Patent Application
20150154684
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for cross selling a customer of a first class of goods and services to a second class of goods and services based upon emotional motivators of the customer. More specifically, the present invention includes computerized apparatus logically connected and programmed to assess a customer's emotional motivators as the emotional motivators relate to a first class of Products and Services and recommending a second Product or Service based upon the automated assessment of the customer's emotional motivators.
In previous related applications, it has been taught to assist a Purchaser by providing assistance to the Purchaser in making a decision as to which Product or Service the Purchaser should select in order for the Purchaser to be satisfied with transaction.
The present invention recognizes that it is also important for a vendor of products and services to have insight into which products and services will satisfy a Customer. A sheer number of choices a Vendor may have as to which products to present to a potential Purchaser, both online and via brick and mortar, may be overwhelming.
Decision making may be further complicated by time constraints faced by a Vendor. Time pressures to make a decision on which Product or Service to purchase make it difficult for a Vendor to conduct detailed research as to which Product or Service to recommend of many available that may be available. As a result, Vendor is often forced into a decision to make a recommendation with little understanding about whether a Purchase of a recommended Product or Service will prove satisfactory to the Purchaser.
Advertisement may be helpful, but does not fully remedy the problem since advertising is almost as much art as it is science. Advertising agencies attempt to ascertain what will appeal to the masses and then position products in a light which it guesses will sell those products. Demographic data is collected and reviewed to study which products appeal to various demographic groups, and advertisement media may be tailored to reach those demographic groups.
Online sales have allowed advertising to evolve and online sellers may now suggest additional products to a user for the user to purchase based upon a purchasing history of the user. The advertising agency and seller may have other data sources to quantify user demand which the advertiser and seller may analyze and study to better position themselves with respect to segments of society that may purchase their goods.
However, there has not existed a tool which allows a vendor who is in communication with a potential Purchaser to understand what motivates the Purchaser on an emotional basis for first Product and use the knowledge to cross sell another product.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a Vendor with automated methods and apparatus for providing guidance relating to a purchase, a life event or other decision via an assessment of emotional motivators for a first transaction and utilizing the assessment for a second transaction. In some preferred embodiments the second transaction will include a recommendation of a Product or Service of a different class than a Product or Service for which a first recommendation was made.
The essence of the present invention includes indicating an appropriateness of a decision, such as a purchase, according to which choice of a Product or Service is most likely to satisfy emotional motivations specifically related with the Purchaser.
Preferred embodiments include a programmable processor executing software commands to complete the assessment and recommendation. Options which satisfy emotional motivators of a user, such as a Purchaser, may be ascertained based upon an automated interactive assessment of the user's emotional state.
In some embodiments, the interactive assessment may be provided online and thereby become widely available for use by a Vendor to better understand which Products and/or Services to promote to a Purchaser. The present invention utilizes data quantifying emotional motivators that is gathered to recommend a first product; the data is further utilized to recommend a second product. In some preferred embodiments, the data is used to recommend a second product of a different class than the first product.
In another related aspect of the present invention, an automated apparatus, such as a processing system, receives input data that is descriptive of one or more Products or Services, and associates emotional qualifiers to Products and Services. Emotional qualifiers represent which emotional motivators may be met by a particular Product or Service. In some respects, the Emotional Qualifiers represent a Product Personality. Some embodiments include an association of Emotional qualifiers with “hard” dictionary classifications and “soft” dictionary classifications in the automated apparatus.
A related aspect of the present invention provides methods and apparatus for generating and presenting an interface that facilitates the automated provision of a description of a Product or Service that will make a specific user happy with a choice, such as a purchasing decision. The present invention may also include the provision of a vehicle for consummating a purchase of a recommended Product or Service.
A vehicle for consummating a sale may include, for example, an online sales portal or a brick and mortar store. The interface may be presented on a network access device via a data communication over a distributed network, such as the Internet.
Essentially, the present invention first determines what is important to a user, such as a potential Purchaser and then correlates a decision, such as which product to purchase, with what was determined to be important to the user. In some preferred embodiments, steps directed to determining what is important to the user are based upon “playful” interactive activities engaged in by the user. Other embodiments may include traditional question and answer input.
With these and other advantages and features of the invention that will become hereinafter apparent, the invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, the appended claims, and the drawings attached herein.
As presented herein, various embodiments of the present invention will be described, followed by some specific examples of various components that can be utilized to implement the embodiments. The following drawings facilitate the description of some embodiments of the present invention.
The present invention provides automated apparatus with processor and executable software, wherein the software is executable upon demand to assess emotional motivators related to making a purchase. For the purposes of this discussion, a “Purchaser” or multiple “Purchasers” include one or more individuals, or a succinctly defined organization. The present invention collects or otherwise receives subjective and objective data and associates the subjective and objective data with emotional motivators. The collected data is digitally stored as a motivator profile which may be applied and built upon in order to assist with subsequent purchasing decisions.
Executable software is operative in conjunction with a processor to execute methodologies that match emotional motivators to purchasing decisions. Emotional motivators may be associated with one or more of: an individual actually making a purchase; a person who will receive a purchased good or service; and with a good or service which may be available for purchasing.
As used herein the following terms will have the following associated meaning:
Referring now to
At 102, a Purchaser looking for input may be overwhelmed with choices, advertisements and exposure to media promoting select purchase choices. The view of product and service choices is also limited to those choices that are actively advertised and promoted. At 103, a Purchaser may search functional benefits. The search may reveal information about a product or service, a price and a comparison to other available products. At 104, social and cultural influence may also affect a purchasing decision. The social and cultural influence may include one or more of reviews, ratings and comments descriptive of products.
At 105, the prior art method at best provides a broad amount of information but only partial in regard to a specific purchase event.
