WO2011057355A1

WO2011057355A1 - System and method of responding to messages

Info

Publication number: WO2011057355A1
Application number: PCT/AU2010/001527
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Heard
Original assignee: Winje Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2009-11-16
Filing date: 2010-11-15
Publication date: 2011-05-19
Also published as: WO2011057355A8

Abstract

A system and method ate disclosed whereby a customer (20) sends a complaint message via a portable communications device (21) to a host computer (8). The complaint message is screened by a screen incoming message means (27) to produce one or more keys indicative of a message content. The keys are then compared by a comparator (29) with keywords stored in a database (28). The keywords are linked with advertisements and matches detected by a comparator resulting in a corresponding targeted advertisement being sent to the consumer (20) who sent the complaint message. An embodiment of the invention is illustrated at www.winjje.com.

Description

System and Method of Responding to Messages

Field of the Invention

The present Invention relates to advertising and, in particular, to targeted advertising.

Background Art

Traditionally advertising has not been targeted so that, for example, an outdoor poster which is advertising ladies lingerie will be seen by men who, in general, are not purchasers of lingerie. Thus the money spent on the advertisement is wasted in respect of approximately half the people who see the advertisement. As Henry Ford is reputed to have said "Half the money spent on advertising is wasted, the problem is to know which half'.

With the advent 'of the internet, attempts have been made to target advertisements based on an internet user's previous history of browsing, search history, profile and social network friends. Thus an internet user who browses in respect of motor vehicle websites, for example, might have advertisements from motor vehicle manufacturers directed to him since such a person is more likely to be a prospective purchaser of a motor vehicle than, say, an internet user who browses in respect of bicycles.

Such advertising, although more focused than the traditional advertising directed to the general public, is not specifically targeted to the specific and unique interests of an individual at a particular moment in time, rather it is only generally targeted. In particular, the timing of the advertisement is in no way related to the propensity of the individual to make a purchase based on the time of seeing the advertisement

Genesis of the Invention

The genesis of the present invention · is a desire to more accurately target advertisements and thereby improve the response to such advertisements.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a response with relevant advertisement system for responding to consumer complaints, said system comprising a host computer having en input and an output connected to at least one public communications system to respectively receive and send messages- said computer incorporating a data base of advertiser sponsored keywords each of which includes at least one associated advertisement said computer further including a screen incoming message means connected to said input to screen incoming messages of complaint by consumers to identify one or more keys therein which characterise each incoming message, said screen incoming message means and said data base being connected to a comparator to compare said keywords with said identified key(s) to determine matches, if any, therebetween, and said comparator being connected to said output and on determining a match between a key of a complaint message and a stored keyword, sending one of said associated stored advertisements corresponding to said matched keyword to said output for transmission to said consumer.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of sending a relevant advertisement in response to a consumer complaint, said method comprising:

providing a host computer in which is stored advertiser sponsored keywords each of which include at least one associated advertisement,

receiving m incoming message of complaint from a consumer and searching same for key(s) which characterise said incoming message,

comparing each said key with the keywords stored in said data base to determine if there is a match therebetween, and

in the event of a match sending the, or one of the advertisements, associated with said matched keyword to the corresponding consumer making the matched complaint

Preferably the method of, or means for, screening incoming messages utilizes any or all of the following forms of analysis, namely statistical, linguistic and/or geographic analysis.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a modem urban environment, Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the internal components within the host computer of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the flow of events in accordance with the preferred embodiment.

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As seen in Fig. 1, a modern urban environment consists of city blocks 1 which are divided into localities such as postcodes or zip codes 2, The available infrastructure includes mobile or cell phone transmission towers 4 which are operated by, and connected to, a telephone company S. One of the subscribers of the telephone company is a system operator 7 which operates a host computer 8 which is connected via the telephone company 5 to the internet 9 and to the mobile or cell phone system. Individual consumers 20 have a communications device 21 which is portable and which is carried with them essentially on all occasions in which they leave their home. Such a communications device includes a mobile or cell phone, a BLACKBERRY (Registered Trade Mark), "smartphones" including the iPhone (Registered Trade Mark) and similar devices which provide connectivity to the mobile or cell phone system, or to the internet, or to both. Consequently, the consumer 20 is able to communicate with the system operator 7, and its host computer 8, by means of text messages such as those of the SMS system, by text messages such as emails, and by internet-based short messaging or microblogging systems.. In the course of a normal day a consumer 20 has various commercial experiences some of which are good and some of which may be bad. In respect of those commercial experiences which are bad, the consumer 20 may wish to lodge a complaint, or in common parlance have a "whinge", about a product or service, or to lodge a query or request about a product or service in order to receive a useful response in a timely fashion.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention the system operator 7 operates a website such as www.winjje.com to which an email, SMS or short message (microblog) of complaint can be sent and, which has an associated mobile or cell phone number to which an email , SMS or short message (microblog) of complaint can be sent. The host computer 8 includes software which utilizes technology originally developed in relation to the internet to generate data characteristic of a particular web page. The same technology is able to generate data which characterises the text of a complaint. Thus characterising keys are generated by scanning or searching or otherwise analysing incoming complaints. Examples of keys include the name of a provider of a service or seller of a product, the name of the product or service, the location from which the complaint was sent and/or the location of the service provider's or product seller's outlet, and so on. Examples of analysis techniques Include statistical, linguistic and/or geographic analysis.

