WO2011035442A1

WO2011035442A1 - System and method for providing advertisement on a mobile communication device

Info

Publication number: WO2011035442A1
Application number: PCT/CA2010/001534
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Masson
Original assignee: Mobile Marketing Média Inc.
Priority date: 2009-09-24
Filing date: 2010-09-24
Publication date: 2011-03-31

Abstract

There is provided an advertisement platform for reaching a recipient with an advertisement sent via a readily accessible communication device, such as a mobile phone, for example, and for further engaging the recipient to further generate interest and extend the life of the advertisement. A system and method is described herein for providing interactive advertisement on a mobile communication device (28) being in communication, over a communications network (32), with a source device (23). Advertisement data (25) is sent from the source device (23) and received at the mobile device (28), which then processes the advertisement data (25) according to one or more presentation rule (39). An interactive advertisement message (26) is presented on a user interface (40) of the mobile device (28) based on the advertisement data (25) having been processed, the interactive advertisement message (26) requesting a user action command (29) in response thereto. Upon capturing said user action command (29), a marketing activity (30) is generated, based on this user action command (29).

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ADVERTISEMENT

ON A MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

Field of the invention:

The present invention relates to an advertisement system for mobile devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for providing advertisement on a mobile device, and apparatus for providing the same, as well as to a method of operating associated thereto.

Background of the invention:

Known in the art are different electronic means for advertisers to promote their products, services, etc. Such means include advertisement on websites, or the like. Some advertisers have taken advantage of the technology and universality of mobile devices, such as mobile phones, smart phones, etc. to reach potential customers. Conventional methods of providing advertisement on a mobile device include sending a text message ("SMS") or a multimedia message ("MMS"), or even, via an application on the mobile device, displaying an image or animation on the display screen of the device. For example, known to the Applicant are US patents No. 7,162,226 B2 (PAPULOV), No. 7,512,420 A1 (LICHTENFELD ET AL), as well as US patent applications No. 2008/0097836 A1 (SILANTO), No. 2008/0228572 A1 (TETERIN), and No. 2009/0029721 A1 (DORASWAMY). Such systems are known to use conventional advertisement methods, in that the advertiser transmits a message, typically to inform the user of a service and/or a product, for example, with the purpose of interesting the user to consume a product or service.

Such advertisement may however be cumbersome to a user of a mobile device and, in some cases, undesired and/or intrusive to his/her normal usage of the mobile device. In some cases, such advertisement is provided to users in exchange for monetary compensation, in order to interest users to receive such advertisement. Moreover, conventional methods are known to provide an advertiser with exposure, on the basis of purchased time and/or space. Thus, there remains a disconnection between the client base and advertisers, which the present invention seeks to solve.

Indeed, there is a need for a more dynamic platform which engages advertisers as well as users of mobile devices, in order to optimize advertizing potential, to promote creativity and to interest the advertisement recipients (i.e. end users). Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for an improved system which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome some of the above-discussed prior art concerns.

Summary of the invention:

The object of the present invention is to provide a device which, by virtue of its design and components, satisfies some of the above-mentioned needs and is thus an improvement over other related advertisement systems for mobile devices known in the prior art.

In accordance with the present invention, the above mentioned object is achieved, as will be easily understood, by system and method for providing advertisement on a mobile device such as the one briefly described herein and such as the one exemplified in the accompanying drawings.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing interactive advertisement via a mobile communication system. The mobile communication system has a mobile communication device which is in communication, over a communications network, with a source device. The mobile communication device has a user interface. The method comprises: (a) transmitting advertisement data from the source device; (b) at the mobile communication device, receiving the advertisement data and processing said advertisement data according to one or more presentation rule; (c) presenting an interactive advertisement message on the user interface of the mobile device based on the advertisement data having been processed, said interactive advertisement message requesting a user action command; (d) capturing said user action command, at the user interface, in response to the interactive advertisement message; and (e) generating a marketing activity, based on said user action command. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for providing interactive advertisement via a communications network. The system comprises: a source device for transmitting advertisement data; and a mobile communication device being in communication, over the communications network, with the source device. The mobile communication device comprises: a communication module for receiving the advertisement data from the source device; an application software being operatively connected to the communication module for processing the advertisement data according to one or more presentation rule, and for generating a marketing activity; and a user interface being operatively connected to the application software for presenting, based on the advertisement data having been processed, an interactive advertisement message, and for capturing a user action command in response to the interactive advertisement message, to be returned to the application software for generating the marketing activity.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communication device for providing interactive advertisement, the mobile communication device being in communication with a source device via a communications network. The mobile communication device comprises: a communication module for receiving the advertisement data from the source device; an application software being operatively connected to the communication module for processing the advertisement data according to one or more presentation rule, and for generating a marketing activity; and a user interface being operatively connected to the application software for presenting, based on the advertisement data having been processed, an interactive advertisement message, and for capturing a user action command in response to the interactive advertisement message, to be sent back to the application software for generating the marketing activity.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable memory having stored thereon data and instructions for execution by a processor, for providing interactive advertisement on a mobile communication device. The mobile communication device is in communication, over a network, with a source device, said mobile communication device having a user interface. The data and instructions comprise: code means for receiving, at the mobile communication device, advertisement data transmitted from the source device; code means for processing said advertisement data according to one or more presentation rule; code means for presenting an interactive advertisement message on the user interface of the mobile device based on the advertisement data having been processed, said interactive advertisement message requesting a user action command; code means for capturing said user action command, at the user interface, in response to the interactive advertisement message; and code means for generating a marketing activity, based on said user action command.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an interactive advertisement system for providing an advertisement message remotely from a networker to a user. The system comprises: a server of the networker for transmitting advertisement data and receiving user data, related to the advertisement message, over a network; a mobile device in communication with the server via the network.

The mobile device comprises: a telecommunications module for receiving the advertisement data from the server and for transmitting the user data to the server; an application software being operatively connected to the telecommunications module for receiving and processing the advertisement data for output to the user interface and for receiving the user data and processing the user data for transmittal to the telecommunications module; and a user interface being operatively connected to the application software for outputting an advertisement message based on the advertisement data and for receiving said user data from the user and transmitting the user data to the application software.

