AU2011101398B4

AU2011101398B4 - Electronic Promotional System

Info

Publication number: AU2011101398B4
Application number: AU2011101398A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Phillip D. Talbot
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-10-31
Filing date: 2011-10-31
Publication date: 2012-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2019-10-31
Also published as: AU2011101398A4

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of causing a new unique Quick Response (QR) Code image to be displayed on a plurality of promotional display units, said plurality of promotional display units being accessible to an online QR code campaign system through a long range wireless data network, said method comprising the steps of transmitting data representing a set of rules to create new unique QR Code image images in real time from said online QR code campaign system to said plurality of promotional display units using said long range wireless data network, whereby said data is made available to each said plurality of promotional display units, said promotional display units generate said new unique QR Code image, and subsequently displays said new unique QR Code image at said plurality of promotional display units; said data is of sufficient detail as to include the offer, the location, time and date information of each said plurality of promotional display units.

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 (Cth) DIGITAL EXPRESSION PTY LTD COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: ELECTRONIC PROMOTIONAL SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing in known to us: 1. Electronic Promotional System FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention broadly relates to electronic promotion. In particular, the present invention broadly relates to remotely operated electronic promotion displays. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION [0002] Retail outlets, fast food chains, supermarkets, and the like are continuously looking to promote their products and services to shoppers and customers. Moreover, these businesses use a range of different media ranging from TV, radio, outdoor media, print and online to communicate the promotional offers to their customers. [0003] A common technique used by retailers is to use a mix of different media when running promotional campaigns. For instance, a supermarket chain might run TV, radio and an online promotional campaign to raise awareness of a particular product offer. The same supermarket chain might also run an outdoor media campaign on billboards and utilise posters within airports and shopping centres to reach customers who are on the move. The promotional offer is invariably supported with some form of print media such as newspaper, magazine or direct mail catalogs and an online presence. At the store the promotional message is reinforced using point of sale posters and visual merchandising displays to remind shoppers of these promotional offers. This last mile in the path to purchase is the most powerful promotional space as you can stimulate impulse purchase behaviour because you are in close proximity to the point of sale. [0004] Another tool at the retailer's disposal is combining the promotion with their customer loyalty program to reward customers for repeat purchase behaviour. Clearly implementing these national promotional campaigns is an enormous exercise that requires a significant amount of time for the retail marketing staff to coordinate all logistics and manage the distribution of the new promotional material to individual stores over a wide geographical area. At the same time marketing staff need to ensure that each store is compliant in displaying the latest promotional material. [0005] It has now become more difficult and costly for retailers to reach their potential customers as they struggle with the choice of available media channels to promote their products 2. and services. Over the last decade we have seen the fragmentation of mass media, the introduction of subscription TV and set top boxes from which viewers now have substantially more TV channels to choose from. Add to this the complexities of marketing online and to younger generation mobile consumers with smartphones, the retail marketer's selection of the appropriate channel has become almost hazardous. It is now incumbent on retailers to carefully select the most appropriate media to reach their target customers and to allocate their scarce promotional dollars to the most effective marketing channel whilst finding new ways to reach and attract customers to their outlets. [0006] With the emergence of technologies such as two-dimensional QR ("Quick Response") codes we are seeing these codes being scanned and read by most camera-enabled smartphones. Invented in the 1994 by Denso Corporation of Japan they were originally developed for scanning and tracking automotive parts, however increasingly QR Codes are fast becoming a mainstream marketing tool to link mobile consumers in the US, Europe and Australia as smartphone adoption soars. [0007] QR codes have been used in print marketing for some time where customers with a camera-enabled smartphone and a QR code reader installed can scan these QR codes and be provided information or directed to a website for further information. With the emergence of QR code technologies it is the first time we are able to bridge the physical world of promotional print with the online world, creating a plethora of new ways to communicate directly with customers on the move. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] The present inventor has found it possible for retailers to link static QR Code images, typically used on printed material for promotional offers marketed via traditional media (TV, outdoor media, print and online), to a plurality of other unique QR Code images displayed on in store promotional display units located near the point of purchase. As a consequence retail marketers can now measure the effectiveness of printed promotional offers at driving customers into retail outlets to redeem the offer. Furthermore, real-time data about smartphone interactions with the static QR Code images printed on posters can now be tracked. Retailers can present dynamic personalised offers directly to customers on their smartphone, attracting the customers to a store nearest to their current location to redeem their offer. The enormous benefit of this present invention is the ability to get instantaneous data measuring the effectiveness of each promotional campaign and its effect on redemptions and therefore sales. The retail marketer has 3. the ability to amend or customise the offer instantaneously in order to improve the possibility of influencing their