WO2001061599A2 - Systeme electronique de gestion d'encouragement et de promotion et procede correspondant - Google Patents

Systeme electronique de gestion d'encouragement et de promotion et procede correspondant Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001061599A2
WO2001061599A2 PCT/US2001/004685 US0104685W WO0161599A2 WO 2001061599 A2 WO2001061599 A2 WO 2001061599A2 US 0104685 W US0104685 W US 0104685W WO 0161599 A2 WO0161599 A2 WO 0161599A2
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Prior art keywords
incentive
item
items
consumer
clippable
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2001/004685
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English (en)
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WO2001061599A8 (fr
Inventor
Tuvia Fish
Moshe Fish
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Coovi, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
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Publication date
Application filed by Coovi, Inc. filed Critical Coovi, Inc.
Priority to AU2001236991A priority Critical patent/AU2001236991A1/en
Publication of WO2001061599A2 publication Critical patent/WO2001061599A2/fr
Publication of WO2001061599A8 publication Critical patent/WO2001061599A8/fr

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to an electronic incentive and promotion management system and method. More particularly, the present invention relates to such systems and methods that enhance the value of on-line and traditional media advertising to both consumers and advertisers by providing increased consumer incentives to explore, store, and redeem traditional incentives, coupons, advertisements, and promotions, and electronic incentives, coupons, advertisements and other promotions.
  • On-line or electronic commerce (“e-commerce”), the practice of conducting commerce over an electronic computer network such as the Internet, is claiming a progressively larger share of consumer purchases.
  • e-commerce electronic commerce
  • consumers become more computer savvy whenever they seek to purchase particular goods or services, they often first visit a merchant's site on the Internet, i.e., a web site, and view the goods or description of services offered for sale.
  • a merchant's site on the Internet i.e., a web site
  • the percentage of such visits to web sites that end with or lead to an on-line purchase of the goods or services grows .
  • Advertising for e-commerce sites have used traditional media, like television, radio and print media ads, and also have spawned new advertising media utilizing the Internet (and mobile Internet) such as mass email distributions, web page banner advertising on merchant sites (such as Amazon.com) and on major Internet portals (such as Yahoo!), and mobile Internet locality-based promotions.
  • traditional media like television, radio and print media ads
  • mobile Internet such as mass email distributions, web page banner advertising on merchant sites (such as Amazon.com) and on major Internet portals (such as Yahoo!), and mobile Internet locality-based promotions.
  • Each current advertising medium provides inadequate advertisement performance due to limitations inherent to the medium.
  • the exposure to potential consumers is fairly large, but this exposure lasts only for a short period of time. Most problematic is that the exposure to television advertisements typically occurs at a time when the consumer is least ready to purchase (i.e., at home watching TV) . Thus, even if the cqnsumer is enticed to purchase the product or service or shop at the store or web site advertised, he or she must still remember to follow up on the offer at a later, more convenient time on his or her own. Further, traditional television advertisements do not provide advertisers with a means for establishing a continuing relationship with consumers.
  • banner advertisements include promotional offers that are otherwise relatively attractive to consumers, web surfers still follow up on them infrequently.
  • Interactive TV (usually supported by digital satellite and digital cable providers)
  • merchants and advertisers have considered the use of similar interactive banner-type ads for display on the television screen that would allow consumers to follow up (by immediately connecting to an online e-commerce or information site in a manner similar to click-through Internet banners) on interesting advertisements, promotions or offers.
  • This type of i ⁇ teractive television advertisements has been unsuccessful, however, because they create a diversion from regular programming as well as from upcoming advertisers.
  • Certain consumer incentive programs have attempted to integrate electronic or on-line incentive systems with familiar paper-based features, such as by providing printed coupons or certificates which have been chosen by a consumer on-line. These programs may ease a storage problem by only printing coupons as desired, but do not address the above- discussed problems with paper-based incentives for the merchant or redemption authority. In addition, such dispenser-generated incentives may not award the desired incentive unless a consumer specifically seeks out the incentive, thereby making it inefficient for a consumer to accumulate desired incentives and hampering overall access to incentives .
  • Other, known on-line advertising and consumer incentive programs attempt to attract the attention of Internet users by offering cash or currency-based incentives when consumers pay attention to merchant messages.
  • a useful feature particular to web page banner ( advertisements is that web serving software allows for the simple tracking and recording of Internet traffic.