Preferably, the user data includes an entry made by the user via the user interface, or also, data related to the device and/or statistical data collected based on the usage of the mobile device or user (viewing time of an advertisement, preferred format of advertisement, preferred type of content or presentation, etc.), as well as user preferences, as will be better explained herein below, which may reside on the mobile device or other location, such as at the server site.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing interactive advertisement via a mobile communication system having a mobile communication device being in communication, over a communications network, with a source device, said mobile communication device having a user interface. The method comprises: (a) transmitting advertisement data from the source device; (b) at the mobile communication device, receiving advertisement data from the source device, and processing said advertisement data according to one or more presentation rule; (c) presenting an interactive advertisement message on the user interface of the mobile device based on the advertisement data having been processed, said interactive advertisement message requesting a user action command; (d) capturing said user action command, at the user interface, in response to the interactive advertisement message; and (e) generating a marketing activity, based on said user action command, said marketing activity comprising providing user-generated information related to the interactive advertisement message from a user of the mobile communication device, said user-generated information being destined for output to another communication device.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing an interactive advertisement via a mobile communication system having a mobile communication device being in communication, over a communications network, with a source device, said mobile communication device having a user interface for outputting an interactive advertisement message and capturing a user action command in response to the interactive advertisement message, to generate a marketing activity based on said user action command. The method comprises: transmitting advertisement data from the source device to the mobile communication device, said advertisement data comprising data for presenting the interactive advertisement message on said mobile communication device. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a use of a mobile communication device for generating a marketing activity based on a user action command received in response to an interactive advertisement message provided on said mobile communication device. The marketing activity comprises providing user-generated information related to the interactive advertisement message from a user of the mobile communication device, said user-generated information being destined for output to another communication device.

Other preferred aspects, features, embodiments, variants and/or resulting advantages of the present invention will be briefly summarized hereinbelow.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing remote advertisement interactively, between a networker and a user, the method comprising any one of and/or combination, of the following steps: a) providing a remote device in communication with a server of the networker via a network, the remote device comprising a telecommunications module, an application software and a user interface;

b) at the server, transmitting over the network, advertisement data related to the advertisement;

c) at the telecommunications module of the remote device, receiving and transmitting the advertisement data to the application software;

d) at the application software, receiving, processing and transmitting the advertisement data to the user interface;

e) at the user interface of the mobile device, outputting an advertisement message based on the advertisement data received from the application software and receiving user data from the user;

f) at the application software, receiving, processing and transmitting the user data to the telecommunications module;

g) at the telecommunications module, receiving and transmitting, over the network, the user data to the server.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a mobile device for providing advertisement remotely from a server of a networker to a user of said mobile device, the server comprising a server application for exchanging advertisement data and user data related to the advertisement over a network, the mobile device application comprising:

- a telecommunications module in communication with the server application via the network; for receiving the advertisement data from the server and for transmitting the user data to the server; and

- a mobile device application in communication with the telecommunications module for receiving and processing the advertisement data for output to the user interface and for receiving the user data from the user interface and processing the user data for transmittal to the telecommunications module. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for operating the above-mentioned interactive advertisement system, or mobile device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method for installing the above-mentioned interactive advertisement system, or mobile device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method for servicing the above-mentioned interactive advertisement system, or mobile device.

The present invention, according to embodiments thereof, is advantageous in that advertisement is optimized by exploiting the universality and accessibility of mobile devices in order to reach a broad spectrum of recipients pro-actively and to further expand the life of an advertisement by engaging the recipient to interact with the advertisement.

Interactivity between the recipient (or "user" or "end user" of a mobile device) and the advertiser creates interest by drawing in the end user to find out more about a service, product, etc., and further allows advertisers, as well as other users to obtain feedback on viewer/client appreciation, with respect to the advertisement as such or concerning a consumed product or service. Such feedback information may be useful in market studies or the like. Advertisers may further benefit from the creativity of their viewers with respect to an advertisement message or a product or service offered, based on the corresponding feedback. Moreover, by reviewing and/or monitoring user feedback, the advertiser may better adjust its target market, or even change a particular advertisement, in real-time.

By further incorporating user-to-user participation, according to embodiments of the present invention, advertising campaigns benefit from, not only reaching a broad spectrum of recipients at a first degree through their mobile devices, but also at an extended degree, reaching additional users of other mobile devices or even of alternative media (website, Facebook™, Twitter™, email, etc.) through the users of the first degree, thus extending exposure and magnifying the effect of the advertisement. Advertisers may further benefit from a certain level of "hype" surrounding a product, service, advertisement, company, etc., as users may be prompted to recommend, share, discuss, critique or review one or more of the latter.

Embodiments of the present invention are also advantageous to recipients of an advertisement or a communication related thereto, as they are provided with a user- to-user platform for sharing appreciation information, participation information or the like. For example, upon receiving an advertisement in the form of an invitation to an event, the recipient may be simultaneously informed as to the attendance of friends or acquaintances to this event. According to another example, a recipient of an advertisement may be informed of user reviews on the product or service being advertised. A recipient may thus make a consumption decision based on such information received from peers, which may reinforce persuasiveness.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the advertisement appears on the mobile device in a non-obstructive manner, such that he/she is notified of the advertisement, which may be indicative of the nature of the advertisement, without however having the notification interfere with his/her usage of the mobile device, and thus allow the user to access the advertisement at his/her own convenience.

According to embodiments of the present invention, users also benefit from rewards for engaging with the interactive advertisement, thus further encouraging the user to participate in and contribute to the promotion and creative development of advertisement messages. Embodiments of the present invention also provide the user with higher level of quality or entertainment value, or even a more customized approach, for example by way of a user rating system and/or by compiling data representing user activity. Indeed, by engaging with an interactive advertisement message, the user may contribute to the creativeness and bettering of advertising campaigns, and/or products or services, thus rendering advertisements to be more desirable to their recipients and also creating a feeling of involvement for the contributors.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is sequence diagram of a method of providing advertisement on a mobile device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a system, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the schematic representation showing the downloading of the software application.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a system, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the schematic representation showing the downloading of advertisement and the sending of feedback information.

FIG. 5a is a schematic representation of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile device being shown with an advertisement being provided on the standby screen. FIG. 5b is a schematic representation of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile device being shown with an advertisement being provided on the display screen, in background when receiving an incoming call or message.

FIG. 5c is a schematic representation of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile device being shown with an advertisement being provided on the display screen, in background. FIG. 5d is a schematic representation of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile device being shown with an advertisement being provided on the display screen, in the form of an icon.

FIG. 5e is a schematic representation of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile device being shown with a history of advertisement being provided in bookmark format.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a method of providing advertisement on a mobile device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a computer readable memory, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention:

In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures or described in the present description are preferred embodiments only, given for exemplification purposes only. In the present context, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises components such as a mobile device having a display screen, a memory, etc. or a server, and although the preferred embodiment of the system and corresponding parts thereof consists of certain configurations as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components and cooperations are essential to the invention and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense, i.e. should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention. It is to be understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other suitable components and cooperation thereinbetween, as well as other suitable configurations may be used for the system according to the present invention, as will be briefly explained herein and as can be easily inferred herefrom, by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the context of the present invention, the expression "advertiser" refers to a person or entity which initializes an advertisement and seeks exposure thereof to users.

