more or less websites, as well
as a variety of other communication mediums may also be
employed.
[0200] As shown, site map 600 identifies a holistic view of variety
of possible actions of Brands Social Networks (BSN), including
performing browsing and searching of Users Profiles, Brands
Networks and related Contents by registered users as well as
Non-Members 611 and obtaining search results, performing
registration and performing logins 612, after login system displays
User's Home Page 621 including management and all types of User
Statistics, Friends and Members or subscribers management 632,
Users Brand Networks management 633, Applications management 634,
Publications contents management 635, Brand Group Lists management
636 including create Brands Group List manually 646 and Brands
Group Lists generates via templates 647 and all Brands Group Lists
of user's includes public 651, private 652, Shared 653 and public
654, messaging management 637 and User's Profile Page management
including Profile's Public View 641, Edit Profiles 642, Account
Settings 643, All Privacy Settings 644, All Statistics and News
645.
[0201] As shown, site map 700 identifies a variety of possible
actions for Friends and Members Management, including search and
invite friends or members to join the BSN or BSN Brands Networks or
participate for any other activities or actions 711 including
search user's friends or members from friend lists 721, various
invitation logic or method or system to invite friends via e-mail
or search or contact list and like 722, Find friends 723, Invite
friends' friends or members from other brands networks 724, Other
features 712 including all friends updated news 731, Add member as
friend and request to accept as friend. If request accepted friend
automatically add to users friends list 732, Suggest or introduce a
particular friend to other friends of user 733, accept request from
other users or members and confirmed them as friends 734, Mutual
friends 735 and User created Friend Lists 736.
[0202] As shown, site map 800 identifies a variety of possible
actions for Brand Networks Management, including Search User's all
created or joined public or private Brand Networks 811, Create New
Public 821 or Private 822 or Trusted 823 or Collaborative or
Federated 824 Brands Networks, Anybody can create Public brand
network and is unique network for particular brand, but brand
network is owned by BSN administrator or brand owner. User can
create (N) numbers of private brand network and invite friends or
members to join a network. To access or create trusted network user
has to provide official E-mail ID or any trusted identification
information. Collaborative or federated brands networks are created
by multiple brand owners via mutual collaboration agreements and
user can also create federated brands group list. Before creating a
particular Brand Network, BSN validate brand network name with
Brand name database and via other logic or algorithm or method or
system e.g. with popular search engine, human agents or
collaborative users filtering or user flag or comment or complaint
and confirm availability of Brand network 831. User can Join
already existing public or private Brand Networks via Search and
browse options and All types of News, invitation from users,
members, experts, friends and brand owner's administrators 813,
Leave Brand Network 814, Browse and search all public Brand
Networks of BSN and read, review, rank, comment on contents for
registered users of BSN and Non-Members or Public Guest User 815,
Remove or hide or un-publish Brand network by creator of brand
networks or BSN Administrators based on abuse report or Brand
owners administrators 816.After creating Brand network successfully
Brand Networks administrator can view administer profile 861,
Publish or un-publish brand network 862, view brand network page
including all brand related details, attached applications, list of
members and publications 863, edit brand network page to create
administrators, attach applications and services, publication and
contents 864, Brand Network specific Publications Management,
Analysis, User Action like comments, Ranks and Review 865, Invite
members to join brand networks and related management 866, Set
privacy settings regarding eligibility of membership of brand
network like age restriction, particular location only and other
preferences 866, View Brand Network's statistics including Brand
Network Page Hits, Unique visitors for particular period and from
particular location, application users, publication readers or
subscribers 867 and promote Brand Network via BSN advertising
systems. Brand Networks joined members 842 can compose structured,
free form and application specific content publications 851 and
participate or take actions including comments, ranks contents,
communicate with members 852, view or access brand network and use
related applications and services 853.
[0203] As shown, site map 900 identifies a variety of possible
actions for Applications Management, including application
development and deployment management 911 includes BSN default
application and services for Users and Brand Networks Profile Page
921, BSN Developers 922, User created applications integration 923,
Browse or search applications by User or Brand Network Profile Page
(category and location wise) 912, attach or detach applications 913
with particular user's 924 or brand network's profile page 925, set
privacy regarding application including Control what information is
available to applications, share profile information, Block
applications and ignore application invitations 914, Invite
application users by application developers to all or related users
via promotion 915, View applications related statistics including
number of installation, hits, visits 916.
[0204] As shown, site map 1000 identifies a variety of possible
actions for Users or Experts or Brand owner administrators or
editors or partners Generated Content Publications Management
including composing content publications 1011 including structures,
free form and application specific composition systems 1021,
publisher or user or author or writer or editor or administrator or
expert can publish or draft 1031 or publish publication with or
without collaboration settings 1041 or discard publication 1033 or
hide published publication 1042, all incoming contents from all
subscribed or joined brand networks come to Inbox 1012 and user can
read, use and take actions on published contents like rank or
comment or flag 1013 and 1015, user can search all published or
Inbox publication contents 1016 and take actions or analysis of all
incoming contents from all joined brand network sources 1022,
content publication publisher can administer 1014 the all
publications including attach application with publication 1023,
set privacy for subscriptions 1024, Administrator can do Content
Management function like user's comments and review analysis, user
generated content filtering, censorship and block user 1025, invite
members or readers or subscribers and promote the publication via
BSN advertising systems 1026 and view or analyze statistics
1027.
[0205] Many of these actions are described below in conjunction
with FIGS. 11-32.
[0206] FIG. 11-31 show different screen shots style drawings of
various embodiments of user interfaces for employing the Brands
Social Networks (BSN) Platform, in accordance with the invention.
It should be noted that the following illustrations are not
intended to limit the invention. Instead, they are intended to
merely provide an overview non-exhaustive understanding of how the
invention may be employed.
[0207] In one embodiment, a user may interact with the BSN Platform
using virtually any browser application or smart client or smart
online applications, including, but not limited to Internet
Explorer (IE), Firefox, Opera, Safari, or the like. Moreover, as
described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-2, the user may use any
of a variety of client devices.
