Patent US6567786B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6567786B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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System and method for increasing the effectiveness of customer contact strategies
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1999-09-16
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Granted: 2003-05-20
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Expires: 2019-09-16
Abstract
Abstract A method, and system for increasing the efficiency of customer contact strategies is disclosed. Customers are analyzed based upon historical criteria; a promotional plan (a group of promotion events implemented or to be implemented over a particular time period) is analyzed to determine the effect of each promotion event on the other promotion events in the promotional plan; and, based on this analysis, the optimal promotion stream (a specific subset of the promotional plan to be sent to customers or a group of similar customers) is determined so as to maximize the ROI of the promotional plan as a whole.
Inventors
- 👤 Eric Bibelnieks
- 👤 Mark Bullock
- 👤 Michael Haydock
- 👤 Mindy Schiller
- 👤 Wayne Kugel
- 👤 Edwin Peter Dawson Pednault
- 👤 Nancy Soderquist
- 👤 Harlan Crowder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 12:04
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q30/0241; G06Q30/0242; G06Q30/0244; G06Q30/0245; G06Q30/0247; G06Q30/0249; G06Q30/0251; G06Q30/0254; G06Q30/0277
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
In a computer environment, a method for targeted marketing of goods and/or services of an entity to specific customers via a promotion stream, comprising the steps of: creating a database on a machine-readable medium, said database comprising customer data pertaining to a plurality of customers; identifying a promotional plan spanning a predetermined time period; analyzing, using a processor in said computer environment, the promotional plan and the customer data to determine a risk/return score for said promotional plan with respect to each of said customers; analyzing, using said processor, the effect of cannibalization on the promotional plan; and optimizing said promotion stream based on the analyses of the promotional plan and the cannibalization effect.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
In a computer environment, a method for targeted marketing of goods and/or services of an entity to specific customers via a promotion stream, comprising the steps of: creating a database on a machine-readable medium, said database comprising customer data pertaining to a plurality of customers; identifying a promotional plan spanning a predetermined time period; analyzing, using a processor in said computer environment, the promotional plan and the customer data to determine a risk/return score for said promotional plan with respect to each of said customers; analyzing, using said processor, the effect of cannibalization on the promotional plan; and optimizing said promotion stream based on the analyses of the promotional plan and the cannibalization effect.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said promotional plan comprises a plurality of promotions to be implemented over said predetermined time period.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said step of analyzing the effect of cannibalization on the promotional plan comprises comparing each promotion of the promotional plan and developing a cannibalization matrix which assigns a cannibalization value to the effect of each of said promotions on all of the other promotions comprising the promotional plan.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said cannibalization matrix comprises a plurality of component level matrices.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said cannibalization matrix includes a component-level matrix which defines the effect of the timing of each of said promotions in the promotional plan on the other promotions in said promotional plan.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said cannibalization matrix includes a component-level matrix which defines the effect of type of the goods and/or services being promoted by each of said promotions in the promotional plan on the other promotions in said promotional plan.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said cannibalization matrix includes a component-level matrix which defines the effect of the type of promotion being used for each of said promotions in the promotional plan on the other promotions in said promotional plan.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said optimizing step includes the step of applying said cannibalization values to determine said promotion stream.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said database further comprises budgetary information pertaining to the entity, said method further comprising the steps of: classifying said customers into asset classes based on common financial characteristics; and assigning promotional budgets for each of said asset classes based on said budgetary information.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said customer data includes information regarding the purchase patterns and demographics of said plurality of customers, further comprising the step of classifying said asset classes into micro classes based on said purchase patterns and/or demographics so that customers having approximately identical purchase patterns and/or demographics are classified together the same micro class.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method as set forth in claim 3 , further comprising the steps of: predicting the expected revenue for each of said customers with respect to each of said promotions and generating a predicted revenue value for each customer/promotion combination; calculating a promotional revenue score for each of said predicted revenue values; and scaling said promotional revenue scores into monetary values.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
112 words
In a computer environment, a system for targeted marketing of goods and/or services of an entity to specific customers via a promotion stream, comprising: means for creating a database on a machine-readable medium, said database comprising customer data pertaining to a plurality of customers; means for identifying a promotional plan spanning a predetermined time period; processing means for analyzing the promotional plan and the customer data to determine a risk/return score for said promotional plan with respect to each of said customers, and for analyzing the effect of cannibalization on the promotional plan; and means for optimizing said promotion stream based on the analyses of the promotional plan and the cannibalization effect.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
112 words
In a computer environment, a system for targeted marketing of goods and/or services of an entity to specific customers via a promotion stream, comprising: means for creating a database on a machine-readable medium, said database comprising customer data pertaining to a plurality of customers; means for identifying a promotional plan spanning a predetermined time period; processing means for analyzing the promotional plan and the customer data to determine a risk/return score for said promotional plan with respect to each of said customers, and for analyzing the effect of cannibalization on the promotional plan; and means for optimizing said promotion stream based on the analyses of the promotional plan and the cannibalization effect.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said promotional plan comprises a plurality of promotions to be implemented over said predetermined time period.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
The system as set forth in claim 13 , wherein said means for analyzing the effect of cannibalization on the promotional plan comprises means for comparing each promotion of the promotional plan and developing a cannibalization matrix which assigns a cannibalization value to the effect of each of said promotions on all of the other promotions comprising the promotional plan.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system as set forth in claim 14 , wherein said cannibalization matrix comprises a plurality of component level matrices.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
154 words
In a computer environment, a computer program product for targeted marketing of goods and/or services of an entity to specific customers via a promotion stream, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising: computer-readable program code that creates a database on a machine-readable medium, said database comprising customer data pertaining to a plurality of customers; computer-readable program code that identifies a promotional plan spanning a predetermined time period; computer-readable program code that analyzes, using a processor in said computer environment, the promotional plan and the customer data to determine a risk/return score for said promotional plan with respect to each of said customers; computer-readable program code that analyzes, using said processor, the effect of cannibalization on the promotional plan; and computer-readable program code that optimizes said promotion stream based on the analyses of the promotional plan and the cannibalization effect.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
154 words
In a computer environment, a computer program product for targeted marketing of goods and/or services of an entity to specific customers via a promotion stream, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising: computer-readable program code that creates a database on a machine-readable medium, said database comprising customer data pertaining to a plurality of customers; computer-readable program code that identifies a promotional plan spanning a predetermined time period; computer-readable program code that analyzes, using a processor in said computer environment, the promotional plan and the customer data to determine a risk/return score for said promotional plan with respect to each of said customers; computer-readable program code that analyzes, using said processor, the effect of cannibalization on the promotional plan; and computer-readable program code that optimizes said promotion stream based on the analyses of the promotional plan and the cannibalization effect.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer program product as set forth in claim 16 , wherein said promotional plan comprises a plurality of promotions to be implemented over said predetermined time period.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
66 words
The computer program product as set forth in claim 17 , wherein the computer-readable program code that analyzes the effect of cannibalization on the promotional plan comprises computer-readable program code that compares each promotion of the promotional plan and develops a cannibalization matrix which assigns a cannibalization value to the effect of each of said promotions on all of the other promotions comprising the promotional plan.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The computer program product as set forth in claim 18 , wherein said cannibalization matrix comprises a plurality of component level matrices.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-05-19 | 2006-11-18 | 2007-05-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-05-19 | 2010-11-18 | 2011-05-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-05-19 | 2014-11-18 | 2015-05-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |