AU2014240272A1 - Targeted delivery system - Google Patents

Abstract

H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 A targeted delivery system, including: a matching system for sending an identifying message associated with a customer to a client device, and, in response to the message being displayed on the client device, serving client device identification data for storage on the client device; a message delivery system for receiving the client device identification data with a message slot request, and determining and serving a message to the client device in response to the slot request on processing the client device identification data to determine an associated customer. C\JD [14 r4 P -

Description

H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 TARGETED DELIVERY SYSTEM FIELD The present invention relates to a targeted message delivery system which may use sales or transaction data collected offline to deliver or insert targeted messages when customers are browsing generally online or using different client applications connected to public advertising networks. The message may provide an individual offer that can be accepted online and redeemed offline. BACKGROUND Real-time bidding (RTB) exchanges, provided by companies such as 24/7 Media Inc. and Google Inc. (the Double Click Ad Exchange), allow publishers of web pages to offer parts or slots of a web page for advertisement messages when the page is served to web browser client on a user's machine. An advertisement message may include a combination of digital content, e.g. images, sound and video. When the user visits the publisher's web site and the page is served from the publisher's host server, requests are passed back from the host server to an exchange server of the RTB exchange indicating at least one advertisement can be served to the page and providing any online profile data associated with the user that the host server has been able to collect on the user. The requests may be passed to the RTB exchange via an Ad server and/or a supply side platform (SSP) that include the advertisements. The online profile data may be general or minimal online data, such as contextual data relating to the site that the user is currently visiting or behavioural data relating to previous visits to the site or the host server or other servers. The online profile data and the advertisement request data is passed by the RTB exchange server to one or more servers of a demand side platform (DSP) which process the data and determine the value of the user contact based on the profile data, the amount an advertiser is willing to bid for the contact, and if the bid is successful, the advertisement that is to be returned back to the host server to be served with the page to the user's machine. The process executed by the publisher's host server, the RTB exchange server and the DSP H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 -2 server occurs within a fraction of a second so that the entire page is served with little delay to the user's machine. The process can be executed separately for every advertisement slot available on the page. An inherent limitation of the advertisement delivery process executed by RTBs and DSPs, and any Ad or SSP servers, is that they are only able to operate on the basis of data collected and processed online. Whilst these technical limitations are not an issue for advertisements in relation to products that can be sold entirely online, such as event and airline tickets, the technical limitations preclude the delivery of targeted advertisements for customers that have little engagement online, such as customers for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) products. Traditional "face to face" or "bricks and mortar" sellers of FMCG products are able to collect considerable sales or transaction data associated with their customers. The transaction data is essentially offline data that is collected at each point of sale, and can be linked to individual customers who have a loyalty card of a loyalty program, such as "flybuys" operated by Loyalty Pacific Pty Ltd. The loyalty card, or a credit card associated therewith, is used at the point of sale to identify a customer. Merchants associated with a loyalty program are able to offer their customers, who are members of the program, targeted advertisements, which may include discounts based on the transaction data collected. The merchants however are limited in how these advertisements can be delivered. Delivery is generally restricted to direct mail, such as physical mail or electronic mail, or direct contact such as the provision of in store coupons. Any redemption of an accepted offer made in the advertisement then usually occurs offline, e.g. at a point of sale. It is desired to provide a system that addresses the above limitations or at least provides a useful alternative.

H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 -3 SUMMARY An embodiment of the present invention provides a targeted delivery system, including: a matching system for sending an identifying message associated with a customer to a client device, and, in response to the message being displayed on the client device, serving client device identification data for storage on the client device; a message delivery system for receiving the client device identification data with a message slot request, and determining and serving a message to the client device in response to the slot request on processing the client device identification data to determine an associated customer. An embodiment of the present invention also provides a message delivery process, executed by a targeted delivery system, including: receiving client device identification data with a message request from a public advertising network; associating the client device identification data with member identification data for a member of a loyalty card; serving a message to the client device in response to the message request, said message including a unique offer for the member; and receiving acceptance of the offer from the client device, said acceptance being stored in association with the member identification data for redemption and validation of the offer at an offline point of sale. An embodiment of the present invention allows unique or targeted messages with offers to be delivered to loyalty program members using public advertising channels, and these can be accepted using a single input response, e.g. a click of a button associated with the offer. Acceptance of the offer is stored in association with the member's card so it can be redeemed and validated when a customer presents their card at an offline point of sale.