[0208] As mentioned in conjunction with site map 600 of FIG. 6, a
user may initially register for use of the BSN Platform. In one
embodiment, one username/password can be provided to a user to
allow access to all website properties of the BSN Platform
including BSN international or BSN Country or region specific or
BSN Local or Brand Owners or Partners' website or portal or
products or services. In one embodiment, username and email
addresses can be used as unique identifiers including trusted
identifications like official e-mail id or mobile phone number or
any other trusted id system for each registration. Moreover, a user
may perform multiple concurrent logins to the BSN System.
[0209] As websites are acquired, the usernames/passwords of their
customers/users can be imported into the BSN registration database
as soon as it's appropriate to do so. In one embodiment, a customer
messaging may take place before doing this. In one embodiment,
self-registration in a defined website can be defined for "General
User" or "Expert User" or "Brand Owner Admin" or "Network Member".
In another embodiment, administrators could continue to be
registered via an Administrator Tool. In one embodiment, however,
to join or create brand networks, use user profile and contribute
publications contents of any kind (article, tip or comment), a user
may first self-register.
[0210] One embodiment of a screen shot of a login window 1100 is
illustrated in FIG. 11. In one embodiment, a root level webpage for
websites 601-1101 can have a prominent button or link called "Log
in or Register." This link can be pervasive through all screens on
the websites. Clicking on this button can generate the login
screen, which can have a link or button to "Create a New Account".
Clicking on this button, in one embodiment, produces the
Registration Page. In one embodiment, if a user has not logged in
and they attempt to contribute content (for example, by clicking on
"My Brands Resource Book" or "Comment on Publication" or the like.)
the Login Page can appear. Logout links may take place of "Login"
links after the user has successfully logged in. After clicking on
logout, the user may be taken to the one of the website's Home
Page. In one embodiment, the user's browser can prompt the user
whether it wants to remember the username/password for the next
visit.
[0211] FIG. 11 illustrates one embodiment of a screen shot of a
registration interface 1102. If a required field is left empty in
the quick registration interface, or if the password fields do not
match, the fields that are to be fixed may be indicated in some
manner, e.g., red text, entry area highlighted, or the like. Users
may choose to view the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before
proceeding, in one embodiment. If the user clicks on either of
these links, a new daughter window can appear with a "Close" button
at the bottom of the text. Moreover, users can be told that their
registration request failed if the birth date that they enter makes
them less than some defined age, after they click on
"Continue."
[0212] FIG. 1102 illustrates one embodiment of an interface useable
for managing user registration. Thus, in one embodiment, after
clicking on "Continue" on a previous page, an email is sent to the
user's registered email account. Screen may then be displayed in
the browser. All fields shown in screen may be optional. Clicking
"Save" at bottom of a form generates an alert message interposed on
the "Home Screen" for the site, telling the user to check their
email for the confirmation message so they can log in.
[0213] If the user is not logged in after launching the
confirmation page, then their first login can take place on their
first attempt to create brands group lists, join Brands Networks or
Publish and Subscribe Publications, whether it is a create new
brand network or new publication or an update to their profile.
Moreover, the BSN System provides for situations, where the user
may have forgotten their password. Thus, a "Forgot Password?" link
can appear next to the password entry field for login. Clicking on
this link can produce a field requesting username OR email address
they registered with and a submit button. Providing registered
email address and clicking on "Submit" can cause the user's
password to be sent to their registered email account.
[0214] Typically, collection of statistics begins for the
registered user immediately upon completion of registration. All
ratings, comments, publications submissions, or the like, may be
traceable/displayable back to the user, as well as all
revenue-generating activity related to the expert user (pageviews,
click-throughs, or the like). In one embodiment, a mechanism for
bulk importing a set of user registrations from an acquired company
or brand owners or partners may be provided. The process can flag
duplicate usernames and can allow for the acquired user to change
their username to something unique to preserve their account
history. Moreover, in one embodiment, logging subsystems of the BSN
system may track abandoned registrations. User can also browse and
search categories brands networks and related contents and people
or user or member or friends profiles from home page 1103, 1104 and
1105.
[0215] FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment of a screen 1200
configured as a possible home screen of BSN registered User managed
by the BSN Platform. Screen 1200 enables users to obtain an
at-a-glance view into the parts of their presence on the site; and
obtain a convenient means of managing Profile, Privacy and Account
Settings, Brands Networks, Friends, Applications and Publications
1209 and All Statistics including User's Levels, Points and Ranks
1205, Number of Friends and joined Members 1203, Public and/or
Private Brand Networks 1202, Publication Viewers or readers hits or
visits 1206, Invitation accepted and requested 1204, publications
in Inbox, publications published, Applications attached with
profile, News, subscriptions, notification and messages and
associate lists and invoking links 1201.
[0216] FIG. 13 illustrates embodiments of screens 1300 useable to
public to view the user's profile page displaying profile picture
and all Friends and Brands Group Lists link 1301 and list and
profiles links of all friends 1302, Created and joined all public
and private Brands Networks list 1303, Friends in other networks
list and profiles links 1304, user's details, user's 1305 and all
friends status 1306, updated statistics 1307, My News 1308, all
types of publications 1309 and all attached applications and
services 1310 including Photos, Top Brands, Groups, Answer,
E-commerce, Survey, Contest, Poll, Events, Blogs and Videos and
like with User's Profile Page. User can set privacy setting to
control who can see profile page.
[0217] FIG. 14 illustrates embodiments of screens 1400 useable to
manage the user's 1401 and expert's profile 1405 and extended
profiles 1403 including work profile 1402 and Education Profile
1406. Prior to publication, a process can be applied to the
Location and Description fields to scan for HTML and/or offensive
content. If the profile includes HTML, or offensive
language/content, an alerts message can appear to the user after
they click on "Save My Profile" telling them to check for at least
one of these two conditions and resubmit after editing. Note that
all uploaded images can be reviewed via a Picture Queue. Uploaded
images can be published to the public site immediately with the
finished profile, but if an image fails review, a generic
placeholder image can be substituted on this page and the user's
public profile page. The user can subsequently upload another image
that meets the BSN System standards (published in a FAQ). An email
can also be sent informing the user that this action took place
against their submitted image 1407.User can also specify and
updates relationships information 1404.