purchase behaviour, or create a new the offer without the need to re-print the national promotional material. [0009] Furthermore, by linking multiple unique QR Code images together to a single static QR Code images you can conceivably create live innovative promotional competitions and games (eg Collect all 10 QR Code images and win free products), incorporate online social networking services and influence a known network of loyal customers to repeat purchase. It provides a truly new and innovative way for retail marketing staff to engage with their loyal customers in ways that are direct, interactive and measurable. [0010] This is achieved by networking all the in store promotional display units that display the unique QR Code images via an inexpensive long range wireless data network such as a publicly available cellular phone networks to a centralised online QR code campaign system. The online QR code campaign system allows you to create and link single public QR Code images to a plurality of private QR Code images displayed on in-store promotional display units. You can then set a range of rules in the online QR code campaign system to allow the promotional display units to dynamically generate and display on an ongoing basis the new unique QR Code images according to those rules. [0011] By tracking individual smartphone user interactive scans of a printed QR Code image offer, whilst verifying that both the offer and redemption codes have been scanned in the right order, you can now measure the effectiveness of a campaign offer on successful redemptions on an individual store by store basis. The dynamically generated nature of the unique QR Code images provides the additional benefit of providing a secure way of preventing the promotional system being abused. [0012] This is the first time retail marketers can launch a printed promotional campaign, measure in real time the effectiveness of the promotion at increasing sales on a store by store basis. This information is enormously advantageous for marketing people to develop return on investment (ROI) analysis for each promotional campaign they run. [0013] Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of causing a new unique QR Code image to be displayed on a plurality of promotional display units, said plurality of promotional display units being accessible to an online QR code campaign system through a long range wireless data network, said method comprising the steps of transmitting data representing a set of 4. rules to create new unique QR Code images in real time from said online QR code campaign system to said plurality of promotional display units using said long range wireless data network, whereby said data is made available to each said plurality of promotional display units, said promotional display units generate said new unique QR Code image, and subsequently displays said new unique QR Code image at said plurality of promotional display units; said new unique QR Code image is has sufficient detail contained within as to include the offer, the location, time and date of redemption of each said plurality of promotional display units. BRIEF DESCPRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0014] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: [0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing one example of a promotional display system for use in the method of the present invention; [0016] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram similar to that of Figure 1; [0017] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing specific details of an example of one part of the present invention and its interaction with the promotion display unit which is shown in Figure 1 and 2; [0018] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing specific details of an example of linking QR Code images in the present invention which is shown in Figure 1 and 2; [0019] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram similar to that of Figure 4; [0020] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing specific details of an example of applying rules to QR Code images in the present invention which is shown in Figure 1 and 2; [0021] Figure 7 is a table illustrating the information outlined in Figure 6; [0022] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing components of one example of a promotional display unit of the present invention; [0023] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution and monitoring components of one example of a promotional display unit of the present invention; 5. [0024] Figure 10 is respective front and side views of one example of a promotional display unit of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0025] The present invention provides a method of causing a new unique QR Code image to be displayed on a plurality of promotional display units, said plurality of promotional display units being accessible to an online QR code campaign system through a long range wireless data network, said method comprising the steps of transmitting data representing a set of rules to create new unique QR Code images in real time from said online QR code campaign system to said plurality of promotional display units using said long range wireless data network, whereby said data is made available to each said plurality of promotional display units, said promotional display units generate said new unique QR Code image, and subsequently displays said new unique QR Code image at said plurality of promotional display units; said new unique QR Code image is has sufficient detail contained within as to include the offer, the location, time and date of redemption of each said plurality of promotional display units. [0026] Typically, the time taken for the data to be received is in the order of two seconds. [0027] Generally a QR Code image is fixed in nature, created once, printed onto posters and placed in public places where smartphone users are able to scan and read these codes and be presented a range of information. [0028] QR Code images can present actions such as making a phone call, sending an SMS, sending an email, browsing to a website, linking to a geographic location or sharing promotional offers with friends via popular social networking applications. [0029] A QR Code image should preferably be incorporated into some publically available mass media printed such as TV, outdoor media, print media or online media as part of a national sales promotion campaign. [0030] Despite the all advantages of QR Code images in bridging the physical world with the online world, a standard QR Code image is unique, fixed and independent. Once it is printed onto promotional material the information encoded within them cannot be changed, only the content behind the webpage.