  • online merchants and banner advertisers as well as major portals have recognized the benefit of recording e-buyer purchasing patterns and preferences in order to more effectively communicate with customers and target receptive buyers with working advertisements.
  • traditional paper based advertisement and incentive programs typically fail to provide va,luable demographic information about consumers or only gather demographic information at the time of redemption by manual recording .
  • the present invention is an improvement over the prior art systems and methods for cross media advertising and consumer incentives delivery, electronic management and redemption.
  • the present invention lets consumers electronically save, or "clip" consumer promotions, advertisements and incentives from various advertising media without disrupting their ongoing activities, and then review, manage and/or redeem the clipped material or related content at their leisure.
  • This ability to clip incentives works to separate the promotion/advertisement/incentive from the medium in which it is transferred to consumers, thus allowing consumers to obtain the benefit of the promotion through whichever mechanisms are most convenient.
  • the present invention provides a system and method for electronically managing electronic coupons, promotions and other consumer incentives across traditional and electronic media in a manner that makes advertisements more effective.
  • the disclosed systems for incentive and promotion management include an incentive management network ("IMN") having an electronically accessible storage media system, a server system, and software run by the server system.
  • the software running on the IMN is adapted to manage incentive accounts that each correpond to a particular consumer who is a member of the IMN.
  • the IMN allows each member consumer to save, or "clip,” consumer promotions and incentives electronically from various advertising media without disrupting their ongoing activities, and then review, manage and redeem the clipped material at their leisure.
  • each member consumer account allows the consumers to save clippable consumer incentive items, such as print advertisements and coupons, and electronic advertisements, coupons, promotions, game pieces and other items into their account to review, manage and/or redeem at a later time.
  • each user can give away, sell and trade any clipped incentive items in their accounts as one would be able to do with paper coupons and promotional items.
  • e-commerce based incentive items such as a percentage discount coupon for an e-merchant web site
  • member consumers can redeem the incentive with the e-merchant from their account on the IMN.
  • the IMN software allows the swapping of clipped incentive items amongst member consumers in a stock exchange- like environment.
  • member consumers are able identify desired items that they wish to obtain by trading away previously clipped items that are now unwanted and offered for trade.
  • the IMN software allows the member consumers to use optional weightings on more valued clipped items to ensure fair swaps are generated, and the software performs queries on each member consumer's desired and offered clipped items and automatically makes swaps to satisfy as many member consumers as possible.
  • the IMN server software accepts queries from advertising administrators requesting electronic access to data representing the extent to which a particular incentive campaign has been successful with the member consumers .
  • This data is at least in part automatically generated by the activities of member consumers with respect to the incentive items that they clip, save, manage and redeem.
  • the central network is electronically acessible by the member consumers and advertising administrators, such as via the Internet, to facilitate updating of and access to the incentive campaign results data and the accounts of each member consumer.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic diagram depicting the incentive management network and its interaction with member consumers, member advertisers and merchants according to embodiments of the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is a flow diagram depicting how a clippable electronic incentive item is saved to a member consumer's account on the inventive management network according to embodiments of the present invention.
  • Figure 3 is a flow diagram depicting how an electronic incentive item is redeemed over the Internet according to embodiments of the present invention.
  • Figure 4a is a depiction of a sample web page having a banner advertisement offering a clippable incentive item according to preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • figure 4b is a depiction of a sample verification window launching on top of the sample web page of figure 4a according to preferred embodiments of the present invention
  • figure 4c is a close up view of the verification window depicted in figure 4b.
  • Figure 5 is a depiction of a sample web page where member consumers can manage clipped incentive items according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.
  • clippable incentive items function in both the online and offline environments like traditional print coupons operate in traditional brick and mortar transactions.
  • a consumer member Once a consumer member has saved a clippable item to his account, he can then at a later time redeem it (if it is a coupon-type item) , visit any e-commerce web sites associated with the clipped item, print the clipped item and bring it to a brick and mortar store for redemption, send the clipped item to another member, or trade, autoswap or sell the clipped item to another member.
  • alerts can be sent via email to a consumer member when a particular clipped coupon or other promotion is about to expire.
  • consumer members can access e-commerce or information sites related to the clipped items and electronically redeem clipped promotions or coupons.
  • background information on the clipped item can be provided for consumer member to read at his leisure.
  • An incentive management network (IMN) 101 including a storage media system 103 and a server system 102, operates incentive management software 104 that manages member consumer accounts, advertiser accounts and facilitates the saving, management and redemption of clippable incentive items as described in detail below.
