RU2438744C2 - Method of carrying out virtual motor rally to stimulate sales - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: games.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to network computer games involving multiple players. In the method of virtual motor rally to improve sales the system of corresponding discounts and prizes to reward customers is used, based on his individual performance in the game "Virtual rally". The method is based on manufacturing and sale of information carriers for buyers of goods, entering data on the information carrier and the customer in the database, determining total costs of the customer and provision of prizes or discounts to buyers of information carriers when they reach a certain amount of cost. A virtual motor rally is organised, showing the location of participants of the game in a certain place of the route. The location of participants of the game is recorded depending on the amount of purchased product. Each of the participants of the game is given information about the route of movement. Discounts and prizes for participants are determined according to the results associated with calculation of the purchased product and the location of the participant in a certain place of the route.

EFFECT: sales promotion of goods and services, in particular oil products.

8 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to network computer games with the participation of many players and is intended to stimulate the sale of services and goods, in particular petroleum products.

Known network computer games that implement certain network game situations associated with various activities, in particular with various sports. So, there is a known method of playing racing (RF patent No. 2190447, publ. 10.10. 2002), including playing the game on personal computers of users connected via a network to a server that transmits data arrays to personal computers in which images are formed, at least at least two moving objects. This method allows you to increase the total number of computer users participating in the game. However, the results of the game, which are largely predetermined by a random law, depend on random numbers and the reaction speed of the players, and the organization of the game itself does not stimulate participants to receive discounts or benefits in a targeted manner.

A known method of a computer game, involving the movement of players in the playing space and the impact of players on objects in the playing space (RF patent No. 2236702, publ. March 20, 2004). In this method, the player’s virtual object is positioned at a point on the game map, the game procedure is performed, during which the player moves his virtual object on the game map by entering commands to control the movements and actions of his virtual object to ensure that a predetermined condition is fulfilled, and the prize is awarded to the game the player’s account when the virtual object of the player fulfills the aforementioned predetermined condition.

This method increases the interest of the participants in the game, however, the prize is credited to the player’s personal account from the prize pool formed from the transfers of a third party, which is sponsors or advertisers, and as a certain condition, in addition to paying for participation in the game, the player visits the advertiser's site . These circumstances complicate participation in the game, while obtaining prizes does not always depend on the activity and choice of players.

There is a method of stimulating the sale of goods (US 5649114 A, publ. July 15, 1997), according to which the client is encouraged to repeatedly purchase a certain range of goods by providing discounts on subsequent purchases. For this, the identification code of a regular customer of this sales point and data on all purchases made by this customer are entered into the computer system drive of a certain point of sale. When calculating the cost of the next customer purchase, the customer’s identification code is entered into the settlement terminal, while the computer system processor analyzes the customer’s previous purchases and, if the customer reaches a certain amount of purchases, encourage the client to provide him with a discount on this purchase for a certain amount.

However, this method of sales, creating interest for the buyer with discounts on the fixed cost of a certain assortment of goods, is not entirely beneficial for those buyers whose purchase price does not meet a certain cost criterion, as a result of which sales promotion is reduced.

Closest to the claimed method is a method of making payments using special discounts that progressively increase with each new purchase (RF patent No. 2172979, 2172979, publ. 08.27.2001). The method provides the formation of a new discount on the purchased product, taking into account previous purchases, which allows to stimulate sales due to the permanent increase in the value of the buyer's discount with each new purchase. The method consists in entering data for identification of a customer’s card and data on each customer for storage in the database archiving unit, recording the total previous costs of the customer and, taking into account their analysis, provide a new discount on the purchase of goods.

This method eliminates the disadvantages of the existing and ubiquitous discount system, in which discounts are constant over a certain period of time, i.e. fixed, with the discount applied when buying goods in excess of a certain amount. However, in this method there are no elements of gaming attractiveness, which reduces the effectiveness of sales, since it does not allow to stimulate sales to a higher degree due to the introduction of elements of competitiveness among buyers when selling goods.

The main task solved by the claimed invention is to create a method of conducting a virtual rally-raid, in which to increase sales efficiency a system of appropriate discounts and prizes is used to reward the buyer based on his individual results in the virtual rally game.

The technical result is an increase in sales efficiency due to the introduction of gaming attractiveness in the process of selling goods and services by taking into account the individual results of the buyer in a virtual game. At the same time, the functionality of the method is expanded by including a game element in the process of selling goods.