6. [0031] Preferably, the method in the present invention allows a QR Code image to be related to other QR Code images; one fixed QR Code image called a "Public code" (offer) would to be linked to one or plurality of unique QR Code images called "Private codes" (redemption). The linking of a public QR Code image with a plurality of private QR Code images is achieved by defining and creating a unique campaign ID via the online QR code campaign system. [0032] A smartphone user with an enabled QR code reader application firstly scans said public QR offer code and said QR code reader application subsequently records that scan on an online QR code campaign system along with other relevant data such data as the smartphone ID, geographic location, and time and date of scan; and subsequently said smartphone user must then scan a second said unique private QR redemption codes located at point of sale location and said QR code reader application subsequently records on an online QR code campaign system that scan along with other relevant data such as the smartphone ID, geographic location, and time and date of scan. [0033] Once a unique campaign ID is established, a single public QR Code image is generated by the said online QR code campaign system and then associated to the unique campaign ID. The public QR Code image would be incorporated onto any printed promotional material such as billboards, posters, and coupons or displayed on some publically available mass media such as TV, outdoor media, or website. [0034] Preferably, once a campaign ID and a public QR Code image has been generated using the online QR code campaign system, then a number of unique private QR Code images can be generated and associated to the previously defined campaign ID. [0035] Preferably, after a number of private QR Code images have been generated and associated to the unique campaign ID, the method of this present invention provides that a number of rules can be defined such as automatically generating further new unique QR Code images for each promotional display unit at store level every 30 seconds. This is achieved by creating the rules using the online QR code campaign system which then transfers the rules as the XML files for each promotional display unit to an intermediary distribution server. The intermediary distribution server stores the XML rule file destined for the each of the individual promotional display units in unique respective directories. [0036] This provides the benefit that each store may have different individual and unique codes being dynamically generated that are relevant to that particular store. For example, a particular 7. store may have a greater discount than any other store, or have a particular product offered that is unique to that store only. This ability to customise the offer locally provides a very powerful local store marketing tool. [0037] Preferably, in the method of this present invention a single public QR Code image could be to linked directly to one or a number other unique independent private QR Code images on either a sequential or random basis. This is can be achieved within online QR code campaign system by the creating and then linking between at least two private QR Code images. For example, a promotional game might require a smartphone user to collect all 5 unique codes at 5 different stores to go into a draw for a prize. By linking the 5 private QR Code images between each other QR code in a single campaign it allows retail marketing staff to develop powerful campaigns which drive customer behaviour to repeat purchase by collecting all codes. [0038] Preferably, the method in the present invention allows a private QR Code image to be completely dynamic. The dynamic nature of the private QR Code image is achieved by an automated QR Code image generating application located on the QR Code campaign system which dynamically generates a new private QR Code image. These new private QR Code image changes are made according to predetermined rules set by the online QR code campaign system and executed by the QR Code campaign system and sent to the promotional display unit. Once the new private QR Code image is generated it automatically and instantly is displayed on the promotional display unit. [0039] Preferably, an alternative method of this present invention is that an automated dynamic QR Code image generating application located on the promotional display would be responsible for communicating with the centralised online QR code campaign system. The automated dynamic QR Code image generating application would at a predetermined time intervals check with the online QR code campaign system via the long range wireless data network to see if there are were any new updated XML rule files. If new rules were available, the automated dynamic QR Code image generator would initiate the download of the rules data and then execute those new rules locally on the promotional display units. The new unique private QR Code image would then change accordingly and be displayed on the promotional display units at each store. [0040] As the XML rules data is received by each of the said plurality of promotional display units shortly after transmission, a new promotional campaign can be implemented practically simultaneously over a wide geographical area using the method of the present invention.