  • the software running on the IMN is adapted to manage incentive accounts that each correpond to a particular consumer who is a member of the IMN.
  • the IMN allows each member consumer to save, or "clip, " consumer promotions and incentives electronically from various advertising media (both interactive/electronic and traditional media) without disrupting their ongoing activities, and then review, manage and redeem the clipped material at their leisure.
  • the server system 102 can comprise one or more server machines 102a and support electronics as are commonly used in the industry to provide remote networking and/or web-serving platforms.
  • suitable arrangements include any number of commercially available server machines, such as a SunServer, Compaq Proliant, or Dell Dimension, running a viable operating system, such as UNIX, Linux, or Windows NT.
  • the storage media system 103 utilized in embodiments of the present invention are electronically connected to the server system 102, such as by a local area network ("LAN") .
  • LAN local area network
  • the storage media system 103 contains one or more databases 103a designed to hold member consumer account information, clippable incentive item data, and advertiser incentive campaign information.
  • Each database 103a in the storage media system 104 may store its data in any manner known in the art, such as directly on a server hard drive, or remotely on external storage media including tape drives, CD- RWs and writable optical disks, and remote hard drives.
  • the databases 103a include at least a member consumer account database and an advertiser database.
  • the member consumer database would contain administrative information specific to the account of each member consumer on the IMN. Such information could include information relating to the identity of the consumer, his or her email and regular addresses, login names and passwords for obtaining access to each account, and the identity and status of the clipped incentive items stored in each account (described in more detail below) .
  • the advertiser database in this preferred embodiment of the invention contains information relating to member advertisers and the clippable incentive campaigns that they have arranged with or through the IMN.
  • This information may include, for example, an indication of the amount of incentive items that have actually been clipped and/or redeemed by member consumers, an indication of the amount of clipped but unredeemed incentive items for a particular campaign, information detailing the advertising media and manners from which member consumers have clipped each item in a given campaign, files describing the clippable items (e.g., in the form of incentive item description codes, redemption codes, text, graphics, etc.), and administrative passwords and login names for gaining access to the IMN by a member advertiser's administrator .
  • HTML front- ending tools such as ASP scripts, javascripts, VBScripts, or CGI scripts, are preferably incorporated within the serving software 104 running on the server machines 102a. Accordingly, these front-ending tools operate as extensions to the server software 104, allowing administrators to request displays of the training and certification results data from remote computers using web browser applications connected to the incentive management network 101 over the Internet 100.
  • the server software 104 and its HTML front-ending tools communicate with an appropriate database 103a in the database system 103 via SQL or other suitable data access languages to obtain the latest data whenever requested by an advertising administrator 107, member consumer 109, electronic redemption site 106, or retail store 108 or dates the data is necessary.
  • Clippable incentive items according to the present invention include traditional coupons and electronic coupons for redemption at e-commerce 106 and brick and mortar retail stores 108.
  • Such coupons can be of any known type including those that offer a set percentage or set monetary discount on the purchase of a particular product or service, or a set discount on any purchase from a given vendor, manufacturer or merchant.
  • coupons as used herein also include combinable vouchers that can be collected by consumers to accumulate a monetary reduction in the price of a product or service wherein the more vouchers that a consumer has collected, the less the product or service will cost. In this manner, certain products or services can be eventually purchased for free by redeeming a sufficient amount of vouchers .
  • the particular value of the promotion can be kept a secret from the member consumer until the consumer visits the vendor or merchant's e-commerce site (similar in manner to traditional mystery scratch-off coupons) or reviews the item in his account. In this manner, the consumer clips and saves the item to his account without knowing the particular value of the coupon. Then, from his account on the IMN, the consumer can visit the web site associated with the clipped item to discover what the discount is (and optionally redeem the discount) .
  • clippable incentive items can include collectible promotional items .
  • These promotional items can be any item which the advertiser is willing to give the consumer for free, such as game pieces, image files (e.g., of a favorite TV character), audio files (e.g., such as the part of a song or an interview) , video files and any other collectible item that may be distributed and/or used on the Internet .
  • a musical band can release a series of five audio files that, when all are collected and combined on a given member consumer's account, add up to a special version of a particular song.
  • these collectibles can be in the form of Internet based trading cards of children's favorite cartoon characters.