H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 -4 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a targeted delivery system according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram of a computer of the system; Figure 3 is a block and message flow diagram of a client device matching system and process of the targeted delivery system; and Figure 4 is a block and message flow diagram of a message delivery system and process of the targeted delivery system; and Figure 5 is a flow diagram of an offer message generation process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A targeted delivery system 100, as shown in Figure 1, includes computer platforms 102 and 104, respectively maintained by at least one merchant, and at least one loyalty program provider, and at least one demand side platform (DSP) 106. The platforms 102, 104 and 106 include one or more computer servers 202 used to maintain one or more databases 120, 122, 130 and which are each connected to and able to communicate over a communications network 150, which includes the Internet. The communications network 150 includes a number of public advertising networks, advertising exchanges and RTB exchanges for delivery of online messages, in particular advertisements, over public advertising channels. In particular, the public advertising networks include web sites hosted on a number of publisher platforms 103, such as platforms maintained by media companies, e.g. Fairfax Media Limited and News Corporation Limited. For example, the merchant platform 102 includes a transaction database 120 that collects and maintains sales or transaction data associated with every product or item sale made at a merchant's point of sale (POS) terminals 121. For merchants of FMCG products, such as a supermarket, the transaction data associated with each sale includes any identifying data H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 -5 for the customer that is collected at the POS terminal 121. The identifying data includes loyalty program data, such as a loyalty program member number, if the customer has presented a loyalty program card at the point of sale or a credit card that has previously been presented at the point of sale and is associated with the loyalty program member. The identifying data is associated with or includes member identification (ID) data representing the loyalty program member and which is effectively a customer ID. A loyalty program, such as "flybuys" operated by Loyalty Pacific Pty Ltd, is maintained using the loyalty program platform 104. The loyalty program platform 104 includes a member database 122 for maintaining data associated with members of the program, such as the member identification (ID) data, contact data (e.g. name, address, email address, phone numbers, etc.) and member transaction data. The member transaction data includes purchase history data such as a transaction amount and date, but this would not normally extend to details of individual items as maintained by the transaction database 120 of the merchant platform 102. The platform 104 includes at least an email server 124 and a web server 126 for delivering content and messages over the network 150 to client devices 110, 112 or 114. The client devices 110, 112 and 114 comprise computers running client applications to request and access content and messages from the network 150. For example, a client device may be a MacBook Pro laptop 110, an iPad 112 or an iPhone 114, each running Mail and/or Safari client applications, and which are all provided by Apple Inc. The demand side platform (DSP) 106, such as those provided by MediaMath, Inc. and Google Inc. (the Double Click Bid Manager), maintains a client device identification database 130. The database 130 maintains attribute data, such as that of a cookie file, that includes client device identification (ID) data identifying a client device 110, 112, 114 from which the attribute data has been obtained and/or on which has been stored by the DSP 106 on the client device. The client device ID is unique data maintained by the DSP 106 for the client device. It can be included in a cookie file served by the DSP 106.