Referring now to
Emotional benefits and beliefs may be on a conscious or unconscious level and access values inherent in a Purchaser. In some preferred embodiments, discussed more fully below, a Purchaser will provide value related data as input into a computerized apparatus, wherein the data may be processed by a programmable algorithm to correlate the input data with one or more core values useful to make a purchasing decision. Emotional benefits may include, for example, whether a Purchaser believes that it is good to own or to buy Products that make the Purchaser stand out, or whether it is good to own or to buy Products that are ecologically friendly and which make the Purchaser feel responsible.
Another example of an objective need may include a need for a carriage to carry a baby during a jogging activity. A need that is essentially subjective includes a need for a stylish baby carriage that will make the Purchaser appear chic.
At 202, in addition to value based data, the computerized apparatus may include one or both of brand and product experience. A purchase history may also be used, in addition to brand loyalty, or in place of brand loyalty.
At 203, in some embodiments, cross channel matching may be implemented. Cross channel matching includes determining an emotional reason for affinity to a first one or more of: a brand, a Product; and a service. With Cross-Channel matching, one or more Emotional Reasons is stored and made available to be applied to at least a second one or more of: a brand, a Product; and a service. The application of the Emotional Reason to the second one or more of a brand, a Product; and a service, facilitates a recommended choice of purchase of the second brand, Product; or service.
At 204, a buying context may also be considered in making a recommendation of a purchase. A buying context may include, for example, whether the purchase will be: made during travel; from a local vendor (or at least a vendor with a local presence); for a gift for another person; is associated with a holiday; or has specific timing constraints. By way of non-limiting illustration, a buying decision may be for a gift that will be picked up during travel to a particular destination and during particular calendar days. In another illustrative example, a purchase may be for a person supplying emotional Motivators and be for a purchase that will be made local on a same day as purchasing research is conducted.
At 205 a Purchaser is presented with a better focused buying decision. The focus may include a clear representation of who, what, where and when a purchase will be made.
At 206, the present invention correlates a Purchasers Emotional Motivators with a Product having corresponding Motivator characteristics as determined via an independent assessment of the Product (discussed further below).
Referring now to
At 302, the aggregated data is input into a Product and Service Classification and Categorization Engine. In essence, the engine is a computerized apparatus with programmable code. The programmable code is executable upon demand to parse, sort and link various aspects of the aggregated data according to one or both of predefined taxonomies and relationships and taxonomies and relationships “grown” as a result of data analysis. For example, it is within the scope of the present invention to associate product data with taxonomies and relationships previously encountered by a Product and Service Classification and Categorization Engine or have the engine create new taxonomies and relationships, based upon aggregated Product data received.
At 303, multi-dimensional data may therefore be generated which includes taxonomy tables relevant to a Product and which excludes taxonomy tables not relevant to a Product. For example, the Product may comprise a child's toy. In such aspects, at 303, the generated taxonomy table may include safety, price, and durability but may exclude popularity among young adults without children.
At 304, in some preferred embodiments, a Categorization and Classification Engine will allocate at least some of the aggregated data into a relatively objective “Hard” Classification Dictionary. A Hard classification may include, for example, one or more of: Meals, Movies, Television, Entertainment, Functional Business, Health, Fitness, Spas, Medical, Domestic, Foreign, Commodity, environmentally friendly or “Green” or other relatively bright line test for inclusion or exclusion on an objective basis.
At 305, additionally, some preferred embodiments may include a Categorization and Classification Engine which allocates at least some of the aggregated data into a relatively subjective “Soft” Classification Dictionary. A Soft classification may include, for example, one or more of: luxury, cheap, designer, stylish, urban, suburban, rural, local, regional, global, religious, cultural or other taxonomy or classification which is essentially relative to other taxonomies.
In some aspects, the Soft classifications may be derived from comparing emotional triggers associated with Product attributes, Purchaser feedback, and Product specifications to those of other Products in similar categories. For example, a Product may be defined as luxurious comparative to another similar Product. Alternatively, the Soft classifications may be predefined by experts, such as illustrated in
At 306, some exemplary embodiments may also include recognition of a brand associated with a Product. The brand may include a trademark or other designation that associates a Product with a manufacturer or service provider. It is preferable that the brands also be associated with the taxonomies and classifications included in the hard Classification Dictionary and the Soft Classification Dictionary.
At 307-310, additional considerations that may be included in a presentation to a Purchaser of a Product suitable to the Purchaser are illustrated. Additional considerations may include, for example, at 307, a map with an indication of where a Product or Service is available. In some embodiments, a location of a Product or Service may be shown relative to a location of an interested Purchaser. At 308, customer service methods, conditions, and terms may also be a considered taxonomy. At 309, a rewards program along with the conditions and terms of the program may be in included taxonomy. At 310 user utilities that may also be an included Taxonomy.
A matching engine may include automated apparatus, such as illustrated in
In some embodiments, a Promotion Manager 314 may be included for promoting one or more of: a brand, a vendor, a product and a service. Promotion may include interactions with a user via a graphical user interface. A Recommendation Engine 315 is functional to make a Purchase recommendation to a Purchaser based upon the method steps of the present invention. A Push notification engine 316 may be utilized in some embodiments to provide push services to a user, such as a Purchaser of Product related information, such as, for example, availability of a Product, a price of a Product, a promotion of a Product, or other information.
Considering now a Purchaser and taxonomies and data that may be input indicative of the Purchaser's Emotional Motivators, items 318-327 include various aspects of data that may be included by a user categorization and classification engine (sometimes referred to herein as “CC Engine”) 317 practicing the method steps of the present invention. In some exemplary embodiments, the data and classifications utilized by the CC engine 317 may be categorically similar to the data and classifications used to determine Emotional Qualifiers of a product. Such embodiments may allow for a more direct correlation between Emotional Qualifiers and Emotional Motivators.
As defined herein a Motivator may include for example, one or more of: a need for physical safety and emotional security; a need for acceptance (and approval), the need to belong to the group; a sense of self-worth and the need to have others validate one's worth; a need for attention (and the need to attract attention) from others; a need for acknowledgment and approval from those in authority; a need for physical affection and comfort; and a need to control money or other manifestation of material abundance.