In the context of the present invention, the expression "user", "end user", or even "recipient", in some cases, refers to a person who uses a mobile or communication device. The expression "recipient" refers more particularly to a person who receives an advertisement or advertisement message on his/her communication device.

Moreover, in the context of the present invention, the expression "networker" refers to a person or entity which links the advertiser to the user. Moreover, in the context of the present invention, the expression "communication service provider" refers to a person or entity who provides the user with communication services, line-based or wireless, such as for example, telephone, wireless phone, internet, television, etc. Broadly described, the system according to the present invention, as exemplified in the accompanying drawings, provides a dynamic advertisement platform for reaching recipients in a pro-active manner via a readily accessible communication device (such as a mobile phone, for example) and for further engaging the recipient to further generate interest and extend the life of a given advertisement.

Preferably, the system is provided by a software located on a mobile device for displaying interactive advertisement thereon and the end user of the device is invited to interact with the advertisement, in order to further extend the effect of the advertisement, for example by forwarding the advertisement to a friend, or by feeding information with respect to the advertisement to a community of users. Other forms of interaction may further market a product, service, brand or company to the end-user himself, for example, by engaging in a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, playing a game or any other action which tends to draw the user's interest in the product, service, brand or company or which results in the consumption thereof.

Preferably and as better illustrated in FIG. 1 and 2, there is provided a system 10 for providing interactive advertisement via a communications network 32. The system 10 includes: a source device 23, preferably a server 24, for transmitting advertisement data 25; a mobile communication device 28 being in communication, over the communications network 32, with the server 24. The mobile communication device 28 includes the following: a communication module, preferably a telecommunications module 36, for receiving the advertisement data 25 from the source device 23; an application software 38 being operatively connected to the telecommunications module 36 for processing the advertisement data 25 according to one or more presentation rule 39, and for generating a marketing activity; and a user interface 40 being operatively connected to the application software 38 for presenting, based on the advertisement data having been processed, an interactive advertisement message 26, and for capturing a user action command 29 in response to the interactive advertisement message 26, to be returned to the application software 38 for generating the marketing activity 30.

In the context of the present invention, the "source device" may be a conventional server or, according to the embodiments of the present invention, any other remote, mobile or communication device capable of suitably sending advertisement data to a mobile communication device. Thus the source device may be, for example, another mobile phone, a conventional computer, a tablet PC, or the like. In the context of the present invention, the expression "mobile device", "communication device", or "mobile communication device" refers to any communication device being readily accessible over a communication network, such as for example, a conventional wireless telephone (or "cellular phone"), a smart phone, a tablet computer, a car phone, a pager, or even, in some cases, a personal computer (PC), a laptop, a pocket PC, a landline phone (home or business phone), a television, any appliance being suitably provided with communication means, and/or the like. Such a device is generally enabled to output a communication without requiring a particular action from a user and is generally readily enabled to receive a communication.

In the context of the present invention, the expressions "advertisement", "advertisement message" and "advertisement data" may be used interchangeably according to some embodiments. An "advertisement", in the present context, generally refers to a communication (commercial, informative, educational, entertaining and/or other) from an advertiser or group of advertiser(s), which promotes a product, service, event or the like and/or provides information, and this, to a broad or narrow group of targeted recipients. An "interactive advertisement message", in the present context, generally refers to a message or series of messages corresponding to an advertisement, presented at the mobile communication device in an interactive format for receiving a user response (i.e. "user action command"), as will be better understood upon reading the following.

Moreover, in the context of the present invention, the term "marketing activity" generally refers to any activity which results in or further promotes the consumption of a product or service, as well as any activity which promotes further interest, directly or indirectly, with respect to the initial advertisement message, either to the user him/herself or to other recipient(s). According to certain aspects of the present invention, the term refers to an activity wherein user-generated information, relating to the interactive advertisement message, is produced, sent or posted by the user of the mobile communication device, for output, directly or indirectly, to another communication device, for example, to one or more other recipient in the context of a social network, or for the general public, etc. The "another communication device" may be another mobile communication device (i.e. mobile phone, laptop, tablet computer) or a landline phone, a computer, etc.

The system 10 may further include one or more advertiser devices 35, associated to corresponding advertisers. The advertiser devices 35 are in communication with the server 24 of a network, which may be the communication network 32, for supplying advertisement instructions to the server 24. Such advertisement instructions, preferably include data relating to the intended advertisement as well as specifications such as the time and dates of presentation, target recipients, updates to advertisements already stored at the server 24, necessary formats, etc., on the basis of which the server 24 produces the advertisement data 25. Indeed, the advertisement instructions are processed by the server 24 and transmitted in the form of advertisement data 25 to the mobile communication devices, as described and illustrated herein.

The user interface 40 may include a display screen, a touch screen, a speaker, a key pad, a mouse, a camera, a scanner, a microphone, and/or any other suitable means allowing the user to interact with the system, i.e. presenting the advertisement message to the user and for receiving information or instructions from the end user.

Referring now to FIG. 1 and 3, the user 22 preferably first downloads the application software 38 onto the communication device 28. The software is prerferably provided by the servers 24 of the networker, as exemplified in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the software may be downloaded from another source. The software manages the presentation of the advertisement messages 26 according to presentation rules 39 and this, preferably in an optimal manner depending on the usage of the mobile device 28. This downloading may be done at any time and this, via the network 32 of the communication service provider 33, via a Bluetooth™ connection 52 or through any other suitable communication network (Wi-Fi™ connection, wire network connection, etc.). In order to motivate the end user 22 to download the software 38, some incentives may be offered, for example, a monetary compensation or loyalty program reward and/or the like. The user 22 may thus create a user account 42 via the application or by an external means such as an internet network, telephone network or text messaging, where the user 22 may enter data 44 relating to him/herself, including personal information (for example, name, address, contact information), demographics information (for example, age or date of birth, region, gender, personal interests, type of device or model, etc.), user preference information (interests in products or brands, personal interests, presentation preferences, preferred time for viewing advertisement, etc.) and/or the like. This latter data entry is preferably done on a voluntary basis, though some of the data 44 may be mandatory in order to proceed further. The data 44 preferably further includes technical information with respect to the communication device 28, such as model, processor, capacity, memory, operating system and version thereof, etc., which may be entered by the user or automatically retrieved when sending the information from the device 28. Moreover, some incentives may be offered in exchange for some or all of the information requested, so as to encourage the user 22 to provide this information, as will be better explained further below. The user account 42 is preferably accessible by the server 24 of the networker or stored thereon.

