WO2001093126A2

WO2001093126A2 - Method and apparatus for providing incentives to send interactive greeting cards with sweepstakes

Info

Publication number: WO2001093126A2
Application number: PCT/IB2001/001457
Authority: WO
Inventors: James L. Fahey; Masaki Mikami
Original assignee: Hakohodo, Incorporated
Priority date: 2000-06-02
Filing date: 2001-06-01
Publication date: 2001-12-06
Also published as: AU7662801A

Description

Method and Apparatus For Providing Incentives to Send Interactive Greeting Cards with Sweepstakes

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to software applications and, specifically, to a method and apparatus for providing incentives for interactively sending and receiving electronic greeting cards that are then tied to a sweepstakes entry.

The growing popularity of the Internet and the "World Wide Web" has motivated companies to look for ways to profit from the internet's popularity. For several years, Web sites have existed that allow people to send electronic "greeting cards" to others. Often, these greeting cards have a picture and an appropriate message or greeting.

One problem experienced by companies that make such greeting cards available on the Internet is that there is no real difference in motivation between someone sending a greeting card via the company's Web site and simply sending regular electronic mail (e-mail). There is no strong motivation for a sender to send an electronic card, since the sender can express the same sentiments and attach graphics in a regular e-mail message. The lack of a strong incentive for sending electronic greeting cards often results in lost sales, since a certain number of potential customers will simply send e-mail instead of an electronic greeting card.

Conventional electronic greeting cards also suffer from the fact that they can be somewhat impersonal. It is not always apparent to the recipient that a great deal of thought went into picking the message and/or graphics on the card, even when this is the case. In addition, once a conventional electronic greeting card has been received by the recipient, it is quickly read and forgotten. There is not always a strong incentive for the recipient to reread the card or to think of the card after it has been received. Advertisers tend to advertise on Web pages that cause people to return to them more than once, and since advertisers provide financial support for many "free" electronic greeting card sites, it is desirable to create Web sites and Web pages that provide users with an incentive to visit more than once.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The described embodiments of the present invention provide incentives to motivate a person (called a "sender") to send an electronic greeting card to one or more recipients. In order to motivate the sender, when the sender chooses and personalizes the electronic greeting card to send, the sender also chooses a potential prize from a plurality of potential prizes which may be won in a sweepstakes. The prize selected by the sender is a prize that the sender believes both the sender and the recipient would enjoy, and serves as an incentive to use the service. Alternatively, the incentive may be predetermined so that the sender and recipient do not have an option to select a prize. Once the electronic greeting card is created and sent, a sweepstakes entry is created for the card. The entry of the card is linked to both the sender and the recipient, both of whom are entered in a sweepstakes for the chosen prize. Alternatively, the recipient may choose a different prize than that selected by the sender. If the recipient of the card chooses to send a reply electronic greeting card to the original sender, both the original sender and recipient are entered in at least one additional sweepstakes, and the recipient earns incentive award points. If one or more of the entries for the card wins the sweepstakes, the sender and/or the recipient win the prize. Both the sender and the receiver can later check online to see whether they have won the chosen prize. Both the sender and the receiver can also check online to determine how many incentive award points they have accumulated. If enough incentive award points have accumulated, they can "cash in" points to obtain a promotional gift. Thus, the sender has an incentive to send an electronic greeting card instead of sending regular e-mail, because the sender is provided with an incentive award and may also win a prize by sending an electronic greeting card. The more electronic cards he sends to different people, the more incentive awards he earns, and the more chances he has to win the sweepstakes. In addition, because the sender picks each prize specifically for the intended recipient, the recipient knows that the sender has given some thought to the likes and dislikes of the recipient. For example, a businessman may register one of his colleagues for an expensive golf club if he knows that the colleague likes golf.

Alternatively, the recipient may select a different prize. The original recipient also has an incentive to send a reply greeting card to the original sender, because the original recipient now earns incentive awards and both sender and recipient are entered into additional sweepstakes. Both the sender and the recipient are motivated to remember the electronic greeting card and to check and recheck the Web page of the electronic greeting card provider to see if they have won the selected prize. This provides an incentive for advertisers to advertise on the electronic greeting card provider's Web page.

In accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention relates to a method performed by a data processing system, comprising: receiving input from a sender that allows a sender to create an electronic greeting card; receiving input from a sender that selects a prize from among a plurality of prizes; sending the electronic greeting card to a recipient specified by the sender; receiving, by the sender, an incentive associated with sending the electronic greeting card; and creating an entry in a sweepstakes for a prize, the entry being associated with the greeting card.

In further accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention relates to a system stored on a computer readable medium, comprising: a database for receiving input from a sender that allows a sender to create an electronic greeting card; a sweepstakes engine, coupled to the database, for receiving input from a sender that selects a prize from among a plurality of prizes, and for creating an entry in a sweepstakes for the prize, the entry being associated with the electronic greeting card; an incentives award engine, coupled to the sweepstakes engine, for receiving input from the sender that selects an incentive from among a plurality of incentives; and a communications engine, coupled to the database and the incentives award engine, for sending the electronic greeting card to a recipient specified by the sender, and for sending the incentive to the sender.

In further accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention relates to a method, comprising: providing electronic greeting card data, sweepstakes entry data, recipient data, sender data, and incentives data to a server computer system; enabling the server computer system to generate at least one electronic greeting card from the electronic greeting card data, to generate at least one entry in a sweepstakes for a prize from the sweepstakes entry data, and to generate at least one incentive award from the incentives data; enabling the server computer system to send the at least one electronic greeting card to a recipient computer system identified by the recipient data; enabling the recipient computer system to send a reply receipt to the server computer system after the recipient computer system receives the electronic greeting card; and enabling the server computer system to send the at least one incentive award to a sender computer system identified by the sender data.

Advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims and equivalents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 is an example of a data processing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating details of the server software of

Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3(a) shows an overview of a method of sending an electronic greeting card from a sender to a recipient;

Fig. 3(b) shows an overview of a method of selecting a sweepstakes prize that can be won by the sender and the recipient of the electronic greeting card;

Fig. 3(c) shows an overview of a method of selecting incentive awards or receiving information about incentives for sending electronic greeting cards; Figs. 4(a)-4(d) are flow charts showing the process to motivate the sender to create and send an electronic greeting card with sweepstakes entries;

Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the process which allows the sender or the recipient to check whether they have won the selected prize associated with a sweepstakes;

Figs. 6(a) and 6(b) flow charts showing the process which allows the recipient to create and send a reply electronic greeting card to the original sender;

Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing a process performed to allow the sender or the recipient to automatically obtain notice of incentive awards earned;

Fig. 8 shows an exemplary format of an entry in a sweepstakes database;

Fig. 9(a) shows an example starting Web page allowing potential users to view an overview of the service; Fig. 9(b) shows an example Web page allowing a user to sign on to the service;

Fig. 10 shows an example Web page allowing the signed-on user of Fig. 9(b) to begin the process of creating an electronic greeting card and choosing a prize;

Figs. 11 shows an example Web page allowing the signed-on sender to select an electronic greeting card from a plurality of options;

Fig. 12(a) shows an example Web page allowing the sender to personalize the electronic greeting card; Fig. 12(b) shows an example preview of a greeting card;

Fig. 13 shows an example Web page confirming that an electronic greeting card has been sent;

Fig. 14(a) shows an example e-mail message sent to the recipient of an electronic greeting card; Fig. 14(b) shows an example e-mail message sent to the sender of an electronic greeting card;

Fig. 15 shows an example Web page summarizing the electronic greeting cards sent and received;

Fig. 16 shows an example Web page allowing a sender to purchase a gift that the recipient will receive with the electronic greeting card;

Fig. 17 shows an example Web page allowing a participant to check on the status of the sweepstakes; and

Fig. 18 shows an example Web page allowing a sender to select an incentive. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles, features and teachings disclosed herein.

I. General Discussion

Before discussing details of the present invention, an example of a data processing system implementing an embodiment of the present invention is discussed in the following section. Fig. 1 is an example of a data processing system 100 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 includes a sender's system 102, a server system 104, and a recipient's system 160. These systems can also be combined into one or two data processing systems, instead of three. Server 104, sender's system 102, and recipient's system 160 can be any appropriate data processing system. Each includes a processor 110, 122, 162 and a memory 112, 124, 164. Memory 112 of sender system 102 includes browser software 114, which can be any appropriate Web browser, and messaging software 115, which can be any appropriate electronic messaging software such as e-mail. Memory 112 also includes at least one Web page (e.g., Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML) 118 downloaded to be displayed by browser software 114 and electronic messages 119 sent and/or received by the sender. Memory 112 also includes data used by the software. The steps of the described embodiment of the present invention are performed when instructions of a computer program are performed by a respective one of processors 110, 122, 162. Memory 124 of server 104 includes server software 125 that enables the server to perform the functions described herein and messaging software 129, such as e-mail software. Memory 124 also includes one or more Web pages 126 (e.g., HTML) that allows a sender to design an electronic greeting card and to select a prize that can be won by the sender and recipient in a sweepstakes. Memory 124 also includes one or more Web pages 128 (e.g., HTML) that allows the recipient to view the electronic greeting card. Memory 124 also includes additional personalized Web pages (e.g., HTML, not shown) that allow senders and recipients to check whether they have won a sweepstakes prize and to view the electronic greeting cards they have sent and received. Memory 124 also includes database 127 used by the software. The data in database 127 can include sender/recipient pairs along with information for the pair, such as the prize selected by the sender and/or recipient of the pair.

Memory 164 of recipient system 160 includes browser software 172, which can be any appropriate Web browser, and messaging software 166, which can be any appropriate messaging software such as e-mail. Memory 164 also includes at least one Web page (e.g., HTML) 168 downloaded to be displayed by browser 172 and electronic mail messages sent and/or received by the sender (not shown). Memory 164 also includes data 170 used by the software.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the systems 102, 104 and 160 may also include additional elements such as network connections, additional memory, additional processors, and input/output lines for transferring information across a hardware channel, the Internet, or an intranet. One skilled in the art will also recognize that the program code and data may be received and stored in the computer systems 102, 104 and 160 in alternative ways. For example, a computer-readable storage medium 156 such as a magnetic disk drive, hard disk drive, magneto- optical reader, CPU, etc., may be coupled to the systems 102, 104 and 160 via in input device 154 for reading the computer readable medium 156. The systems 102, 104 and 160 may further include an input device 150 such as a keyboard or mouse, and a display device 152 such as a cathode ray tube display.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating details of the server software 125. The server software 125 includes a sweepstakes engine 200, a communications engine 202, and an incentives award engine 204. The sweepstakes engine 200 includes program code for receiving data on sweepstakes and prizes, and retrievably storing that data in memory 124. The communications engine 202 includes program code for establishing a communications channel with the sender's system 102 and the recipient's system 160. The communications engine 202 may include identification and password functions which identify and authenticate authorized users. The communications engine 202 may also use secure connection techniques such as SSL, encryption, private and public key cryptography, etc. The incentives award engine 204 includes program code for receiving data on promotional gifts, incentive bonus points accumulated by specific users, and retrievably storing that data in memory 124.

Each sender's system 102, server 104 and recipient's system 160 preferably also includes an operating system (not shown). A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the memories also contain additional information, such as application programs, operating systems, data, etc., which are not shown in the figure for the sake of clarity. It also will be understood that data processing system 100 (or any other data processing system described herein) can include numerous elements not shown, such as additional data, software, and/or information in memory, disk drives, keyboards, display devices, network connections, additional memory, additional CPUs, LANs, input/output lines, etc.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular implementation or programming technique and that the invention may be implemented using any appropriate techniques for implementing the functionality described herein. The invention may be implemented in any appropriate operating system using any appropriate programming language or programming techniques.