[0218] FIG. 15 illustrates embodiments of screens 1500 useable to
manage the user's Account settings including change password 1501,
reset password 1502, BSN mobile website activation settings 1503,
change email contact address 1504, preferred site and language
settings and time zone 1505, notifications related settings
including sent notifications when add users as friend, when user
confirm friendship request, suggest friends and like 1506 and all
attached applications specific settings 1507. A facility may be
provided to a user to remove their profile from the system 1508.
When the user selects this option from their Profile Page, the
following actions can take place: they are shown a confirmation
alert that they click-through; if they click no, they are returned
to the Profile Account Settings page; if they click yes, their
profile is taken down off the public site, all publications and
comments attributed to them can also subsequently revert to "site
Friend;" account information, Brand Networks membership information
and publication/comment attribution can still be stored in the
database, but may only be displayable on the user's Control Panel;
User can still login using their credentials and make their profile
and attributions "public" again at any time. In one embodiment,
expert user earnings from their services and publications can
continue uninterrupted regardless of whether their profile is
public or not.
[0219] FIG. 16 illustrates embodiments of screens 1600 useable to
manage the user's Privacy settings including control who can see
user's profile and related information. Users can customize privacy
settings from the Privacy page from which user have total control
over who can view all of contents. At most, only user's friends,
their friends and the people or members on user's networks can see
user's profile 1601. Users can adjust who can find user in searches
and what they can see or do with users search result via settings
for Search Privacy 1602. User can adjust Search privacy options by
clicking on "Edit Settings" in the "Search" section of the Privacy
page. From this page, user can restrict who can find user in many
different ways. The default option is for everyone on BSN to be
able to find user in searches. User's Profile privacy setting
determines who can actually view user's full profile. BSN also
offers more restrictive search privacy options, the only people who
can find in searches are all the people in brands networks and all
friends, some of the people in brands networks and all friends, or
just user's friends. If user select "Some of my networks and all my
friends" user will get to select which networks can find user in
search and which cannot. From the Search privacy page, user can
also establish what people can see about user. User can also
restrict profile picture to appear in search results. User can also
prevent the people who find user in searches from messaging user,
adding user as a friend or viewing user's friends list. These
settings only apply to people who are not permitted to see user's
profile (i.e. people who are not friends or on any of brands
networks). User can also set privacy settings for Publication i.e.
who see or use which publications and subscription 1607. User can
also control incoming publications i.e. who sent what publications
to me 1606. User control brands networks membership i.e. who is
eligible to join user's brand networks 1609. User set privacy
setting for attached applications and generated data and actions
1603 and Block applications and ignores applications related
invitations 1610. User can use the Block feature to end all
interactions with a user on BSN by entering their name in the
"Block Users" box 1608. Once user finds them in the search, click
the "Block User" link to the right of their name. They will no
longer be able to find user using BSN. By default, only users or
members within user's brands networks and confirmed friends can
view user's profile. On the most private setting, "Only Friends,"
only users who are confirmed friends will be able to view profile.
User can restrict all news and actions related content 1605 and who
contact user via see user's picture, send message, add user as
friend and view friend list 1604.User can create private or
personal brands groups lists or share selected Brands group lists
or make them public for collaborative editing and updating and set
privacy settings to control who see or update selected or
particular brands group lists 1611.
[0220] FIG. 17 illustrates one embodiment of a screen 1700
configured as a possible home screen of BSN registered Brand
Owner's Administrator managed by the BSN Platform. Screen 1700
enables Administrator Users to obtain an at-a-glance view into the
parts of their presence on the site; and obtain a convenient means
of managing All created brands networks including publish
publications, attach and detach applications and services, censor
and filter user or member created contents, analysis, Members or
customers relationship management, customers services life cycle
management, network invitation and promotion management and like
1702, All publications and incoming brand network specific contents
from members, News, Notifications and Actions 1701 and managing
Administrator's Profile, One or more Brand owner's Brand Networks,
Privacy and Account Settings, Statistics, Levels or Points or
Ranks, Brand Networks Members, Applications and Contents related
Composition, Publications 1703.
[0221] FIG. 18 illustrates embodiments of screens 1800 useable to
public to view the Brand Network Page displaying product or service
picture or image 1800, all Brand Network's Members list and
profiles links 1802, All Public Brand Networks Group List of
authorized Brand Owner 1803, Federated and Collaborative Brand
Networks Group List 1804, Brand Owner and Brand's details 1805,
Brand Network's Statistics 1806, News 1807 and all types of
publications from all administrators 1809 and content authors,
experts and members 1808 and all attached applications and services
with Brand Network's Page 1810. Administrator can set privacy
setting to control who can see what part of Brand Network Page.
[0222] FIG. 19 illustrates embodiments of screens 1900 useable to
manage the user's portfolio of brands related brand networks and
statistics, newly incoming publications and published publications
and invited friends or member status. Interface facilitates user to
browse all brand network of user and manage latest actions,
publications, join members, request, massages, updates,
notifications and news 1902.
[0223] FIG. 20 illustrates embodiments of screens 2000 useable to
create new brand network. System provides form 2002 including Brand
Name, Brand Category and Sub Category, Brand Type, Brand Location,
Brand Details, Brand related keywords, Tags, Taxonomies, Ontology
and Metadata. General users can create N numbers of Private Brand
Network for a single brand but only one Public Brand Network for a
particular Brand. User or Brand Owner's Administrators set privacy
settings, attaches applications and services offered for a Brand
Network. Before creating Brand Network for particular Brand, BSN
system verifies the Brand Name with pre created Brand Name Database
or human-mediated including experts or general users of BSN. If
public network of brand already exists then user prompts that
"already exist. Want to join this network?" Public Brand Network
can be owned only by BSN or related Brand Owner.
