Passive Shopper Identification Systems Utilized to Optimize Advertising

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of optimizing advertising. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for utilizing a mobile communications device to track consumer shopping patterns and purchases in association with a loyalty tracking device, which uniquely identifies each particular customer as they proceed through a shopping environment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a representative system that provides a suitable operating environment for use of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for optimizing an advertisement in response to customer data;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for acquiring customer response data including optimum advertising variable settings for a plurality of advertising groups;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for broadcasting a plurality of test advertisements with unique sets of advertisement variable settings; and

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for automatically broadcasting an efficient advertisement with respect to present customers.

Claims

1. A method of optimizing advertising comprising: activating a loyalty tracking device on a personal mobile communications device;allowing a consumer to enter a retail establishment;tracking the consumer's presence and shopping behaviors utilizing the loyalty tracking device in combination with a mobile communications device;correlating the tracking behaviors with a specific customer identification number;storing said tracking data; andutilizing the tracking data to optimize advertisements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement is selected from a list consisting of audio, video and smell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device is selected from a list consisting of a mobile phone, a PDA, and RFID tag, and an electronic device with bluetooth technology.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising components include audio advertisement components with various audio advertisement content that can be spliced together to adjust the advertisement variable settings of the advertisement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising components include audio components with different speakers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said compiling of an advertisement using the advertisement components that correspond to a set of optimized advertising variable settings for an advertising target group, further includes: broadcasting a plurality of test advertisements with unique sets of advertisement variable settings;analyzing broadcasted advertisement variable settings in relation to customer response information; andgenerating a set of optimized advertisement variable settings for a plurality of advertising groups.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising variable settings include at least one of: (i) frequency of the advertisement;(ii) duration of the advertisement;(iii) play time of the advertisement; and(iv) volume of the advertisement.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising variable settings include at least one of: (i) inclusion of sound icons;(ii) background music played in the advertisement; and(iii) sound effects played in the advertisement.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising variable settings include at least one of: (i) presence of pricing information in the advertisement;(ii) variations in pricing in the advertisement; and(iii) variations in offer made in the advertisement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising variable settings include at least one of: (i) seasonal related messaging included in the advertisement;(ii) category promotions included in the advertisement; and(iii) promotional offers included in the advertisement.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising variable settings include at least one of: (i) variations on a product message included in the advertisement; and(ii) value added content included in the advertisement.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising variable settings include a gender of the speaker in the advertisement.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising variable settings include smell icons for distributing a smell as part of the advertisement.

14. A method for generating an advertisement with optimized advertising variable settings for an advertising target group, the method comprising: a consumer entering a retail establishment;tracking the consumer's shopping behaviors utilizing the loyalty tracking device in combination with a mobile communications device;correlating the tracking behaviors with a specific customer identification number;storing said tracking data; andutilizing the tracking data to optimize advertisement.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the advertising components include video advertisement components with various video advertisement content that can be spliced together to adjust the advertisement variable settings of the advertisement.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the optimized advertising variable settings include at least one of: (i) frequency of the advertisement;(ii) duration of the advertisement;(iii) play time of the advertisement; and(iv) volume of the advertisement.(v) visual display characteristics of the advertisement, which may include, but are not limited to, brightness, color selection, color depth, and displayed-text properties.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the optimized advertising variable settings include at least one of: (i) inclusion of visual and sound icons;(ii) background music and images played in the advertisement; and(iii) visual and sound effects played in the advertisement.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the optimized advertising variable settings include at least one of: (i) presence of pricing information in the advertisement;(ii) variations in pricing in the advertisement; and(iii) variations in an offer made in the advertisement.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the optimized advertising variable settings include at least one of: (i) seasonal related messaging included in the advertisement;(ii) category promotions included in the advertisement; and(iii) promotional offers included in the advertisement.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the optimized advertising variable settings include at least one of: (i) variations on a product message included in the advertisement; and(ii) value-added content included in the advertisement.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the optimized advertising variable settings include a gender of the speaker or actor in the advertisement.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising broadcasting the advertisement, wherein said broadcasting the advertisement includes distributing a smell.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the optimized advertising variable settings include smell icons for distributing a smell as part of the advertisement.

24. computer program product for implementing within a computer system a method for generating an advertisement with optimized advertising variable settings for an advertising target group, the computer program product comprising: a consumer entering a retail establishment;tracking the consumer's shopping behaviors utilizing the loyalty tracking device in combination with a mobile communications device;correlating the tracking behaviors with a specific customer identification number;storing said tracking data; andutilizing the tracking data to optimize advertisement.