Some or all of the instructions and data structures in storage areas 112, 124, 164 may be read into memory from computer-readable media 156 (or similar computer readable media not shown). Execution of sequences of instructions contained in the storage areas 112, 124, 164 causes processors 110, 122, 162 to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions to implement the invention. Thus, preferred embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

The term "computer-readable medium" as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Nonvolatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as a storage device. Volatile media includes dynamic memory. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a bus within a computer. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications, or electrical signals transmitted over a computer network. Common forms of computer- readable media include, for example a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punchcards, papertapes, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read. The instructions stored in storage areas 112, 124, 164 can also be transmitted as a carrier wave over a medium such as the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, an intranet, a cellular network, etc., and then stored in storage areas 112, 124, or 164. II. Creating an Electronic Greeting Card and Receiving Incentives Fig. 3(a) shows an overview of a method of sending an electronic greeting card from a sender to a recipient, and earning a promotional gift as an incentive to send electronic greeting cards. The overview shows three parts: creating an electronic greeting card 302, sending an electronic notification to the recipient 304 (for example, via e-mail), and allowing the recipient to look at the electronic greeting card 306 (for example, via a Web page). (Note that a confirmation e-mail is preferably also sent to the sender). It will be understood that some of the steps of Fig. 3(a) are performed by software in sender system 102, such as browser software 114 (which is used to allow the sender to create the electronic greeting card). In addition, some of the steps of Fig. 3(a) are performed by server system 104 (which sends Web pages 126 to sender system 102, creates the Web page of the electronic greeting card, sends e-mail to the recipient, and sends the Web pages 128 to the recipient browser). In addition, some of the steps of Fig. 3(a) are performed by e- mail or other messaging software 166 of recipient system 160 (which receives the electronic message notifying the recipient of the electronic greeting card) and by browser 172 of recipient system 160 (which allows the recipient to view the electronic greeting card). Fig. 3(a) shows a general overview of the process of sending an electronic greeting card, but does not show details involving the sweepstakes or incentives, which are described below.

Fig 3(b) shows an overview of a method of selecting a sweepstakes prize that can be won by the sender and the recipient of the electronic greeting card. In the example of Fig. 3(b), a sender, Mr. A is in the process of sending an electronic greeting card 356 to a recipient Ms. B. The sender initially enters sender and recipient identification and address information 350. In addition to creating an electronic greeting card 356, the sender selects a prize from among a plurality of prizes 340 that he believes the recipient would like. The prize choosing process provides an instance of "acceptance advertising" of the items listed as possible prizes, since the sender wants to look at information about the possible prizes. The electronic greeting card 356 is then sent to the recipient as described above. In addition, the recipient receives a description of the prize and an explanation of how to determine if the recipient/sender pair have won the prize. (As shown in Fig. 3(b), the recipient can also decide to send an electronic greeting card in reply to the sender's electronic greeting card, or send an electronic greeting card to another third party, for example, Ms. C). It will be appreciated that the recipient has the opportunity to be entered into a different sweepstakes than that selected by the sender, and may win a different prize than the sender.

As shown in Fig. 3(b), when the sender sends the electronic greeting card 356, an entry is automatically made in the server database 127, recording the identity of the sender/receiver pair and the chosen prize. As further shown, when either one of the sender or the recipient sends a query 352 (via a Web page, described below) as to whether they have won, server 104 queries the database 127 and tells the sender and/or receiver whether they have won 354. For example, Fig. 8 shows an exemplary format 800 of an entry in sweepstakes database 127. The entry includes an identification number 802 associated with the entry, the e-mail address (or other identification such as paging number) 804 of the sender, the e-mail address (or other identification such as paging number) 806 of the recipient, identification 808 of the chosen or default prize, and identification 810 of the chosen or default promotional gift which serves as an incentive award. It will be understood that the format shown is provided by way of example only and that other appropriate database organizations can be used.

Fig. 3(c) shows an overview of a method of providing incentives to a sender for sending electronic greeting cards to a recipient. In the example of Fig. 3(c), a sender, Mr. A is in the process of sending an electronic greeting card to a recipient, Ms. B. In addition to selecting a prize, the sender selects a promotional gift as an incentive to send the electronic greeting card. The sender may select an incentive from a plurality of incentives 360. Alternatively, the sender may simply be informed of a predetermined default incentive. In either case, when the electronic greeting card is sent to the recipient as described above, an entry is automatically made in the server database 127. The server system 104 then sends the sender notification of the incentive award earned.

Figs. 4(a) through 4(d) are flow charts 400 of a process that allow the sender to create and send an electronic greeting card, to select a prize which may be won by the sender and the recipient in the sweepstakes, and to earn incentive awards. These steps are performed, for example, by browser software 114 in communication with server system 104. The steps are discussed below in connection with the exemplary Web pages of Figs. 9-18.

Fig. 9(a) shows one embodiment of a beginning Web page which a potential user of the service would view on the Internet. In the example, Web page 900 preferably includes text, graphics and pictures describing the service and encourages potential users to utilize the service. Web page 900 preferably includes an icon 902 allowing a potential user to sign on to the service.

Fig. 9(b) shows one embodiment of a Web page which a user of the system would use to sign on to the system. In the example, Web page 950 includes a text prompt 952 urging the prospective user to sign up and become a member of the service. For existing members, the Web page 950 preferably includes a prompt to enter the user's name 954 and password 956. The user then enters the information into the system by clicking on a "sign in" icon in a conventional manner.

Fig. 10 shows one embodiment of a Web page displayed after the user has signed on which allows the user to create an electronic greeting card, enter a sweepstakes in which the user may be awarded a prize selected by the user, and send the electronic greeting card to a recipient chosen by the user. In the example, Web page 1000 preferably includes a plurality of electronic greeting card categories 1002 such as holidays, birthdays, weddings, etc. Web page 1000 also preferably includes information and/or drawings of prizes which will be awarded to at least some of the senders and recipients of the service. In the example, prizes include an automobile 1004 and a camcorder 1006. The Web page 1000 preferably includes prompts and/or icons 1008 which urge potential users to pick a card, pick a prize associated with the card, and pick a friend to whom the card is to be sent. Web page 1000 also preferably includes a calendar 1010 showing date and holiday information, and other occasions such as birthdays. Web page 1000 also preferably includes various function icons, for example, for prizes 1012, custom cards 1014, buy a gift 1016 and view mailbox 1018. Web page 1000 also preferably includes utility icons 1020 such as home, help, etc.