At 318, the CC engine 317 may receive and process data indicative of one or both of a browsing history and a purchasing history of a Purchaser. A CC Engine 317 may receive and process data indicative of one or both of: promotion preferences of a Purchaser 319; and push notification preferences of a Purchaser 320. At 321, a Preferences refinement engine may correlate various Purchaser preferences and generate preference trends for a Purchaser. The Purchaser trends may be included in a multi-dimensional Purchaser preference taxonomy or other user preference taxonomy, generated by a computerized device implementing the present invention.
At 322, a multi-dimensional user preference taxonomy may be employed which includes input from a Product hard classifications dictionary 323 and a Product soft classifications dictionary 324. The Product hard classifications dictionary 323 may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of: Meals, Movies, Television, Entertainment, Functional Business, Health, Fitness, Spas, Medical, Domestic, Foreign, Commodity, environmentally friendly or “Green” or other relatively bright line test for inclusion or exclusion on an objective basis.
The Product “Soft” Classification Dictionary 324 may generally include by way of non-limiting example, one or more of: luxury, cheap, designer, stylish, urban, suburban, rural, local, regional, global, religious, cultural or other taxonomy or classification which is essentially relative to other taxonomies.
Product and brand classification may also include recognition of a brand associated with a Product. The brand may include, for example, a trademark, service mark, or other designation that associates a Product with a manufacturer or service provider. It is preferable that brands also be associated with taxonomies and classifications included in the hard Classification Dictionary and the Soft Classification Dictionary.
Classification systems may also include brand and Product classifications 325. Product and Brand classification may, for example, include associations of Emotional Qualifiers with Products and/or Brands, wherein the Products and Brands may thereby be associated with Emotional Motivators via the Emotional Qualifiers.
A Purchaser may make a decision to execute a “Buy” action 328 and make a purchase. An order agent 327 may be used to implement a purchase instruction associated with a Buy 328 action. As discussed further below, a Buy action 328 may be communicated to a computerized system via a user interactive device. The user interactive device may be any apparatus that is functional to interface between a human and a computerized system. The user interactive device may therefore include, for example, one or more of: a keyboard, mouse other pointing device, touchscreen, auditory voice command, neural interactive device or other apparatus.
The Order Agent 327 may essentially function as an interface between a user instruction and a purchase or reservation system or module. The Order Agent 327 will provide data to a purchase or reservation system or module sufficient for the purchase or reservation module to execute the Purchase instruction.
In another aspect of the present invention, a Purchase Auditor module 326 may track or audit purchases made by a Purchaser, or group of Purchasers (trending). The Purchase Auditor function may provide analysis of purchasing activity and plot any trends that may be present within data of a Purchaser or group of Purchaser's history. Accordingly, at a first given time period, a Purchaser may be primarily motivated by a first set of Motivators which are based upon a first set of Emotional Reasons. During a second time period, a prevalence of a second set of Emotional Reasons may emerge.
For example, during a first time period, a Purchaser may be primarily motivated by an Emotional Reason of wanting to be stylish or chic. This may correlate, with a period of financial success and significant social interaction. During a second time period, a Purchaser may be primarily motivated by an Emotional Reason of seeking high quality and durability. This period may correlate with a period of financial challenge and focus on raising a family, or other caregiving.
Referring now to
At 402, a computerized system implementing the present invention may allow the Purchaser to view Products which are recommended, based upon input received from the Purchaser. At 403, a Purchaser may also designate a Purchaser preferred brand and the system may indicate if the Purchaser preferred Brand is included in a list of recommended Products.
At 404, a Purchaser may also scan a UPC code or another product identifying code and input the code into the system. The code may be accessed, for example while the Purchaser is shopping in a brick and mortar type store, or at some other time when the Purchaser is observing a Product, such as, for example, when examining a product purchased by a friend. The system may also provide a response indicating whether the scanned item is a recommended item.
At 405, a Purchaser may view details including functional ratings of Products being considered by the Purchaser. The details and ratings may be compiled from multiple sources, including, for example, manufacturer specifications, independent reviews, online blogs, government agencies, ratings entities, or other source.
At 406-408, a Purchaser may receive feedback related to Products of interest to the Purchaser. At 406, feedback may include, for example, why a Product is recommended, or not recommended. At 407 relative prices and purchasing deals for recommended Products may be compared. At 408, Products recommended by other Product users, such as one or more other care givers may also be provided to the Purchaser.
At 409, in some embodiments, a Purchaser may communicate with a store, such as a brick and mortar establishment via a communications network, such as the Internet. Communication with a local store may allow the Purchaser to check inventory of the store for a preferred Product. In addition, in some embodiments, a Purchaser may reserve or save a desired Product at the local store so that the Purchaser may go to the store and review the Product.
At 410, a Purchaser may complete a purchase of a Product online via a virtual storefront, or a virtual exchange. At 411, a Purchaser may physically visit a store and view Products the Purchaser may potentially purchase. At 412 Purchaser may also make a Purchase in the local store. At 413, a Purchaser may provide to a Purchasing system feedback, such as a rating or other indication of the Purchaser's satisfaction with a purchased product or the suitability of a particular product for a purpose. In some embodiments, where the Purchaser may purchase a Product against recommendation, one or both the Emotional Qualifiers of the Product or the Emotional Motivators of the Purchaser may be adjusted, for example, based on the feedback.
Referring now to
As part of input to an eventual Product recommendation for a given circumstance, at 502, a life event may be chosen for a gift guide. At 503, a Purchaser, or other user may provide answers about a gift recipient. The answers may be submitted to a computerized device via any known user interactive tool. At 504, in addition, in some embodiments, a gift recipient may be invited to provide answers to questions. For example, a gift recipient may be sent an electronic communication, such as one or more of: an email, a text, and a social media posting. The gift recipient may follow instructions included in the electronic invitation to a website which allows the gift recipient to identify themselves and answer the questions.
