AU2016100245A4 - Method of Marketing Using a Loyalty and Rewards System - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A method of marketing using a loyalty and rewards system. A previously identified potential customer of a provider of goods or services is sensed by sensing means to be 5 at a position near the geographical vicinity of where said provider sells said goods or services. As a consequence of said sensing, a message is transmitted to a portable communication device being carried by said customer, said message offering said customer certain of said goods or services on terms more favorable than normal. -5 o U -5 U -J ~1) ci) C,) ~mm 0 0 w.. ci) z h.. --- U... -5 (9 4 C,) K

Description

1 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Method of Marketing Using a Loyalty and Rewards System The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 Method of Marketing Using a Loyalty and Rewards System 5 Technical Field This invention concerns the operation of a loyalty and rewards system of the type used by a retailer to motivate customers and potential customers to purchase goods or services from the retailer. 10 Background Current loyalty and reward schemes are static in nature and do very little to increase sales to non-regular customers. The usual approach and method used to engage with 15 reward and royalty members is via SMS, email and postal marketing services. The issue with these schemes is that they are largely broad-based and the potential customer is not in an optimum situation/environment at the time they receive marketing materials to promptly act upon the marketing materials received. There is also a general 20 lack of data analysis and insight into buyer preference and buyer behavior, particularly across small to medium enterprises (SMEs). An aim of the present invention is to provide a method which overcomes these difficulties. It provides a rewards and loyalty scheme in which special offers and 25 notifications relating to a reward are presented to potential customers based on those customers' individual transaction histories and while in the proximity of a relevant store or outlet as identified by real-time geographic location (geolocation) information generated by the customer's own portable communication device.

3 Summary of Invention Accordingly, in one aspect the invention provides a method of marketing using a loyalty and rewards system wherein: 5 - a previously identified potential customer of a provider of goods or services is sensed by sensing means to be at a position near the geographical vicinity of where said provider sells said goods or services, and - as a consequence of said sensing, a message is transmitted to a portable communication device being carried by said customer, said message offering said 10 customer certain of said goods or services on terms more favorable than normal. Preferably said portable communication device is or includes said potential customer's mobile phone. Preferably said sensing of the potential customer's position is achieved by identifying the location of said portable communication device. 15 Preferably said portable communication device is running software which transmits its location. Preferably said software is provided to said potential customer as part of an enrolment of said customer into said loyalty or rewards system. 20 The offer in said message may be valid for a sufficiently short time period that it is difficult for the potential customer to spend time checking said offer against any competitor offers. Said potential customer may be a previous customer of said provider and said certain 25 goods or services the subject of said offer may be selected from goods or services which are closely related to those purchased previously by said potential customer. A management system may maintain records of said customer's purchases across a plurality of said providers. 30 The terms of the offer in said message may be more favorable than terms otherwise available for said goods or services from the provider.

4 Brief Description of Drawings In order that the invention may be more fully understood there will now be described, 5 by way of example only, preferred embodiments and other elements of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 is a graphic showing the steps by which a notification is sent to a potential customer; Figure 2 is a graphic illustrating the sending, receiving and response to a 10 notification to a potential customer. Figure 3 is a graphic showing the process by which a customer's initial transaction data is captured; Figure 4 is a graphic showing the data capture and analysis process; and Figure 5 is a graphic showing the interaction of the networks involved. 15 Detailed Description of Drawings and Preferred Embodiments of the Invention The system is a web-based technology designed to assist retailers and client-facing businesses to better engage with consumers, capture customer details and entice current 20 and future sales. Push notifications (as emails or SMSs) are transmitted from a website/computer program over wireless networks, mobile networks and/or internet services to members subscribed to a particular rewards and loyalty program using real-world geographic 25 location and based upon individual transaction histories. A central database and management software on appropriate computers 10 underpins and drives the system. Relevant parts of the database are accessible to external retailers and customers as well as to the database's overall management personnel. The 30 database holds all the information/data for the system and is scalable for rollout across many users and customers. The database allows for integration into client point-of sale and crm systems, and also for core components of user data to be housed on client servers.

