None.
None.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method for facilitating targeted online advertisement of products and services through an online service provider.
Users of online services are targeted increasingly by advertisers attempting to market products and services. Users have become dissatisfied with the commercialization of the Internet. Online advertising is so prevalent that users have adapted to it and largely tune out unsolicited advertisements, thus reducing the effectiveness of online advertising campaigns. The reduced effectiveness is exemplified in the low click-through rate, which has been less than two percent in many instances.
Given the lack of perceived relevance and lack of user acknowledgement of current advertisements, brand advertisers have shifted towards more intrusive forms of advertising. Intrusive forms of advertising have jeopardized the overall user experience. User loyalty to online services has also been negatively impacted and attrition has been rapid, thereby limiting the overall effectiveness of branding campaigns executed through online services.
Today, online publishers, such as AOL, MSN, and others struggle to accurately represent and market the identity of the user base to drive value and relevance in direct and brand marketing campaigns. Accordingly, a solution is needed that overcomes the drawbacks and shortcomings of the prior art by providing a system and method for enabling users to directly market products and services over the internet and simultaneously illustrate personal and/or group identity. By posting advertisements to their own personal contacts, users would be enabled to promote a sense of group identity while simultaneously promoting a product. Furthermore, a solution is needed for promoting products and group identities within a trusted online environment.
Embodiments of the present invention include a method for providing a billboard advertisement through an online service, the billboard advertisement composed by an advertising user. The method includes displaying an interface to the advertising user. The interface includes a sponsor selection mechanism for allowing selection of a billboard sponsor from a list of billboard sponsors and a target user selection mechanism for allowing selection by the advertising user of at least one target user. The interface additionally includes a text input region for receiving an input message from the advertising user. The method also includes processing information input to the displayed interface to create the billboard advertisement and composing the billboard advertisement including the input message and the at least one selected billboard sponsor for rendering and delivery to the at least one selected target user.
In an additional aspect, a system is provided for delivering a message while simultaneously promoting a brand. The system includes a sponsor selection mechanism for allowing a communicating user to select at least one sponsor from a list of provided sponsors and a text input area for allowing the communicating user to input text for display in conjunction with the selected sponsor. The system additionally includes a target user selection mechanism for allowing the communicating user to select at least one target user for receipt of the selected sponsor display and the input text in a billboard advertisement.
In yet a further aspect, a billboard advertisement creation system is provided. The system includes a billboard creation website for receiving user input including at least one selected sponsor and at least one target recipient. The system additionally includes a billboard database for receiving created billboard information from the billboard creation website and a billboard publication service for obtaining billboard information from the billboard database for publication. The system additionally includes a billboard composition service for preparing the billboard advertisement for rendering.
The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings figures, wherein:
I. System Overview
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system and method for enabling users to market products and services using an online billboard that functions as a targeted advertisement in a trusted online environment. End users become direct marketers for products and services via their own personal contacts on stored contact or mail lists. The system of the invention enables a user of an online service to post a personal message that can be distributed to any or all of the user's contacts in a billboard format. The system enables the user to enter a text message and schedule the billboard appearance and expiration for a predetermined date and time.
In operation, in embodiments of the invention, the user selects contacts for receipt of the personalized billboard. The user also selects a billboard sponsor from a pre-determined list of advertisers that have contracted with the online service to be billboard sponsors. Once submitted, the user's message appears on the selected recipients' home page along with the selected sponsored advertiser's information.
As illustrated in
II. Exemplary Operating Environment
The invention is described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices.
With reference to
Computer 110 typically includes a variety of computer readable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. The system memory 130 includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 131 and random access memory (RAM) 132. A basic input/output system 133 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer 110, such as during start-up, is typically stored in ROM 131. RAM 132 typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit 120. By way of example, and not limitation,
The computer 110 may also include other removable/nonremovable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,
The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in
The computer 110 in the present invention will operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 180. The remote computer 180 may be a personal computer, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computer 110, although only a memory storage device 181 has been illustrated in
When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 110 is connected to the LAN 171 through a network interface or adapter 170. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 110 typically includes a modem 172 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 173, such as the Internet. The modem 172, which may be internal or external, may be connected to the system bus 121 via the user input interface 160, or other appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 110, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and not limitation,
Although many other internal components of the computer 110 are not shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such components and the interconnection are well known. Accordingly, additional details concerning the internal construction of the computer 110 need not be disclosed in connection with the present invention.
III. System and Method of the Invention
As set forth above,
Through the use of the above-described components the user or subscriber accessing the user computer 2 becomes a direct marketer and associates an advertising campaign with a particular online community. Thus, the advertising user serves a promotional advertisement to another potential advertiser. As a recipient of the advertisement is receiving a personal impression and an advertisement for a product, the recipient is also receiving a secondary advertisement for the billboard advertisement itself offered by the online service and may take advantage of the billboard advertisement as well. The user simultaneously markets the billboard advertisement as a product for the online service and the advertiser's brand or products for the selected advertiser.