  • this concept of collectible promotional items can be combined with coupons or vouchers such that the items cannot be redeemed for the appropriate discount until a complete set of the collectible items have been saved to a given member consumer ' s account .
  • clippable incentive items can include game pieces that will serve as credits for playing online games at particular sites on the Internet. Consumers can accumulate these game pieces by surfing the web, clipping from interactive TV advertisements or any of the other mechanisms described herein, and store these in their account on the IMN for later redemption.
  • Online games as herein described generally are made up of game pieces which are distributed via the various media (billboards, Internet, print, interactive TV, etc.) supported by the present invention.
  • the consumer collects the various pieces and clips them to his account where they will be automatically associated with other pieces from the same online game.
  • the entity promoting the online game i.e., a member advertiser
  • sets rules regarding the play of the game such as, for example, whether multiple identical game pieces can be collected, how frequently the game pieces can be collected, and whether game pieces game be traded, sold or given away.
  • the member consumer Once the member consumer has successfully collected all game pieces, he can redeem the game for an incentive (such as a prize offered by a particular merchant) .
  • an incentive such as a prize offered by a particular merchant
  • Each clippable incentive item is assigned a digital
  • This information includes the identity and location of advertiser and/or related redemption merchant, the expiration date of the item (if any) , an indicator of the type of item (coupon, voucher, collectible promotion, etc.) , a description of the item, how to redeem the item (if applicable) , and any rules associated with the item
  • this incentive item description code can be unique for each coupon (such as for collectible promotion items) or unique only among items within that series (e.g., each 20% off coupon for the same web merchant has the same code) .
  • the IMN is electronically connected via a distributed network, such as the Internet 100, to member consumers 109, member advertisers
  • member consumers 109 can use a variety of mechanisms to clip and collect incentive items for storage on their IMN 101 account.
  • One mechanism comprises the member consumer 109 using a personal computer 109a to visit various web sites accessible via the Internet 100. Whenever the web surfing member consumer encounters a clippable incentive banner of interest on a web site 105, he simply clicks on the incentive banner to have the associated incentive item clipped and sent over the Internet 100 to the IMN 101 for storage in his account. This whole process occurs without the consumer ' s web browser being redirected to a different site such that he can continue with what he was doing prior to noticing the clippable item. A more detailed description of the process whereby an incentive item can be clipped from a clippable web site banner is described in detail below with respect to figure 2.
  • a member consumer can clip incentive items from interactive television banner advertisements.
  • banner advertisements As with clippable web site banner advertisements according to the present invention, whenever the consumer sees a banner advertisement on his television 109c that describes a clippable incentive item of interest, he simply selects it using his interactive TV remote control. Unlike with prior art banner advertisements, however, this action does not redirect the consumer to further content from that particular advertiser (and thus away from programming) , but rather clips the incentive item and sends it to the IMN 101.
  • a benefit of the IMN 101 is that it allows member consumers to identify clippable incentive items according to the present invention in more traditional advertising media, such as print, radio, and non-interactive television.
  • the member advertisers can include an appropriate inventive item description code that could be recognized and saved (such as by writing down, cutting out of the newspaper, etc.) by member consumers. The next time the member consumer accesses his account on the IMN
  • a consumer could see a promotional billboard (containing an incentive item description code) that offers reduced airline fares to a place the consumer wishes to visit. If the consumer is a member of the IMN and has a mobile Internet device 109b, such as a web-enabled cellular phone, he could log into his IMN account and enter the code.
  • a promotional billboard containing an incentive item description code
  • a mobile Internet device 109b such as a web-enabled cellular phone
  • the incentive item is thereby immediately clipped and saved to his account. Due to the use of incentive item codes, advertisers 107 can use traditional promotional media, such as print coupons 110, that allow consumers not only to redeem those print coupons in the traditional manner (i.e., cutting out the original print coupon 110 and carrying it to a retail store) , but also allows member consumers to enter the incentive item code into their account on the IMN 101 and thus be able to manage and redeem the item online as hereinafter described exactly as if it were originally obtained from an electronic medium.
  • traditional promotional media such as print coupons 110
  • the flow diagram depicts how a clippable electronic incentive item is saved from a clippable Internet web banner to a member consumer's account on the IMN according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.
  • a clippable web banner an exemplary clippable web banner 401 on web page 400 is shown in figure 4a
  • offering an incentive item that is of interest he simply clicks on the banner 200 as he would with a traditional web banner advertisement.