At 505, the present invention allows for one or both of the Purchaser (gift giver) and the gift recipient to view information in a human readable form that is descriptive of recommended Products. In some embodiments, the Purchaser and gift recipient are also provided with information descriptive of why one or more particular Products are recommended. At 506 one or both of the Purchaser and the gift recipient are provided with a user interactive interface for providing a rating on a Product and other feedback on one or more of: a Product; the recommendation; and the emotional motivator process for making recommendations.
In another aspect of the present invention, it is noted that an automated system which uses Emotional Reasons and Motivators to assist in decision making is not limited to decisions relating to potential purchases. Almost any decision may be assisted with an understanding and application of knowledge relating to underlying emotions and motivators.
At 507, a user may undertake one or more activities, such as answering questions or participating in a virtual activity. The virtual activity may include, for example, a game or a tool which provides queries to a user for instructions on how to create something online. At 508, in some embodiments, a life event may be associated with a non-purchase decision which will be made by a user. At 509, the user may view recommendations based upon the input received by, or about, the user, such as obtaining a graduate degree or having children. The recommendations may include, for example, one or more of: a recommended action step, or course of action; a Product selection; and a collaboration with a particular person or group of people. At 510, a user interactive interface may also be utilized for providing a rating or feedback related to the services and recommendations.
At 511, in a still broader, or more high level, implementation, a user may be asked to choose abstract picture or image which represents how a user “feels” or emotionally responds to one or more options presented to the user. At 512, the user or other party (such as a care taker, friend or employer) may view a recommended option. At 513, one or more of the user and another interested party (such as a care taker, friend or employer) may provide rating and feedback information.
Referring now to
At 601, the present invention receives input from one or more Product Experts which identify critical “hard” functional features for specific products category, such as, for example a baby stroller, an electronic device, a backpack, or almost any other Product. A hard functional feature may include for example, almost any empirical data, and may therefore include, for example, specifications, power ratings, physical dimensions, or other verifiable fact.
At 602, the present Emotional Intelligence Expert identifies one or more “soft’ emotional-driven purchase factors. For example, a Product with a bright color may be associated with an emotional need for attention, a Product with rugged features and durability may be associated with a need to appear masculine. The soft features may be obtained from a database of available features and how those features may translate into, and evoke human emotions.
At 603, a Product Expert may complete a combination of hard and soft product attributes and feature requirements for a Product desired by a Purchaser or other user. At 604, a data services team may provide data source guidelines for a Product. The data source guidelines may include the data fields and definitions for datum that will be compiled for particular product groups. The data source guidelines will serve as an indication of which data fields should be collected for a particular Product, or Product group.
At 605, a data collection team may be tasked with providing the data fields specified by the Product Experts. The data collection may aggregate an input data values into a database which is made available to various engines to facilitate Product selection based upon Motivators and Emotional reasoning.
At 606, in some preferred embodiments, emotional weights are assigned to at least some, if not all of the functional features and emotional drivers. One natural choice is to have one or more emotional intelligence experts assign weights to functional features, and weights to emotional drivers. A weight may include, for example, an alpha numerical value that is associated with a relative scaled value. Other ratings or weights are also within the scope of the present invention, such as, for example, a color coded value.
At 607, in some preferred embodiments, an Emotional Intelligence Engine calculates a value which is associated with an emotional profile for a Product. The value associated with an emotional profile is preferably stored in a data structure which allows the value to be retrieved upon demand. The value may include multiple dimensions. For example, the value may include a scaled indication of an appearance of fiscal status, such as, for example, the brand name Louis Vitton™ may represent wealth, another emotional value may provide an indication of durability, another emotional value may provide an indication of subtleness or loudness. Other emotional values may be included within the scope of the invention, wherein any emotional value that may be influential in a Purchase decision or other decision at hand may be included.
The teachings of the present invention may be implemented with any apparatus capable of embodying the innovative concepts described herein. Image presentation can be accomplished via any multimedia type interface. Embodiments can therefore include a PC, handheld, game controller; PDA, cellular device, HDTV or other multimedia device with user interactive controls, including, in some embodiments, voice activated interactive controls.
Referring now to
The Help LELA get to know you interactive area 701 is illustrative of a service such as the LELA™ service. This area 701 may be selected by a user to lead the user through a series of interactive queries designed to educate a LELA software engine about a user. For example, in some preferred embodiments, images may be presented to a user wherein the user is prompted to select one of multiple images in response to one or more questions. In addition, questions may be presented in sentence format and also be used to help LELA “know” the user. In some embodiments, the LELA questions are designed to have the user provide answers that are indicative of one or more emotional motivators that influence the user.
At 702 the user may also be provided with an area that allows the user to “fine tune” or otherwise modify the user profile, including emotional motivators. In some embodiments, a user may use interactive user devices such as icons and prompts to request a new set of images related to a question or to request one or more new questions.
At 703, a user may also choose to begin shopping with assistance of a LELA™ program that relates one or more Products with emotional motivators associated with the user.
At 704, another user interactive area may include an area that provides feedback indicating what Emotional Motivators are associated with the user. At 706, an indicator of how well a user is being serviced by a provider of an interactive interface.
Referring now to
At 705, a group of exemplary images is presented, wherein each image is indicative of one or more emotional motivators. Selection of an image by a user may provide input to LELA™ Emotional Motivators that may influence a user. At 7706,
Referring now to
Referring now to
The controller 800 comprises a processor unit 810, which may include one or more processors, coupled to a communication device 820 configured to communicate via a communication network, such as the Internet, or another cellular based network such as a 3G or 4G network (not shown in
The processor 810 is also in communication with a storage device 830. The storage device 830 may comprise any appropriate information storage device, including combinations of electronic storage devices, such as, for example, one or more of: hard disk drives, optical storage devices, and semiconductor memory devices such as Random Access Memory (RAM) devices and Read Only Memory (ROM) devices.