Referring now to FIG. 1 and 4, the software 38 is preferably in communication with a server 24 of the networker, preferably via the telecommunications module 36 of the remote device 28, for downloading advertisement data 25 and all information related thereto (from the server 24 to the mobile device 28) and for collecting user data 27 at the server 24, such as statistic data of each application, namely the history of activity of the user, such as advertisements having been accessed, the interactions made with the advertisements, the duration of activities, the resulting sales, the subsequent recipients, etc. (from the mobile device 28 to the server 24). These data transfers may be done at any time and this, via the network 32 of the communication service provider 33, or via a Bluetooth™ connection 52 or any other suitable communication network (Wi-Fi™ connection, wire network connection, etc.). The advertisement data 25 preferably includes the necessary data and instructions for displaying one or more interactive advertisement message(s) 26 on the communication device 28, in a format which can be read and processed by the application software 38 of the communication device 28. The data 27 collected at the server may further comprise technical specifications 43, with respect to the particular mobile device 28, as well as user-related data 41. This information or a portion thereof may be provided to the advertiser(s) 35, preferably in a compiled format, and further excluding information on the identity of the users to protect their privacy and anonymity.

At the mobile device 28, the software 38 preferably communicates with the server 24, namely by contacting a URL (Unified Ressource Language) web address, and verifies if new advertisements are to be downloaded, for example by comparing with the advertisements having already been downloaded, or based on user preferences and/or technical characteristics of the device, for example model, type of device, operating system, size and configuration of display screen(s), type of screen (display only or touchscreen), etc. The management of advertisements to be downloaded or a portion thereof may be made at the server side 24, as can also be understood by a person skilled in the art. Indeed and for example, the server 24 may prepare a list of compatible advertisements by cooperating with user profile information 42 (based on user preference, for example). Alternatively, the server 24 feeds advertisement data in real-time, as advertisements are added and/or updated. The software 38, preferably sequentially presents downloaded advertisements during a limited duration. This duration (of remaining available on the device for presenting) or even the duration of presentation of each advertisement message, may be predetermined based on the advertisement data 25 received from the server 24 or according to the number of advertisement messages to be presented, or even based on user specific information (user preference, etc.).

Preferably, the application software 38 manages the displaying of the advertisements, namely by determining the location, size, format, duration, time of display, etc. of the advertisement, based on the state of the device, the advertisement data received, etc. For example, the advertisement message may be displayed in background, when an incoming call, email, text or voice message is received. Preferably, a corresponding icon is also displayed, so as to use the display screen as usual and further allowing a user, if desired, to access the advertisement. Alternatively, any other access object may be displayed, which when selected, allows the user to access the advertisement message, for example a narrow message strip or the like. Upon selecting the icon, the user is lead to a virtual space related to the advertiser, wherein the user is invited to interact with the advertiser. Such interactions lead to a marketing activity 30, such as for example: purchasing a product, placing an order, subscribing to a service, ordering a sample, viewing a catalogue, obtaining a coupon, signing up for a membership, signing up to receive a newsletter, viewing an article, viewing a film, playing a game, accessing an application (i.e. viewing, downloading, receiving, launching and/or purchasing an application), entering a contest, answering a survey, entering a user review, viewing an advertisement, bookmarking an advertisement, accessing a website, finding a nearest location, calling a telephone number, sending an email, sending a text message, requesting more information, forwarding the interactive advertisement message to another communication device 37 (see FIG. 2), forwarding information related to the interactive advertisement message to another communication device 37, posting user review information, sending user review information to another communication device 37 (as better explained further below), joining a social group, joining an interest group, entering a blog feed, joining a network game, joining a chat session, entering a bid for an online auction, etc.

The afore-mentioned interactions and/or marketing activities may be integrated with the application platform by sharing known information, so as to facilitate and optimize the features of the application. For example, for entering a contest or placing a mail order, the application may automatically feed the necessary information to the merchant, such as name and address, preferably upon approval by the user that the information is correct and/or that he/she agrees to share the information. Thus, with reference to FIG. 1 , the mobile communication device 28 preferably has a memory 50 storing user-related information 41 thereon, and the generating of the marketing activity includes retrieving the user-related information 41 for transmittal to another communication device 37 (see FIG. 2), which may be presented according to any suitable format, including image, graphic, text, animation, voice, sound, etc.

The content presented on the user interface may vary from one advertisement to another, based on the intention of the respective advertisers. For example, the application may provide a link to a website, to a game, a virtual savings coupon, and/or any other suitable format depending on the possible marketing activities offered. Preferably, the application further allows accessing other advertisements having been downloaded and/or stored, as well as to manage the storage and purging of downloaded advertisements.

Referring now to FIG. 5a to 5e, the advertisement message 26 may be provided in a variety of formats, and may include a graphical icon, a message band displayed, a text, a symbol, an image, a 3D image, an animation, a video, a photo, a software application, a hyperlink, a sound, a voice, a music and/or any combination thereof. Moreover, graphical advertisement, such as video, animation, images, etc. may be provided in a variety of formats and displayed at various locations on the display screen of the mobile device, for example, depending on the state of the device. As previously mentioned, the advertisement may be displayed on the display screen 44 as a background (or "wall paper") (see FIG. 5b and 5c) for example, when receiving a call, an e-mail, a text message, a voice mail, and/or the like, or as a screen saver (see FIG. 5a), for example when the device is in an idle state or on stand-by. As also mentioned, the advertisement may be accessible via an icon 46 corresponding to the particular advertiser, or advertisement application, for example a sponsored icon (see FIG. 5d), or via the browser of the device. These advertisements are directed to encourage the user to call a displayed telephone number, follow a link being displayed, access an application, or proceed to another action, via a sponsored active icon 46, specifically programmed so that the content is different depending on the advertisement provided on the device. This sponsored icon 46 may be a hyperlink toward not only a website, a game, a phone call, but also a space for providing user appreciation information, communicating with other user, and/or any other form of action(s) offered by the advertiser. Moreover, a history of advertisement having been transmitted may be available to the user, for example, via a bookmark system 48 (see FIG. 5e), typically on an internet browser. It is thus possible for the user to access the advertisements which were appealing to him/her or which the user did not have the opportunity to visualize previously. The user may further access a remote database of advertisements, for example at the server, in order to retrieve advertisements from an archive to download an advertisement he/she has not received (due to regional criteria, etc.) or would like to view once again, etc. This database may be accessible via an application software provided on the communication device, for example, the application 38 (see FIG. 1), or alternatively via a conventional website or a mobile website, as can be understood by a person skilled in the art. Referring back to FIG. 2, upon selecting the sponsored icon or through an internet browser, the user 22 may submit further user data 27 in the form of appreciation data, by voting or reviewing the corresponding advertisement. An advertisement having a relatively high appreciation by the user 22 or community of users, may then be positioned in an advantaged manner, in general or with respect to the particular user 22, for example, with more exposure time, higher priority, etc., in comparison with the other advertisements, in order to stimulate creativity and relevance of the advertisements, as well as to engage the user to interact with the advertisement message 26.