  • the web browser is caused check whether a digital certificate or cookie has been stored on the hard drive of the member consumer's computer 201.
  • This cookie potentially indicates that the web browsing consumer is a member of the IMN. If there is such a cookie, a verification window (element 402 shown in figures 4b and 4c) is launched.
  • This verification window preferably describes the incentive item that will be clipped and the name of the consumer member identified by the cookie (and thus upon which IMN account the clipped item will be stored) .
  • this verification window also preferably allows the web surfing consumer to enter input to uditiate various types of actions including going to his account on the IMN (action not shown) , going directly to the site of the advertising merchant (action not shown) , or establishing himself as a different member consumer than identified by the cookie.
  • the verification window waits for a predetermined time, such as several seconds, to see if an input action (such as selecting the option to login as a different member consumer) is performed 203 by the web browsing consumer. If no action is performed before this time expires, an instruction is sent to the IMN to store the appropriate clipped incentive item 211 on the account of the member consumer identified by the browser cookie, and the verification window is closed 212. In this manner, a web browsing member consumer can save incentive items of interest for later review without having to interrupt what they were doing on the Internet .
  • a predetermined time such as several seconds
  • the verification window process splits into one of two paths at 204 depending upon whether the web surfing consumer had indicated that he is not a member of the IMN, or that he is a different member than indicated by the browser cookie. If the we"b surfing consumer has identified himself as a different member than indicated by the cookie, a IMN login form is launched 207 within the verification window. The web surfing consumer is then asked to enter his IMN login and password such that the clipped incentive item can be saved to the appropriate account on the IMN.
  • the cookie file on the hard drive is updated to reflect the appropriate member consumer 209, the incentive item is clipped and stored in the correct member user's account 211 and the verification window is closed 212. From this point forward, therefore, future clicks upon clippable banner advertisements (this iterative process indicated by the dashed line connecting steps 212 and
  • step 204 it is determined that the web surfing consumer has identified himself as not being a member of the
  • a .registration form is launched 205 in the verification window. Additionally, in preferred embodiments, if a web browsing consumer at step 208 has not entered an appropriate login and password pair, that consumer can be redirected to the registration form at step
  • This registration form allows non-members to enter ne'cessary personal information and create a login and password to become a member of the IMN, and preferably to perform administrative functions such as, for example, requesting help regarding forgotten passwords (this feature being useful in the case of existing users being routed from the login form due to an invalid login at step 208) .
  • a cookie is saved to his hard drive 209 (identifying the new member consumer for future web browsing)
  • the clippable incentive item associated with the banner advertisement is saved to his new account 211 on the IMN
  • the verification window is closed 212.
  • his main browser window is redirected 210 to the advertising merchant's web site.
  • a pop up window is launched 213 giving the web surfer the opportunity to either chose to login as an IMN member or to sign up and become a member.
  • this pop up window could be designed such that if it is manually closed by the web surfer without completing the login form or registration form that the browser is automatically redirected to the advertising merchant's web site.
  • the registration form is launched 205 in the pop up window or the login form is launched 207 and the process proceeds substantially as described above.
  • FIG 2 depicts the process whereby clippable incentive items are clipped from Internet banner advertisements
  • Each interactive television set-top box could be associated by the IMN with the account of a given member consumer.
  • incentive items associated with interactive TV banner advertisements are clipped by the member consumer using his remote control, the relevant information is automatically entered into the appropriate account .
  • set-top reception boxes could locally store clipped incentive item data locally in memory, such as a smart card, and then transmit the information later to the IMN (such as in bulk) .
  • incentive items stored locally can be reviewed by the member consumer before the items are stored on the IMN (such as during a future commercial break) .
  • member consumers Once member consumers have saved clippable items to their accounts, they can view profiles of their accounts by accessing the IMN, preferably over the Internet using a standard web browser application. Once logged into their password protected accounts, each consumer member is able to view and manage all clipped incentive items in his account.
  • Figure 5 depicts a sample web page 500 where member consumers can manage clipped incentive items according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.
  • a web page profile view allows the member consumer to have his incentive items sorted, either automatically or manually, into several “folders.”
  • these folders can be being accessible through the "tabs" located along the top of the screen (named “Coupons,” “Game Pieces,” “Freebies, “ etc.)
  • tabs located along the top of the screen (named “Coupons,” “Game Pieces,” “Freebies, “ etc.)
  • the left side of the profile view is a listing that details how many clipped incentive items are present in each folder.