Fig. 11 shows one embodiment of a Web page which includes information and selection icons for selecting electronic greeting cards and associated prizes. In the example, the "birthdays" category has been selected from card categories 1002 of Fig. 10. Web page 1100 preferably includes a sub-category 1102 of "birthdays" such as friend, humorous, romantic, etc., and further includes a plurality of card selections 1104 and prize selections 1106. When the sender has made his electronic greeting card and prize selections, an icon 1108 is clicked to access the next Web page.

Fig. 12(a) shows one embodiment of a Web page which allows the sender to personalize the greeting card before sending it to a recipient. In the example, Web page 1200 includes information for the sender to enter, such as sender e-mail address 1202, recipient e-mail address 1204, e-mail subject heading 1206, and date to send the card 1208. A reminder of the selected prize 1210 which the sender and recipient may win may also be included. E-mail addresses may be accessed via an address book 1212, and a message may be entered into a screen 1214 which may be reset by clicking icon 1216 or previewed by clicking icon 1218. Fig. 12(b) shows one embodiment of a Web page after the sender has entered information and clicked the preview icon 1218. In the example, Web page 1220 includes a picture or drawing 1222, and preferably includes animation or sound which may be controlled by wish icon 1224, play icon 1226 and stop icon 1228. In the example, the electronic greeting card can be edited by clicking on the edit icon 1230, or can be sent to the recipient by clicking on the send icon 1232.

Fig. 13 shows one embodiment of a Web page which informs the sender that an electronic greeting card has been sent. In the example,

Web page 1300 includes recipient information 1302 and may include an optional advertisement 1304, for example, promoting the prizes that the sender may win in the sweepstakes.

Fig. 14(a) shows one embodiment of an electronic message which informs the recipient that an electronic greeting has been sent to the recipient. In the example, e-mail page 1400 preferably includes information 1402 identifying the subject, date, sender and recipient of the e-mail message. E-mail page 1400 also preferably includes text information 1404 informing the recipient of the electronic greeting card sender, the sweepstakes prize associated with the electronic greeting card, and the date the sweepstakes winner will be announced, as well as a Web site address 1406 where the electronic greeting card and other information may be viewed. Similarly, Fig. 14(b) shows one embodiment of an electronic message which confirms for the sender that the recipient has received the electronic greeting card sent by the sender. In the example, e-mail page 1410 preferably includes information 1412 informing the sender of the electronic greeting card recipient, the sweepstakes prize associated with the electronic greeting card, and the date the sweepstakes winner will be announced, as well as a Web site address from where additional electronic greeting cards may be created and sent. It will be appreciated that, alternatively, the electronic greeting card may be directly sent to the recipient as an attachment to the electronic message, or by other direct means known to those skilled in the art. It will be further appreciated that the recipient has the opportunity to change the recipient's selected prize. Fig. 15 shows one embodiment of a Web page which allows a sender or receiver (hereafter, participant) in the electronic greeting card service to view an updated list of electronic greeting cards which have been sent and received. In the example, Web page 1500 includes a view 1502 of the participant's e-mail in box showing electronic greeting cards received, and a view 1504 of the participant's e-mail out box showing electronic greeting cards sent. Web page 1500 further preferably includes the current month's calendar 1506 and a view of the participant's e-mail address book 1508. Fig. 16 shows one embodiment of a Web page which allows a sender to select and include a gift with the electronic greeting card sent to a recipient. In the example, Web page 1600 includes text information 1602 informing the sender of the option of purchasing a gift to include with the electronic greeting card. Web page 1600 also preferably includes a plurality of icons 1604 representing gifts from which the sender can choose. The sender can preferably click on one of the plurality of icons to view a description and/or picture of the particular gift.

Fig. 17 shows one embodiment of a Web page which includes information on a participant's pending and completed sweepstakes. In the example, Web page 1700 includes information on pending sweepstakes 1702, such as prizes, dates of drawings, and odds of winning. In the example, Web page 1700 further includes similar information on drawn sweepstakes 1704, including the names of winners.

Fig. 18 shows one embodiment of a Web page which allows a sender to select and earn a free promotional gift for sending electronic greeting cards. The free promotional gifts serve as an incentive for senders to create and send electronic greeting cards to many recipients. In the example, Web page 1800 includes text information 1802 informing the sender of the option of selecting promotional gifts. Web page 1800 also preferably includes a plurality of icons representing different promotional gifts from which the sender can choose, for example bonus points 1804, discount coupons 1806, gift certificates 1808 or other incentives 1810. The sender can preferably click on one of the plurality of icons to view a description and/or picture of the particular promotional gift. Other features (not shown) of the Web page could include information on bonus points accumulated, number of bonus points required for a specific prize, details on how to claim the promotional gift.

Other Web pages and Web page features may be included in other embodiments of this invention. In one embodiment, the sender can select one recipient or more than one where each recipient entered will receive the same prize. It will be appreciated that the recipients may have the opportunity to select a different prize. Another embodiment allows the sender to enter large numbers of recipients, such as, for example, recipients on a mailing list, or by entering a large collection of names and e-mail addresses. The names and e-mail addresses entered by the sender can be used for a variety of purposes, such as for direct marketing or gathering statistics about Web use for customer profiling, or it can be kept strictly private, depending on the implementation of the invention. In another embodiment, the Web page may allow the sender to choose an illustration for the electronic greeting card from a plurality of illustrations. The Web page may also allow the sender to indicate a message for the greeting card where, for example, the sender first chooses one of several predetermined messages and then enters his own personalized message. Other embodiments may allow the sender to enter more or fewer numbers of messages.

Turning now to Figs. 4(a) through 4(d), flow chart 400 describes a method for motivating participants to create and send electronic greeting cards. In step 402 of Fig. 4(a), a participant employs a conventional Internet service to access the Web page of the electronic greeting card service provider, such as Web page 900 of Fig. 9(a). In the example of Fig. 9(a), the sender initially clicks on icon 902 to bring up a Web page 950 of Fig. 9(b) for membership and/or sign in. Fig. 9(b) shows one embodiment of a Web page 950, which includes a text prompt 952 urging the prospective user to sign up and become a member of the service. For existing members, the Web page 950 preferably includes a prompt to enter the member's user name 954 and password 956. The user then enters the information into the system by clicking on a "sign in" icon.