Various pricing methods may be used for the advertisers for example, on-line bidding, sales by batch, pricing according to the advertisement of the advertiser, etc. Moreover, an advertisement may be purchased by a user of a mobile device. Such a purchase may be made by a variety of means, for example, by paying a fixed price or via on-line bidding, bundling, based on the number of "dies" (user command), based on the number of actions made by the user, based on user ratings, etc. Preferably, any transaction made is debited based on the user account.

Preferably and as previously mentioned, information is collected from the mobile communication device 28 and transmitted to the server 24, as better illustrated in FIG. 4. This information may include feedback data 27 produced based on the marketing activity(ies) for a given mobile communication device 28 or a given user. Such feedback data 27 may include user activity information and/or user appreciation information. User activity information may provide indications on the views accessed by the user, interactions made, websites visited, applications downloaded or launched, duration of interactions, access mode (viewing only, background, foreground), the level and nature of interactivity and interest demonstrated, and/or the like. For example, if a user forwards the advertisement to several users, with recommendations, a high level of interest is demonstrated. Moreover, if the user accesses several webpages regarding a product, the user also demonstrates a high level of interest. The user appreciation information preferably provides an indication as to the user's appreciation of a specific advertisement or portion thereof or of a product, a service, an event, a company, a brand, and/or the like. Such appreciation information may be quantified, for example in the form of a rating and/or comments. Alternatively, such appreciation information is extracted based on the user activity information, either by the application or at the server. The feedback data 27 may further include user specific or device specific information such as a user identifier, user preference information, user profile information, user activity information. Thus, as better illustrated in FIG. 1 , the user action command(s) 29 may serve to produce (directly or indirectly) user activity information, which may be collected by the application software 38, in order to measure the performance of the advertisement with respect to the users 22. The software 38 may collect and store such data, as well as other information (user identifier, information on the device, etc.), in a storage medium 50 of the mobile device 28. Such data may include exposure time to the user, for each of the advertisements and for each of the formats of the advertisement (location with respect to the screen), and the browsing history of the user (on the application accessible via a sponsored icon or other), so as to be transmitted to the server 24 of the networker and processed, in order to produce performance measurement(s) corresponding to a particular advertisement and/or user 22. The advertisement may be customized for a particular user 22, or group of users (based on demographic information, common interests, etc.), based on the performance measurement(s) and the appreciation received from the user(s). Thus, subsequent advertisement data is transmitted to the communication device based on the feedback data 27 received at the server 24 (i.e. the source device 23).

This feedback information 27 may be transmitted in real time or registered in a log at the mobile device 28, for periodic transmittal of the log to the server 24. Preferably, the information is compiled at the server 24 and forwarded to a community of advertisers or to a specific advertiser (including only information relevant to this advertiser). As previously mentioned, the forwarded information may exclude personal information on users so as to protect the privacy and anonymity of the users. Such exclusion of personal information may be based on user preferences or the like. Alternatively, the feedback information and/or a portion thereof may be transmitted directly to the advertiser or community of advertiser(s).

The feedback information 27 received, may further serve to compensate the user based on the level of activity of this user, to reward the user for interacting with advertisements as well as to further encourage continued interacting. The user may be compensated in the form of a monetary reward, a credit to a service subscription plan, or in the form of loyalty points to promote loyalty to the service offered. Such rewards may be awarded based on the level of activity. The user may further be compensated for providing personal information, as previously mentioned, as user- related information 41 in combination with user appreciation information, activity information and/or the like, may be highly useful to merchants and broader market studies, etc.

The Bluetooth™ technology or other wireless technologies may be used for some features of the application, for example, for downloading the software. Moreover, some advertisements targeting users in a more local fashion, may be directed to these users through a Bluetooth™ port 52 (see FIG. 3 and 4).

Referring now to FIG. 7, with further reference to FIG. 1 and 2, there is shown a computer readable memory 60 having stored thereon data and instructions 61 for execution by a processor, for providing interactive advertisement on a mobile communication device 28 being in communication, over a communications network 32, with a source device 23. The mobile communication device 28 has a user interface 40. The data and instructions comprise: code means 62 for receiving, at the mobile communication device 28, advertisement data 25 transmitted from the source device 23; code means 64 for processing said advertisement data 25 according to one or more presentation rule 39; code means 66 for presenting an interactive advertisement message 26 on the user interface 40 of the mobile communication device 28 based on the advertisement data 25 having been processed, said interactive advertisement message 26 requesting a user action command 29; code means 68 for capturing said user action command 29, at the user interface 40, in response to the interactive advertisement message 29; and code means 70 for generating a marketing activity 30, based on said user action command 29.

The above-mentioned features and components will described with more detail hereinbelow.

User Account

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the user is first invited to create an account with personal information, such as name, age, address, etc. The communication service provider associated to the user, as well as the user account number may be asked, such that a automatic transfer of monetary founds may be completed in this same account, for example, in order to offer compensation for fees that the communication service provider may charge the user for the transfer of data. If the communication service provider is not in partnership with the networker and/or advertiser(s), the user may obtain loyalty points which are preferably awarded upon registering to the advertisement service and according to the interactivity with the advertisement. Other incentives may also be provided to the user in order to motivate the user to open an account and to provide as much information as possible.

Such requested information may include the brand, the model as well as other technical specifications with respect to the mobile device. Thus, based on the technical specifications of the mobile device, the most suitable software may be downloaded on the device. During the downloading of advertisement, the server may further provide the advertisement in the appropriate format, also based on the information provided (typically technical specifications) on the mobile device. Alternatively, if a suitable format is not available, the advertiser and or networker may develop the necessary format. Registration to the user account may be completed via the internet, on a web page, provided particularly to that effect or such a registration may be done upon opening, an application already provided on the mobile device, such as a sponsored application.

Downloading of the software As previously mentioned, the software (typically in the form of an application) may be downloaded, either directly from the online application store of the manufacturer of the mobile device, or from the communication service provider, via a website of the networker, via a Bluetooth port, etc. As also mentioned, each software may be different (in version or format) depending on the brand, the model or any other characteristic related to the mobile device of the particular user.