The problem is solved in that in the claimed method for prize drawing or receiving discounts, based on the manufacture and sale of information media for buyers of goods, entering data to identify information media and data about each buyer in the database, determining the total cost of the buyer and providing prizes or discounts by buyers of information media after reaching a certain amount of costs, form a virtual rally-raid indicating the location of the game participants in a certain The location of the route, the location of the game participants is fixed depending on the quantity of the purchased product, they inform each of the participants of the game information about the route of movement and, based on the results associated with calculating the quantity of the purchased product and determining the location of the participant at a certain location of the route, discounts and prizes for the participants are determined.

It is advisable to make the information carrier in the form of an electronic number card.

It is preferable that the virtual rally-raid be presented in the form of an image of a geographical map on which routes for moving from one geographical object to another are plotted.

It is advisable to provide game participants with information about the start of participation in a virtual rally-raid after they send an SMS to a special short number.

It is optimal to send information about the location of participants on the rally-raid route by SMS, MMS-messages or by placing the rally-raid card on the trading company's Internet portal.

It is preferable to carry out the manufacture and sale of cards for buyers of gasoline or diesel fuel or other hydrocarbon products.

It is advisable when calculating the location of the game participant in a specific location on the route to use the ratio in which the unit of measurement of the goods corresponds to a certain number of virtual paths.

It is preferable when calculating the location of the game participant in a specific location on the route to use a ratio in which 1 liter of gasoline or other goods in pieces corresponds to 10 km of the virtual rally-raid route.

The inventive method optimally combines elements of gaming attractiveness and a system of discounts or prize rewards, depending on the amount of purchased goods and the results of the game in a virtual rally-raid. The specified combination allows you to achieve a technical result - improving sales efficiency and expanding the functionality of the method of selling goods.

The invention is illustrated by the example of its implementation, illustrated by the following drawings.

Figure 1 presents a schematic representation of a block diagram of a device for implementing the inventive method.

Figure 2 schematically shows a virtual route of advancement of a game participant.

The inventive method of conducting a virtual rally-raid to stimulate the sale of goods can be implemented, for example, using the system shown in Fig.1.

This system includes the Central Control Unit 1 (CCU), located, for example, in the office of the company organizing sales promotion, a lot of Devices 2 for Receiving and Processing Data (UPOD 2-1, ..., UPOD 2-n) located in the corresponding paragraphs sales of goods, a variety of Information Media 3 (IN 3-1, ..., IN 3-n) with individual customer codes. TSUU 1 is a software and hardware complex that allows you to receive and process information from UPOD 2 about purchases made by buyers at points of sale of goods, create a database of buyers and their purchases, and also display the specified information in the form of a rally-raid card or in the form textual information on customer devices. The software part of TSUU 1, which contains a converter, allows you to convert the purchased quantity of goods into “virtual kilometers” of the route displayed on the virtual rally-raid map. The software part of TSUU 1 allows you to determine the position of all buyers of goods participating in the game, to highlight the leaders and the distance needed by other participants to achieve their results. TsUU 1 and UPOD 2 are equipped with Information Input / Output Blocks 4 (BVVI 4-1, ..., BVVI 4-n) made in the form of keyboards or manipulators of the “mouse” type, Information Display Devices 5 (UOI 5-1, ..., UOI 5-n), made in the form of monitors, blocks 6 of the reception and transmission of information (BPPI 6-1, ..., BPPI 6-n), made in the form of modems. Using these devices, information is exchanged between the devices TsUU 1 and UPOD 2 for its accumulation and processing in order to determine the achievements of participants in a virtual game and identify winners.

All UPOD 2 are located at points of sale of goods and are ordinary computers, both integrated and not combined with cash registers. In each UPOD 2, information is entered from ID 3 transmitted by customers to UPOD 2 operators in order to pay for goods. The information in UPOD 2 is entered by means of Readout Blocks 7 from Information Media (BSIN 7-1, ..., BSIN 7-n), which are a scanner for information media, or through BVVI blocks 4. Information carrier IN 3 can be made in the form of plastic, a cardboard or other card coated with a thin magnetic layer and / or including an electronic chip containing information about the customer ID 3, the number of purchases made and other information. The information entered in UPOD 2 is transmitted via BPPI 6 units to the central control unit 1 via a local network, the Internet or any other communication channels. BPPI 6 are modems, that is, devices that allow UPOD 2 to communicate with the central control unit 1 through a telephone, cable or any other network.

The participants of the virtual game get the opportunity to see a virtual rally-raid map on the WEB-site and WAP-site. Technically, the site is a combination of one and the same domain name of text and graphic information (Figure 2), intended for participants of a virtual rally-raid, as well as a program that accesses a route map of a virtual rally-raid recorded in the permanent memory of TSUU 1. The buyer using Personal Digital Device 8 (PCU 8-1, ..., PCU 8-n), also equipped with an information input / output unit and information display device (not shown in FIG. 1), which allow working with WEB and WAP sites, introduces on the site of the virtual rally-raid your personal data or the number of your information carrier. This allows him to establish the quantity of goods purchased by him, his location on the route, depending on the indicated quantity of purchased goods (or services), to obtain information on the achievement of control points on the route, on the quantity of goods that must be purchased to receive one or another discount or prize . The display of the location of the buyer on the route may look like that shown in Figure 2.