[0224] FIG. 21 illustrates embodiments of screens 2100 useable to
manage the user's friends or Network members including search and
match preference based members and add to friend 2106, find friends
already registered on BSN, invite friends or friends' friends 2108
to join BSN or Brand Networks. User can invite one or more friends
via email to join the BSN, when they join, automatically added to
user's friends list 2102. User can also invite all friends from all
contact address list of all email accounts 3103.User can also find
already registered friends 2104 and send them link 2105.Further
user can browse BSN 2107 and check contact book or invitation box
or extended network to invite public members 2109.
[0225] FIG. 22 illustrates embodiments of screens 2200 useable to
manage, generate, create, search, share and edit the User's
Portfolio of Brands Lists. User can create Brands Group Lists or
generate Brands Group Lists via "Brands Group Lists Generator and
Templates" or use readymade multiple shared brand networks Group
Lists generated collaboratively by users or experts or Brands
Social Networks (BSN) for easily joining multiple brands' networks
as per user's preferences and location, gender, career, status,
education, interest, hobby, age, income range, life style, living
standard, cast, work, on demand information, extended profiles and
a like. User can edit extended profile which are useful for better
understanding user and suggest user brands lists 2201, User can
select extended profile and templates 2202 to facilitate user to
create new Brands Group List. User can also select Brand Category
2203 and select preferred or used brands from suggested list
generated by system based on users profile and selected extended
profile 2204 and add to brand group list for creating or joining
multiple brands networks. User can manually create Brands Templates
and Brands Group List 2205 and search already existing brands Group
List for editing or updating or using lists 2206.
[0226] FIG. 23 illustrates embodiments of screens 2300 useable to
create or generate Brands Group List based on selected extended
profile and Brands Group List Template to create or join multiple
Brands Networks. Brands Group List Template includes Brand category
and sub category, suggested Brands Name based on user's profile,
extended profile, preferences and other details, recorded actions
and information. If user's brand name is not matched with suggested
brands list then user can manually enter brand for a given category
and use. User can also select brand name from brands detail list
based on user's location, gender, age and other preferences. After
finalizing selection of all Brands Name of selected templates and
related categories, user can select Brands Names to create or join
public or private brand networks or save full or partial list for
later creation or use. System generates final Brands Group List and
one click creates multiple public or private brand networks or
joins users to already existing multiple public or private brand
networks 2302. User can later any time update or modify or change
Brands Group Lists. User can also add suggested category,
sub-category and related all brands to Brand Group List Template
2301. User can create or generate N number of Brand Group List and
edit, modify, set privacy settings including make list public or
private or share lists with other friends or users of Brand
Networks or BSN.
[0227] FIG. 24 illustrates embodiments of screens 2400 useable to
manage User's Brands Group Lists based Brands Networks including
those which user can read, view, and use all publications from all
sources including User's own, Brand Owner's administrators or
editors, experts, brand network's members, friends, friends'
friends, Public content, BSN and 3.sup.rd party content providers,
messaging, news and updates of all brands networks related to
particular Brand Group List and take actions or participate with
brand networks. User can search products or services, compare them
and buy or subscribe them 2401.Brands Groups Lists including
private lists 2402, system generated lists 2403, Public editable
lists 2405 and shared lists 2404.
[0228] FIG. 25 illustrates embodiments of screens 2500 useable to
compose brand network specific publication contents including
Publication title, select brand network to publish publication,
select composition type including structure and pre-created
structure specific tags, free form and application specific
including Blog, Article, Wiki, News, Slide show, Resource type
including text, video, audio, photo or image and like. User can set
privacy and control where to publish and who are eligible for
subscriptions. User can preview publication and publish it or save
publication as draft for later publication or discard composed
publication. Published Publications reflect to Users "Publish-Box"
and all subscribers "Inbox". Clicking on "Preview" opens the
publication in Preview mode. Clicking on "Edit" opens the article
in the Publication composition Form with various composition tools
and applications. Clicking on "Delete" can prompt the user whether
they are sure they want to delete a publication. In one embodiment,
"Draft" status indicates a pre-publication version of the
publication saved by user. In one embodiment, the user may also be
provided with a screen that includes comments, updates, ranks, flag
that other users have made against this particular user's
publications. Clicking on username link takes the user to user's
Profile page. Clicking on the publication title link takes user to
published content page. Clicking on "View" takes user to full text
of a comment on the published content page. Publications Submission
may be performed using several interfaces described next 2501.
[0229] As shown in FIG. 25, buttons available at the bottom of
Compose Brand Submission Form 2501 include: "Save and Preview,"
"Save as Draft", "Discard and "Publish." Clicking on "Save and
Preview" for an article can save it to a draft to "Draft Box" and
open the publications in a separate Preview window. Clicking on
"Save as Draft" can save a draft to "Draft Box" and take the user
to "Draft Box". "Publish" can be dimmed until the required fields
are filled out. "Save and Preview" buttons interspersed at roughly
"fold" intervals can have substantially the same function as
described above. Clicking on "Save and Preview" anywhere on the
form can toggle the user to Preview mode. Navigating away from the
form without saving it by clicking on another tab can generate an
alerts window that all data may be lost, sure you want to continue?
If the answer is yes, they can be returned to User's Home Page. In
one embodiment, a popup Javascript confirmation box is provided
that includes an "OK" button to discard changes, and a "Cancel"
button to stay on form. FIG. 25 provides one embodiment of screen
2501 for use in previewing a page. Prior to publication, a process
can be applied to full publication text to scan for HTML and
offensive content. If the profile contains HTML, or offensive
language/content, an alerts message can appear to the user after
they click on "Publish" telling them to check for these two
conditions and resubmit after editing. Uploaded images can be
reviewed via the Picture Queue. Uploaded images can be published to
the public site immediately with the finished article, but if
images fail review, a generic placeholder image can be substituted
on the published publication page. The user can subsequently upload
an image that meets BSN System standards (published in a FAQ). An
email can also be sent informing the user that this action took
place against their submitted image. FIGS. 13 and 18 provide one
embodiment of screen 1309 and 1809 illustrating how a publication
might appear when published.
