Patent Application
20140164087
The disclosed embodiments generally relate to customer rewards offered by financial-service providers and, more particularly, to processes and systems for providing incentives to customers for their referrals.
Many financial-service providers such as banks and credit-card companies offer customer rewards for using their services, such as making purchases or balance transfers, obtaining loans, making direct deposits, or paying bills through the financial-service provider. Customer rewards are offered in various forms, such as cash, points, discounts, and miles for airline travel.
Meanwhile, social networks have become popular in recent years. More people join every day and connect with peers to share information and ideas via social media. Businesses have begun using social networks as advertising platforms. For example, social networks enable businesses to advertise promotions, encourage social network users to mention products and brands, and maintain social-network profiles to share ideas. Some customers who use social networks exert a significant influence on social media, and their influence causes other social-network users to try brands or products discussed or promoted by the customer.
Thus, companies may invite certain individuals with higher-than-average social media influence to participate in special promotional programs to receive rewards for their influence on others. Furthermore, companies may use referral campaigns to acquire new customers via social media.
The present disclosure offers, among other things, a way for customers to benefit from their social-media influence and referrals, which in turn provides increased community awareness of the financial-service provider and generates new customers for financial-service providers. Disclosed embodiments include systems and processes that provide a customer with rewards from a financial-service provider. Rewards are awarded for customer-initiated business transactions, such as purchases of goods and services; rewards are also awarded proportional to the customer's influence within social networks. The disclosed embodiments include mechanisms that assist in gathering information about business transactions and the social media influence of the customer, and that determine rewards that the customer is eligible to receive because of gathered data.
Consistent with a disclosed embodiment, a method for providing rewards to customers based on social-media influence is provided. The method may include tracking business transactions initiated by a customer and determining, by one or more processors, a reward corresponding to the business transactions. The method may also include receiving social-network data related to the customer. The method may further include determining, by the one or ore processors, a level of social-media influence for the customer, and modifying the reward based on the level of social-media influence.
Consistent with another disclosed embodiment, a system for providing rewards to customers based on social-media referrals is provided. The system may include one or more memory devices having instructions stored thereon and one or more processors that execute the instructions to track business transactions initiated by a customer and determine a reward corresponding to the business transactions. The one or more processors may also execute the instructions to receive social-network data related to the customer. The one or more processors may further execute the instructions to determine a level of social-media influence for the customer, and modify the reward based on the level of social-media influence.
Consistent with other disclosed embodiments, tangible computer-readable storage media may store program instructions that are executable by one or more processors to implement any of the processes disclosed herein.
Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only. They do not restrict the disclosed embodiments.
The accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. In the drawings:
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Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and are disclosed herein. Wherever convenient, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
In accordance with certain disclosed embodiments, a system 100 may be provided that includes one or ore user devices 110, a network 120, at least one server 130, at least one database 140, and one or more social-network servers 150. Other components known to one of ordinary skill in the art may be included in system 100 to process, transmit, provide, and receive information consistent with the disclosed embodiments.
Customer device(s) 110 may be one or more computer systems. For example, customer device 110 may include a general-purpose or notebook computer, a mobile device, a server, a desktop computer, a tablet, or any combination of these computers and/or affiliated components. In one embodiment, customer device 110 may be a computer system or device that is operated by a user who is a customer or a potential customer of a financial-service provider. Customer device 110 may be configured with storage such as a computer-readable storage medium that stores one or more operating systems that perform known operating-system functions when executed by one or more processors. By way of example, the operating systems may include Microsoft Windows™ Linux™, Apple™ operating systems, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) type operating systems, such as Microsoft CE™, or other types of operating systems. Accordingly, disclosed embodiments operate and function with computer systems running any type of operating system. Customer device 110 storage may also include a program that, when executed by a processor, provides communications with network 120, such as Web browser software, networking software, etc.
Server 130 may be a computer-based system configured as a single server or a distributed computer system, including multiple servers or computers that interoperate to perform one or more of the processes and functionalities associated with the disclosed embodiments. Server 130 may include computer-system components, such as one or more servers, desktop computers, workstations, tablets, hand-held computing devices, memory devices, and/or internal network(s) connecting the components.