A buyer who does not have a device that allows working with WEB and WAP sites, or does not want to use such devices, has the opportunity to receive information about the quantity of goods purchased by him, about his location on the route, depending on the specified quantity, information about his control points on the route about the quantity of goods that must be purchased to receive one or another discount or prize by sending Mobile Phone 9 from the device (PT 9-1, ..., 9-n). PT 9 does not support working with WEB and WAP sites, but allows you to communicate with the service of short text messages (SMS) with digital or alphanumeric content. Instructions on the required content of the message are presented on the information medium, as well as on WEB and WAP sites, or can be obtained using the mobile operator, the services of which the buyer uses, through a short service number. In this case, the text message comes through the equipment of the mobile operator (not shown) to the Control Unit 10 of the Mobile Operator (UOS), which is a software and hardware complex that allows you to receive and process information from customers, for its interpretation and sending via cable network to TsUU device 1. TsUU 1, having received the processed information from the UUOS 10, generates a response message with the above information for the buyer. This message arrives from the CCU 1 in the SLD 10 and is sent using the SLR 10 to the PT 9.

The claimed method of stimulated sales of goods is implemented as follows.

The buyer acquires IN 3 at the media sales center and presents it to the UPOD 2 operator at the point of sale of the goods. Moreover, the sales center of information media and the place of sale of goods may or may not coincide geographically. Using the BSIN 7 block or the BVVI 4 block, the operator enters information on the number of the information carrier IN 3, purchase, and other information into the UPOD 2 device.

Information from UPOD 2 through BPPI 6 is sent to the device TsUU 1, where it is processed and entered into the database, which is used on the WEB site and WAP site of the incentive game in order to display the participation of the buyer in the incentive game.

The buyer enters his personal data on the WEB- and WAP-site using the PTsU 8 devices, or sends from the PT 9 device to the short service number of the mobile operator, the services of which the buyer uses.

The buyer has the opportunity to perceive on the device PTsU 8 a graphical display of the quantity of goods purchased by him, his location on the route, depending on the specified quantity, information on how he has reached the control points on the route, information on the quantity of goods necessary in terms of receiving a discount or prize for acquisition, or has the ability to perceive on the device PT 9 the same information in text form.

In this case, the buyer has the right to count on receiving a discount or prize, depending on the achievement of certain results in a virtual rally-raid. The rules for determining a discount or prize, as well as all quantitative parameters of participation and victory in a stimulating game, are variable in nature and are determined by the organizer of the game depending on the need for marketing a particular product or service.

The inventive method of conducting a virtual rally-raid to stimulate sales can increase sales efficiency by combining elements of gaming attractiveness and a system of discounts or prize rewards depending on the amount of purchased goods and the results of the game in a virtual rally-raid. The specified combination also allows to expand the functionality of the method of selling goods or services.

Claims (8)

1. A method of conducting a virtual rally-raid to stimulate sales, based on the manufacture and sale of information media for buyers of goods, entering data on the information medium and the buyer in the database, determining the total costs of the buyer and providing prizes or discounts to buyers of information carriers when they reach a certain the amount of costs, characterized in that they form a virtual rally-raid indicating the location of the buyers who took part in it, in a certain place march the root, the location of the game participants is fixed depending on the quantity of the purchased product, they inform each of the participants of the game information about the route of movement and, based on the results related to the calculation of the quantity of the purchased product and the location of the game participant at a certain location on the route, discounts and prizes for the participants are determined. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the information medium is made in the form of an electronic number card. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the virtual rally-raid is presented in the form of an image of a geographical map, on which routes for moving from one geographical object to another are plotted. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that each participant in the game is informed about the start of participation in the virtual rally-raid after they send an SMS to a special short number. 5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the participants of the game are sent information about the location on the rally-raid route by SMS, MMS, or by placing a rally-raid card on the Internet portal of a trading company. 6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the manufacture and sale of information media for buyers of gasoline, or diesel fuel, or other hydrocarbon products. 7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when determining the location of the game participant in a specific location of the rally-raid route, a ratio is used in which the quantitative unit of measurement of the goods corresponds to a certain amount of the virtual path. 8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that when calculating the location of the game participant in a specific location on the route, a ratio is used in which 1 liter of gasoline corresponds to 10 km of the virtual rally-raid route.

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