JP2002157396A - Marketing method for digital contents - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a user to have the merit of being able to do trial listening to digital contents such as a workpiece of music or the like free, and to allow the provider of the digital contents such as an artist to acquire marketing information. SOLUTION: This marketing method comprises a process for allowing a user 200 to download a workpiece of music 110 as digital contents provided from an artist 300 as a provider from a server 100 in which the workpiece of music 110 is stored on a condition that the user is able to do trial listening to the digital contents only one time, a process for allowing the user 200 to reply whether or not the user wants to listen to the workpiece of music 110 more as the result of the user's trial listening to the downloaded workpiece of music 110 to the server 100, and a process for replying at least the number of times of downloading of the workpiece of music 110 and reply data 120 from the user 200 to the artiest 300.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital content marketing method for researching a general user's willingness to purchase digital content such as a movie, music, or computer game.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the spread of computers and the performance thereof have been remarkable, and it has become possible to play back movies and music previously played on VCRs and CD players.

[0003]

However, when purchasing digital contents of movie works and music works through the Internet, it is only possible to confirm a part of the contents by previewing with a short trailer-like feeling. Was.
For this reason, after actually purchasing digital content,
Sometimes it turns out that you didn't like it. Due to these problems, the purchase of digital contents of movie works and music works through the Internet has not yet exploded.

[0004] In addition, an artist who is a digital content provider of a movie or music work cannot obtain so-called marketing information as to whether or not his or her own work will be linked to subsequent sales.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has the advantage that a user can listen to digital content such as a music work for free, etc., and provide a digital content provider such as an artist with marketing. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a marketing method for digital contents that can obtain information.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a digital content marketing method, comprising the steps of: providing a digital content provided by a provider to a user on a condition that the digital content is used only a preset number of times; A step of downloading the content, a step of responding to the server as to whether or not the user wants to further use the digital content as a result of using the downloaded digital content by the user; Answering the number of downloads of the content and answer data from the user.

Preferably, the number of times is one.

[0008] Further, it is preferable that the download of the digital content is free, and that the answer to the provider of the digital content is paid.

[0009] Further, the digital content is provided with a counting section for counting the number of times used, a judging section for judging whether or not the counting result exceeds a preset number, and this judging section is set in advance. A restriction function having a destruction unit that destroys the digital content itself in a case where it is determined that the number of times has exceeded the predetermined number is built in in advance.

[0010] The digital contents include music,
Digital content such as images or computer programs.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a digital content marketing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a digital content marketing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of digital content downloaded to a user by the digital content marketing method according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an answer format in the digital content marketing method according to the embodiment of the present invention. .

In the digital content marketing method according to the embodiment of the present invention, a server 100 in which digitized music works 110 as digital content provided by an artist 300 as a provider are stored.
From the step S1 in which the user 200 downloads the music piece 110 on condition that it is used only once, and as a result of trial listening to the music piece 110 downloaded by the user 200, whether the user 200 wants to listen to the music piece 110 further or not S4 and S5 to the server 100, and the artist 300 is provided with at least the number of downloads of the music piece 110 and the answer data 1 from the user 200.
And answering step S20.

The server 100 stores a large number of music works 110 in the form of digital signals (digital contents). This server 100 is connected to the Internet. The music piece 110 includes, in addition to the music data 111 necessary for reproducing the music, an answer format 112 that is used when the user 200 answers the server 100 after the trial listening. A transmission program 113 for transmission is incorporated.

The music data 111 is stored in a normal music reproducing program, for example, Microsoft Windows.
A format that can be reproduced using a media player (trademark) or a format that can be reproduced only by a special music reproduction program may be used.

Further, the music work 110 has a restriction function 11 for preventing a preview from being performed more than a preset number of times.
4 is also incorporated. The restriction function 114 includes a counting unit 114A for counting the number of times the music work 110 has been used, that is, the number of times of listening, a determining unit 114B for determining whether or not the counting result is one, and a determining unit 114B. Is judged to be the second trial listening, the destruction unit 1 that destroys itself together with the music data 111, the answer format 112, and the transmission program 114B.
14C is pre-installed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the answer format 112 includes an address 112A, an age 1
12B, gender 112C, occupation 112D, favorite music genre 112E, e-mail address 112F, etc., and the most important point is "Do you want to listen again?" For the question "I want to hear, do not want to hear, neither." The answer format 112 is merely an example, and the question can be set arbitrarily. However, a three-choice question 112G for answering whether or not the user wants to listen to the downloaded music piece 110 again is essential. .

The question 112G may be a two-choice question of "I want to hear or do not want to hear" or a question of four or more questions.

For example, the user 200 is a 25-year-old male employee who lives in Osaka Prefecture, his favorite music genre is jazz, and his e-mail address is ○ △ × ＠ ○
△ ×. ne. jp and auditioned music piece 110
Is "I want to hear again", the answer format 112 is as shown in FIG.

The transmission program 113 for connection to the line detects the response status to the response format 112 at the end of the trial listening of the music piece 110, and if the answer has been answered in the required response item, There is a function of automatically transmitting the answer format 112 to the server 100 in the form of an e-mail. At the end of the trial listening, if no answer is given in the answer format 112, a warning message urging the user 200 to answer is displayed on the display. Then, if all the answer items of the answer format 112 have been answered, the answer format 112 is transmitted to the server 100.