Step 404 allows the sender to create an electronic greeting card for the recipient. In one described embodiment, a profile of the participant based on the participant's previous activities is created and maintained by the electronic greeting card service provider. The electronic greeting card service provider may use the profile to determine which greeting cards, sweepstakes, prizes and incentives to offer the participants. In addition, the advertisements targeted for the participants may be based on the profile information.

In another described embodiment, the sender is required to fill in a questionnaire (not shown) before the sender can send the first electronic greeting card to a recipient. Requiring the sender to fill out a questionnaire allows the system to target advertisements to the sender. In the example Web page 1000 of Fig. 10, the sender initially clicks on icon 1008 to bring up a Web page for selecting an electronic greeting card. Fig. 1 1 shows one embodiment of a Web page which includes information and selection icons for selecting electronic greeting cards. In the example, the "birthdays" category has been selected from card categories 1002. Web page 1100 may include a sub-category 1102 of "birthdays" such as friend, humorous, romantic, etc., and further includes a plurality of card selections 1 104 and prize selections 1106. The card that the sender sends is entered into the sweepstakes for the prize. Step 406 allows the sender to select a prize associated with a sweepstakes. Fig. 11 shows one embodiment of a Web page which includes information and selection icons for selecting a prize which will be awarded when the sweepstakes is drawn. In one embodiment, the prize will be won or lost by the sender/recipient as a team. Note that step 404 (creating an electronic greeting card) and step 406 (selecting a prize) can be performed in any appropriate order. When the sender has created the electronic greeting card and selected the prize, an icon 1108 is clicked to access the next Web page.

Step 408 allows the sender to personalize the electronic greeting card before sending it to a recipient. Fig. 12(a) shows one embodiment of a Web page 1200 where a personalized message may be entered into a screen 1214 which may be reset by clicking icon 1216 or previewed by clicking icon 1218. A reminder of the selected prize 1210 which the sender and recipient may win may also be included. Fig. 12(b) shows one embodiment of a Web page after the sender has entered the personalized information and clicked the preview icon 1218. In the example, Web page 1220 includes a picture or drawing 1222, and preferably includes animation or sound which may be controlled by wish icon 1224, play icon 1226 and stop icon 1228. In the example, the electronic greeting card can be edited by clicking on the edit icon 1230. Step 409 allows the sender to select one of several promotional gifts as an incentive to send an electronic greeting card. In the example, Web page 1800 includes text information 1802 informing the sender of the option of selecting promotional gifts. Web page 1800 also preferably includes a plurality of icons representing different promotional gifts from which the sender can choose. If multiple promotional gifts are not available, then the sender is informed of the default promotional gift. This step is performed, for example, by browser software 1 14 (of the sender) via communications engine 202 with server system 104 in a manner generally known to persons of ordinary skill in the art. Step 410 allows the sender to send the finished electronic greeting card to the recipient. In the example Web page 1220 of Fig. 12(b), when the sender is satisfied with the electronic greeting card design, the sender clicks on the send icon 1232 and the electronic greeting card is sent to the server 104 for storage. Fig. 13 shows one embodiment of a Web page 1300 which informs the sender that an electronic greeting card has been sent. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the electronic greeting card may be sent directly to the recipient as an attachment to an electronic message.

In step 412 the sweepstakes engine 200 automatically creates an entry for the card and enters both the sender and the recipient in a sweepstakes for the chosen prize. This entry is preferably done by sending information about the sender/recipient to server system 104 where it is stored in a database such as database 127. Fig. 8 shows an exemplary format 800 of an entry in sweepstakes database 127.

In step 414 the incentive award engine 204 automatically sends notice of the promotional gift to the sender via the communications engine 202. When the electronic greeting card is sent to the recipient as described above, an entry is automatically made in the server database 127. The server system 104 then sends the sender (via the communications engine 202) notification of the incentive award earned as soon as the electronic greeting card is sent. Alternatively, this step may be performed only upon verification that the recipient has received and opened the electronic greeting card. This can prevent fraudulent earning of incentive awards, and is further described in the discussion of Fig. 7 below. In step 416 of Fig. 4(b), the recipient receives and opens the electronic greeting card from the sender, along with information describing the incentives for sending a reply electronic greeting card back to the sender. In step 418, the recipient also receives notification of the sweepstakes and the prize selected by the sender that the recipient and the sender may win. Alternatively, the recipient may instead receive an electronic message informing the recipient of the electronic greeting card and how to view it. Fig. 14(a) shows one embodiment of an electronic message which informs the recipient that an electronic greeting has been sent to the recipient. In the example, e-mail page 1400 preferably includes information 1404 informing the recipient of the electronic greeting card sender, the sweepstakes prize associated with the electronic greeting card, and the date the sweepstakes winner will be announced, as well as a Web site address 1406 where the electronic greeting card and other information may be viewed. Similarly, Fig. 14(b) shows one embodiment of an electronic message which confirms for the sender that the recipient has received the electronic greeting card sent by the sender. In step 420, the recipient is provided with the option of selecting a different gift and/or sweepstakes from that chosen by the sender. If the recipient does desire a different gift and/or sweepstakes, then in step 442 of Fig. 4(d), sweepstakes engine 200 accesses memory 127 in server 104 to determine if the allowed period to change the selected gift and/or sweepstakes has ended. If the allowed period to change the selected gift and/or sweepstakes has ended, then in step 444, the recipient is informed (via the communications engine 202) that the change period has ended and that the gift and/or sweepstakes chosen by the sender cannot be changed. If the allowed period to change the selected gift and/or sweepstakes has not ended, then in step 446 the recipient is allowed to select a different prize and/or sweepstakes as described in step 406. Alternatively, the recipient may be allowed to change the selected gift up to the time of the sweepstakes drawing. If the recipient selects a different prize and/or sweepstakes, then in step 448, the new choice is recorded in the database 127 record assigned to the requesting party.