The storage device 830 can store a program 840 for controlling the processor 810. The processor 810 performs instructions of the program 840, and thereby operates in accordance with the present invention. The processor 810 may also cause the communication device 820 to transmit information, including, in some instances, control commands to operate apparatus to implement the processes described above. The storage device 830 can additionally store related data in a database 830A and database 830B, as needed.
Methods
Referring now to
At 901, a user, such as a Purchase who is contemplating a purchase for either themselves or for a beneficiary, may access an interactive interface, some preferred embodiments may include access via the Internet or via a mobile phone network, such as, for example, a 3G or 4G network or other cellular or WiFi network.
At 902, the user may provide user identification and at 903 the user may receive a unique identifier, such as, for example in some embodiments, a UUID (universally unique identifier). The UUID may be assigned to a Purchaser, and subsequently acquired Emotional Motivator data from the Purchaser may be associated with the UUID. Such an embodiment may allow a single profile to develop for a Purchaser, which may be used for multiple purchases over multiple Product categories.
At 904, the user may receive a set of multiple images, wherein each respective image is indicative of one or more emotional motivators. At 905, the user may provide input indicative of which image or images represent an answer to a question provided to the user related to the multiple images.
At 906, the user may also receive one or more questions relating to emotional motivators. Questions may be presented, for example via written text or via audio. At 907, the user may provide input indicative of an answer to the multiple respective questions. Answers to the multiple questions will be used to associate emotional motivators with the user.
Referring now to
At 909, the user may indicate whether the user is a new user or already has a profile including emotional motivator data associated with the user. If the user already provided data indicative of the user's emotional motivators, at 910 the system will access the emotional motivator data associated with the user.
If the user is a new user, or for some other reason does not have data associated with the user, at 911, the system may receive user identifying data and at 912 receive input sufficient to associate or otherwise derive emotional motivator motivators with the user.
At 913, the user may select a group including multiple products or services and at 914 the user may receive an indication of one or more Products or Services most likely to be satisfactory to the user based upon the emotional motivators associated with the user.
At 915, the user will receive a link to a point of purchase for the one or more Products and/or Services indicated to be satisfactory to the user. In some embodiments, the point of purchase may be a virtual storefront, or other electronic marketplace or webpage, wherein the Purchaser may complete a purchase of a Product via a linked Internet site. In other embodiments, the point of purchase may include a brick and mortar store. A brick and mortar store may include one or more stores determined to be geographically accessible to the user, such as a brick and mortar store in close proximity to the user, such that the user may reasonably travel to the store and make a purchase. A reasonable travel may be based upon a time and cost of travel in relation to a pecuniary value associated with a related Product purchase.
At 916, in order to entice user to become a Purchaser, the user may receive a discount for Purchase from a point of purchase vendor. The discount may be embodied in the form of a coupon, a rebate, a code, a specific link, or other artifact for conveying discount information. In some preferred embodiments, the discount includes a reference to a provider of a service that processes the emotional motivator data. At 917, the user and/or the vendor may complete the sale.
Referring now to
Software additionally matches or otherwise associates Product Qualifiers with Emotional Motivator values 1006 associated with a Purchaser.
In some embodiments, the software engine may extract Product data from a pooled source, which may include, for example, manufacturing specifications, merchant descriptions, and Purchaser feedback. The software engine may apply a rules translator, which may be developed by Product Experts and Emotional Intelligence Experts, such as illustrated in
The relevancy rating system 1000 may utilize a similar process to evaluate the Emotional Motivators of a Purchaser. In some aspects, the purpose of the relevancy rating system 1000 may be to guide an individual Purchaser to a Product, the data source 1004 may comprise the profile associated with the Purchaser, which may be specified through a UUID, for example. In such embodiments, the relevancy rating system 1000 may apply a predefined Purchaser rules translator 1005 to the Purchaser profile data 1004 to determine the Emotional Motivator values 1006 associated with a Product category.
In embodiments where a vendor may provide a network access device, as illustrated in
Alternatively, in some embodiments, a purpose of a relevancy rating system 1000 may be to assist a manufacturer or merchant to identify a type of Purchaser that may be interested in a product, which may allow the merchant to target groups with a specific demographic profile through strategic advertising. In such aspects, the product data source 1001 may pertain to a particular Product or group of Products, such as Products originating from a particular manufacturer or Products sold by a particular merchant.
In some such embodiments, the relevancy rating system 1000 may extract data from a pool of potential Purchasers, which may include Purchasers who have not purchased within the Product category. A broader source of Purchaser data may allow the merchant to advertise and sell to Purchasers not necessarily on the market for the Product. The relevancy rating system 1000 may assign Emotional Motivator values 1006 to Purchasers based on a predefined Purchaser Rules Translator 1005 to the pool of Purchaser data 1004.
In some embodiments, the relevancy rating system 1000 may rank multiple Products from a single manufacturer or merchant for multiple groups of Purchasers. The rankings may be stored in one or both of the manufacturer or merchant database or Emotional Motivator server, such as illustrated in
Such aspects may allow an automated system according to the present invention, or a salesperson, to offer Product suggestions to a Purchaser, based on easily acquired and basic Emotional Motivator assessment data from the Purchaser. The Product suggestion may be based on the generalized Product rankings for a group of Purchasers, which may include the present Purchaser. Though the suggestion may not account for detailed Emotional Motivators of the Purchaser, the informed suggestion may instill the Purchaser with confidence in the salesperson. As a result, the Purchaser may be more likely to participate in further Emotional Motivator assessments.
