Abstract: A deal allocation platform is disclosed. The deal allocation platform may be configured to be used in multiple contexts, such as, for example, a batch processing context and a real-time context. Further, the deal allocation platform may be configured to reallocate users assigned to deals based on an approximation of a global optimization problem. In addition, the deal allocation platform may enable configuration of one or multiple experiments.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing programmatic testing of users to determine user attention for advertisements. In one embodiment, a system includes an advertising campaign framework having a testing platform, one or more application programming interfaces (APIs), and software components. A storage medium stores instructions of the testing platform, one or more APIs, and software components. Processing logic is configured to execute the instructions to receive a function call from an ad test software or an ad campaign software of an advertising entity, to provide a set of functionality for programmatically creating one or more tests to be displayed within an initiated software application of a user during an ad campaign to determine user attention during the one or more tests, and to generate a response that is sent to the ad test software or the ad campaign software of the advertising entity.

Abstract: A computerized polling system is provided. The polling system allows a polling user to ask a question posed to a plurality of answering users. The first user asks the questions and provides two or more graphical representations, each representation corresponding to one of the potential answers to the question. The system receives answers from the answering users and tallies them, providing a result with indications of how the answering users have answered, such as a percentage marking.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for finding predictive cross-category search queries for behavioral targeting in a networked online display advertising system. The methods include aggregating a training model dataset, the training model dataset comprising a history of clicks corresponding to historical advertisements. The training model dataset also contains plurality of targeting categories related to the history of clicks. Various techniques are disclosed for selecting a plurality of features from the training model dataset and calculating a click probability for a subject advertisement to be clicked by a user from a page, the calculating operations using features of the page that is to be presented to the user. Embodiments include mapping a particular query to one of the targeting categories and then presenting the subject advertisement selected on the basis of the value of the click probability. Normalization scales down the value of the click probabilities to filter out false positive categories.

Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to estimate local market audiences of media are disclosed herein. Disclosed example methods include determining a first audience metric based on set-top box (STB) return path tuning data obtained from STBs located in a first geographic area. The disclosed example methods also include determining a second audience metric from a portion of audience measurement data corresponding to a different second geographic area, the portion of the audience measurement data associated with monitored sites in the second geographic area having second STB characteristics that correspond with first STB characteristics of the STBs located in the first geographic area. The disclosed example methods further include determining a ratio of the first audience metric to the second audience metric, and processing the audience measurement data based on the ratio to determine an audience exposure metric estimating exposure to media in the first geographic area.

Abstract: A system and method are described for presenting on-line survey invitations to users over a network. The system enables selectively presenting survey invitations to users in accordance with a survey recruitment definition associated with a tag embedded within an on-line advertisement downloaded and executed on a user computer. If a determination is made by a survey recruitment server that a requestor is to be a potential control (unexposed) survey participant, then instructions are issued to the requesting user computer to obstruct presentation of the on-line advertisement which caused the issuance of the request for a survey invitation from the user computer.

Abstract: A method includes monitoring an activity stream to identify actions that match stored sponsored story specifications, for providing one or more sponsored stories to a viewing user. The sponsored story specifications include a visual specification for the sponsored story, and matched sponsored stories are ranked for a viewing user. Users can set privacy preferences related to sponsored stories. The ranking and privacy settings contribute to which sponsored stories are provided for display to the viewing user.

Abstract: Embodiments facilitate confidential and secure sharing of anonymous user profile data to improve the delivery of customized content. Embodiments of the invention provide a data appliance to an entity such as a business to convert profile data about the business's customers into anonymous identifiers. A similar data appliance is provided to a content provider in one embodiment to generate identifiers for its user profile data. Because the anonymous identifiers are generated with the same anonymization method, identical identifiers are likely generated from profile data of the same users. Therefore, the identifiers can be used to anonymously match the customers of the business to the users of the content provider. Therefore, data can be shared to improve customized content such as advertisements that the business wishes to place with the content provider without requiring the business to disclose customer data in an unencrypted form, and any non-matched data can remain confidential.

