METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TARGETING INFORMATION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for targeting information and, more particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, apparatus, and computer program code for targeting information to a user based on the social nature of the user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Developments in communication technologies have resulted in a number of different delivery systems exist for information. For example, information can be sent or delivered to people via television, radio, print media, sites on the World Wide Web (the "Web"), email messages, etc. In many cases, however, information delivery is provided indiscriminately such that listeners, viewers, etc. receive the same information. For example, an advertisement broadcast during a television show may be shown to all people watching the television show.
[0003] In some situations, advertisers may want to target some advertisements to people who are most likely to remember or pass along the advertisement. However, since advertisers send their advertisements indiscriminately without regard to whether a person receiving the advertisement is a trendsetter or otherwise social person, the advertiser is limiting the effectiveness of the advertisement and the potential impact of the advertisement or product or service being advertised, in the marketplace.
[0004] It would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus that overcame the drawbacks of the prior art. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for targeting information to a person based on the social nature of the person.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, apparatus, and computer program code for targeting information to a person based on the social nature of the user as embodied in a social index associated with the person. According to embodiments of the present invention an information segment, such as an advertisement, promotion, coupon, email message, audio file, music, etc., is associated with a social index and may be sent or otherwise provided to a person if the person meets or has the required social index.
[0006] A social index for a person may be based on one or more indicators of social interaction or behavior by the person, such as, for example, a number of buddy lists in which the person is included, the number of people in the person's buddy list, a number of emails or telephone calls the person sends and/or receives during a given time period, the affiliation or participation of the person in a social group or organization, the number of online chat sessions participated in by the person, a number of Web pages browsed by the person, etc.
[0007] Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention shall be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those
skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by the practice of the invention.
[0008] According to embodiments of the present invention, a method for targeting information includes determining a plurality of information segments, determining a social index of at least one person; selecting one of the information segments based, at least in part, on the social index; and providing a notification of the selected information segment. In other embodiments of the present invention, a method for targeting information includes determining a social index associated with an information segment; determining at least one person meeting the social index; and providing a notification of the person.
[0009] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a system for targeting information includes a memory; a communication port; and a processor connected to the memory and the communication port, the processor being operative to determine a plurality of information segments; determine a social index of at least one person; select one of the information segments based, at least in part, on the social index; and provide a notification of the selected information segment. In other embodiments of the present invention, a system for targeting information includes a memory; a communication port; and a processor connected to the memory and the communication port, the processor being operative to determine a social index associated with an information segment; determine at least one person meeting the social index; and provide a notification of the person.
[0010] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a system for targeting information includes means for identifying a plurality of information segments; means for identifying a social index of at least one person; means for choosing one of the information segments based, at least in part, on the social index; and means for sending a notification regarding the selected information segment. In other embodiments of the present invention, a system for targeting information includes means for identifying a social index associated with an information segment; means for identifying a person meeting the social index; and means for sending a notification regarding the person.
[0011] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product in a computer readable medium for targeting information includes first instructions for identifying multiple information segments; second instructions for identifying a social index associated with at least one person; third instructions for selecting one of the multiple information segments based, at least in part, on the social index; and fourth instructions for sending data indicative of the selected information segment. In other embodiments of the present invention, a computer program product in a computer readable medium for targeting information includes first instructions for identifying a social index associated with an information segment; second instructions for identifying a person meeting the social index; and third instructions for sending data indicative of the person.
[0012] With these and other advantages and features of the invention that will become hereinafter apparent, the nature of the invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, the appended claims and to the several drawings attached herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and together with the descriptions serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of a method in accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of a method in accordance with the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of system components for an embodiment of an apparatus usable with the methods of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a representative server of FIG. 3;
[0018] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a representative subject or social information database of FIG. 4; and
[0019] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a representative segment information database of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Applicants have recognized that there is a need for systems and methods which allow advertisements and other information to be targeted to an individual based on the social status or trend-setting nature of the individual. In addition, applicants have recognized that there is a need to provide systems and methods for determining appropriately social individuals to whom to send certain advertisements and other information.
[0021] Embodiments of the present invention provide such capabilities by associating a "social index" with both information segments and individuals and sending designated information segments to people meeting the social index associated with the information segment. An information segment may be or include, for example, a radio or television advertisement or program, an advertisement displayed on a World Wide Web ("Web") site, a membership application, text information, coupon, promotional material, etc. These and other features will be discussed in further detail below, by describing a system, individual devices, and processes according to embodiments of the invention.
[0022] As one example implementation of the present invention, an advertiser or company that displays advertisements on a Web site may want to display the advertisement to people who are highly social and who are likely to discuss the advertisement with other people or share information about a product featured in the advertisement with other people. The advertiser or company might associate a social index or value with the advertisement. If the advertiser or company is paying to run the advertisement on a per display or per impression basis (often referred to as a CPM basis), the advertiser or company will get a better return on its advertising investment if the advertisement is displayed to "social" people. Thus, the advertiser or company may request that the advertisement be displayed primarily or only to those people who meet the desired social index associated with the advertisement.
[0023] As another example, an advertiser may want to place different print advertisements in magazines sent to
different subscribers, based on the social indexes associated with each of the subscribers. The advertiser may provide the different advertisements to a fulfillment house that finalizes and distributes the magazine. A server or other device at the fulfillment house can receive the advertisement and social index information and match them accordingly with subscriber information so that the appropriate advertisement is sent to each subscriber.
Process Description
[0024] Reference is now made to FIG. 1, where a flow chart 100 is shown which represents the operation of an embodiment of the present invention. The particular arrangement of elements in the flow chart 100 is not meant to imply a fixed order to the steps; embodiments of the present invention can be practiced in any order that is practicable. In some embodiments, the method 100 may be implemented by a server or other device.
[0025] Processing begins at a step 102 during which a plurality of information segments are determined. As previously discussed above, an information segment can be or include a variety of things, such as, for example, a print advertisement, an electronic advertisement, promotion information, email message, coupon, music, education materials, entertainment, membership application, uniform resource locator (URL), image or graphic, software code, audio material, video material, animation, rich media, or an electronic signal or communication.
[0026] Determining a plurality of information segments during the step 102 may be done in a variety of ways. For example, a server implementing the method 100 may receive one or more of the plurality of information segments from a third party (e.g., an advertiser, a company placing advertisements) or retrieve one or more of the plurality of information segments from a database or third party. In some embodiments, a server or other device may request delivery of one or more information segments. In response, the server or other device may receive the information segments or information (e.g., a URL, a database address, a memory location) regarding where the information segments can be located, accessed, requested or retrieved or where the information segments are stored.
[0027] As a more specific example, an advertiser might provide a group of advertisements to a Web site server that can serve or display the advertisements on Web pages and target the advertisements so that each advertisement is only served to people meeting a social index associated with the advertisement. In this example, determining the information segments during the step 102 is completed by the server receiving the actual advertisements from the advertiser. As another example, the advertiser might provide a list of URL's where the advertisements can be retrieved or served from, the Web site server sending a request to retrieve or serve an advertisement to the URL associated with the advertisement when the advertisement is served or downloaded to a person meeting a social index associated with the advertisement. In this example, determining the information segments during the step 102 is completed by the server receiving information regarding the location or electronic address of the advertisements from the advertiser as opposed to the advertisements themselves.
[0028] In some embodiments, the information segments determined during the step 102 may have a social index
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