As an illustrative example, the taxonomy for a particular Product type may comprise classifications A through G. The relevancy rating system 1000 may assign an Emotional Qualifier value from 0 to 9 to each classification for a particular Product and may assign an Emotional Motivator value from 0 to 9 to each classification for a Purchaser. In some such aspects, the relevancy rating system 1000 may compare the Emotional Qualifier value set 1003 to the Emotional Motivator value set 1006 to assess the compatibility between the Purchaser and the Product. As illustrated in
In some embodiments, such a mismatch may not be presented to the relevancy rating system 1000 user. The processor, such as illustrated in
Referring now to
In some exemplary embodiments, Products within a particular brand may be associated with comparable Emotional Qualifier values. Such values may be averaged or normalized, and the resulting set of Emotional Qualifier values 1101 may be associated, generally, with Products within the defined brand. The value set 1101 may be applied as a default value set for Products within the defined brand, wherein the Product data may be limited or not available, preventing the relevancy rating system from assigning a complete Emotional Qualifier value set 1105.
As an illustrative example, the relevancy rating system may rate strollers based on classifications A through G. Sufficient Product data may be available for three stroller Products to assign Emotional Qualifier values 1102-1104 for each classification. A fourth Product may be available and generally relevant as a stroller Product, but data regarding said stroller Product may be limited and inadequate to assign custom Emotional Qualifier values 1105. In some such embodiments, said stroller Product may be part of a brand that produces other Products, wherein sufficient data may be available on the other Products to establish Emotional Qualifier values.
Based on data from other Products, Emotional Qualifier values 1101 may be assigned to the brand, and the brand Emotional Qualifier values 1101 may be assigned to the stroller Product from that brand. The stroller Product may inherit the brand values 1101, and the relevancy rating system may treat the inherited values as the stroller Product's Emotional Qualifier values 1106. The stroller Product may be included in the relevancy rating system, despite the lack of Product data.
Such embodiments may allow a vendor to provide Purchasers with relevant Product choices based on the entire vendor inventory. Without such brand Emotional Qualifier value adoption, there may be a delay in recommendation for new products until sufficient data exists. Similarly, where a manufacturer may be guiding a Purchaser to a Product within the manufactured line, the brand Emotional Qualifier values may be averaged with similar Products. Such an embodiment may provide some distinction between Products within the line from the same brand, until additional Product data may be available.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the cross sell relevancy rating system may activate when a Purchaser purchases or searches for a Product within PG1 1210, wherein the system may recommend Products from other PG with similar EQS. Alternatively, the cross sell relevancy rating system may convey association results to manufacturers and vendors, such as described in
In some such exemplary embodiments, EQS1 1210 may comprise the Emotional Qualifiers of a known or purchased Product or PG, wherein Emotional Motivators or values of a Purchaser or Purchaser group have been associated with the Emotional Qualifiers or values of said Product or PG. In some embodiments, EQS1 1210 may be the basis for cross-sell comparisons, and EQS2-6 may comprise PGs without known Purchaser or Purchaser groups associations. Such aspects may be particularly useful to a vendor or manufacturer as a tool to create marketing and development strategies for a Product that may be new to a market, such as illustrated in
Alternatively, the relevancy rating system may establish Emotional Qualifier values and corresponding Emotional Motivator values for more than one PG. In such embodiments, the cross-sell comparison may provide customized Product recommendations, which may be useful to make Product suggestions to a Purchaser, such as illustrated in
In some embodiments, a brand may be included in a cross-sell comparison. In some such aspects, the Emotional Qualifiers, not the values, may be more useful in the relevancy rating between multiple Products and brands. For example, PG2 1220 may comprise a brand instead of a particular Product or group. In such examples, the EQS may comprise the Emotional Qualifiers of multiple Products or groups within a brand.
Based on the modest overlap 1212, EQS2 1220 may represent a Product or PG that a manufacturer may develop to increase the overlap 1212, such as by focusing on those Emotional Qualifiers in one or both PG1 1210 and PG2 1220. The logical separation between ESQ1 and ESQ3 may suggest that PG1 1210 and PG3 1230 comprise unrelated and irrelevant Products. As an example, the combined overlap 1251 of EQS5, EQS4, and EQS1 may allow a manufacturer or vendor of Products within all three PGs 1210, 1220, 1260 to develop a combined marketing strategy for all three groups based on the overlapping Emotional Qualifiers 1251.
As an illustrative example, PG1 1210 may comprise camping tents. The Products in PG4 1240 and PG5 1250 may be the most relevant, with a separate overlap 1241 between PG4 1240 and PG5 1250. In some embodiments, Products with significant overlap may be obviously related. For example, PG4 1240 may comprise hiking apparel, and PG5 1250 may comprise fresh water fishing equipment. A Purchaser interested in camping tents may want hiking apparel to reach the camping destination and may want fresh water fishing equipment to fish at the camping destination (which may be commonly located near a lake or pond).
Products in PG3 1230 may be apparently irrelevant. For example, PG3 1230 may comprise accounting services. The relevance between PG1 1210 and Products in PG2 1220 and PG6 1260 may be less obvious, and the cross-sell association may be more valuable to vendors and manufacturers. For example, PG2 1220 may comprise SCUBA lessons, and PG6 1260 may comprise credit cards with travel reward benefits.
Referring now to
Referring now to
As illustrated, for example, three Products from PG2 may be compared to the known Product in PG1 by a direct comparison of values associated with Emotional Qualifiers A and B, which the two PGs may have in common. The known Product may be associated with values 3 and 7 for A and B, respectively. Of the three compared Products in PG2, Product C may be the most relevant to the known Product in PG1 based on the equivalent values for Emotional Qualifiers A and B. Product B may be somewhat relevant, and Product A may be the least relevant.
The Emotional Qualifier values associated with C-H may not be useful in a cross-sell comparison between PG1 and PG2. Alternatively, in some embodiments, a correlation between unique Emotional Qualifiers, such as between D and H, may be developed to allow for more refined cross-sell comparisons between PGs with separate EQS.