Also contained within the host computer is a data base in which advertisers have provided sponsored keywords each of which has an associated advertisement (or possibly a number of such advertisements) and which are intended to be sent to consumers who log such complaints. Examples of keywords will include the name of a company which is a competitor of the advertiser; a retail outlet, branch or store; the class of a product; the specific name of a product; a locality or postcode/zip code, and the like.

Thus when a consumer 20 as seen in Fig. 1 has a bad consuming experience at Mario's Pizza, the consumer 20 is able to send a complaint to the system operator 7 by means of the portable communications device 21. In response, the consumer 20 receives an advertisement from Nick's Pizza because Nick's Pizza as an advertiser has paid for an advertisement to be stored in the host computer S and based, for example, on the word "Pizza" and the zip code or postcode within which the Nick's Pizza outlet is located.

How this result comes about is illustrated in Fig. 2 where the host computer 8 is seen to have an input 25 connected to the telephone company 5 and to the internet 9 as well as an output 26 which is similarly connected. Connected to the input 25 is a screen incoming message means 27 which screens the text of incoming messages (any of SMS or email or web based short messaging (microblogging)) and generates the keys which characterise the incoming message.

The host computer 8 also includes a data base 28 in which are stored keywords each of which is associated with at least one advertisement Furthermore, the host computer 8 includes a comparator 29 which is able to carry out a comparison between the keys generated by the screen incoming message means 27 and the keywords stored in the data base 28. In the event of this comparison indicating a match, the advertisement corresponding to the matched keyword is sent by the comparator 29 to the output 26 and thus onto the consumer 20 who sent in the incoming message having the matched key. Thus, as a consequence, the consumer 20 having had a bad - consuming experience at Mario's Pizza, and having sent a textural complaint to the host computer 8, in return receives a advertisement from Nick's Pizza.

This sequence of events is indicated in the flow chart illustrated in Fig. 3 where the first step 30 which initiates the action is the consumer 20 sending a complaint message. The next step 31 is that the message is screened by the screen incoming message means 27 to generate one or more keys. The next step 32 is that the data base of keywords is compared with the keys generated in the previous step 31.

As indicated in step 33, matches between each generated key and each stored keyword are identified. Finally, as indicated in step 34 an associated stored advertisement is sent to the consumer in respect of each identified match between a key and a keyword.

The above identified system and method enables targeted advertisements to be sent to consumers at a time when the consumer is particularly responsive to the message of the advertisement For example, in the scenario described in relation to Fig. 1 , the consumer 20 having experienced an unacceptable delay in preparing a pizza at Mario's Pizza, may walk down the road on receiving an advertisement from Nick's Pizza and so ultimately purchase the intended pizza from Nick's Pizza rather than Mario's Pizza.

It will be apparent from the above example that the response by way of advertisement to the complaint made by the customer of Mario's Pizza is essentially instantaneous in that the computer operation and telecommunications speeds are extremely fast. As a consequence, the disgruntled consumer is provided with an advertisement for a competing product or service when the disgruntled consumer is at his most receptive to such advertising. This is to be contrasted with advertisements which respond relatively slowly to some action of a consumer. For example, database mining where owners of newly registered motor vehicles receive in the mail unsolicited material selling motor vehicle accessories, or the like. Similar advertisements respond to consumer purchasers who fill in a warranty card or who respond to consumer surveys. By contrast, the present invention provides a compelling psychological advantage.

In addition to this advantage of immediacy caused by real time rapid processing, mere is a further advantage in that the process is extremely specific to the complainant. As a consequence the reply is individualized. The advertisement is tailored exactly to an individual's needs and arrives exactly when it is needed and most likely to be welcomed and acted upon. So there is both immediacy and ultimate specificity and focus. Thus the result is a new and unique advertising platform.