In step 422, the recipient is prompted to decide whether or not to send a reply electronic greeting card to the sender. The recipient is encouraged to send a reply electronic greeting card due to the promotional gifts, entry into an additional sweepstakes and a chance to win a prize, as described in step 416. If the recipient decides against sending a reply electronic greeting card, the process 400 ends.

In step 424, the recipient decides to send a reply electronic greeting card, and creates an electronic greeting card for the original sender in the same manner as described in step 404. In step 430 of Fig. 4(c), the original recipient selects a prize which will be won or lost by the original recipient (now the new sender) and the original sender (now the new recipient). This step is the same as described in step 406. In step 431, the original recipient personalizes the electronic greeting card, as described in step 408. In step 432, the original recipient selects a promotional gift or receives default incentive information in the same manner as described in step 409. In step 434, the original recipient sends the electronic greeting card to the original sender in the same manner as described in step 410.

In step 436, the sweepstakes engine 200 automatically creates an entry for the electronic greeting card and provides a second entry for both the new sender and the new recipient in the sweepstakes for the chosen gift. Alternatively, as an added incentive for the original recipient to reply to the original sender, both original sender and receiver may be provided with yet a third entry in the sweepstakes for the chosen prize. These entries are preferably done by sending information about the sender/recipient to server system 104 where it is stored in a database such as database 127.

In step 440, notice of the promotional gift is provided to the original recipient as a reward for sending the reply electronic greeting card to the original sender, as described in step 414.

The preceding paragraphs explain how a sender can send an electronic greeting card to a recipient, select a sweepstakes prize that will be won or lost by the sender and recipient as a team or individually, and earn a promotional gift as an incentive for both sending and replying to an electronic greeting card. The following paragraphs describe how either the sender or the recipient can look at the electronic greeting cards sent or received, look at the prizes the sender or recipient may win, check the status of the sweepstakes, and receive notice of incentive awards earned. _.

III. Participants Can Check Whether They Have Won

Fig. 5 is a flow chart 500 showing steps performed to allow the sender or the recipient (herein participants) to check whether they have won the selected prize. These steps are performed, for example, by browser software 114 (of the sender) or browser software 172 (of the recipient) via communications engine 202 with server system 104. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that browser software 114 and browser software 172 support conventional browsers. Once the server 104 knows the e-mail address, password, (or other appropriate electronic identification) of the participant requesting the Web page, it can search database 127 to determine to whom the participant has sent electronic greeting cards and from whom the participant has received electronic greeting cards. Server 104 then creates a personalized Web page for display by the participant's browser.

In step 502, the participants may access a Web page to check which electronic greeting cards they have sent, to check which prizes they might win, and to check whether they have won a prize as of a specified date. Fig. 15 shows one embodiment of a Web page which allows a participant in the electronic greeting card service to view an updated list of electronic greeting cards which have been sent and received.

In step 504, the sender may access a Web page (not shown) established by the electronic greeting card service provider. From the conventional Web page, the sender can preferably click the appropriate button to determine if the sweepstakes have been awarded as of the current date. The sender can also preferably click on a button to create another card and select a prize in a manner similar to that described above. The sender is thus encouraged to send additional electronic greeting cards. Fig. 17 shows one embodiment of a Web page which includes information on pending and completed sweepstakes. In the example, Web page 1700 includes information on pending sweepstakes 1702, such as prizes, dates of drawings, and odds of winning. In the example, Web page 1700 further includes similar information on drawn sweepstakes 1704, including the names of winners. Of course, the win/lose indicators are not displayed until after the sweepstakes drawing occurs and the prize is awarded to one or more persons. In one embodiment, the electronic greeting cards may be viewed as of a specified date, such as New Years Day, and the prizes awarded subsequent to that date. In another embodiment, the prizes can be awarded periodically, such as daily, or monthly, or in connection with any other appropriate event. It is contemplated that the award of prizes will be determined electronically by random chance, although the prizes may also be awarded by a person drawing names out of a hat or by any other appropriate selection method. The opportunities for reviewing cards sent and received, earning incentives, winning a prize, motivate the participants to return to the personalized page over and over, thereby making the page more attractive to advertisers who wish their ads to be viewed by the participants.

In step 506, the recipient may access a Web page (not shown) established by the electronic greeting card service provider. From the conventional Web page, the recipient can preferably click on an appropriate button to display a list of the names and e-mail addresses of senders who have sent cards to the recipient, and can also preferably click the appropriate button to determine if the sweepstakes have been awarded as of the current date, as described above. The recipient can also preferably click on a button to create a card and select a prize in a manner similar to that described above. The recipient is thus encouraged to send electronic greeting cards. A participant can, at all times, view the Web page which reminds the participant who has sent him electronic greeting cards and to whom the participant has sent electronic greeting cards. A participant can also, at all times, see what prizes he may win from electronic greeting cards he has sent and from electronic greeting cards that he has received. If, however, the participant attempts to view an electronic greeting card before the specified date for a card that he has received, he will receive a notification that that electronic greeting card cannot be viewed until the specified day. Participants can, at all times review the content on electronic greeting cards that they have sent to other people. If the sweepstakes have been awarded as of the current date, in step 508 either participant may preferably click an appropriate button to determine whether or not they have been awarded a prize. In step 510, a "Win" indicator (not shown) is displayed if the participants have been awarded a prize, and details are provided informing the participant how to obtain the prize. In step 512, a "Lose" indicator (not shown) is displayed if the participants have not been awarded a prize. The method 500 then ends.

Figs. 6(a) and 6(b) are flow charts 600 showing steps performed to allow the recipient to send a reply electronic greeting card to the sender, and describes in detail how the incentive selection and receipt process is implemented. These steps are performed, for example, by browser software 172 (of the recipient) and browser software 114 (of the sender) via communications engine 202 with server system 104. The steps are discussed below in connection with Web pages (not shown). The Web page is preferably generated by server 104 in a manner generally known to persons of ordinary skill in the art. Once the server 104 knows the e- mail address, password, (or other appropriate electronic identification) of the participant requesting the Web page, it can search database 127 to determine from whom the recipient has received greeting cards.