Server 130 may be configured with one or more processor(s) (not shown), that may be one or more known central-processing units, such as a microprocessor from the Pentium™ family manufactured by Intel™ or the Turion™ family manufactured by AMD™. Processor(s) may include a single-core or multiple-core processor system that provides the ability to perform parallel processes simultaneously. For example, a processor may be a single-core processor that is configured with virtual processing technologies known to those skilled in the art. In certain embodiments, processor(s) may use logical processors to simultaneously execute and control multiple processes. Processor(s) may implement virtual machine technologies, or other similar known technologies to provide the ability to execute, control, run, manipulate, store, etc. multiple software processes, applications, programs, etc. In another embodiment, processor(s) may include a multiple-core processor arrangement (e.g., dual or quad core) that is configured to provide parallel processing functionalities to allow server 130 to execute multiple processes simultaneously. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that other types of processor arrangements could be implemented that provide for the capabilities disclosed herein.
Server 130 may include one or more storage devices configured to store information used by processors (or other components) to perform one or more processes consistent with the functionalities disclosed herein. In one example, server 130 may include a memory (not shown) that includes instructions to enable processor(s) to execute one or more applications, such as server applications, network-communication processes, and any other type of application or software known to be available on computer systems. Alternatively, the instructions, application programs, etc. may be stored in an external storage or available from a memory over a network. The one or more storage devices may be a volatile or nonvolatile, magnetic, semiconductor, tape, optical, removable, nonremovable, or other type of storage device or tangible computer-readable medium.
Server 130 may also be communicatively connected to one or more databases 140 locally or through a network. Database 140 may be configured to store information and may be accessed and/or managed by server 130. By way of example, database 140 may be a document-management system, Microsoft SQL database, SharePoint database, Oracle™ database, Sybase™ database, or other relational database. Systems and methods of disclosed embodiments, however, are not limited to separate databases or even to the use of a database.
Server 130 may include one or more I/O devices (not shown) that may comprise one or more interfaces for receiving signals or input from input devices and providing signals or output to one or more output devices that allow data to be received and/or transmitted by server 130. For example, server 130 may include interfaces to one or more input devices, such as one or more keyboards, mouse devices, and the like, that enable server 130 to receive data from one or more system administrators. Furthermore, I/O devices may include components configured to send and receive information between server 130, database 140, components in communication with network 120, or components external to network 120.
Network 120 may be any type of wired or wireless network that provides communications, exchanges information, and/or facilitates the exchange of information between customer device 110, server 130, database 140, and social-network servers 150. In one embodiment, network 120 may be the Internet, a Local Area Network, or other suitable connection(s) that enables bidirectional communication between system 100 components.
The FSP may provide a reward to customers directly proportional to the business transactions initiated by the customer and between the FSP and a third party. Rewards earned may include points, airline miles, an amount of money, etc. to be credited to the customer's account, or transferred to the customer. Business transactions may include credit- or debit-card purchases, balance transfers, account deposits or withdrawals, e-checks, bill payments, ATM transactions, direct deposits, transfers between FSP accounts, loan payments, issuance of new loans, bond or stock transactions, or any other business transactions provided by the FSP. These rewards may be referred to herein as “business-transaction rewards.” Embodiments of the present disclosure include processes for awarding rewards for social-media influence that supplement or modify the business-transaction rewards.
The process begins when an individual visits a website or launches an application provided by the financial-service provider (“FSP”), to establish a connection with server 130. The FSP may verify whether the individual is a current customer in step 210. For example, the FSP may prompt the customer to enter information such as date of birth, zip code, and/or last four digits of the customer's rewards card. If the individual is not a current customer, the individual may be prompted to create a new account in step 212 and become a customer. The customer may then log into the account (not shown).