In some embodiments, a Purchaser may initially search (online or in a brick and mortar location) for a Product from PG1, and the site, network access device (such as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the relevancy rating system may discern between personal purchases and gift purchases. In some such embodiments, the Emotional Motivator values may apply to the recipient of the gift and not the Purchaser, but the values may be based on the Purchaser's perspective of the recipient. Accordingly, the values may not be helpful in determining other relevant Products to the Purchaser, but the Emotional Motivators and Emotional Qualifiers themselves may be useful. The relevancy rating system may apply different Emotional Motivators and/or values for personal Purchasers than for gifting Purchasers.
In some embodiments, the personal questions may be directed separately to the gifting Purchaser and the recipient. For example, the gifting Purchaser may be asked a series of personal questions, such as why she is purchasing a gift. Separately, the gifting Purchaser may be prompted to answer questions based on who she believes the recipient may be. In some embodiments, the system may extract separate Emotional Motivators and values for the gifting Purchaser and the recipient based on multilevel assessment of responses from the gifting Purchaser, without directly asking about the Purchaser.
As an illustrative example, the Product may be newborn baby clothes. Related Products may different for a personal purchase from for a gift purchase. For a personal Purchaser, related Products may primarily include baby necessities, such as diapers and baby wipes. In contrast, related Products for a gifting Purchaser may include other baby gifts or gifts for a new mother, for example.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the system 1300 may be linked through a variety of networks. For example, a branch of the system, such as the cohost server 1340, may have a separate communication system 1345, wherein multiple network access devices 1341-1343 may communicate through a local area network (LAN) 1344 connection. The local network access devices 1341-1343 may be internal interface stations, wherein a marketing department or research and development department may access and interface with the Product and Emotional Motivator data. The cohost server may be hosted or monitored by the vendor or manufacturer for example.
The cohost server 1340 may connect to a separate communications network 1320, such as the internet, to access information from the Emotional Motivator and Emotional Qualifier assessment system. The Emotional Motivator algorithms and data may be located in separate server 1325, 1330, wherein the Emotional Motivator Servers 1325, 1330 may be operated by a third party, such as the developer of the Emotional Motivator system.
Similarly, network access devices 1305-1315 may connect to one or both the Emotional Motivator servers 1325, 1330 and the cohost server 1340 through a communications network 1320. The network access devices 1305-1315 may be operated by multiple parties. For example, a digital assistant network access device 1315 may comprise a Product-matching station located at a vendor's brick and mortar location. A laptop computer network access device 1310 may be a personal device owned by an individual Purchaser. Other types of network access devices 1305 may be interfacing systems built into the manufacturing process, for example.
Accordingly, the servers 1325, 1330, 1340 and network access devices 1305-1315 are separate entities for illustrative purposes only. For example, the cohost server 1340 may be operated by a vendor, and the Emotional Motivator servers 1325, 1330 may be integrated into the cohost server communication system 1345. The vendor may also provide a digital assistant network access device 1315 to Purchasers who may visit the store. Alternatively, the vendor may only provide the access device 1315 to Purchasers. In some such aspects, the servers 1325, 1330, 1340 may be operated by a third party or multiple third parties, such as, for example, the manufacturers of the Products carried by the vendor.
The distribution of servers 1325, 1330, 1340 and network access devices 1305-1315, 1341-1343 may be determined by Product marketing tactics. For example, where a manufacturer may be striving to expand its market, the manufacturer may bear the costs of maintaining the servers 1325, 1330, 1340, and provide a digital assistant 1315 to a vendor. As an alternate example, a vendor may want to provide a high-tech shopping experience to Purchasers. Said vendor may be willing to invest in the servers 1325, 1330, 1340 and the digital assistant 1315, for example.
Referring now to
As described in relation to
At 1410, Product data may be accessed, and at 1411, the Product may be assigned Emotional Qualifier values based on the data acquired at 1410. At 1412, Purchaser data may be accessed, and at 1413, the Purchaser may be assigned Emotional Motivator values may be assigned based on the data acquired at 1412. The method steps of evaluating Products, at 1410, 1411, and Purchasers, at 14121413, may occur simultaneously or separately.
In some embodiments at 1415, the Emotional Qualifier values may be associated with Emotional Motivator values, wherein the association may provide a correlation between Purchasers and Product preferences. At 1416, the association established at 1415 may be transmitted to a vendor or manufacturer. Based on the transmitted association, at 1420, a Product recommendation may be generated, and at 1421, said recommendation may be transmitted to a Purchaser. Alternatively, at 1425, the transmitted association may provide input to the vendor or manufacturer related to a Product line or customer base, which may be used to optimize marketing and Product development, such as described in
Referring now to
In some exemplary embodiments, the Emotional Qualifiers of multiple Products or Product groups may be compared to develop cross-sell Product recommendations, such as, for example, illustrated in
At 1416, the comparison association may be transmitted to a vendor or manufacturer. In some embodiments, the Emotional Qualifier values (such as generated in
Referring now to
At 1416, the association developed in the process steps in
At 1433, the Emotional Motivator values may be associated with the Emotional Qualifier values of Products sold by the vendor or manufacturer. The Emotional Motivator values may be further refined by additional Purchaser information, and at 1434, Purchaser Emotional Motivator inputs may be received. For example, an interfacing station may allow the Purchaser to engage the “Help LELA get to know you” software engine, such as illustrated in
At 1420, a Product recommendation may be generated, and at 1421, the Product recommendation may be transmitted to the Purchaser, as described in
Referring now to
In some embodiments, a vendor or manufacturer may advertise on Products with similar or complementary EQS. In some embodiments, a vendor may develop an inventory comprising Products with similar or complementary EQS. A manufacturer may be able to target specific Purchaser groups and develop Products in multiple PG with similar EQS. Often, a manufacturer may have a limited budget to develop a Product or Products. Cross-sell information may be useful to determine how to efficiently allocate the funds to accomplish their business goals.