  • each coupon listing is provided with a symbol identifying the sponsoring advertiser or merchant, a hyperlink to a web site for the advertiser, a short description of the coupon promotion, an indication of how the coupon was obtained
  • a member consumer can select a particular incentive item and then redeem it
  • any e-commerce web sites associated with the clipped item visit any e-commerce web sites associated with the clipped item, print the clipped item and bring it to a brick and mortar store, give, trade, or sell the clipped item to another member, designate the item for automatic swapping for more desired incentive items, or delete the incentive item if no longer wanted.
  • a search feature could help a member quickly locate a particular clipped coupon or game piece .
  • a member consumer may access their account and view their profiles through a variety of means outside of traditional Internet web browser connectivity. For example, condensed profile views can be made available over the mobile Internet.
  • the IMN could be linked to an interactive TV broadcaster to allow a TV-adapted view of the member consumer's account profile through their home television screen. In this manner, the member consumer could be transferred to an interactive TV shopping channel, along with relevant incentive item information, to redeem a particular clipped offer.
  • each consumer member's account is online, it is able to provide many valuable benefits beyond merely storing and organizing clipped items.
  • alerts can be sent via email to a consumer member when a particular clipped coupon or other promotion is about to expire.
  • consumer members can access ercommerce or information sites related to the clipped items and electronically redeem clipped promotions or coupons. Additionally, background information on the clipped item can be provided for consumer member to read at his leisure.
  • each user can give away, sell and trade any clipped incentive items in their accounts as one would be able to do with paper coupons and promotional items in real life. In this manner, the advertising is allowed to reach as many interested consumers as possible.
  • unwanted incentive items can be sold using the same bargain/barter model as described above for trading (two members discussing terms and then closing the deal in escrow) , or using an auction model.
  • auction model users would list any unwanted incentive items as being up for auction, and then accept bids (in terms of money other incentive items, or both) from any member for a certain amount of time.
  • the IMN software allows the automatic swapping of clipped incentive items amongst member consumers in a stock exchange- like environment.
  • member consumers are able identify desired items that they wish to obtain and previously clipped items that are now unwanted and offered for trade.
  • the IMN software allows the member consumers, using their account profiles, to use available preset weightings on more valued clipped items to ensure fair swaps are generated, and the software performs queries on each member consumer's desired and offered clipped items and automatically makes swaps to satisfy as many member consumers as possible.
  • member consumers can redeem the incentive with the e-merchant from their account on the IMN.
  • a preferred electronic redemption process is depicted by figure
  • a member consumer begins the electronic redemption process by first logging into his account on the IMN 301. He then reviews his clipped incentive items 302 as described above to find the desired electronically redeemable incentive item, such as an electronic coupon for 40% off a single purchase item at a particular merchant web site. After the appropriate incentive item has been found, he selects to electronically redeem the incentive 303, such as by clicking on a button or hyperlink in the item record with his profile. At this point, his browser is automatically redirected 305 to the web site associated in the advertiser database with the selected incentive item. Preferably, not only is the member consumer's web browser automatically redirected to the appropriate redemption site, but also to a particular web page especially designed for use by members of the IMN.
  • the IMN In addition to redirecting the web browser to the redemption site, the IMN sends the incentive description code for the incentive item in question to the remdemption site.
  • the site automatically recognizes him and the fact that he qualifies for incentive (e.g., 40% off a purchase) associated with the clipped incentive item, and the act of completing a transaction at the redemption site (such as making a purchase with the 40% off coupon) is made much easier.
  • the advertiser's/merchant's redemption site sends a receipt code back to the IMN 307 that informs the IMN that the consumer has redeemed the incentive.
  • the IMN uses this receipt code to update the member consumer's account '308 such as by deleting the incentive item from the account if it can be only redeemed once, or by updating redemtption records available to the member consumer that itemizes the money saved, real life items obtained, or incentive items otherwise redeemed using the IMN.
  • the receipt code subsequently is used to update advertiser campaign data 309 stored in the advertiser database.
  • This data generated automatically by a member consumer redeeming a particular incentive item or clipping an incentive item, is made accesible to administrators of each member advertiser (preferably over the Internet via a standard web borwser) , and helps the member advertisers track the results of particular advertising campaigns in essentially real time.
  • FIG 3 can be adapted to use with printed coupons at traditional brick and mortar retail stores.