H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 -6 The computer servers of each of the platform 102, 104 and 106 may each be based on a standard computer 202, as shown in Figure 2, such as such as a 32 or 64 bit Intel architecture computer produced by Lenovo Corporation, IBM Corporation, or Apple Inc. The data processes executed by the computer system 202 are defined and controlled by computer program instruction code and data of software components or modules 250 stored on non-volatile (e.g. hard disk) storage 204 of the computer 202. The processes performed by the modules 250 can, alternatively, be performed by firmware stored in read only memory (ROM) or at least in part by dedicated hardware circuits of the computer 202, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and/or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The processes can also be executed by distributing the modules 250 or parts thereof on distributed computer systems, and at least some of the processes can be provided by Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms. The processes are described below with reference to Figures 3 to 6. The computer 202 includes random access memory (RAM) 206, at least one microprocessor 208, and external interfaces 210, 212, 214 that are all connected by a system bus 216. The external interfaces include universal serial bus (USB) interfaces 210, a network interface connector (NIC) 212, and a display adapter 214. The USB interfaces 210 are connected to input/output devices, such as a keyboard and mouse 218. The display adapter 214 is connected to a display device, such as an LCD display screen 222. The NIC 212 enables the computer 202 to connect to the communications network 150. The network 150 may include one or a combination of existing networks 130, such as a LAN, WAN, the PSTN, the Internet, mobile cellular telephone networks, etc. The computer 202 includes an operating system (OS) 224, such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OSX or Linux. The modules 250 all run on the OS 224, and include program code written using languages such as C, Ruby or C#. The loyalty platform 104 and the DSP 106 provide a matching system that executes a client device matching process 300, as shown in Figure 3. At step 302, a server 202 of the loyalty platform 100 generates or composes messages, such as email messages to be sent to members of a loyalty program using the contact data, such as an email address, stored in H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 -7 the member database 122. The server 202, in addition to extracting the contact data, also extracts the associated loyalty program member number and encrypts or obfuscates the member number so as to generate encoded member identification (ID) data. The encoded data is such that whilst the loyalty platform 104 can decode it and identify the associated member, another platform or party cannot. The encoded data may be generated using a number of encryption or obfuscation techniques. For example, data representing the member number may be hashed using an MD5 hash process. The encoded member identification data is included in the message generated by the server 202. The encoded identification data is included with addressing and instructions to pass the encoded ID data to the DSP platform 106 when the message is opened and displayed on a client device 110, 112, 114. For example, the encoded ID data may be incorporated in an HTTP request for an image (e.g. memberxyz.jpg comprising as little as one pixel) so that a GET request is made to the DSP platform 106 when the message is opened and rendered on a client device. The message can be in HTML and the encoded identification data can be incorporated in request for a very small image (e.g. one pixel) so it is not discernible to a user of the client device 110, 112, 114. The message is sent to members using a message server 124 of the loyalty platform 104 (step 302). A user of a client device 110, 112, 114 who is a member of the loyalty program, receives notification of the message and is able to open it using a client application, such as an email client Mail or Outlook. Once the message is opened on the client device (step 304) the encoded member identification data is automatically sent to the DSP 106 (step 306) without any action by, or knowledge of, the user of the client device 110, 112, 114. For example, in a HTML encoded email message any images to be rendered on the client device can be obtained by requests made back to a web server 126 of the loyalty server 104, but the message includes a HTML instruction (e.g. a HTTP GET or UDP request) to obtain a very small image (e.g. one pixel), using the encoded identification data, from the DSP 106. The returned images or content are considered part of the delivered and opened email message, but the small image is not discernible to the user. The image can be named in a predetermined format that will actually communicate the encoded identification data H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 to the DSP 106, such as memberxyz.jpg. When the DSP 106 receives a request for the image, the DSP platform 106 will realise that it identifies a loyalty program member, and the platform uses the encoded ID data to (i) determine if a DSP cookie file is stored on the device, (ii) refresh or drop a DSP cookie file on the client device, and (iii) record in the relational database 130 the encoded member identification data against unique DSP client device identification (ID) data that is included in the cookie file (step 308). The database 130 allows the DSP platform 106 to determine when the same loyalty program member is using different client devices, as the same member ID data will be stored against different DSP client device ID data. Accordingly, in response to the encoded member ID being sent to the DSP 106, the DSP platform 106 returns a cookie file with the unique DSP client device identification (ID) data for storage on the client device (step 308). The DSP 106 also stores the encoded identification data in association with the DSP client device identification data in the relational database 130 (step 310). The DSP ID data identifies the client device used by a member and this is now stored in a lookup table of the database 130 in association with an encoded loyalty member ID that allows the loyalty platform 104 to identify the member. Accordingly, when the data stored by the DSP database 130 is shared with the loyalty platform 140, members (i.e. customers) have been matched to at least one client device 110, 112, 114. Merchants and loyalty program providers are now able to use the targeted delivery system 100, as described below, to deliver targeted messages (e.g. advertisements) when a member is online using a variety of different client applications and visiting a number of different hosted web sites of publishers 103. The merchant platform 102, loyalty platform 104 and the DSP 106 provide a message delivery system for executing a message delivery process as shown in Figures 4 to 7. A merchant is able to use the sales or transaction data held in the transaction database 120, to generate advertising campaign data 122 to target customers associated with the transaction data (step 402). The messages of the campaign data are compiled and determined based on H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 -9 the offline transaction data collected on the point of sale terminals 121. The campaign data is generated with the customers associated member numbers or customer IDs, and passed to the loyalty platform 104 for those customers who are members of the program, as identified by the transaction database 120. Contact data for the members is obtained from the member database 122 so as to generate a member target list file for the campaign as part of the campaign data (404). The member target list file includes member identification data representing the member numbers. The member target list with the campaign data is then stored and loaded (405) into a campaign management system (CMS) 128 of the loyalty platform 104. The campaign management system (CMS) 128 is a computer system of the loyalty platform 104 that can access, or provide data for, the database 130 of the DSP 106. The CMS 128 is able