Downloading of advertisement

According to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to FIG. 2 and 6, the application software 38 of the mobile communication device 28 first sends 82 an HTTP request 34 to the server 24 to send new advertisement data 25. This request 34 may be sent periodically and/or based on the operational state of the communication device 28, for example when the device is in a stand-by or idle mode. Thus, the mobile communication device 28 preferably has a clock 52 (see FIG. 1) and waits 80. The sending of the request 34 is executed periodically based the clock 52. Alternatively, the request 34 may be sent when all the advertisement messages available on the device 28 have been viewed or alternatively, in response to a user- initiated demand. Upon sending the request 34, a response is sent 84 back to the mobile communication device 28, and preferably via the telecommunications module 36 to the application 38. The response preferably includes the advertisement data 25, which the application 38 reads 86.

A validation step 88 may be provided. The validation step 88 may allow to determine whether such advertisement data 25 is available at the server. For example, whether new advertisement is available, whether this new advertisement meets the criteria of the user, whether downloaded advertisement messages are to be updated, etc. Upon validation, the corresponding advertisement data is processed by the application 38 for presenting to the user on the device 28.

Preferably, the advertisement data 25, which may include data relating to a plurality of advertisements and/or advertisement messages, are downloaded by batch, generally for reasons related to time optimization, namely for the related data transfer time, and energy saving reasons with respect to the mobile device. Alternatively, the advertisement may be downloaded in real-time depending on the size and content thereof, for example when an advertisement is launched upon selecting a sponsored icon. For example, upon entering the virtual space of the sponsored application, the content is downloaded in real-time, via the communication network, such as that of a network supplier the user has subscribed to or a local network such as a Wi-Fi™ network, or Bluetooth™ network 52 (see FIG. 3 and 4).

The advertisement data being downloaded from the server of the networker to the mobile device may include graphical, video and/or sound data to be output on the mobile device, typically via the user interface. The data being downloaded may further include instructions as to the broadcasting or transmittal of the advertisements, for example display time, particular advertisement to be output depending on the load of the mobile device, hyperlinks to be displayed (web or telephone, etc.), format of the advertisement (depending on the device or user preferences), priority in comparison to other advertisements, time of day, or day of display, etc. Indeed, the advertisement may be displayed according to a time of day or on a particular day of the week, a particular date or interval of dates, etc.

Displaying of a advertisement

As previously mentioned, the application software 38 processes the advertisement data 25 received according to presentation rules 39 and provides the interactive advertisement message 26 to be presented on the user interface 40 (see FIG. 1 and 2). As better illustrated in FIG. 5a-5e, an advertisement message may be displayed in a graphical format at different locations and in different display mode on the display screen 44 of the mobile device 28. More particularly, the advertisement message may be provided in foreground mode on the display screen, in a background mode, in energy saving mode (reduced brightness, for example), in a reduced mode (for example, active icon or narrow message band), displayed in faded colors, displayed in respective display screen(s) if the device has several screens, etc. depending on the operational state of the device. Preferably, the advertisement message is presented non-obstructively on the user interface 44. As an example, an advertisement message may be displayed as the screen saver when the device is in standby mode or idle mode. Thus, the presentation rules take into account an operational state of the mobile communication device and the interactive advertisement message may be displayed on the graphical display screen when the mobile communication device is in an idle state. Moreover, the interactive advertisement message may be displayed in a background mode when the device is in a locked-mode, or upon receiving a call, a text message, a voicemail, or the like, when a menu is displayed, or whenever the user interface is being utilized by the user, in order to prevent interference with the normal use of the device, all the while allowing the user to access and/or view the advertisement at his/her will and convenience. Preferably, the interactive advertisement message is displayed on the graphical display screen in the form of an active icon, allowing a user, when selected (either by touching on a touch screen or using a curser or mouse) to access more information relating to the advertisement message or to activate the advertisement message (which may be provided in the form of an application, etc.). Alternatively, an active icon may be presented together with an advertisement image on the background, in order to display, upon selecting the icon, the advertisement in foreground, or to access a corresponding application, link, etc. upon selection of the active icon. The image of the active icon which may vary based on the advertisement being displayed. Furthermore, the advertisement may be displayed according to a time of day or date, etc. Thus, the presentation rules on which the application software relies on for the presentation of the advertisement messages preferably provide a validation of the interactive advertisement data received, in order to determine how and when to display, output or process the advertisement.

In alternate embodiments, the advertisement presented may represent a plurality of advertisement messages simultaneously, as can be understood by a person skilled in the art. Moreover, a plurality of icons may be presented, the icons relating to one advertiser or to several advertisers. Moreover, a sponsored link, for each advertisement, may be stored in the memory of the device by the software in order to allow the user to access advertisements which were provided in the past.

The advertisements are preferably presented sequentially and recursively during a specified period of a given day, each period is associated to a value to be used in the tariffication to advertisers. Indeed, the advertiser may be charged based on the particular time of the day, day of the week or particular date of an advertisement being presented. For example, each hour of the day may be assigned a different value, to be factored in the pricing of the advertisement. Sponsored Icon

As previously mentioned, an advertisement, which may be provided in the form of an application, website, etc., may be accessible via a sponsored icon. Thus, advertisements displayed in background or in a standby display screen will be directed to drive the user to "go see" what the sponsored icon leads to. Such icons may change automatically (displayed image and/or hyperlink), together with the advertisement being transmitted to the mobile device. Moreover, the icon preferably provides as much information as possible to the user, as to the nature of the advertisement and/or merchant, while using a minimal space of the display screen, so as to limit interference with the general usage of the device, all the while providing sufficient information to the user in order to allow him/her to decide whether or not to select the icon. Upon selecting the icon, typically via the user interface, an advertisement may be launched. Alternatively, the user may be prompted to purchase the advertisement, or even bid on-line for the purchase of the advertisement.

The content of each advertisement is preferably updated in real-time. Indeed, upon selecting the sponsored icon, or accessing the advertisement in any other way, the content may be fed directly from the advertiser or a media provider (i.e. an entity or person providing the advertisement on behalf of a merchant, advertiser, etc.). Alternatively, upon viewing downloaded content, the device may communicate with the server in order to verify if any updates are available and to make the necessary update. Alternatively, such updates are made to all downloaded material periodically and/or at optimal times (for example, when the device is in standby mode or idle). Thus, if the content of the advertisement is small in size, it may be sent with the rest of the advertisement data downloaded on the mobile device. Otherwise, the transfer may be made in real time via the network of the communication service provider.