[0230] FIG. 26 illustrates one embodiment of a screen 2600 for
managing all newly incoming or subscribed publications, application
specific contents, alerts and actions, contents, resources, and
messages via Inbox from all joined or subscribed brands networks
specific publications from all members or experts or brand owner's
administrators or editors or 3.sup.rd party content providers or
from Brands Social Networks (BSN). User can give comments and rank
or points, flag publications, remove publications and block
publications sources 2604. User can browse list and view or read
multiple publications and take actions on one or more selected
publications. List includes Brand network name and category, type
of brand network, resource publication date, publication author,
resource type, including resources category, links and details
including brand network number of hits or visits, members,
subscribers, authors rank and level and publication points assigned
by reader or viewer or subscriber of publication 2601. Inbox tree
style explore contains one or more system or user created folders
to categorize incoming publication contents. User can do various
actions or activities on one or more publications like open, print,
forward, filter, categories, search, mark as junk or spam, delete
and move publications 2603.
[0231] FIG. 27 illustrates one embodiment of a screen 2700 for
managing all published publications of user via "PublishBox"
including statistics of subscribed readers, readers or subscribers
or brand networks members or participants' hits, actions and
pointes assigned by them. As noted, above, The BSN System can
initially be used to compose, edit, and publish content across all
Brands Networks. The BSN System can support a relatively infinite
number of content publications submission forms across a wide
variety of website properties including BSN or BSN country specific
or BSN local or Brand owners or partners' websites or portals or
products or services. User can browse publications list including
name and category of brand network, type of brand network,
publication date, resource type, resource list and links and
details like total number of readers, publication hits or visits,
participations, actions and points assigned by readers 2701.
"Publish-box" tree style explorer facilitates organization of
categories of multiple publications for multiple brand networks
2702. User can block member or subscriber, report abuse for
comments given by particular member or reader, set privacy for
publications, sort and analyze publications 2703.Users can, with
To-Do, open, print, forward, categorize, search, find and move one
or more publications 2704.
[0232] In addition, a variety of interface tools may be provided by
the BSN System for site management. Thus, Published publications
can have a button prominently displayed for flagging the
publication as objectionable or miscategorized and report abuse,
assign vote or rank or points, give comments and e-mail
publication. If a given publication accrues some defined number of
clicks (such as 2-3) from different IPs in the user community, it
stays live on the site but is placed into the Publication Queue for
review. Publication status on user's Control Panel may still
indicate "Published" and they may not receive email notification of
the flag. Users have to be registered or logged in to flag a
publication as objectionable, or to rate a publication or comment
on publication.
[0233] Comments submitted to a publication may have post-processing
applied to the text to scan for HTML and offensive content. If the
comment contains HTML, or offensive language/content, an alerts
message may appear to the user after they click on "Publish"
telling them to check for these two conditions and resubmit after
editing. Comments can have a button prominently displayed for
flagging the comment as objectionable. If a given Comment accrues
another defined number of clicks (such as one) from the user
community, it remains on the site but is placed into the Comments
Queue for processing.
[0234] Publications and comments may be rateable from the
Publications page. In one embodiment, one rating per content
publication per IP address could be allowed (user can rate both
publication and comments). The User rating could be based on the
average of the ratings other users have placed on that user's
publications. Ratings on comments to author's publications may not
be factored in. Ratings interface may be as the wireframes shown
above. However, other numbers of ratings may also be allowed,
without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0235] In one embodiment, website pages may be organized based on
category, subcategory, and even sub-subcategory pages including
metadata, taxonomy, ontology and semantic syntax. In one
embodiment, a new page may be developed to free up subcategory
pages of, for example, long lists of Brand Networks and
Publications. By employing categories and the like, a new
opportunity may arise for additional ad units and highly targeted
Search Engine Optimizations.
[0236] BSN Registered Users or Viewers (Non-Members), Brand
Networks Members, Brand Network's Administrators, authors, editors,
and other uses may employ a search or browse interface; one
embodiment of screen 2800 & 2900 is illustrated in FIG. 28 and
FIG. 29 as an example. All types of Users are able to search for
People or Users, Brand Networks and Publication Contents by Brand
Network Name or Brand Category or Brand Location, Search users by
age range, genders and other criteria, search contents by Resource
Type, Resource Form and Sort results by Recently updated, Category
wise, time & date wise, location wise and popularity wise
including hits, visits, ranks. Searches can also allow wildcards.
User can click-through entry on search results list, publication
can then appear under "Content" tab, Users can appear under
"People" tab, Brand Network List appear under "Brand Networks" tab
and Application can appear under "Applications" tab. Moreover,
administrators, or the like, are able to search for users by
username, or by email address (either of these can allow wildcard
searches), or by some combination of Type (user, member, expert or
admin) and Source, as defined by drop downs, or the like.
[0237] BSN Search allows searching for anything on the site,
including people on other networks, provided they haven't
restricted their privacy settings. They can also specify which
network wants to search. Select "Other Network," then begin typing
the name of the network, and BSN search engine give possible
matches. BSN Search allows searching for anything on the site. This
includes names, brands networks, publications, applications,
services, groups, events, interests, gender, relationship status,
etc. Just type in the names and words want to search--either alone
or in combination. User can also filter or further limit what is
displayed. Just use the filters available on the right side of the
page to target results. Using the filters will limit results to
friends and people on brands networks. User can also use Profile
Search to search specific profile fields for users that exist in
all joined network. User can sort out "Names," "Groups," "Events,"
or "Profiles."
[0238] According to a further aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a means of visually displaying the
interconnections between the nodes and provides interactive model
of Brands Networks and/or user's friend community. It facilitates
mapping and measuring brands networks, friends, communication,
information flow, and knowledge sharing/re-use.