to process the member target list file to encode the member numbers into the encoded member identification data for matching to the associated DSP client device identification data of the DSP database 106. The campaign data is passed to the DSP platform 106 for use with the matched DSP IDs held in the database 130. If the CMS 128 has access to the DSP identification data and associated encoded member identification data of the database 130, the CMS 128 can convert (406) the member target list file to include the matched DSP IDs, by encoding the member ID data and determining any matching DSP IDs. The CMS 128 then passes the campaign data with the converted member target list file to the DSP platform 106 for use with the associated DSP IDs. Alternatively, the CMS 128 can use the member identification data of the member target list to generate the encoded member identification data and pass this in the converted file (406) in association with the campaign data to the DSP platform 106. The DSP 106 will also receive with the campaign data individual offer numbers that identify offers and can be passed back to the loyalty platform 104 when a user accepts an offer by selecting or clicking in a part of the message. Once the DSP platform 106 has the campaign data stored in its database 130, it uses the encoded member ID data of the target file to associate the campaign data with a specific subset or set of matching DSP IDs for that campaign. The CMS 128 loads offer data, including the unique offer number, onto a member offer management system 127 of the merchant platform 102 to maintain and track the status of H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 -10 the offers made to the loyalty program members, including acceptance, activation, validation and redemption. Once the DSP platform 106 has received the campaign data and has the associated DSP IDs, it is able to run an online messaging campaign (408) using the campaign data to serve messages to the client devices 110, 112, 114 associated with those DSP IDs. For example, when a user uses a web browser on a client device to browse to a site that has pages with parts or slots available for various advertisement messages, the DSP 106 will receive a request (which may be via an Ad server and/or RTB exchange as explained above) to serve an appropriate advertisement message with the page. The DSP platform 106 receives with the request any DSP identification data (e.g. cookie file for the platform 106) that has previously been stored on the client device 104. The DSP platform 106 will use the DSP identification data to determine and return an appropriate message. If the DSP identification data corresponds to one for which the loyalty platform 104 has provided campaign data, then a specific message for that DSP ID is determined from the campaign data and sent back to the client device to be rendered with the web page (408). The loyalty program member associated with the client device can be targeted with various messages (410) of the campaign until the campaign ends or the user has selected the message by touching or clicking on it using an input device of the client device. If the user selects the served message (420), a select message is sent back to the loyalty platform 104, such as in the form of a HTTP request to the server 126. The select message includes the DSP ID data associated with the client device (or the corresponding encoded member ID data) and the offer number. The message served to the member's client device as part of the campaign may refer to an offer, such as a discount off an FMCG product or a loyalty reward. The offer can be accepted by a single user action or input, e.g. by clicking or selecting a part of the message, and this acceptance request is sent back to the loyalty platform 104 in the select message. Accordingly, on receiving the select message with or representing the acceptance request the platform 104 can validate the offer for the member identification and serve a page confirming validation of or acceptance of the offer. The acceptance request includes the DSP ID data of the client device and the loyalty platform 104 uses the DSP ID data to obtain the associated encoded member ID data from which the H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 - 11 member ID data is obtained. Activation data in relation to acceptance of the offer is processed by a loyalty management system (LMS) 140 of the loyalty platform 104 and the activation data associated with obtained member identification data is passed to the merchant platform 102 (424) so it can be validated by the offer management system 127 and applied at the point of sale terminals 121 of the merchant. The offer can then be redeemed offline by the member attending one of the merchant's stores and presenting the member's loyalty card or associated credit card at the point of sale terminal 121 so as to provide the member identification data to the POS terminal 121. The offer is redeemed by the merchant platform 102 using the member ID data to access the associated activation data at the point of sale terminal (428) and if the offer involves a discount, loyalty points or other benefit on a particular FMCG product, then the member will receive that discount, points award or other benefit. (430). The offer can be for points, discounts, fuel offers, etc. and can be related to individual products or a collection (e.g basket) of products (e.g. double fuel discount when spend exceeds $100 at a POS 121). Generating and delivering the targeted messages of the campaign data, as shown in Figure 5, involves any offers being assigned offer identification data and details entered into the LMS 140. The messages and member target list are then generated and form part of the campaign data in the CMS 128 for delivery. The advertising messages can be delivered and displayed on the loyalty platform's web site 502 and passed to an Ad server 504 which can be part of the DSP platform 106 or separate. The member database 122 includes an analytics and customer targeting platform 505 to assist in generating the member target list, a marketing content and asset file server 506 to store and provide all creative content, including product images, for the campaign data, a member contact preference database 508 to filter or "wash" the target lists, and a customer information warehouse 510 to maintain transactional data. The targeted delivery system 100 is particularly advantageous because it allows transaction data collected offline at point of sale terminals 121 in relation to the customers to be used in delivering targeted campaign messages to those customers when they are online using a H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 - 12 client device 110, 112, 114. The targeted messages can be served to the client devices whenever a slot, part or section is available on any web page identified by the DSP 106. This also extends to any client application that runs on the client device 110, 112, 114 and passes a request for a message back to the DSP 106 with a DSP ID. For example, the targeted messages can be delivered using online video, IPTV platforms and devices, and digital radio. The system 100 allows use of public advertising networks and channels to deliver more relevant and targeted messages for loyalty program members and provides advertisers with fewer wasted advertisement impressions, and allows members to simply click on individualised offers and redeem them offline by simply presenting their member number using a loyalty card or associated credit card. The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates. Many modifications will also be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. A targeted delivery system, including: a matching system for sending an identifying message associated with a customer to a client device, and, in response to the message being displayed on the client device, serving client device identification data for storage on the client device; a message delivery system for receiving the client device identification data with a message slot request, and determining and serving a message to the client device in response to the slot request on processing the client device identification data to determine an associated customer.