5 The database 10 allows for easy signup of both sets of end users, namely the general public consumers and the retailers/businesses which provide the goods and services to the consumers. 5 The database 10 integrates into social media accounts to fetch end user data from sources such as Facebook, Linkedin and Google. The system has appropriate data capture and analysis, and inbuilt algorithms for 10 identification and segmentation of customers, offering tailored individual rewards and offers. Importantly, the geolocation targeting for tracking of customer's movements allows for sending offers of push notifications and SMS while customers are in a defined area and in a shopping mode. 15 The database 10 holds detailed information for each end-user (consumer), in particular their name, email address, age bracket, gender, mobile phone number, postcode, rewards/loyalty credits in the system, purchase dates, geolocation histories and history of customer movements. 20 As indicated in Figure 1, a store 8 wishing to make offers to prospective customers in the loyalty/rewards system loads the relevant details of the offers into the database 10. The database then interrogates one or more relevant communication networks 12 to determine the location 14, and perhaps direction and speed of movement, of prospective customers and sends 16 a push notification 17 to only those who are within 25 the desired locality. As indicated in Figure 2, the notification 17 is sent 18 to the customer's mobile communication device 19 where it is read and the customer goes to the store to make the purchase being promoted. The mobile communication device 19 would usually be 30 a mobile phone but could be a tablet or any other applicable device. As indicated in Figure 3, when a customer responding to a notification 17 proceeds to the store 8 and makes the promoted purchase, the customer's identification is scanned 6 at a respective terminal 22 to confirm they are permitted to benefit from the relevant offer being promoted. As indicated in Figure 4, modules 24 within the database 10 store details 26 of the 5 transactions and analyze the transaction habits 28 of members of the loyalty program in order to more accurately select those people who are most likely to respond to given notifications. As indicated in Figure 5, The communication networks 12 utilized can include 10 geolocation data from mobile phone towers or from more local detectors 30 within a shopping mall for example. Either separately or in combination that data can yield the required geolocation information 32. The invention provides a rewards and loyalty system which utilizes real-world 15 geographic location (geolocation) on a user's electronic device to provide notifications and offers relating to a reward and loyalty program to which they have subscribed in store. Notifications are based on individual transaction histories and are sent when the customer is within an appropriate distance (or travel time) from a store or outlet, where the customer's position is identified by a real world geographic location on the users 20 electronic device. The recipient is therefore sent only those notifications which are especially relevant to their interests/buying habits and only when they are close enough to complete a transaction. The invention accordingly solves the following problems/desires for retailers and 25 customer-facing businesses: " an ability to provide notifications to members of reward and loyalty programs whilst they are within any proximity that is desired by the retailer/business owner; e an ability to engage with customers that have registered to the rewards and 30 loyalty program whilst they are within any proximity to a retail shopfront or business; and 7 e retailers and business owners having the ability to analyze customer behaviors and preferences based on successful notifications claimed by customers. Whilst the above description includes the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is 5 to be understood that many variations, alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the essential features or the spirit or ambit of the invention. It will be also understood that where the word "comprise", and variations such as 10 "comprises" and "comprising", are used in this specification, unless the context requires otherwise such use is intended to imply the inclusion of a stated feature or features but is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other feature or features. The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an 15 acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims (9)

1. A method of marketing using a loyalty and rewards system wherein: - a previously identified potential customer of a provider of goods or services is 5 sensed by sensing means to be at a position near the geographical vicinity of where said provider sells said goods or services, and - as a consequence of said sensing, a message is transmitted to a portable communication device being carried by said customer, said message offering said customer certain of said goods or services on terms more favorable than normal. 10

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said portable communication device is or includes said potential customer's mobile phone.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said sensing of the potential 15 customer's position is achieved by sensing the location of said portable communication device.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said portable communication device is running software which transmits its location. 20

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said software is provided to said potential customer as part of an enrolment of said customer into a loyalty or rewards system. 25

6. A method according to any one of the previous claims wherein said offer in said message is valid for a sufficiently short time period that it is difficult for the potential customer to spend time checking said offer against any competitor offers.

7. A method according to any one of the previous claims wherein said potential 30 customer is a previous customer of said provider and said certain goods or services the subject of said offer are selected from goods or services which are closely related to those purchased previously by the potential customer. 9

8. A method according to any one of the previous claims wherein a management system maintains records of said customer's purchases across a plurality of said providers. 5

9. A method according to any one of the previous claims wherein said terms of the offer in said message may be more favorable than terms otherwise available for said goods or services from the provider.