[0239] Preferably, a user's Brands Networks and as, an unique,
private personal (Friends), may be visually represented on an
electronic display in one or more of the following forms,
including: graphical, alphanumeric and/or animated symbols
representing nodes joined by lines, or some form of visual link
representing the connections between the nodes; a solid line
indicating entities who have joined or have consented to join the
user's Brands Networks and unique, private personal (Friends)
Networks; dotted lines indicating entities who have been invited
but they have not joined the user's unique, private personal
(Friends) and Brands Networks; different symbols to differentiate
between nodes representing different types of entities; different
symbols to depict nodes representing entities who are individuals
and those representing Brand Owners including company, retailers,
organizations, manufacturer, mall, distributer, e-commerce web site
or portal, dealers, sellers; symbols at least partially resembling
people to depict nodes representing actual individuals; different
symbols, colours, animations and/or sounds for a node to indicate
the existence of defined information of interest including a
particular predetermined activity, identifying characteristic,
entity attribute, or other data recorded in a nodes data record;
different colours/symbols for different roles in a specific
application; displaying further defined information of interest or
permitted actions when positioning a cursor or visual indicator
over a node depending, and varying the information displayed
depending on the user's degree of separation from the node; nodes
representing a person or an organized network also showing a
numerical indication of the number of direct contacts associated
with the node; a indicative rather than literal indication of the
number of links to a node if number exceeds a defined value, with a
numerical value showing the actual number of connections; user
customizable representations for nodes, including images,
photographs and figures; different visual appearance of a node
symbol to indicate the status of an activity. Any entity within a
BSN Visual interface can link to content--text, video, audio,
multimedia, documents, links or Web pages--that provides more
detail about the entity. In other words, a BSN Visual interface can
be designed to display micro and macro views of a data set,
side-by-side. BSN visualizations with structured data make the
information more intuitive, accessible, manageable and meaningful
and can make relationships in the data more apparent than can
traditional line or column displays and can improve understanding
and discovery. Multiple BSN visual interface can run simultaneously
and together to depict different aspects of underlying data and
provides real-time views of data, and real-time interaction and
helping end-users to find information.
[0240] The said system provides a platform for developers to
provide the nodes with applications and communication services. The
system may also be provided to the user with an initial suite of
specific applications and communication services.
[0241] According to an alternative aspect, the present invention
further provides a tool to map relationship networks. Entities,
including the user may be considered as "nodes" in a network.
[0242] The invention provides a unique, private personal network
with a plurality of number of users or entities represented as
nodes, each node being at the origin of an individual unique,
private personal (Friends) and Brands Networks consisting of the
user and a variable number of additional nodes.
[0243] As an individual interacts with a diverse range of people,
they are motivated to reveal different aspects of their identity,
thereby creating a multi-faceted social identity, whereby different
people know different things about the individual. This faceting of
one's identity allows them to interact in a socially appropriate
way in a wide variety of potential environments. In engaging in
this behavior, individuals start to segment their brands social
networks into a variety of different clusters, or types of people.
Often, these people are only aware of a fraction of the
individual's entire social network, those with similar identity
information."
[0244] Visual BSN is an interactive visualization tool for online
Brands Social Networks, allowing exploration of the community
structure of Brands Social networking services. Such services
provide means by which users can publicly articulate their mutual
"friendship" in the form of friendship links, forming an undirected
graph in which users are the nodes and friendship links are the
edges. These services also allow users to describe themselves in a
profile, including attributes such as age, marital status, sexual
orientation, and various interests.
[0245] Visual BSN provides a visualization of such services,
providing an interactive sociogram for exploring the links between
network members. In addition to visualizing "friendship" linkages,
Visual BSN supports a range of exploratory search features,
providing visualization of the rich profile data characteristic of
these services, features which traditional sociograms are not
designed to communicate.
[0246] FIG. 30 illustrates one embodiment of a screen 3000 for
Graphical or Visual interface of BSN registered User for managing
user's friends and brands networks including registered BSN User
(1) 3001 connected with all joined or created public or private
brands networks 3017 and related all BSN entities nodes including
multiple Brands Networks related Members node 3008 to share,
communicate and collaborate with other network members, Experts
3009 node providing contents and other on demand support like
answers etc., Administrators or Editors 3010 node providing quality
content, sales, marketing, e-commerce and promotion services to
users, Partners 3011 node providing value-added services and
content to brand network user, Advertisers 3012 node providing
preference based advertising to user, all BSN brand networks 3013
node facilitating user to search brand networks and join them and
all public users of BSN 3014 node providing user (1) to invite
users to join brand network or add them as friend and all Personal
Profile related action and activities nodes 3005 including Friends
Group Lists, Brands & Brand Networks Group Lists, My news,
attached Applications & Services, My Publications, Status and
Updates, Actions or To-do and user's all statistics including
levels, rank, no. of publications, brand networks and friends and
Brand Network related action and activities nodes 3003 including
participating Applications and subscribed Services related
activities, Inbox for alerting new publications for related brand
networks, Published Publications and related hit statistics, New
Messages and updated News from all friends and brand networks,
Actions and To-do and statistics and connected all friends 3002
including user's friends, friends' friends and N-Depth of friends'
friends 3007 related operations or action or activities. User can
use sensitive and contextual menu on nodes e.g. Brand Network "ABC
Mobile" 3004 includes on demand menu when click on node which
provides brand network related tasks or actions like joining or
creating brand network or inviting users to join brand network.
Friend node 3002 provides friends management functionality where
node explodes to multiple groups of friends and related all
activities, actions, To-do and communication and collaboration.
Visual BSN provides visual search 3015 facilities where user can
search brand networks, publications, friends or BSN public users or
members of brand network or experts and like. Search highlights and
pinpoints the resulting nodes. Visual BSN provides control for what
is displayed in the graph or not by using a wide range of
well-organized filters 3016 and settings including view all or
specific selected brands networks, all or selected group of online
friends, Only updates and new items or contents, activities or
actions related with some or all brand networks.