Once logged in, the customer may choose one or more social networks to link with the new account (step not shown). To link a social network, server 130 may obtain authorization to access the customer social network data in step 220. To obtain authorization, the customer may be redirected in step 222 to a website maintained by social-network server 150 for the selected social network. Social-network server 150 may ask the customer to identify themselves such as by entering their name, contact information, account number, a pin, password, date of birth, or username. Social-network server 150 may then request the customer's permission for the FSP to access the customer's social-network data in step 224. After the customer chooses whether to grant permission, the customer may be redirected back to the FSP website in step 226. In certain embodiments, redirecting the customer may be accomplished by changing the website displayed on customer device 110, or by displaying a pop-up window to request permission to access social-network data. Once redirected back to the FSP website (returning again to step 220), the customer may choose to link another social network, at which point the customer is redirected again (repeating step 222) to social-network server 150 operated by the second social network, to request permission to access social-network data. Steps 220, 222, 224, and 226 may be repeated until the customer has linked all of the social networks desired for calculating their level of social-media influence.
After social media networks have been linked, and authorization has been obtained, server 130 may gather social-network data in step 230. Social-network data may be gathered from social-network servers 150. In some embodiments, social-network data may be gathered from the customer's social network profile data stored on local memory of customer device 110. Social-network data gathered in step 230 may include a number of friends/connections, amount of activity in the social network such as frequency of posting, making new connections, number of profile views, frequency of logging in, number of other users who have subscribed to the customer's profile, number of other users who have shared or reposted items from the customer's profile, comments by other users referring to the customer, amount of positive feedback for customer postings, and any additional factors that may indicate the level of customer presence and impact in their social network(s).
In step 240, server 130 may analyze some or all gathered social network data, to determine the customer's level of social-media influence. Step 240 may include qualitative or quantitative scoring of social network data. Different portions of the social-network data may be weighted and scored. For example, a customer's number of friends and number of users who have subscribed to the customer's profile may be weighted heavily, and assigned a high possible score. Other types of social-network data, such as comments by other users referring to the customer, may be weighted less heavily and assigned a lower possible score. Rules for weighting and scoring may be preset by the FSP and stored by server 130 in database 140.
A level of social-media influence may be calculated at the end of step 240, which may include a numerical score, or a qualitative influence level having a corresponding number or number range. For example, level of social-media influence may be scored on a scale of 1-100, where 1 indicates a minimum level of social-media influence, and 100 is a maximum level. The determined level of social-media influence may be associated with a reward or reward multiplier. For example, a level of social-media influence of 36 may correspond to 36 reward points. In some embodiments, a level of social-media influence may correspond to a multiplier proportional to the level value. For example, a level of social-media influence of 36 discussed above may correspond to a multiplier of 3.6×. The multiplier may be rounded up or down, such as to 3×, 3.5×, or 4×. All minimum and maximum values for social media influence levels and rules for correlating to points and/or multipliers may be preset by the FSP and stored by server 130 in database 140.
In certain embodiments, steps 230 and 240 may be performed by a third party, other than server 130 such as another server, web site, or individual. In these embodiments, server 130 may facilitate profile data gathering, (beginning of step 230), and transmit the gathered data to the third party for determining level of social-media influence. Alternatively, the third party may be authorized to gather social network profile data directly from social-network servers 150.
In step 250, a customer reward may be determined based on a business-transaction reward, and the determined level of social-media influence. The business transaction reward may be previously calculated, or calculated at the time of determining the customer reward, to provide the most up-to-date reward. As previously discussed, the business-transaction reward may be provided for business transactions initiated by the customer, and between the FSP and a third party, and may include points, airline miles, or an amount of money to be credited to the customer's account, or transferred to the customer.
In step 252, server 130 monitors the customer's business transactions (not shown in figure). Monitoring may involve tracking business transactions performed over a predetermined period of time, or obtaining a history of business transactions for the customer from database 140. The business-transaction reward for the monitored business transactions may then be determined in step 254, and the amount of the business-transaction reward may be directly proportional to the dollar amount of the business transaction. For example, if the customer initiates business transactions between the FSP and a third party valued at one hundred dollars during the monitoring period, the business-transaction reward may be one hundred points, or one hundred miles. In other embodiments, the proportion of rewards to transaction amount may be higher, such as providing two hundred points for one hundred dollars worth of business transactions.