8. [0041] The new unique QR Code image is intended to be used as a direct link to a promotional offer which is specific and relevant to the location of the individual promotional display units, or more preferably, as part of a customer loyalty program to reward shoppers for their purchases. [0042] Preferably, the long range wireless data network is a publically available 3G mobile telephone network. Such networks provide advantages over the use of other types of fixed and wireless networks. They require little investment on the part of the retailer in the method of the present invention as they do not require installation of infrastructure, are readily accessible, and are inexpensive to access and use. In the alternative, local wireless networks (sometimes referred to as WIFI) require a wireless router and whilst not too expensive do require to be installed at each site and connected to the existing store IT data network. The labour cost associated with installing and configuring a local wireless router and the resulting security implications for the IT department of the retailer are the main difficulties with using local wireless networks in this method. [0043] Despite their advantages, publicly available mobile phone networks have their inherent data rate and signal reliability issues. For instance, it is quite common to lose your network connection through poor coverage or network congestion. Due to their inherently unreliable nature it is not practical to have large image files constantly being transmitted to the promotional display units. Accordingly the method of the present invention is to only transmit very small text based files containing the set of rules defining by the online QR Code campaign system are very small. The size of these files is generally only 100kB. [0044] The technology and data rate of such networks are constantly being improved, and it is contemplated that any such network will be suitable. [0045] The invention will now be described by reference to the preferred embodiments. [0046] Figures 1 and 2 shows promotional display units 40 to be used according to the method of the present invention. This particular example of a promotional display system 10 comprises a QR Code campaign system 20, along range wireless data network 30, and a promotional display unit 40. The QR code campaign system 20 provides data representing a set of rules to create new unique QR code images in real time which is to be displayed by the plurality of promotional display units 40. In this particular example the step of creating the promotional offer and providing the data to be encoded within the QR Code image by the client or advertising agency 9. 50 is shown, plus the scanning of the public code 110 and the private code 120 by the smartphone user 60 in that particular order. [0047] Data received from the advertising agent or client 50 is preferably in a form such as webpage link which enables it to be encoded into a QR Code image and the content within the QR Code image should be a valuable aspect of the overall promotion to the smartphone user. [0048] Figure 3 and 4 shows the QR code campaign system 20 which allows the advertising agency or client 50 to use the online QR Code image generator 70 to create public QR Code images 110 and private QR Code images 120 and uniquely link them to a campaign ID 140. Once a campaign ID 140 is created, the advertising agency or client 50 can use the rules engine 80 to define a range of rules and associate those rules to one or a plurality of private codes 120. Preferably from these rules XML files are generated for each of the public QR Code images 110 and private QR Code images 120 and written to a QR Code image distribution component 90 as part of the overall QR code campaign system 20. [0049] Said QR Code image distribution component 90 of the QR code campaign system 20 after the initial request from the promotional display units 40 transmits data representing the private QR Code images and their respective set of rules via the long range wireless data network 30 to the promotional display units 40. A preferable method of the present invention is for the QR Code image distribution component 90 to fulfil the function of monitoring the network status via the long range wireless data network of all promotional display units 40. [0050] Figure 4 and 5 illustrates in more detail an example of a preferable method of the present invention to the process of generating public QR Code images 100, the process of generating private QR Code images 130 and linking them both to a campaign ID 140. Preferably a unique alpha numeric ID such as "PromoDec 1" is created and defined as the campaign ID 140. Once the campaign ID 140 has been created the data to be encoded into a public QR Code image 110, for example the value "www.site.com" is entered into a field associated with the campaign ID 140 and the online QR Code image generator 70 creates a new public QR Code image 110. The same process applies for the process of generating private QR Code images 130 where the same campaign ID 140 is associated directly with each plurality of private QR Code images 120. By way of example, three unique private QR Code images 120 could pass through the generating private QR Code image process 130 by entering the values "www.site.com/MEL", "www.site.com/SYD", "www.site.com/PER" respectively and all these three new unique private QR Code images 120 are all associated directly with the campaign ID 140.

