WO2003036846A2

WO2003036846A2 - Integrated interactive learning games of advertising information

Info

Publication number: WO2003036846A2
Application number: PCT/US2002/033572
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick Teste; Paulina Teste
Original assignee: Ad Memory Llc
Priority date: 2001-10-20
Filing date: 2002-10-17
Publication date: 2003-05-01
Also published as: AU2002363120A1; WO2003036846A3

Abstract

The method is for teaching consumers corporate information in which the consumer provides a consumer profile (61) and a corporate entity provides a target profile (77). The consumer profile is matched with the target profile. The consumer is given a first question or display (76) based on the matching wherein the first question is related to a commercial message so as to learn about and be tested on the commercial information (202). The consumer interactively responds to the first question. The consumer is awarded when a correct answer is given and a second question is displayed. The first question is repeated at a later time when an incorrect answer is given.

Description

Integrated Interactive Learning Games of Advertising Information

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to techniques for electronically delivering advertising information and more particularly to techniques for interactively teaching consumers corporate logotypes, corporate information and information about products as well as accomplishing surveys and obtaining feedback from consumers to corporations. Furthermore, the invention relates to techniques relating to rewarding consumers for learning electronic messages and measurement techniques for measuring the effectiveness of the learning process of these messages.

Background^' and Summary of the Invention

Consumers are today flooded with advertisements that make traditional advertising less efficient.

Consumers' attention is hard to catch since there are more television channels than ever to tune in to, more radio stations, more holiday destinations, more news papers, and more activities to choose from; not to mention the explosion of information available on the Internet .

In today's world of passive advertisement viewing, it is widely accepted that in both the online and offline worlds, the average viewer requires nine exposures to an advertisement before the viewer begins to recognize the company and associate it with the product or service it provides. In addition, two out of three advertisements go unnoticed by people who are more interested in reading content than advertising. Thus, brand recognition requires exposing the consumers to a commercial message twenty-seven times before branding of the mark is likely to occur.

Previously known are techniques for rewarding consumers for viewing commercials and reading advertising messages. For example, US Patent 5,794,210 relates to a system and methods for attention brokering and orthogonal sponsorship in an information delivery network. The fundamental premise underlying the known concept is the idea that a consumer's attention is a valuable commodity that makes it possible for the advertiser to pay consumers directly for their time and attention. However, today's systems make it only possible for advertisers to buy the attention of consumers. There exists no product on the market that can guarantee the effect of the attention and time spent by the consumer. This means that for the available systems, advertisers can only pay for attention and click troughs and not for memorized or learned messages. The most common payment measurements today are CPM, Cost per Mule, payment for thousand impressions and CPC, Cost per Click.

Previously known are also memory games, games with question and answers and educational software. For example, US Patent 6,024,572 relates to means for adding educational enhancements to computer games where questions and answers can be included in the computer games. There are also adutainment and edutainment games in which advertisement is integrated in a gaming context. Regarding the edutainment and adutainment games, the advertiser can again only pay for the attention of the player while playing the game and not for memorized or learned messages.

The present invention overcomes the above disadvantages of the prior art and has an object of providing a system where people study and are tested on their knowledge of brand names, logotypes, slogans, corporate core values and related information. The consumers are financially rewarded once they get the answers right and show that they have memorized and recognized the commercial message. The invention presents a new form of marketing in which the marketing is both integrated, i.e., the advertising message is not separate from the content, and interactive so that the player interacts with the advertising message. It is yet another object of the present invention to match customer profiles with corporate target audience that means that corporations can choose profiles of players that will memorize their messages. It is still another object of the present invention that it is shaped as a game with different levels achieving different marketing purposes, i.e., one level is for teaching logotypes while another is for teaching slogans etc. More particularly, the present invention is a method of teaching corporate information to a consumer or player. The player provides a player profile to a service provider. The corporate entity provides a consumer target profile and a game plan associated with the target profile. The player profile is compared with the target profile. A first display is provided of the game to the player when the player profile matches the target profile. The first display is related to corporate information. The player interactively responds to the first display and is awarded when a correct answer is given. A second display is then shown for the player to respond to. The test results of all players are automatically kept in the database and the system creates detailed reports of results and consumer profiles of every campaign.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is an overview flow chart showing the flow of information and money between the different parties using the game of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a flow chart of the information flow related to a player of the game of the present invention;