In step 602 of Fig. 6(a), the recipient has received an electronic greeting card from a sender, or perhaps a number of senders. Fig. 15 shows one embodiment of a Web page which allows a participant in the electronic greeting card service to view an updated list of electronic greeting cards which have been sent and received. In the example, Web page 1500 includes a view 1502 of the participant's e-mail in box showing electronic greeting cards received, and a view 1504 of the participant's e- mail out box showing electronic greeting cards sent. Web page 1500 further preferably includes the current month's calendar 1506 and a view of the participant's e-mail address book 1508.

If the recipient decides not to send a reply electronic greeting card to a sender, the method 600 ends. If the recipient decides to send a reply electronic greeting card to a sender, then in step 604 the recipient selects a prize as previously described in step 424. In step 606, the recipient creates a reply electronic greeting card for the sender, as previously described in step 424. In step 608, the electronic greeting card provider has configured incentives award engine 204 to either simply provide a default promotional gift without choice, or alternatively provide the recipient with a plurality of promotional gifts from which to choose. If no promotional gift choices are available, then the recipient is informed of the default incentive in step 610. If promotional gift choices are available, then in step 612 the recipient selects a promotional gift from the plurality of promotional gifts. These incentives may include, for example, bonus points which may be accumulated and later exchanged for airline frequent flier miles, discount coupons, products, services or cash. In step 614 of Fig. 6(b), the recipient sends the electronic greeting card to the original sender, as previously described in step 434. In step 618, the sweepstakes engine 200 automatically creates an entry for the electronic greeting card, and a second entry for both the new sender and the new recipient is provided in the sweepstakes for the chosen prize. Alternatively, as an added incentive for the original recipient to reply to the original sender, both original sender and receiver may be provided with yet a third entry in the sweepstakes for the chosen prize. These entries are preferably done by sending information about the sender/recipient to server system 104 where it is stored in a database such as database 127. In step 620, notice of the earned promotional gift is sent to the recipient, as previously described in step 440, and the method 600 ends.

Fig. 7 is a flow chart 700 showing steps performed to allow the sender or the recipient to automatically earn incentives (promotional gifts), and receive notice of promotional gifts earned. These steps are performed, for example, by browser software 114 (of the sender) or browser software 172 (of the recipient) in communication with server system 104. The steps are discussed below in connection with conventional Web pages (not shown), and may be performed in part by sweepstakes engine 200, incentives award engine 204 and communications engine 202. The Web page is preferably generated by server 104 in a manner generally known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.

In step 702, a sender has created and sent an electronic greeting card to a recipient, as previously described. If the electronic greeting card provider has configured their service to require verification of receipt of the electronic greeting card from the recipient, then the method proceeds to step 704, where the recipient receives the electronic greeting card sent by the sender and an entry is automatically made in the server database 127. In step 706 the recipient opens the electronic greeting card. In step 708, the recipient's browser software 172 automatically sends a receipt notification to the server system 104. In step 710, if the server has not received receipt that the recipient has opened the electronic greeting card, then in step 716 the server sends notice of no valid receipt to the sender, and the method 700 ends. In step 710, if the server has received receipt that the recipient has opened the electronic greeting card, then the method proceeds to step 712. In step 702, if the electronic greeting card provider has not configured their service to require verification of receipt of the greeting card from the recipient, then the method proceeds to step 712. In step 712, the server system stores the incentive award data in the server database 127. In step 714, server system 104 sends notice of the incentive award to the sender, and method 700 ends. The above described embodiment of the present invention address the problem that arises when a participant attempts to earn many sweepstakes entries and/or free promotional gifts by creating a card (or cards) under another person's e-mail address without permission, or attempts to send electronic greeting cards to invalid recipient addresses. This embodiment avoids such foul play by sending and tracking the confirmation mail to the sender. If the confirmation mail is returned for any reason (for example, if the mail server says it is an invalid address, etc.) the system may, for example, forbid users to create new cards under this address.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a sender may purchase and include a gift along with an electronic greeting card. Fig. 16 shows one embodiment of a Web page 1600 which includes information 1602 informing the sender of the option of including a gift with the electronic greeting card. Web page 1600 also preferably includes a plurality of icons 1604 representing gifts from which the sender can choose. The sender can preferably click on one of the plurality of icons to view a description and/or picture of the gift.

At least one other embodiment of the present invention solves the problem created by a single sender trying to create and send millions of cards. This action could cause the system to fail or to become very slow. This action could be accomplished, for example, by the sender creating and using an automatic entry software program. To avoid this possibility, at least one embodiment sets some conditions for the sender regarding the number of the cards that can be sent. For example:

1) The sender can create and send only one card to a specific recipient (some specific e-mail address), or 2) The sender can create and send (for example) no more than 100 cards total.

These limits on the number of cards can be predetermined and can be different for different users or for different classes of users.

In another embodiment of the present invention, when the card is first sent the system automatically sends a notification e-mail that lets the recipient know that there is a greeting card for him and the recipient is able to view it from his personalized Web page. In the described embodiment, the recipient is able to view his Web page by inputting the e-mail address and password given in the notification e-mail (or clicking on the hypertext link, if included in the e-mail). The system also sends a confirmation e-mail to the sender to let the sender know that the card sent has been successfully accepted and stored at the server system and that the sender can now view the card from his Web page. The described embodiment may also send a notification e-mail reminding the recipients to look at their cards on a specified holiday or date, such as January 1^st. The recipient may only view the electronic greeting cards received from that designated date for a predetermined time period. Electronic greeting cards viewed during a predetermined time period may cause a . special initial page containing, for example, a special New Years greeting (or special advertising) and possibly an animation or other special aspect to be displayed with the selected card.