10. [0051] Figure 6 and 7 represents a detailed view of the rules engine 80 and the respective process by which the rules engine 80 associates rules 160 to each unique private code 120. In particular the preferable method of the present invention is for the rules generator application 150 to allow the advertising agent or client 50 to enter a range of rules 160 to be applied to each unique QR private codes 120. This is best illustrated by way of several examples. [0052] Preferably, example one might require a rule 160 to be generated that requires all private QR Code images 120 change every thirty seconds on the promotional display unit 40. This is achieved by an XML file being generated with attribute campaign ID 140 having an alphanumerical value of "ALL"and attribute "INTERVALSEC" having a numerical value of "30". Preferably, each promotional display unit 40 would then receive this XML file on its next periodic download and would result in all private QR Code images 120 on the plurality of promotional display units 40 to immediately and dynamically regenerate a new private QR Code image 120 every thirty seconds. [0053] Preferably, a second example might require a rule 160 to be generated that requires all physical locations of promotional display units 40 in Melbourne to have a discount of 10% applied. This is achieved again by writing an XML that has the attribute "LOCATION" having an alpha value equal to "MEL" and the attribute "DISCOUNT" have a numeric value equal to "10%". Preferably, each promotional display unit 40 would then receive this XML file on its next periodic download and would result in all private QR Code images 120 on the plurality of promotional display units 40 to apply immediately a further 10% discount to the dynamic re generation of a new private QR Code image 120. [0054] Preferably the table illustrating the database schema in Figure 7 is one way the database design could be configured so that each physical promotional display unit 40 would be given a unique "Device ID" and then private QR Code images 120 could be directly attributable to each promotional display unit 40. This would preferably include the campaign ID and values associated with each rule 160. [0055] Referring to Figure 8, the promotional display units 40 generally comprise a network connecting means in the form of a modem 180, a processor 190 and a display means in the form of LCD screen 200. The modem 180 has a speed ranging from about 64 to 1 Mbps and includes an aerial 170 for communication with the network 30. The promotional display units 40 also include image storage means in the form of SD memory (not shown) for storing the XML data relating to the rules 160 and the original source data to be encoded into a private QR Code image 11. 120. The SD memory stores information downloaded by the promotional display unit 40 from the QR Code image distribution component 90. It also, if necessary, stores other information which is required by the QR code campaign system 20 to be sent to the QR code campaign system 20. [0056] The processor 190 processes the XML information it periodically downloads at predefined intervals directly from the QR code campaign system 20, or via its associated SD memory, to fulfil the functions described above which the QR code campaign system 20 initiates. For example the processor 190 processes information contained within the XML file downloaded from the QR code campaign system 20 which defines the promotional display unit 40 to dynamically generate a new unique private QR Code image 120 according to a new rule 160. This rule 160 may be that every thirty seconds the processor 190 is required to regenerate the new private QR Code image with a unique encoded time stamp. [0057] Preferably, in the method of the present invention one example might be that an existing private QR Code image with a value of "www.site.com/MEL" be appended to include the actual local time of the processor 110 system clock every thirty seconds, so that the next two instances of the new private QR Code image 120 generated by the processor 190 would be encoded with "www.site.com/MEL/?time= 14294224102011 "&"www.site.com/MEL/?time= 1429452410201" respectively. This example illustrates that the private code becomes dynamic based on time and the new private QR Code image 120 is re-generated every thirty seconds and each instance of the new private QR Code image 120 becomes unique and is related to the specific promotional display unit 40. [0058] Preferably, the method of the present invention also requires the processor 190 to generate reports on the live status of the promotional display unit 40 and at the same time of the periodic download of any new XML data 210 for the promotional display unit 40 the processor 190 sends the live status data to the back to QR Code image distribution component 90. [0059] Preferably, as shown in figure 9, the method of the present invention has an important and inherent process to update XML data 210 from the QR Code image distribution component 90 via the long range wireless data network 30 to each of the promotional display units 40. The updating XML data 210 process is always initiated from the promotional display unit 40 by the QR Code image generating application (not shown) stored locally on the SD memory contained within each respective processor 190 on the plurality of promotional display units 40. This QR Code image generating application periodically checks in and registers itself and its unique 12. device ID with the QR Code image distribution component 90 of the QR Code campaign system 20. There are two processes that are completed within this function of updating the promotional display units 40 via the long range wireless data network 30. [0060] The preferred method in the present invention for the function of distributing QR private codes 120 is that the QR Code image generating application (not shown) located on the promotional display units 40 via the long range wireless data network 30 at predetermined intervals checks into the QR Code image distribution component 90 to see if there are any new updates for its unique device ID to download. If there is an update, the QR Code image generating application will initiate a request to download from the QR Code image distribution component 90 the respective XML data 210 update for its device ID to the unique promotional display unit 40 containing the new private code 120 content and any associated rule 160. [0061] The second process as shown in Figure 9, and the preferred method in the present invention for the function of monitoring the network and the device status of the promotional display units 40, is that the QR Code image generating application (not shown) located on the promotional display units 40 via the long range wireless data network 30 at predetermined intervals writes a report that contains but is not limited to the time of the registration login and the device status report 220 for the device ID of the promotional display unit 40 back to the QR Code image distribution component 90. [0062] Preferably, as illustrated in Figures 1 OA and 1 OB is one example of a promotional display unit 40 which is a self contained all-in-one integrated unit with an LCD screen 200 of at least 170mm across the diagonal with a slim LCD bezel 230 and a protective acrylic facia 240. The promotional display unit would also be enclosed in a plastic enclosure 250, with a solid base 260 which would allow the said promotional display unit 40 to be fixed to a counter top or affixed to a shelf. [0063] Preferably each of the plurality of promotional display units 40 is located in public spaces with ready access to power such as malls, shopping centres, retail stores, supermarkets, fast food outlets and the like. The method of the present invention allows for promotional campaigns to be implemented over a wide geographical area with minimal effort. Accordingly said plurality of promotional display units 40 is preferably distributed over a wide geographic area so that a proportion of said plurality of promotional display units 40 is located in at least two separate public spaces.