As previously mentioned, the advertisement invites the user to interact with the advertiser, as well as with other communication device users, by providing a user input (or "user action command"). Indeed, the associated application allows a variety of interactions between the user and the advertiser, between the networker and the user, but also between mobile device users in general. This sponsored application may be, for example, a link towards the mobile site of the advertiser, an interactive game, a virtual coupon, a link to a social network site which may be provided by the advertiser, an image, a video, a soundtrack, a form to complete, a contest, etc. The advertiser may thus benefit for some time of a personalized application on the mobile device of the user so as to create a reaction or even interaction with the user. Interactive content favoring exchanges with the user may thus be broadcasted by the advertiser.

For such an application, as well as for the website of the advertiser, the user is invited to interact with the networker. For example, the user may provide his or her appreciation of a particular advertisement provided by the application. The user may also provide associated comments. Some incentives may be set in order to create interaction between the networker, or the advertiser, and the user.

The user may further participate in the networking of the message via an option provided in the advertisement to forward an advertisement, a webpage, an application, a game, or any other suitable message or format thereof, toward another recipient, either by email, a mobile device message, and advertisement message as described herein (which may in turn provide an interactive advertisement message to the new recipient), etc. Thus the above mentioned source device may be another mobile device. As previously mentioned, the forwarded data may further include the user's appreciation information, or participation, etc.

History of the Advertisement

Each advertisement being transmitted to the mobile device may be indexed, for example in the form of bookmarks, on the mobile device. Preferably, a corresponding directory is created during the downloading of the software, on the mobile device. Thus, the user has the opportunity to review some past advertisements. These advertisements may further be accessible in a user account via the website of the networker or the sponsored application.

Statistics with Respect to Display and Browsing

As previously mentioned, information relating to the user's interactivity with advertisements, and in some cases the user's appreciation information, is sent to the server in the form of feedback information, to be processed and possibly provided to the advertisers. Indeed, with reference to FIG. 1 and 4, the server 24 may collect statistics 27 including browsing and interactivity information stored in the storage medium 50 (or "memory") of the mobile device 28 by the software or application 38, as previously explained.

Such feedback information may include data with respect to the duration as well as the frequency of each advertisement (according to the different operational modes of the mobile device, such as incoming call or message, standby, background, etc.) and is preferably indexed in the mobile device and transferred towards the server of the networker for analysis during the downloading of advertisement on the mobile device. The networker may further obtain and evaluate requests made to the server for analysis or for creating or adding to a user profile. Data concerning history of browsing of the user (via the sponsored application or the web browser) may also be transferred if it is relevant to the advertisement being presented.

Customizing of the Advertisement

Based on the statistics of navigation and appreciation of advertisement or sponsored application collected from the user, the networker may transmit advertisement corresponding to the particular profile of the user so as to be customized to the particular user. Alternatively, users with similar preference criteria and/or demographic characteristics may be grouped together and provided with similar advertisements which are customized to the particular group, as already explained. Usage of the Bluetooth Technology

Further to the usage of the Bluetooth technology for downloading the software, the technology may also be used for broadcasting advertisement. More particularly, an advertisement may be transmitted to a network of the networker, or part thereof, or to users of the mobile devices, in the context of a "call to action", so as to attract target users to a particular location. Furthermore, once the user is on-site at the particular location, the user of the application may, for example, benefit of an incentive by an advertiser, which may further be provide via a Bluetooth connection or other suitable local network.

Pricing

Different pricing methods may be used between the networker and the advertiser. For example, there may be provided pricing by batch, consisting mainly in a rate plan toward the advertiser which is determined based on the quantity of purchased advertisements. Pricing may be further determined by online bidding, which may be done in a virtual space where all advertisers can purchase specific time spaces or user segments to whom their advertisement will be addressed. Moreover, the networker, knowing the appreciation of each advertisement, on the basis of the interactions with the users, may establish, as a form of incentive, a promotion or priority order which will benefit advertisers who are the most relevant and successful among the users.

Several modifications could be made to the above described system, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Moreover, it is to be understood that some of the above-described components may be integral and/or remote. Indeed and for example, the software application provided on the remote device may be made integral with the telecommunications software, the operation system of the device, memory and/or user interface. Moreover, the software application may be provided by a plurality of software, applications and/or submodules, some of which may be provided remotely, which cooperate to provide the features described herein. Moreover, according to embodiments of the present invention, components or devices additional to those described herein may be incorporated with the above- described system and/or components thereof, without departing from the scope of the invention, as can be understood by a person skilled in the art.

Numerous other modifications could be made to the above-described system for providing advertisement on mobile devices and to the method thereof, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are considered in all respect only as illustrative and not restrictive, and the present application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations thereof, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Claims

Claims:

1. A method for providing interactive advertisement via a mobile communication system having a mobile communication device 28 being in communication, over a communications network 32, with a source device 23, said mobile communication device 28 having a user interface 40, the method comprising: a) transmitting advertisement data 25 from the source device 23;

b) at the mobile communication device 28, receiving the advertisement data

25 and processing said advertisement data 25 according to one or more presentation rule 39;

c) presenting an interactive advertisement message 26 on the user interface

40 of the mobile device based on the advertisement data 25 having been processed, said interactive advertisement message 26 requesting a user action command 29;

d) capturing said user action command 29, at the user interface 40, in response to the interactive advertisement message 26; and

e) generating a marketing activity 30, based on said user action command 29.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said the marketing activity 30 of step (e) comprises at least one of: purchasing a product, placing an order, subscribing to a service, ordering a sample, viewing a catalogue, obtaining a coupon, signing up for a membership, signing up to receive a newsletter, viewing an article, viewing a film, playing a game, accessing an application, entering a contest, answering a survey, entering a user review, viewing an advertisement, bookmarking an advertisement, accessing a website, finding a nearest location, calling a telephone number, sending an email, sending a text message, requesting more information, forwarding the interactive advertisement message to another communication device 37, posting user review information, forwarding information related to the interactive advertisement message to another communication device 37, posting user review information, sending user review information to another communication device 37, joining a social group, joining an interest group, entering a blog feed, joining a network game, joining a chat session, entering a bid for an online auction.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, prior to step (a):

at the mobile communication device 28, sending a request 34 to the source device 23 for requesting the advertisement data 25.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the mobile communication device 28 comprises a clock 50 and the sending of the request 34 is executed periodically based said clock 50.