[0247] FIG. 31 illustrates one embodiment of a screen 3100 for
Graphical or Visual interface of BSN registered Brand Owner's
Administrator for managing brand owner's all brands networks
including registered BSN Brand owner's super administrator User (1)
3101 connected with all public brands networks 3114 and related all
BSN entities nodes including multiple Brands Networks related
Members node 3105 to facilitate supports, providing contents,
sales, marketing, e-commerce, promotion, communication and
collaboration services to brand network members, appointed Experts
3106 node providing contents and other on demand support like
answers etc., Administrators or Editors 3107 node managing brand
network and providing quality contents, sales, marketing,
e-commerce and promotion services to users, Partners 3108 node
providing value-added services and content to brand networks,
Advertisers 3109 node providing preference based advertising to
brand network members, all BSN brand networks 3110 node
facilitating administrators to search competitors brand networks or
prospective partners for collaborative work and providing analysis
services and all public users of BSN 3111 node providing
administrators to invite users to join brand network and all
Federated and collaborative brand network partners nodes 3102 and
Brand Network related action and activities nodes 3104 including
attached Applications and Services related activities or actions or
participating members or users generated contents, Inbox for
filtering or censoring all user generated new content publications
for related brand networks, Published Publications and related hit
statistics , News and all sent Messages and updated News from all
members and brand networks, Actions, To-do, statistics and
connected all friends 3115 including member's friends, member's
friends' friends and N-Depth of member's friends' friends to invite
them to join and promote brand network. Admin can use sensitive and
contextual menu on nodes e.g. Brand Network "ABC Mobile" 3103
includes on demand menu when click on node which provides brand
network's members related tasks or actions like communicate, give
answer or support and e-commerce with particular members. Visual
BSN provides visual search 3112 facilities where administrators can
search brand networks, publications, members' friends or BSN public
users or members of brand network or expert and like. Search
highlights and pinpoints the resulting nodes. Visual BSN provides
control for what is displayed in the graph or not by using a wide
range of well-organized filters 3113 and settings including view
all or specific selected brands networks, all or selected group of
members, Only updates and new items or contents, activities or
actions related with some or all brand networks and like.
[0248] FIG. 32 illustrates one embodiment of a screen 3200 for
managing Categorized Brands Group Lists including user's currently
used or need to use or future use of multiple branded products and
services and related Customers Services Life cycle. Registered user
3201 can be general, premium and expert user includes one or more
individual, customer or prospective customer, team or association
or group, collaboration of one or more pre-identified individuals
and one or more entities including but not limited to company,
associations, organization, professional bodies, social bodies,
shops, mall, dealers, distributors, retailers, suppliers, web site,
portal, governmental bodies and enterprises or an entity that
exists as a particular and discrete unit. User can create or
generate Categorized Brands Group List and assign related metadata,
taxonomy and ontology and disclose Brands currently used by users
3202 and specify requirements or needs or disclose want to use or
buy or purchase or subscribe 3202 branded products and services
lists via search, research by user, suggested by user's friends and
public members, experts and brand owners for future use 3203. All
categorized brands lists 3205 of user including branded products
3206 and services 3207 indicating brands portfolio of user disclose
branded products and services currently used, want to use or buy or
subscribe and future needs. Corresponding to each brand list or
group of brands or each Brand of each list, an alternative or
suggested or similar categorized branded products and services list
3209, Users searched brands list 3210 and System generated
suggested brands lists 3211 and new Brands Lists as per user
preferences 3212 are constantly updated from multiple sources
including competitor brands' owners or administrators, friends,
brands networks members, BSN system and experts 3208. After search,
research, enquiry from personal sources (friends), commercial
sources (Brand owner's staff), public sources (network members) and
personal experience (user) 3214, next step is comparing and
negotiating with suppliers, and finalizing selection of needed
products and services and specifying or configuring products and
services 3213. Customer then selects the reliable, competitive
sources of products and services for purchase and pays for
purchases 3215. After purchase, customer uses and evaluates the
products and services and makes comments or gives suggestions or
feedbacks. Customer can also take training for use of products and
services, upgrading and maintaining products and services and
managing i.e. monitoring and accounting their uses 3215.
[0249] From the angle of Brand Owner's sales and marketing
department, Customer-service Life-cycle's various Stages include
Requirements Stage: In this stage customer establishes a need for
the product. Activities in this stage may include educating
customers about the purpose of the product or service or helping
them see how your offering differs from that of your competitors
and provide availability of their products. In this stage customer
gets the answer of what is it? Do I need one? In Specification
stage, customers specify the characteristics of that product or
service to know which particular one to acquire and determine
products and services attributes. In this stage customer get the
answer of which one? How many? In the specification stage,
customers select the product features that best suit their needs.
Next Source is Selection stage: customers select or determine
source of products and services. After selecting a source for their
product or service, in Ordering Stage customers actually place an
order. Once the product or service has been ordered it must be paid
for. That payment may also need to be authorized through the
customer's approval process. Convenience in payment is essential,
but so too is security. In the acquisition stage, the customer
takes possession of the product or begins to use the service.
Testing and Acceptance Stage: After customers have acquired their
new product or service they may test it out to verify that it works
as expected. When an innovative product or service is introduced,
customers may need to be educated about its features and how to
maximize the benefits of its use. This is particularly important
for products and services that require the customer to undergo a
certain degree of process change in using the product or service.
Allowing the customer to evaluate and accept the product or
service, sometimes even prior to purchase, is an effective way to
resolve the education and adoption problems that can stifle an
innovation's market penetration. Although the evaluate-and-accept
process historically has taken place after purchase, firms in
service and information based industries let customers try out
products prior to purchase-in particular with virtual tours, sample
consulting reports, or demo software. Integration stage: Once the
product or service is acquired and accepted for use, the customer
must add it to an existing inventory of resources. Often customers
must also adjust their internal business processes to take full
advantage of the new product or service. In Usage Monitoring Stage,
customers must ensure that resources remain acceptable while they
are in use or during the time customers receive service. Using the
internet, suppliers can provide customers with the facilities to
simplify this monitoring stage. Upgrading Stage: Upgrades can also
be offered to improve the users' overall experience. Being able to
upgrade service in response to important events, such as the
customer's reaching certain milestones or having a dissatisfying
experience may be a source of increased loyalty and customer
retention. Transfer or Disposal Stage: Customers will eventually
transfer, resell, return, or dispose of resources. Auditing and
Accounting Stage: The final stage of the life cycle focuses on
evaluation of and accounting for the experience. This stage is
particularly important for large corporations that are constantly
attempting to measure, manage, and control their spending budgets.