Figs. 3a-c show examples of three different game levels of the game of the present invention; and Fig. 4 is a schematic example list of game plans of the present invention. Description of Preferred Embodiments

With reference to Figs. 1-3, the game of the present invention may be used for teaching consumers corporate logotypes, corporate information and information about products as well as accomplishing surveys, evaluating web pages, distributing e-mail addresses and obtaining feedback from consumers to corporations. The game also rewards consumers for learning electronic messages and includes measurement techniques for measuring the effectiveness of the learning of these messages. An important feature of the present invention is that it allows a new business model in which companies only pay for market and promotional information that have been learned by the players. Fig. 1 shows an overview of a preferred embodiment of the game system 48 of the present invention implemented in an incentive award service. The information input from organization or corporate entities 50, 52 is in communication with a database server 5 of the game service provider 56. This information may include campaign data and input information such as text, video and audio. The amount of money corresponding to the cost of each campaign may also be stored in the database server 5. The provider 56 may have a game server that can be programmed in PHP where the session treatment keeps track of the condition of each campaign and related games. The server may be asked about every match made by the players and all factual game intelligence may be on the server. The corporate entities 50, 52 may be any type of entity including a company that has an interest in teaching target customers certain information such as corporate information, commercial messages, logotypes, trademarks etc. as outlined above. The entity 50 may cooperate with the entity 52 so that, for example, the entity 50 is the producer that wants consumers, such as a consumer 60, to learn about its products, logos and other commercial corporate information while entity 52 is an advertising firm or media agent. A personal computer 58, or any other suitable communication device, of the consumer or player 60 is also in communication with the database 5. Preferably, the computer 58 may communicate with the database via the Internet or any other suitable network. The computer 58 may also be any other communication device such as a mobile Internet device, DV TV or another communication device. While playing the game, the database 5 stores information in real time about the result of the learning and the money earned by the player 60. The player 60 is used as an example and it is to be understood that thousands of players may play the game system 48. The database 5 contains information about the players 60 such as demographic, psycho graphic and geographic information necessary for targeting the corporate target audiences and matching information according to specific profiles demanded by the entities 50 and 52. As explained in detail below, the database 5 may also store information related to each player's account including information about the incentive award service such as total winnings, today's winnings and money available for donations. The database further contains email address information about the player 60 that enables direct electronic communication with the player 60. The database also has the capability of registering new users as well as identifying logged-in registered players. The database connection and the sessions can be treated in PHP or any other language or protocol. PHP may be a server-side language that has cross-platform HTML scripting embedded therein.

Fig. 2 shows an example of the information flow between the player 60 and the game service 48. In a start process 15, a login or connect signal 62 is sent by the player 60 to a dial up service 16. The service 16 receives the signal 62 and sends a display signal 64 to display a first web page 17 for the player 60. The layout of the page can be coded in raw HTML and include links to information, the player's account information as well as to the game unit 20 that displays the game itself.

The page 17 may enquire whether the player 60 is registered or not. If the player 60 is already registered, the player 60 can initiate an enter signal 89 to the game unit 20 to start the game. The player 60 may also send a view signal 90 to a personal page 21 that, for example, may show previous game activities of the player 60 and how much money has been won. If the player 60 is not registered, the page 17 may send a register signal 66 to register the player in a register unit 18. During the registration process, the player 60 is asked to provide personal information by sending a personal information signal 8 (see Fig. 1) to the database 5 to create a player profile 61. The signal 8 may include information such as age, interests, opinions, country, email address and income. Any type of personal information may be included in the signal 8. As is explained later, the player 60 may be asked for more personal information later in the game in order to receive money from the game system 48 or to enter next level in the game.

Before the game is started, the entity 50 preferably has delivered input information 70 to the database 5 of the service provider 56. In the alternative, the entity 50 may send information 72 to the entity 52 that, in turn, forwards information 74 to the database 5. The information signals 70, 74 may include information about the type of information 75 that the players should learn and profiles 77 of suitable players. For example, the information 75 may relate to names of new products and slogans, logotypes and other company information that the corporate entities 50, 52 would like the player 60 to learn about. As explained below, there are game plans that may be selected to teach the consumers about the information 75. The service provider 56 may charge the entities 50, 52 more when the customer profiles of the signals 70, 74 are relatively specific customer profiles 77 so that a careful matching between the customer profiles 77 and the player profiles 61 must be made before the game is made accessible to selected players such as to the player 60 when the profile of the player 60 matches the requirements of the customer profile 77. The game service provider 56 may charge a lower price to the corporate entities when the customer profiles of the signals 70, 74 are very general. The entities 50, 52 send payments 3a, 3b to the service provider 56. The size of the payments may depend upon the segmentation and the number of players chosen by the entities 50 and 52.