The user-selected recipient list 606 may in some instances include a private list including an individual or specifically selected personal acquaintances. The private list technique may be targeted to a single user who is part of the online community. Similar to an email, this product is a pure form of direct marketing. The selecting user functions as an advertiser who is responsible for identifying the user being targeted and the impression to be delivered.
In other instances, the recipient list 606 may be semi-private in that a user may select a pre-configured list of recipients belonging to a specific group. Semi-private billboards are a natural extension of the private party billboard and would be targeted at all or a subset of users on the selecting user's contact and or buddy lists. The product based on a semi-private list incorporates all features of the private list billboard, but expands on the audience by allowing the users to select targeted recipients from messenger, hotmail, or other types of contact lists to target. Ideally, the semi-private list product would also provide sponsorship opportunities for brand, local advertisers and could be compelling as a pay per use subscription offering. The user data associated with the contact lists that would be utilized for user targeting are already a component of the ABCH 50.
Examples of semi-private groups may include a list of online users participating in a gaming tournament. The billboard creator may offer a prize such as a two-for-one restaurant dinner for the winner. In this instance, the restaurant would be shown as the billboard sponsor. In another scenario, the recipients include members of a family who are invited to a family reunion. The billboard could be displayed to a limited number of authorized users who have access to a family reunion web site.
In further embodiments, the user may select a list for the recipient list 606 that is created by the online service, thus creating a larger target group. For example, a user may want to display the billboard in connection with a public notification relevant to recipients in a specific location. Public announcements, obituaries, birth announcements, wedding announcements, and classified ads for services and merchandise are examples of this type of billboard advertisement. Unlike the billboard advertisements that leverage contact lists and brand sponsors, this billboard advertisement is a targeted “classified” advertisement.
For instance, an individual having a car for sale may be located in a specific city and state. The individual may want to sell the car locally and thus may provide a classified advertisement including a billboard. The online service may distribute the billboard advertisement selectively only to individuals within a twenty-mile radius of the targeted zip code.
In a further example, an individual running for public office may want to display a message to all voters in the district. The candidate may want to deliver a billboard to all people of voting age within her district that will direct them to her campaign website. As set forth above, individuals may be able to opt out of becoming a billboard recipient and thus the technique is not intrusive.
By allowing users to actively select an advertiser to sponsor each billboard message and deliver the message to selected friends, family, and contacts, the message and advertisement are targeted at a particular audience and have greater value. The receiving user will not be forced to seek out billboards that he or she has elected to receive since, in embodiments of the invention, the billboard will be displayed immediately in a session on any page to which the user navigates within the network of the online service.
In step 704, the system processes the user input. In an embodiment of the processing step 704, the billboard creation website receives the user input, accesses the advertising database 40 in order to locate relevant advertiser information, and access the ABCH 50 in order to obtain contact information for selected recipients. The billboard database 64 receives billboard information from the billboard creation website 66. The billboard publication service 62 obtains billboard changes from the billboard database 64 and any blocked contacts from the ABCH 50. The UPS 30 obtains the billboard for publication from the billboard publication service 62 for the target users. The billboard composition service 24 obtains a billboard identifier from the UPS 30 and billboard details for the billboard identifier from the billboard database 64. The billboard composition service 24 matches the information obtained from the two sources to compose the billboard advertisement for rendering.
In step 706, the system displays the billboard advertisement based on the processed information. In order to provide the display, the billboard composition service 24 may forward the billboard information for rendering to the rendering layer 22. The method ends at 708.
Through the online service, the selected advertiser generates brand awareness and becomes a co-branding partner with the online service. The selected advertiser also becomes a partner with the end user because of the brand association with the identity of the end-user selecting the advertiser. The online service becomes a co-branding partner with the advertiser, as users will associate advertisement content with the online service.
The end user who composes the billboard becomes a direct marketer by specifically targeting advertising content to a friend or group of friends. The end user further creates an association between the online service, an online identity, and the advertised product or service.
The billboard recipient or end user who receives the billboard will associate an online identity with the online service and the advertised product. The billboard recipient becomes both a potential billboard consumer and a potential product consumer. In embodiments of the invention, users may opt out of participation in the billboard program. Accordingly, when received, billboards will not be viewed as unsolicited Spam by the recipient and will therefore not degrade the quality of the overall user experience.
The disclosed billboard system can benefit the online service by creating an innovative user engagement venue outside of the traditional communications services offered. The targeted advertising or billboard creation system enables identification and targeting of brand association from user to user in conjunction with a user's online identity within a trusted environment where the media is consumed. Through the user of the disclosed system, users subscribing to the online serve may become accustomed to proactively seeking privately targeted messages from their online community membership.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail herein, it should be understood that various changes and modifications might be made to the invention without departing from the scope and intent of the invention. The embodiments described herein are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternate embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its scope.
From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects set forth above, together with other advantages, which are obvious and inherent to the system and method. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated and within the scope of the appended claims.