Historical data collected can be used to support future decisions,
forecasting, and auditing. Moreover, because the data are available
on the internet, they are available in real time and can therefore
be used to support decisions immediately.
[0250] BSN Platforms facilitate users in each steps or stages or
phases of Customers Services Life Cycle, (1) Establish
Requirements: Assisting a customer with what product he or she
requires, (2) Specify: Helping the customer determine a product's
attributes, (3) Source: Where customers will buy a product, (4)
Order: Services to help the customer communicate what and how much
of a product is desired from the supplier, (5) Pay: Services to
transfer funds or extend credit, (6) Obtain: Assisting the customer
to take possession of a product, (7) Test & Accept: Services to
ensure that a product meets established specifications, (8) Train:
Helping the customer to make use of the product to its full extent,
(9) Monitor: Helping the customer monitor use and behavior of a
product, (10) Maintenance: Repairing a product and keeping it in
proper working order, (11) Upgrade: Services that alert the
customer to newly available attributes, new products, or automatic
upgrades to a product, (12) Replace: Features that assist in
providing another product for one that has been consumed or is
beyond repair, (13) Resell or Return: Helping the customer move,
return, or dispose of a product, (14) Account: Helping the customer
track where and how much money has been spent with the company,
(15) Evaluate: The final tally by the customer of the experience
that the customer has had with the company (e.g., feedback)
[0251] Thus, BSN Platform facilitates all users in B2C Customer
Service Life Cycle (CSLC) phases; In Requirements phase Search
functions, personalized product recommendation, saving a list of
products for future purchase, Comparing products. In Acquisition
phase Helping customers understand buying process, Order online but
pick them up at physical location or via home delivery, One-click
mechanisms, Shipment tracking. In Ownership phase return and
exchange, Customers write reviews, send emails for product changes
or upgrades. In Retirement phase Information on disposal options,
Calculate total cost of ownership of product.
[0252] According to an alternative aspect, the present invention
further provides supports and services to customers or users for
all phases of Customers services Life Cycle (CSLC) including, Phase
1: Requirements (1) Requirements Stage: Establish (or recognize) a
need for the product or service, (2) Specification Stage: Determine
the product or service attributes; Phase 2: Acquisition (3)
Source-selection Stage: Determine where to obtain the product or
service, (4) Ordering Stage: Order the product of service from a
supplier, (5) Authorization and Payment Stage: Transfer funds or
arrange credit, (6) Acquisition Stage: Take possession of the
product or receive service, (7) Testing and Acceptance Stage:
Ensure that the product or service meets specifications; Phase 3:
Ownership (8) Integration Stage: Add to an existing inventory or
integrate with existing internal business processes, (9)
Usage-monitoring Stage: Control access and use of the product or
service, (10) Upgrading Stage: Upgrade the product or service if
conditions change; Phase 4: Retirement (11) Transfer or Disposal
Stage: Move, returns, or disposes of product or service; cease to
need the service, (12) Auditing and Accounting Stage: Monitor
expenses related to the product or service
[0253] According to an alternative aspect, the present invention
further facilitates Brands Owners to provide supports and services
to customers or prospective customers in all phase of Customers
Services Life Cycle (CSLC) including Awareness Phase: At this stage
of the Customer Buying Cycle the customer identifies a company's
value proposition that may match his needs. He develops an
awareness that an organization exists and that it might be able to
fulfil his requests. The company tries to reach its target customer
segments by means of advertising, promotions, public relations and
partnerships and also use affiliated Websites to attract customers.
Affiliate or associate programs pay commissions to people or
companies that refer visitors to their products or services. Thus
conclusion is, Get the customer's attention, Attract customers to
evaluate the company's value proposition, Get known in the market.
In Evaluation Phase: Once a customer has identified a specific firm
as a potential solution provider to his problem or his needs he
will want to learn more about the organization and the bundle of
products and services it offers. Besides traditional sales forces
or value added resellers (VAR), companies increasingly make use of
multimedia applications to help customers in their evaluation
process. Several tools, such as Online Chat, Voice-over-IP or Web
cams streamline the consulting process and may make physical
face-to-face contact unnecessary. Further, customers may also want
to rely on more independent information from user communities or
consumer groups. Thus conclusion is, Match customer needs with the
company's value proposition, Reduce the customer's search
costs--inform and advise him and give him access to user
communities, Let the customer test the value proposition. Next
Purchase Phase: During the purchase phase the actual transaction
takes place. This includes negotiation, decision, contract, order
& tracking, billing & payment and fulfillment. Whereas
negotiation, decision and contracting are very important in B2B
they are less significant in B2C. However, electronic channels may
help to streamline the purchasing process and add value through
"memorizing" customer information or through real-time order
tracking. Thus conclusion is, improve the transaction process, and
Make purchase and fulfillment more convenient for the customer,
Create additional value through tools, such as order tracking. In
After sales Phase: This last phase of the buying cycle has the
potential to create loyal customers. After sales services
enormously contribute to a customer's satisfaction by helping him
maximize profiting from the value proposition and by assisting him
in case of problems. It can embrace implementation, use, training,
maintenance, monitoring, troubleshooting and reverse logistics
(i.e. disposal). Thus conclusion is, Don't` "forget" the customer
after the transaction, Provide additional value through tools, such
as electronic manuals, FAQs and customer support.
[0254] Several other interfaces may be provided to enable
management of various Brand Network Page promotions, various
embodiments of which are illustrated in FIGS. 13-18. In one
embodiment, screen 1701 of FIG. 17 may be employed to manage
alerts. That is, a mechanism can be provided for the Brand
Network's Administrators to broadcast system wide, e.g., members
and administrators, or targeted, e.g., BSN wide users, alert
messages. When text is typed into Alerts interface, it will
immediately publish to user Brand Network Pages and Administrator's
Home. If no text is typed in, no alert will appear.
[0255] The above specification, examples, example interface
screens, and data provide a complete description of the manufacture
and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments
of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims
hereinafter appended.
* * * * *
References