Claims

1. A method of causing a new unique Quick Response (QR) Code image to be displayed on a plurality of promotional display units, said plurality of promotional display units being accessible to an online QR code campaign system through a long range wireless data network, said method comprising the steps of transmitting data representing a set of rules to create new unique QR Code image images in real time from said online QR code campaign system to said plurality of promotional display units using said long range wireless data network, whereby said data is made available to each said plurality of promotional display units, said promotional display units generate said new unique QR Code image, and subsequently displays said new unique QR Code image at said plurality of promotional display units; said data is of sufficient detail as to include the offer, the location, time and date information of each said plurality of promotional display units.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method comprising the step of creating a single public QR Code image offer code and linking that to a campaign ID and subsequently linking the said defined campaign ID to one or a plurality of unique private QR Code image redemption codes, said public QR Code image offer code is promoted on publically accessible advertising material, wherein once said public QR Code image offer code is scanned, to redeem the offer a second or number of said unique private QR Code image redemption codes must be scanned; said unique private QR Code image redemption codes to be dynamically generated by said online QR code campaign system and transmitted to said promotional display units in real time and displayed on a plurality of promotional display units.

3. A method according to any one of claims 1 or 2 wherein said new unique QR Code image is displayed on said plurality of promotional display units located at retail point of purchase locations.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said long range wireless data network is a public available mobile telephone network.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said plurality of promotional display units is distributed over a wide geographical area so that a proportion of said plurality of promotional display units are located in at least two separate public spaces.