Where a vendor may have a brick and mortar location, the vendor may design and structure the layout and atmosphere of the store based on preferences of the Purchasers. Cross-sell information may assist a vendor to develop an optimum inventory, wherein a store may be strategically stocked with relevant Products. Such a tactic may allow a salesperson to cross-sell relevant Products within a store to a Purchaser. Similarly, where a Purchaser may be shopping on a network access device, such as illustrated in
In some aspects, at 1450, the correlation data between Emotional Qualifier values of a Product or Product line and Emotional Motivator values of Purchasers may be transmitted to a research and development department. At 1451, research and development tactics and goals may be generated based on said correlation. In some embodiments, the recommendations generated at 1451 may provide a detailed description of how each attribute of the Product contributes to the values of each Emotional Qualifier, which may allow for targeted development.
A manufacturer may focus on developing the attributes correlating to the Emotional Qualifier most closely associated with relevant Products or groups. Such tactics may increase cross-sale of the Product. Alternatively, a manufacturer may develop a Product to focus on the unique Emotional Qualifiers, which may limit cross-sell relevance, but may increase sales within Purchaser groups that may highly value those particular Emotional Qualifiers.
Referring now to
As described in relation to
At 1505, Product data may be accessed, and at 1506, the Product may be assigned Emotional Qualifier values based on the data acquired at 1505. At 1510, Purchaser data may be accessed, and at 1511, the Purchaser may be assigned Emotional Motivator values may be assigned based on the data acquired at 1510. The method steps of evaluating Products, at 1505, 1506, and Purchasers, at 15101511, may occur simultaneously or separately.
In some embodiments at 1515, the Emotional Qualifier values may be associated with Emotional Motivator values, wherein the association may provide a correlation between Purchasers and Product preferences. At 1516, the association established at 1515 may be transmitted to a vendor or manufacturer. Based on the transmitted association, at 1520, a Product recommendation may be generated, and at 1521, said recommendation may be transmitted to a Purchaser. Alternatively, at 1525, the transmitted association may provide input to the vendor or manufacturer related to a Product line or customer base, which may be used to optimize marketing and Product development, such as described in
Referring now to
At 1516, the association developed in the process steps in
At 1533, the Emotional Motivator values may be associated with the Emotional Qualifier values of Products sold by the vendor or manufacturer. The Emotional Motivator values may be further refined by additional Purchaser information, and at 1534, Purchaser Emotional Motivator inputs may be received. For example, an interfacing station may allow the Purchaser to engage the “Help LELA get to know you” software engine, such as illustrated in
At 1520, a Product recommendation may be generated, and at 1521, the Product recommendation may be transmitted to the Purchaser, as described in
Referring now to
For example, where optimum Purchasers for a particular Product may generally be classed as individuals in households with dual income and no kids (DINK), the vendor or manufacturer may advertise on television in the evening when members of the household may be home after work. Alternately, where the optimum Purchaser may be stay-at-home moms, the vendor may advertise on television during the day or during family programming. Similarly, the vendor may tailor descriptions of the Products to the Purchaser, wherein the description may emphasize features most attractive to Purchasers within the optimum demographic.
Where a vendor may have a brick and mortar location, the vendor may design and structure the layout and atmosphere of the store based on preferences of the Purchasers. As a comparative example, a DINK Purchaser may be more likely to enter and buy from stores with neutral pallets, highly-organized layouts, and well-dressed salespeople; whereas a stay-at-home mom may be more likely to enter and buy from a store that is conducive to children, highlights bargains, and provides Products for multiple people within their household.
In some aspects, at 1550, the correlation data between Emotional Qualifier values of a Product or Product line and Emotional Motivator values of Purchasers may be transmitted to a research and development department. At 1551, research and development tactics and goals may be generated based on said correlation. In some embodiments, the recommendations generated at 1551 may provide a detailed description of how each attribute of the Product contributes to the values of each Emotional Qualifier, which may allow for targeted development.
A manufacturer may focus on developing the attributes correlating to the Emotional Qualifier value most closely associated with the Emotional Motivator of the optimum Purchaser. Such tactics may increase interest in the Product within the optimum group of Purchasers. Alternatively, a manufacturer may develop a Product to broaden the interested groups of Purchasers, for example, by focusing on the attributes that align the least with Emotional Motivator values of Purchasers.
Examining the earlier examples described for steps at 1540 and 1541, a manufacturer or vendor may establish separate research and development tactics and goals for DINKs and stay-at-home moms. As an illustrative example, the Product may be a camera, wherein the optimum Purchaser group may comprise DINKs. The key attributes that may be appealing to DINKs may be the sleek, trendy design, small size, and wireless capabilities to instantly transfer pictures to other devices, such as a friend's smartphone. The attributes that may be least appealing to a stay-at-home mom may be a slow capture speed and low durability, which may not be as important to a DINK.
The vendor or manufacturer may have funds for development of one or two attributes, and the associations provided at 1550 may allow the manufacturer to make an informed decision about the tactic. The manufacturer may decide to refine the trendy design and wireless capabilities to increase the number of DINKs that may be interested in the camera. Alternatively, the manufacturer may decide to expand their demographic and focus on the capture speed, allowing stay-at-home moms to take clear pictures of their children playing sports.
A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, various methods or equipment may be used to implement the process steps described herein or to create a device according to the inventive concepts provided above and further described in the claims. In addition, various integration of components, as well as software and firmware may be implemented. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
The present application claims priority as a Continuation in Part application to non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 13/607,757, filed Sep. 9, 2012 and entitled “Methods for and Apparatus for Associating Emotional Motivators with Products”. The present invention also claims priority to Provisional Patent Application 61/905,864, entitled, “Methods and Apparatus for Automated Cross Sale Based Upon Emotional Motivators” filed Nov. 19, 2013, the contents of which are relied upon and incorporated herein. The present invention also claims priority to Provisional Patent Application 61/905,866, entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Automated Messaging Based Upon Emotional Motivators” filed Nov. 19, 2013.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61905864 | Nov 2013 | US | |
| 61905866 | Nov 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13607757 | Sep 2012 | US |
| Child | 14548258 | US |
