Claims
- 1. A method for directing advertising to a select list of customers, the method comprising the steps of;
receiving a request comprising search arguments wherein the search arguments define a customer interest group; receiving an advertisement, the advertisement to be sent to customers in the interest group; performing a blind search of a database using the search arguments, the database comprising public and private information about a customer wherein only the public information is viewable by the search requester; and transmitting the advertisement on behalf of the requester to a customer address of a customer found in the blind search.
- 2. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further step of:
before transmitting to a customer, personalizing the advertisement based on the information about the customer.
- 3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting step is transmitting electronic mail.
- 4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the private information comprises any one of a customer post office address, customer phone number or customer electronic address.
- 5. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further steps of:
transmitting a request to a blind search application, the request comprising search arguments wherein the search arguments define a customer interest group; and transmitting an advertisement to the blind search application, the advertisement to be sent to customers in the interest group.
- 6. A system for directing advertising to a select list of customers, the system comprising;
a receiver receiving a request comprising search arguments and an advertisement wherein the search arguments define a customer interest group; a search application performing a blind search of a database using the search arguments, the database comprising public and private information about a customer wherein only the public information is viewable by the search requester; and a transmitter transmitting the advertisement on behalf of the requester to a customer address of a customer found in the blind search.
- 7. The system according to claim 6 further comprising a personalizer personalizing the advertisement to be transmitted to the customer based on the information about the customer.
- 8. The system according to claim 6 wherein the transmitter transmits electronic mail.
- 9. The system according to claim 6 wherein the private information comprises any one of a customer post office address, customer phone number or customer electronic address.
- 10. The system according to claim 6 further comprising:
a second transmitter transmitting a request to a blind search application, the request comprising search arguments and an advertisement wherein the search arguments define a customer interest group.
- 11. A computer program product for directing advertising to a select list of customers, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code therein, the computer program product comprising the steps of;
computer readable program code for receiving a request comprising search arguments wherein the search arguments define a customer interest group; computer readable program code for receiving an advertisement, the advertisement to be sent to customers in the interest group; computer readable program code for performing a blind search of a database using the search arguments, the database comprising public and private information about a customer wherein only the public information is viewable by the search requester; and computer readable program code for transmitting the advertisement on behalf of the requester to a customer address of a customer found in the blind search.
- 12. The computer program product according to claim 11 further comprising:
computer readable program code for before transmitting to a customer, personalizing the advertisement based on the information about the customer.
- 13. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the transmitting step is transmitting electronic mail.
- 14. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the private information comprises any one of a customer post office address, customer phone number or customer electronic address.
- 15. The computer program product according to claim 11 further comprising:
computer readable program code for transmitting a request to a blind search application, the request comprising search arguments wherein the search arguments define a customer interest group; and computer readable program code for transmitting an advertisement to the blind search application, the advertisement to be sent to customers in the interest group.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] Division of application Ser. No. 09/563,693 filed on May 2, 2000.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09563639 |
May 2000 |
US |
Child |
10390956 |
Mar 2003 |
US |