2. A targeted delivery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identifying message includes encoded identification data associated with the customer.

3. A targeted delivery system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the identifying message includes a request to send the encoded identification data to the matching system when the identifying message is displayed on the client device.

4. A targeted delivery system as claimed in claim 3, including a demand side platform for receiving the encoded identification data, serving the client device identification data and storing the client identification data in association with the encoded identification data.

5. A targeted delivery system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the message slot request is received by the demand side platform.

6. A targeted delivery system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including a merchant platform for collecting transaction data associated with the customer

7. A targeted delivery system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the message delivery system uses the transaction data to determine messages for the customer as part of campaign data, and identification data for the customer is encoded for matching with the H: \mg\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\MAG\6817930_1docx-29/09/2014 - 14 client device identification data.

8. A message delivery process, executed by a targeted delivery system, including: receiving client device identification data with a message request from a public advertising network; associating the client device identification data with member identification data for a member of a loyalty card; serving a message to the client device in response to the message request, said message including a unique offer for the member; and receiving acceptance of the offer from the client device, said acceptance being stored in association with the member identification data for redemption and validation of the offer at an offline point of sale.

9. A delivery process, including: sending an identifying message associated with a customer to a client device, and, in response to the message being displayed on the client device, sending encoded customer identification (ID) data to an public advertising platform, which serves client device identification (ID) data for storage on the client device and stores the customer (ID) data in association with the client device ID data.

10. A delivery process as claimed in claim 9, including: receiving the client device identification data with a message request from a public advertising channel; processing the client device identification data to determine associated customer ID data; and determining and serving a message, based on the associated customer ID data, to the client device in response to the message request.