The game system 48 may have several game plans depending upon the purpose of the information that the selected player 60 is to learn. For example, one game plan could be branding of a trademark. Another game plan could be ethical marketing to spread information about the ethical accomplishments of the entities 50, 52 such as the environmental efforts and awareness of the entities. Once the player 60 is registered and selected, the unit 18 sends an enter signal 68 to the game unit 20. The game unit 20 may communicate in a communication signal 96 with the database 5 and the unit 20 may be used to match the player profile 61 provided by the player 60 and the customer profile requirements 77 of the information signals 70, 74 sent by the entities 50, 52. It is to be understood that there is also an information flow back to the entities 50, 52 that explains the double arrows of the signals 70, 74, respectively. For example, as explain below, the entities 50, 52 may obtain information about the test results of the players to evaluate the effectiveness of the information on which the players are tested. As a result of this matching, a specific game display 76 (see Fig. 1) , related to the matched profiles, appears on the computer 58 of the player 60. The display 76 may depend upon which of the 12 games listed in Fig. 4, the entities 50, 52 would like the player 60 to play. The display 76 may include a scoring box 78 that indicates the amount of money that the player 60 has earned by playing the game . The amount in the scoring box 78 increases every time the player 60 has given a correct answer to the questions or correctly carried out the tasks of the game .

When the game 20 is finished or when the player 60 does not feel like playing more, the player 60 may initiate a log out signal 80 to a log out device 24. In the alternative, the player 60 may, prior to logging out, send a view signal 82 to go to the personal page 21. The page 21 may show the game and account history of the player 60 and how much money the player 60 has earned and donated to charity. The player 60 may initiate a transfer signal 84 to take out money 22 or send a donate signal 86 to transfer the money to a donation receiving unit 23. The player 60 may also send a logout signal 88 from the page 21 to the log out device 24.

Figs. 3a-3c show examples of game plans. Different game plans are used for different marketing purposes. Learning activities for branding purposes are for example teaching and testing of corporate logotypes, slogans and jingles. Other game plans may be developed for product attribute communication, ethical marketing, website navigation and evaluation, member recruiting and customer communication. These may, for example, include teaching and testing of corporate products, efforts taken place by corporations to improve ethics and the environment, multiple choice questions, surveys and communication feedback from players to the corporate entities, links to corporate web pages, member recruiting services and audio/video information. More particularly, Fig. 3a shows a logo game 25 that is a game plan of the present invention displayed in a display 97. The game 25 has a plurality of turnable game squares 96 that may be turned by the player 60. The game squares are divided into two groups 103, 105, one that hides logotypes and one that covers names of corresponding organizations. Once one square in one of the groups has been turned, a logo 98 is displayed. After clicking on a square in the other group 100 a name of an organization is shown. If the logo and the name do not match, the square with the name of the organization is automatically turned back and the correct company name, such as the telephone equipment manufacturer Ericsson, appears in a display 104 above the squares 96. If the player 60 makes a correct click match 98, 100 the matched logo and name of the organization will be highlighted and then disappear from the game-board. The player 60 must therefore remember behind which squares the various logos and names of organizations are located, as well as remembering which logo that matches the name of each organization. When the correct click match 98, 100 has been made, the player 60 is rewarded with money and the display 78 is increased. When the display 78 is increased, the charge by the service provider 56 to, for example, the corporate entity 50 is also increased.

Preferably, the increase to the entity 50 is greater than the amount paid to the player 60 so that the service provider 56 may make a profit. In this way, it is possible to use a business model in which the corporate entity 50 only pays the service provider 56 for successful or correct answers provided by the consumer/player 60.

Fig. 3b shows a match slogan game 27 in which the player 60 is asked to match a slogan 110 with company names 112a-f shown in a display 114. When the correct company name, such as the company name 112b, has been correctly identified as matching the slogan 110, the player 60 receives yet another money award to increase the amount in the display 78.