After a specified date, the recipients (and senders) may view their personalized Web page to see whether they have won the prize after this date. Thus, each sender and recipient will most likely view their personalized Web page again after viewing their electronic greeting card, thereby increasing the number of times that the participants will see the advertisements on their personalized Web page. It will be appreciated that participants who win a prize can be informed of this fact via telephone, facsimile, e-mail, postal letter or other means generally known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, participants who win a prize can be informed of this fact via the personalized Web page which will provide information to the winners as to the proper manner of claiming the prize.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims and equivalents.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method performed by a data processing system, comprising:

receiving input from a sender that allows the sender to create an electronic greeting card;

receiving input from the sender that selects a prize from among a plurality of prizes;

sending the electronic greeting card to a recipient specified by the

sender;

receiving, by the sender, a promotional gift associated with sending the electronic greeting card; and

creating an entry in a sweepstakes for the prize, the entry being

associated with the greeting card.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the promotional gift is chosen by the sender from a plurality of promotional gifts.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a Web site used to create the electronic greeting card includes a plurality of advertisements corresponding to the plurality of promotional gifts.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the promotional gift is selected from the group consisting of bonus points, airline frequent flier miles, discount coupons, products, services and cash.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the promotional gift is based on a participant's profile.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the receiving, by the sender, a promotional gift:

receiving, from the recipient, a reply receipt after the recipient has opened the electronic greeting card.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the promotional gift is received by the sender only if the reply receipt is received from the recipient.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving input from the recipient that allow the recipient to send an electronic greeting card to at least one additional recipient; and

creating another entry in the sweepstakes for the recipient and the at least one additional recipient.

9. The method of claim 8, where the another entry is at least one entry in a sweepstakes for a different prize.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving input from the recipient that allows the recipient to send a reply greeting card to the sender; and creating at least one additional entry in the sweepstakes for the recipient and the sender.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the promotional gift is received by the recipient and the sender.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining at least one winning sender and at least one winning recipient of the sweepstakes; and

awarding the prize to the at least one winning sender and at least one winning recipient.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the promotional gift includes incentive bonus points which are awarded for each electronic greeting card sent.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

allowing the sender to determine via a Web page a number of incentive bonus points the sender has accumulated.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

allowing the sender to obtain via a Web page a promotional gift in exchange for a predetermined number of the incentive bonus points the sender has accumulated.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

allowing the recipient to determine via a Web page a number of incentive bonus points the recipient has accumulated.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

allowing the recipient to obtain via a Web page a promotional gift in exchange for a predetermined number of the incentive bonus points the recipient has accumulated.

18. A system stored on a computer readable medium, comprising:

a database for receiving input from a sender that allows the sender to create an electronic greeting card;

a sweepstakes engine, coupled to the database, for receiving input from the sender that selects a prize from among a plurality of prizes, and for creating an entry in a sweepstakes for the prize, the entry being associated with the electronic greeting card;

an incentives award engine, coupled to the sweepstakes engine, for receiving input from the sender that selects a promotional gift from among a plurality of promotional gifts; and

a communications engine, coupled to the database and the incentives award engine, for sending the electronic greeting card to a recipient specified by the sender, and for sending the promotional gift to the sender.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the communications engine receives a reply receipt after the recipient opens the electronic greeting card, and before the promotional gift is sent to the sender.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the communications engine allows the recipient to send a reply greeting card to the sender, and wherein the sweepstakes engine creates at least one additional entry in the sweepstakes for the recipient and the sender.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the incentives award engine awards incentive bonus points to the sender after the electronic greeting card is sent.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the incentives award engine allows the sender to determine a number of incentive bonus points accumulated by the sender, and allows the sender to exchange at least some of the number of incentive bonus points accumulated for the promotional gift.

23. A method, comprising:

providing electronic greeting card data, sweepstakes entry data, recipient data, sender data, and incentives data to a server computer system;

enabling the server computer system to generate at least one electronic greeting card from the electronic greeting card data, to generate at least one entry in a sweepstakes for a prize from the sweepstakes entry data, and to generate at least one promotional gift award from the incentives data;

enabling the server computer system to send the at least one electronic greeting card to a recipient computer system identified by the recipient data;

enabling the recipient computer system to send a reply receipt to the server computer system after the recipient computer system receives the electronic greeting card; and

enabling the server computer system to send the at least one promotional gift award to a sender computer system identified by the sender data.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

enabling the server computer system to send a reply electronic greeting

card to the sender computer system;

enabling the server computer system to generate at least one additional entry in the sweepstakes for the prize from the sweepstakes entry data; and

enabling the server computer system to send at least one additional promotional gift award to the sender computer system.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

enabling the server computer system to determine at least one winning entry in the sweepstakes, the at least one winning entry associated with the recipient data and the sender data;

enabling the sender computer system to communicate with the server computer system to identify the winning entry; and

enabling the recipient computer system to communicate with the server computer system to identify the winning entry.

26. A method for motivating participants in an electronic greeting card service to send electronic greeting cards using a data processing system, comprising:

personalizing, by a first participant, a first electronic greeting card for a

second participant;

selecting, by the first participant, a first promotional gift and a first prize

associated with the first electronic greeting card;

sending, by the first participant, the first electronic greeting card to the second participant;

storing, in a database, a first entry in a sweepstakes for the first prize, the

first entry associated with the first participant and the second participant;

awarding the first promotional gift to the first participant; receiving, by the second participant, the first electronic greeting card;

selecting, from the database, at least one winning entry in the sweepstakes for the first prized and

providing the first participant and the second participant with means of determining whether the first entry corresponds to the at least one winning entry in the sweepstakes for the first prize.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

personalizing, by the second participant, a second electronic greeting card

for the first participant;

selecting, by the second participant, a second promotional gift and a second prize associated with the second electronic greeting card;

sending, by the second participant, the second electronic greeting card to the first participant;

storing, in the database, at least one additional entry in a sweepstakes for the second prize, the at least one additional entry associated with the first participant and the second participant;

awarding the second promotional gift to the second participant;

receiving, by the first participant, the second electronic greeting card;

selecting, from the database, at least one winning entry in the sweepstakes for the second prize; and providing the first participant and the second participant with means of determining whether the second entry corresponds to the at least one winning entry in the sweepstakes for the second prize.

accumulated. If enough incentive award points have accumulated, they can "cash in" points to obtain a promotional gift.

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