In step 256, the business-transaction reward may be modified by the level of social-media influence to calculate a customer-reward. In some embodiments, the level of social-media influence may correspond to a rewards adjustment, which may be, for example, the rewards multiplier described above or an amount of rewards to be added to the customer reward. For example, modification may include adding an amount of rewards corresponding to the level of social-media influence, or multiplying the business-transaction reward by a multiplier corresponding to the level of social-media influence. For example, if the business-transaction reward is one hundred points, and the level of social-media influence corresponds to a multiplier of 3×, the customer reward is 300 points. If for example the level of social-media influence corresponds to an added 50 points, the customer-reward is 150 points. After step 256, the customer-reward may be communicated to the customer by displaying a customer-reward value on customer device 110 (not shown). In some embodiments, server 130 may transmit a notification (e.g., send an e-mail, SMS message, etc.) to customer device 110 to provide the customer with a summary of their referral results.
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Once logged in, server 130 may obtain authorization to access data from the customer's linked social networks in step 430. After social-media networks have been linked and authorization has been obtained, server 130 may gather social-network data from social-network server(s) 150 in step 330. Server 130 may then analyze all gathered social-network data, to determine the customer's level of social-media influence in step 340.
In step 350, a customer reward may be determined by modifying a business-transaction reward by the level of social-media influence. For example, if a business-transaction reward is one hundred points, and the level of social-media influence corresponds to a multiplier of 2×, the customer reward is two hundred points. The customer reward and/or the level of social-media influence may be displayed to the customer on customer device 110 (not shown). The customer may then decide to post one or more messages on one or more of their social-network profiles in step 360, to increase their potential reward amount. Messages may also be posted to websites not-affiliated with any social networks. Messages may include active links or information to refer other social-network users to the FSP, in order to attract new FSP customers. The particular details of step 360 are described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/734,047, filed on Dec. 6, 2012, for “Social Media Referrals Based Rewards” (Attorney Reference No. 05793.6037-00000), the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
In step 370, server 130 may analyze referral data received. Step 370 may include qualitative or quantitative scoring of referrals. This referral data includes, for example, the number of new customers who signed up as new FSP customers via the customer's posted message links, the number of social-network users who clicked the message links but did not sign up, amount of positive feedback for the posted messages, and comments left by other social-work users regarding the customer's posted messages.
Based on the analysis, a referral-reward modifier may be determined in step 380. The referral-reward modifier includes, for example, a numerical score, or a qualitative influence level having a corresponding number or number range. For example, three received referrals may correspond to three hundred reward points. In some embodiments, a referral-reward modifier may correspond to a multiplier proportional to the number of referrals. In other embodiments, the reward modifier may be a supplemental amount of points, airline miles, or money to be credited to the customer's account, or money to be transferred to the customer.
In step 382, a total-reward modifier may be calculated. The total-reward modifier may be determined by combining the level of social-media influence and the referral-reward modifier. For example, if the level of social-media influence corresponds to a multiplier of 3×, and the referral-reward modifier corresponds to a multiplier of 2×, the total-reward modifier is 5×. In another example, if the level of social-media influence corresponds to a supplemental 100 points, and the referral-reward modifier corresponds to a supplemental 200 points, the total-reward modifier is 300 points. In some embodiments, the total-reward modifier may be determined by multiplying the level of social-media influence by the referral-reward modifier. For example, in such embodiments, when the level of social-media influence corresponds to a multiplier of 3×, and the referral-reward modifier corresponds to a multiplier of 2×, the total-reward modifier is 6×. Furthermore, if the level of social-media influence corresponds to a supplemental 100 points, and the referral-reward modifier corresponds to a multiplier of 2×, the total-reward modifier is 200 points. The FSP may set rules for calculating total-reward modifier, which may be observed by server 130. Rules may include minimum and maximum possible total-reward modifiers, or rounding rules for rounding the total-reward modifier up or down. For example, the total-reward modifier may be limited to a maximum multiplier of 10×. In this example, if the level of social-media influence corresponds to a multiplier of 5×, and the referral-reward modifier corresponds to a multiplier of 3×, the calculated total-reward modifier of 15× is reduced to a maximum multiplier of 10×. The determined total-reward modifier may be communicated to the customer by displaying the information on customer device 110 (not shown).