Similarly, Fig 3c shows a jingle game 77. A jingle 79 is played and the player 60 can choose between different names of organizations or images 108a-f. If a correct match between the organization 108b and the jingle 79 is made, the player 60 receives a money award that increases the display 78. If the answer given by the player is incorrect the correct answer is shown in the display 113.

Other game plans may include an information segment and a question segment. For example, the information segment may relate to corporate information such as size, number of employees, numbers of international offices. When the player identifies the correct answer, the player is awarded with more money. A game plan may have an information segment about the corporation's products. The player is then asked questions about the information in the information segment. A game plan may be related to the corporation's efforts in the ethical and environmental areas and the player is then tested on this information with questions. Another game plan may relate to the main activities of the corporation and the main and new products to make them more known to the player 60. Through a game plan a player can learn and get tested on which famous people that are related to the corporation image or products. Another game plan can make the player match video clips with organizations. There may also be a game plan following another that ask a yes or no question, for example asks about the willingness of a player to have a membership offered by the entities 50, 52. If the member clicks yes, the e-mail address of the player 60 will be distributed to the organization. The player may also be asked to go into the corporation's web site to find certain information in order to find the answers to questions. For example, the player may in this way become more familiar with a new product that is promoted on the web site or give his/her opinion about the site. The system can also measure the time it takes for the player to find certain information on the web page and the test result is stored in the database. The corporation may also conduct surveys to which the player must respond with his/her opinion. The player is rewarded for any answer since there is no right or wrong answer. Fig. 4 shows an example list of game plans 198 in which plans has a game column 200 and the type of company information 202 tested by the game 204a-204p. The corporate entity 50, or the advertising company 52, may select the game 204a-204p that is going to be played by the player 60. It should be understood that additional game plans could be used.

An important feature of all the game plans is that the player not only obtains and reads marketing and product information but also actively learns and get tested on the information and that the player is only rewarded and that it is possible to let the sponsoring corporation only pay for learned information. The player learns the information due to the interactive nature of the game. It is difficult or even impossible for the player to answer the questions correctly without actively engaging herself in the game. The answers are scored to develop a test result that may be stored in a database that may be made available to the corporate entity or to the sponsor of the game so that the corporate entity can study the effectiveness of the commercial message and the game of the present invention.

In other words, the player is not likely to score by just passively clicking without really reading and understanding the questions. When the player answers incorrectly, this question may either be repeated later during the same game session or be stored in the player's database so that the question is repeated the next time the player plays the game until the question is answered correctly. It should be pointed out, that the results from the players are stored in the database. This allows a business model in which corporations do not pay any fees to the game service provider as long as the player does not answer correctly.

Preferably, the player cannot decide which game to play. One determining factor for which game is displayed is the matching of the player profile 61, provided by the player 60, with the targeted consumer profiles 77, provided by the sponsoring corporations 50, 52. The sponsoring corporation preferably selects one or many of the games 204a-204p from the game plan 198. The selected game, such as the game 204a may have several questions such as a first question 206.

While the present invention has been described in accordance with preferred compositions and embodiments, it is to be understood that certain substitutions and alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims .

Claims

We claim :

1. A method of teaching a consumer corporate information, comprising: a corporate entity 50, 52 selecting a game 204a-l; providing a first display 97, 11, 114 of the game 204a-l to a consumer 60, the first display being related to corporate information; the consumer 60 interactively responding to the game of the first display to learn about and be tested on the corporate information to develop a test result ,- awarding the consumer 60 when a correct answer is given to the game of the first display; and storing the test result in a database.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises sending the test result to the corporate entity.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises repeating the first display at a later time when the consumer 60 gives an incorrect answer .

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the consumer providing a player profile 61 and the corporate entity providing a target profile 77.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the consumer matching logos 98, jingles 79, text or images with a corporate name 102.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein the method further comprises a game unit 20 comparing the player profile 61 of the consumer 60 with the target profile 77 and selecting the consumer 60 when the player profile 61 matches the target profile 77.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises a service provider 56 charging the corporate entity 50, 52 for correct answers provided by the selected consumer 60.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the corporate entity 50, 52 only paying the service provider 56 for correct answers provided by the consumer 60.