5. The method according to claim , wherein the advertisement data 25 transmitted in step (a) comprises data corresponding to a plurality of interactive advertisement messages 26.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more presentation rule 39 of step (b) provides a validation of the interactive advertisement data 25 received.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the interactive advertisement message 26 presented at step (c) is presented in the form of at least one of: a graphical icon 46, a message band displayed, a text, a symbol, an image, a 3- dimensional image, an animation, a video, a hyperlink, a sound, a voice and a music.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the presenting of step (c) is presented non-obstructively on the user interface 40.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the user interface 40 comprises a graphical display screen 44 and the presenting of step (c) comprises displaying the interactive advertisement message 26 on the graphical display screen 44 in background mode.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the user interface 40 comprises a graphical display screen 44, the one or more presentation rule 39 of step (b) takes into account an operational state of the mobile communication device 28 and the presenting of step (c) comprises displaying the interactive advertisement message 26 on the graphical display screen 44 when the mobile communication device 28 is in an idle state.

1 1. The method according to claim 8, wherein the user interface 40 comprises a graphical display screen 44 and the presenting of step (c) comprises displaying the interactive advertisement message 26 on the graphical display screen 44 in the form of an active icon 46.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device 28 has a storage medium 50 having user-related information 41 stored thereon, and the generating of the marketing activity 30 in step (e) comprises:

retrieving the user-related information 41 from the memory 50 for transmittal to another communication device 37.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

producing feedback data 27 based on the marketing activity 30; and transmitting the feedback data 27 for storage at the source device 23.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the feedback data 27 comprises at least one of: a user identifier, user preference information, user profile information, user activity information and user appreciation information.

15 The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

awarding a user reward, based on the feedback data 27 received at the source device 23.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the mobile communication device 28 is associated with a user profile 42 and the awarding of the user reward in step (e) includes attributing one or more loyalty point to the user profile 42.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the transmitting of step (a) comprises transmitting advertisement data 25 corresponding to advertisement selected based on the feedback data 27 stored at the source device 23.

18. A system 10 for providing interactive advertisement via a communications network 32, the system 10 comprising:

a source device 23 for transmitting advertisement data 25; and

a mobile communication device 28 being in communication, over the communications network 32, with the source device 23, the mobile communication device 28 comprising:

o a communication module 36 for receiving the advertisement data 25 from the source device 23;

o an application software 38 being operatively connected to the communication module 36 for processing the advertisement data 25 according to one or more presentation rule 39, and for generating a marketing activity 30; and

o a user interface 40 being operatively connected to the application software 38 for presenting, based on the advertisement data 25 having been processed, an interactive advertisement message 26, and for capturing a user action command 29 in response to the interactive advertisement message 26, to be returned to the application software 38 for generating the marketing activity 30.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the source device 23 comprises a server 24.

20. A system according to claim 18, further comprising one or more advertiser device 35 being in communication with said server 24 for supplying advertisement instructions thereto.

21. A mobile communication device 28 for providing interactive advertisement, the mobile communication device 28 being in communication with a source device 23 via a communications network 32, the mobile communication device comprising:

a communication module 36 for receiving the advertisement data 25 from the source device 23;

an application software 38 being operatively connected to the communication module 36 for processing the advertisement data 25 according to one or more presentation rule 39, and for generating a marketing activity 30; and

a user interface 40 being operatively connected to the application software 38 for presenting, based on the advertisement data 25 having been processed, an interactive advertisement message 26, and for capturing a user action command 29 in response to the interactive advertisement message 26, to be sent back to the application software 38 for generating the marketing activity 30.

22. A computer readable memory 60 having stored thereon data and instructions 61 for execution by a processor, for providing interactive advertisement on a mobile communication device 28 being in communication, over a network 32, with a source device 23, said mobile communication device 28 having a user interface 40, said data and instructions comprising:

code means 62 for receiving, at the mobile communication device 28, advertisement data 25 transmitted from the source device 23;

code means 64 for processing said advertisement data 25 according to one or more presentation rule 39;

code means 66 for presenting an interactive advertisement message 26 on the user interface 40 of the mobile communication device 28 based on the advertisement data 25 having been processed, said interactive advertisement message 26 requesting a user action command 29;

code means 68 for capturing said user action command 29, at the user interface 40, in response to the interactive advertisement message 29; and code means 70 for generating a marketing activity 30, based on said user action command 29.

An interactive advertisement system 10 for providing an advertisement message 26 remotely from a networker to a user 22, the system comprising: a server 24 of the networker for transmitting advertisement data 25 and receiving user data 27, related to the advertisement message 26, over a network 32;

a mobile device 28 being in communication with the server 24 via the network 32, the mobile device 28 comprising:

o a telecommunications module 36 for receiving the advertisement data 25 from the server 24 and for transmitting the user data 27 to the server 24;

o an application software 38 being operatively connected to the telecommunications module 36 for receiving and processing the advertisement data 25 for output to the user interface 40 and for receiving the user data 27 and processing the user data 27 for transmittal to the telecommunications module 36; and o a user interface 40 being operatively connected to the application software 38 for outputting an advertisement message 26 based on the advertisement data 25 and for receiving said user data 27 from the user 22 and transmitting the user data 27 to the application software 38.

A method for providing interactive advertisement via a mobile communication system having a mobile communication device 28 being in communication, over a communications network 32, with a source device 23, said mobile communication device 28 having a user interface 40, the method comprising: a) transmitting advertisement data from the source device;

b) at the mobile communication device 28, receiving advertisement data 25 from the source device 23, and processing said advertisement data 25 according to one or more presentation rule 39;

c) presenting an interactive advertisement message 26 on the user interface 40 of the mobile device 28 based on the advertisement data 25 having been processed, said interactive advertisement message 26 requesting a user action command 29;

e) generating a marketing activity 30, based on said user action command 29, said marketing activity 30 comprising providing user-generated information 31 related to the interactive advertisement message from a user of the mobile communication device 28, said user-generated information 31 being destined for output to another communication device 37.

25. A method for providing an interactive advertisement via a mobile communication system having a mobile communication device 28 being in communication, over a communications network 32, with a source device 23, said mobile communication device 28 having a user interface 40 for outputting an interactive advertisement message 26 and capturing a user action command 29 in response to the interactive advertisement message 26, to generate a marketing activity 30 based on said user action command 29, the method comprising:

a) transmitting advertisement data 25 from the source device 23 to the mobile communication device 28, said advertisement data 25 comprising data for presenting the interactive advertisement message 26 on said mobile communication device 28.

26. A use of a mobile communication device 28 for generating a marketing activity 30 based on a user action command 29 received in response to an interactive advertisement message 26 provided on said mobile communication device 28, said marketing activity 30 comprising providing user-generated information 31 related to the interactive advertisement message from a user of the mobile communication device 28, said user-generated information 31 being destined for output to another communication device 37.