In step 390, a modified customer reward may be determined. Determining the modified customer reward may include adding the referral-reward modifier to the customer reward previously determined in step 350, or multiplying the customer reward by the referral-reward modifier. For example, if the business-transaction reward was previously calculated to be 100 points, and the level of social media influence corresponded to a multiplier of 2×, the customer reward was 200 points. Then, if the referral-reward modifier corresponds to a multiplier of 2×, the modified customer reward is 400 points.
Returning again to registration interface 400, selection of one of social network buttons 430 for Social Network B may redirect the customer to Social Network B authorization page 434. Social Network B may inform the customer that FSP has attempted to access the customer's social network profile, and request the customer's permission via selection of access/deny buttons. Additional social network buttons 430 may allow the customer to link more social network profiles. Once the customer has linked the desired number of social networks, button 436 may be selected to proceed. Server 130 may gather the customer's social network profile data from social network servers 150, and calculate a level of social-media influence, as described above with regard to
Referring still to customer-influence interface 500, selection of one of share buttons 520 for Social Network B may redirect the customer to Social Network B post page 524. A predetermined message may be displayed in Social Network B post page 524. The message may be generated by server 130 and previously set by the FSP. In some embodiments, the customer's level of social-media influence may be included in the message. Additional share buttons 520 may allow the customer to post messages to additional social-network profiles. Furthermore, one of share buttons 520 may allow the customer to send an email generated by server 130 to chosen recipients.
The preset messages generated by server 130 may vary depending on which social-network profile is receiving the posted message. For example, a message to be posted on a Facebook® profile may not have any particular restrictions on length or content, whereas a message to be posted on Twitter® may be limited to 140 characters. A message to be sent by email may also include a preset text for the email subject. To automatically select the proper message format, server 130 may be informed of which social network the message is to be posted on when the customer selects one of share buttons 520.
Data used or calculated during one or more of the exemplary processes disclosed herein, such as data related business transactions, a business-transaction reward, a customer reward, an incentive-reward modifier, a modified customer reward, a referral-modifier reward, a level of social-media influence, and referral data, may be stored in database 140, in customer device 110 memory, at an external remote data storage location, or distributed among storage locations.
Furthermore, methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with disclosed embodiments are not limited to separate programs or computers configured to perform dedicated tasks. For example, system 100 components may include a memory that may include one or more programs to perform one or more functions of the multiple-user and display-control features of the disclosed embodiments. Moreover, processor(s) may execute one or more programs located remotely from system 100. For example, system 100 may access one or more remote programs, that, when executed, perform functions related to disclosed embodiments. Memory may include one or more memory devices that store data and instructions used to perform one or more features of the disclosed embodiments. Memory may also include any combination of one or more databases controlled by memory-controller devices (e.g., server(s), etc.) or software, such as document-management systems, Microsoft SQL databases, SharePoint databases, Oracle™ databases, Sybase™ databases, or other relational databases.
Additionally, although disclosed aspects of the present disclosure such as software programs are described as being stored in a memory on a computer, one skilled in the art will appreciate that these aspects can also be stored on other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary-storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, a CD-ROM, or other forms of RAM or ROM. An implementation of software for disclosed aspects may use any variety of programming languages, such as Java, C, C++, JavaScript, or any other now known or later-created programming language.
Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
In addition, the disclosed embodiments may not be limited to any particular type of account or device. That is, instead of financial accounts, aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be implemented to provide rewards for any type of account (e.g., financial, memberships, utilities, phone services, etc.).
This disclosure claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/734,052 filed on Dec. 6, 2012, and entitled “Social Media Influence Based Rewards,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61734052 | Dec 2012 | US |