Even if there is no answer in the answer item of the answer format 112, after a certain period of time,
The response format 112 is transmitted to the server 100. In this case, in order to prevent download by the user 200 who does not intend to answer, the server 100 stores the e-mail address of the user 200 who has transmitted the answer format 112 (defective answer) having no answer in the required answer items. In addition, a function for avoiding access at an e-mail address to which a failure answer has been made a predetermined number of times or more may be incorporated.

The user 200 accesses the server 100 via the Internet using his / her own computer, and obtains many music works 1 stored in the server 100.
The user downloads a favorite music piece 110 from among the pieces 10 (S1 in FIG. 2). In the server 100, each music piece 110
Is counting the number of downloads.

The user 200 plays the downloaded music piece 110 on his / her computer and listens to it (S2 in FIG. 2). At the time of this reproduction, an answer format 112 as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the display of the computer of the user 200.

The user 200 fills out the answer format 112 while listening to the music piece 100 (S4 in FIG. 2). The response format 112 is transmitted to the server 100 at the time when the trial listening of the music piece 110 is completed by the transmission program 113 for the line connection (S5 in FIG. 2).

When downloading the music piece 110, the user 200 needs to pay for the use of the Internet provider and the telephone fee to the access point, but the download itself is free.
Therefore, the user 200 can listen to the music work 110 once for free.

When the user 200 starts one trial listening of the downloaded music piece 100, the counting section 114A counts "1", and this is stored in the memory of the user's computer (S3 in FIG. 2). Then, when the user 200 attempts a second audition, that is, an unacceptable audition, the counting unit 114A counts “2”, so the judging unit 114B judges that the unacceptable audition is performed, and the destruction unit 114C is not only the music data 111 of the music piece, but also the counting unit 1
14A, the determining unit 114B and the destroying unit 114C are destroyed (S8 in FIG. 2). An important point in this destruction is to destroy only the downloaded music piece 110 and not to destroy data unrelated to the downloaded music piece 110, that is, the user's own data.

The server 100 that has received the answer format 112 analyzes the answer format 112 and counts each item such as the address 112A and the three-choice question 112G (S6 in FIG. 2).

After a certain period of time, such as one month, has elapsed since the music piece 110 was stored in the server 100, the server 100 sets the number of downloads of the music piece 110,
The answer data 120 from the user 200, that is, the contents of the answer items in the answer format 112 and the
00 (S7 in FIG. 2). Also, the server 100
Indicates the answer format 1 as well as the count of each item.
It is desirable to add the marketing information such as the preference and the trend of the user 200 estimated from 12 and to reply.
The answer data 120 may be in the form of an electronic mail or a paper document, and is not particularly limited to a particular format.

In the above description, the digital content provided by the provider is the music work 110.
In addition, any digital content such as an image or a computer program may be used.

[0029]

According to the digital content marketing method according to the present invention, a user downloads the digital content from a server storing the digital content provided by the provider on condition that the digital content is used only a preset number of times. And responding to the server as to whether the user wants to further use the digital content as a result of using the downloaded digital content, and providing the digital content provider with at least the number of times the digital content is downloaded and Answering the answer data from the user.

Therefore, by using this digital content marketing method, it is possible to easily obtain a direct response of the user to digital content downloaded by the user, for example, a music work. Therefore, it becomes possible to market the concept and theme of the next musical work.

Further, by limiting the number of times to one, it is possible to know the user's reaction more accurately.
In other words, if the digital content can be used multiple times, there may be many honest answers when the data is first touched, but if it is limited to one time, the user will answer seriously, so more accurate It is a reaction.

Further, by making the downloading of the digital contents free, the user can listen to a large amount of data, for example, music works, so that more users can be obtained and the number of answers obtained can be increased. Dramatically more than a paid download.

Further, by providing a fee for the answer to the provider of the digital content, it is possible to enhance the answer to the provider of the digital content even if the user download is free.

The digital content has a counting unit for counting the number of times it has been used, a judging unit for judging whether or not the counting result exceeds a preset number, and a judging unit for judging whether the counting result exceeds the preset number. And a destruction unit that destroys the digital content itself so that it cannot be used when it is determined that the digital content is exceeded.

For this reason, an unauthorized user who intends to use digital content more than a predetermined number of times is not allowed to use the digital content more than a predetermined number of times. Thus, the interests of the digital content provider can be protected.

The digital contents include music,
It may be digital content such as an image or a computer program.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a digital content marketing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a digital content marketing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of digital content downloaded to a user by a digital content marketing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an answer format in the digital content marketing method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 server 110 music piece 112 answer format 120 answer data 200 user 300 artist (provider)

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A step in which a user downloads a digital content from a server in which digital content provided by a provider is stored, provided that the digital content is used only a preset number of times, and the digital content downloaded by the user is used. As a result, a step of replying to the server whether or not the user wants to further use the digital content, and a step of replying to the digital content provider at least the number of downloads of the digital content and response data from the user. A digital content marketing method, comprising: 2. The digital content marketing method according to claim 1, wherein the number of times is one. 3. The digital content marketing method according to claim 1, wherein the download of the digital content is free. 4. The digital content marketing method according to claim 1, wherein the answer to the digital content provider is a fee. 5. The digital content includes a counting unit for counting the number of times the content has been used, a determining unit for determining whether or not the count result exceeds a preset number of times, and a determining unit for determining whether the counting result exceeds a preset number. 5. A limiting function having a destruction unit for destructing data itself unusably when it is determined that the number of times has exceeded the predetermined number is pre-installed. Digital content marketing method. 6. The digital content marketing method according to claim 1, wherein the digital content is digital content such as music, images, and computer programs.