The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the Global Positioning System (GPS) and geo-location technology incorporated in many mobile or cell phones can be used to target advertisements of nationally (or internationally) trading companies to specific geographic localities. Thus a consumer complaining about one airline, for example, can be sent an advertisement on behalf of a second airline, only if the consumer is located in a range of postal codes adjacent oDe or two specific airports. In this way advertising can be restricted to a specific geographical area where, for example, the second airline has a weak market share or has only just started to service that particular region.

Thus the present invention is not restricted to micro-marketing but is applicable to all types of marketing and advertising.

The term "comprising" (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of "including" or "having" and not in the exclusive sense of

"consisting only of*.

To summarise there is disclosed a response with relevant advertisement system for responding to consumer complaints, the system comprising a host computer having an input and an output connected to at least one public communications system to respectively receive and send messages, the computer incorporating a data base of advertiser sponsored keywords each of which includes at least one associated advertisement, the computer further including a screen incoming message means connected to the input to screen incoming messages of complaint by consumers to identify one or more keys therein which characterise each incoming message, the screen incoming message means and the data base being connected to a comparator to compare the keywords with the identified key(s) to determine matches, if any, therebetween, and the comparator being connected to the output and on determining a match between a key of a complaint message and a stored keyword, sending one of the associated stored advertisements corresponding-to the matched keyword to the output for transmission to the consumer.

Preferably the messages of complaint are selected from the class consisting of an SMS message, an email message, an internet based short message and a microbiog, and said one associated stored advertisement is selected from the same class. Preferably the keywords are selected from the group consisting of names of products, names of services, names of organizations and location identifiers.

Preferably the locations identifiers comprise postcodes. Preferably a match is determined between one of the keys and one of the keywords if the key is the name of an organization, the keyword is the same name of an organization, and the associated stored advertisements is sponsored by, and refers to, a competing organization.

In addition there is disclosed a method of sending a relevant advertisement in response to a consumer complaint, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming message of complaint from a consumer and searching same for key(s) which characterise the incoming message,

comparing each the key with the keywords stored in the data base to determine if there is a match therebetween, and

in the event of a match sending the, or one of the advertisements, associated with the matched keyword to the corresponding consumer making the matched complaint

Preferably tbe message of complaint is selected from the class consisting of an SMS message, an email message, an internet based short message and a microblog, and said one associated stored advertisement is selected from the same class.

Preferably the keywords are selected from the group consisting of names of products, names of services, names of organisations and location identifiers.

Preferably the location identifiers comprise postcodes.

Preferably a match is determined between one of the keys and one of the keywords if the key is the name of an organization, the keyword is the same name of an organization, and the associated stored advertisements is sponsored by, and refers to, a competing organization.

Claims

1. A response with relevant advertisement system for responding to consumer complaints, said system comprising a host computer having an input and an output connected to at least one public communications system to respectively receive and send messages, said computer incorporating a data base of advertiser sponsored keywords each of which includes at least one associated advertisement, said computer further including a screen incoming message means connected to said input to screen incoming messages of complaint by consumers to identify one or more keys therein which characterise each incoming message, said screen incoming message means and said data base being connected to a comparator to compare said keywords with said identified key(s) to determine matches, if any, therebetween, and said comparator being connected to said output and on determining a match between a key of a complaint message and a stored keyword, sending one of said associated stored advertisements corresponding to said matched keyword to said output for transmission to said consumer.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said messages of complaint are selected from the class consisting of an SMS message, an email message, an internet based short message and a microblog, and said one associated stored advertisement is selected from the same class.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said keywords are selected from the group consisting of names of products, names of services, names of organizations and location identifiers.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said locations identifiers comprise postcodes.

5. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein a match is determined between one of said keys and one of said keywords if said key is the name of an organization, said keyword is the same name of an organization, and said associated stored advertisements is sponsored by, and refers to, a competing organization.

6. A method of sending a relevant advertisement in response to a consumer complaint, said method comprising:

providing a host computer in which is stored advertiser sponsored keywords each of which include at least one associated advertisement, receiving an incoming message of complaint from a consumer and searching same for key(s) which characterise said incoming message,

in the event of a match sending the, or one of the advertisements, associated with said matched keyword to the corresponding consumer making the matched complaint.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said message of complaint is

selected from the class consisting of an SMS message, an email message, an internet based short message and a microblog, and said one associated stored advertisement is selected from the same class.

S. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said keywords are selected from the group consisting of names of products, names of services, names of organisations and location identifiers.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said location identifiers comprise postcodes.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein a match is determined between one of said keys and one of said keywords if said key is the name of an organization, said keyword is the same name of an organization, and said associated stored advertisements is sponsored by, and refers to, a competing organization.