  • the member consumer can elect to use his local printer (element 109d in figure 1) to make a printed coupon (11, figure 1) and redeem that printed coupon in the traditional manner at a retail store (108, figure 1) .
  • This printed coupon can optionally be equipped with generic or unique barcodes related to the incentive description code or complying with UPC or other known standards .
  • the retail store could then electronically send a receipt code to the IMN in order to update the member consumer's account and the advertiser's campaign data accordingly.
  • a member consumer having access to a mobile Internet device such as a web-enabled mobile phone
  • element 109b in figure 1 can set preferences in his account profile on the IMN such that a reminder is sent to his mobile Internet device whenever he is near a brick and mortar store that would redeem a particular clipped incentive item.
  • the retail store could then accept an incentive description code from the consumer member or the consumer member's mobile Internet device to complete a transaction and redeem the incentive electronically similar to the manner described above .
  • the IMN uses a web based advertiser interface to turn each clippable incentive item into a dynamic marketing tool.
  • the advertiser interface allows each member advertiser to query and access data relating to the performance of a particular incentive campaign
  • these track and reporting features can be focused by a member advertiser such that only data relating to a specific advertising media, campaign, demographic of consumer, etc., is considered during the tracking and reporting processes .
  • member advertisers can adjust the incentives offered by their clippable incentive items in real time to pique consumer awareness and drive economic responses even after the incentive campaign has. been underway for some time.
  • a particular member advertiser reviews the data for a particular incentive campaign that involved a clippable coupon redeemable for $100 off a Las Vegas hotel stay purchase if purchased online and finds that a large portion of people have clipped the coupons and have visited the redemption site but have not redeemed the coupon (i.e., made a reservation) .
  • This data may be interpreted by the administrator of the member advertiser as an indication that many consumers are interested in staying in Las Vegas at a discount, but that the discount maybe wasn't high enough to induce purchases, or that the time period should be extended.

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Abstract

Selon l'invention, un système et un procédé pour la gestion électronique d'encouragement et de promotion utilisent des articles d'encouragement découpables dans des environnements en ligne ou hors ligne. Les articles d'encouragement découpables peuvent être collectés et sauvegardés électroniquement par les consommateurs, ce qui permet leur permet de séparer l'article de promotion / de publicité / d'encouragement du support sur lequel il leur a été transféré; cela permet aux consommateurs de bénéficier de la promotion en utilisant les mécanismes qui leur conviennent le mieux. Une fois que le consommateur a sauvegardé un article découpable sur son compte, il peut par la suite le faire rembourser (si c'est un article de type de bon), visiter n'importe quel site de commerce électronique associé à l'article découpé, imprimer l'article découper pour l'apporter dans un magasin physique, envoyer le bon à un autre client ou encore le négocier, l'échanger ou le vendre à un autre consommateur. En outre, l'environnement en ligne permet aussi de produire des données de campagne de publicité en temps réel et des fonctions de gestion proposés dans l'invention, ce qui offres des avantages uniques aux annonceurs.
PCT/US2001/004685 2000-02-14 2001-02-14 Systeme electronique de gestion d'encouragement et de promotion et procede correspondant WO2001061599A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2001236991A AU2001236991A1 (en) 2000-02-14 2001-02-14 Electronic incentive and promotion management system and method

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US18217900P 2000-02-14 2000-02-14
US60/182,179 2000-02-14
US20622900P 2000-05-22 2000-05-22
US60/206,229 2000-05-22
US21784400P 2000-07-13 2000-07-13
US60/217,844 2000-07-13

Publications (2)

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WO2001061599A2 true WO2001061599A2 (fr) 2001-08-23
WO2001061599A8 WO2001061599A8 (fr) 2002-05-16

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1310896A2 (fr) * 2001-10-26 2003-05-14 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Serveur, système de gestion et procédé de contrôle de gestion pour promouvoir des activités de recyclage à base de primes

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
No Search *

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1310896A2 (fr) * 2001-10-26 2003-05-14 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Serveur, système de gestion et procédé de contrôle de gestion pour promouvoir des activités de recyclage à base de primes
EP1310896A3 (fr) * 2001-10-26 2003-07-30 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Serveur, système de gestion et procédé de contrôle de gestion pour promouvoir des activités de recyclage à base de primes
US7313602B2 (en) 2001-10-26 2007-12-25 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Server, management system, and management control method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2001236991A1 (en) 2001-08-27
WO2001061599A8 (fr) 2002-05-16

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