Abstract: Time-based media is distributed and promoted in a social networking environment. Accounts of a social networking system author social media content items (SMCIs) from which a social networking system infers relevance of content to users of those accounts. Content distributors submit time-based media content to the social networking system, which creates distributor SMCIs containing the time-based media content. Accounts are identified to receive distributor SMCIs based on SMCIs previously authored by those accounts as well as identifying information and the subject of the SMCI. Content promoters may add promotional material to distributor SMCIs, which the social networking service sends to additional accounts.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems are provided for scanning web sites and/or parsing web content, including for testing online opt-out systems and/or cookies used by online systems. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for testing an opt-out system associated with at least one advertising system that uses cookies. The method includes transmitting a first request to an opt-out system, wherein the first request corresponds to a first test for testing at least one of the opt-out system and an advertising system; receiving a first stream sent in response to the first request; determining a first outcome of the first test based on the first stream; and generating a report based on the first outcome.

Abstract: A system and method for on-line interactive learning and feedback is provided. The system elicits user responses and provides a means for the users to evaluate responses and receive feedback from other users and from subject matter experts.

Abstract: Techniques for identifying influential users of a social networking service are provided. Influential users may be identified via an algorithm in which an influence score is assigned to each user based at least in part on other members of the community users having taken an affirmative step with respect to the user's communications. Iterative processing may be performed, with each user's influence score being determined by contributions from other users, and each contribution being determined by the contributor's influence score as of a prior iteration. A map-reduce framework may be employed, with data representing the community being partitioned into a plurality of discrete shards, a map process corresponding to each shard calculating an influence score for users represented in the shard, and reduce processes ranking users according to influence score across all shards.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for presenting on-line survey invitations to users over a network. The system selectively presents survey invitations to users in accordance with a survey recruitment definition associated with a tag embedded within a Web page (node) downloaded and executed on a user computer. A particular survey is selected from a set of presently active surveys applied by a survey logic server to received requests based upon a category (node ID) provided by a user computer in accordance with the execution of logic contained in the survey recruitment definition.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention relates to tracking and analyzing a computer user's behavior after viewing a particular search result or a particular advertisement to assess the impact of having viewed the search result or advertisement.

Abstract: This present patent builds on 61/494,133 by providing specifics on the advertiser/marketer interface, advertisement feedback and reports on the advertising campaign effectiveness. The marketer interface allows the advertiser/marketer to set up an advertising campaign, link data to their 4P key words/phrases and generate reports to show the effectiveness of their advertising efforts.

Abstract: This invention includes a method for displaying ads in a search result page comprising displaying one or more pages with only search results without ads; and displaying one or more first tabs or links in the search results page, at one or more of the four sides of the page, whereas when a user clicks or taps on a first tab or link, ads from one or more advertisers are shown, either on one or more separate pages containing only these ads or on the same page with the search results.

Abstract: A method of providing targeted communications within a hyper-local domain from a first user to a second user, the method including receiving a communication from a first device, the first communication related to the hyper-local domain, receiving an input from a second device, comparing the input to the communication, and transmitting the communication to the second device, a third device, or combinations thereof, based on the comparing of the input to the communication.

Abstract: A system for serving localized advertisements receives data that defines an advertisement from an advertiser and determines a geographic location of the advertiser. The system also receives a request to serve an advertisement from a browser operated by a user and determines a geographic location associated with the user. The system communicates the advertisement to the browser if the geographic location associated with the user matches the geographic location of the advertiser.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and apparatus for determining brand awareness before dismissing a video advertisement. The method comprises receiving video content, advertising content, and a test question, wherein the test question tests brand awareness of a viewer of the advertising content; playing the advertising content; presenting the test question; stopping the advertising content when an input is received that correctly answers the test question; and playing the video content.

Abstract: A method for determining a user advertising rating can include sending set of one or more of the advertiser's advertisements to the user's wireless communication device; i) obtaining location information indicating the geographic area in which the user's wireless communication device was located, or was assumed to be located, at the time the user's wireless communication device received the advertisement and ii) associating the obtained location information with the advertisement; receiving an indication that the user responded to at least one of the one or more advertisements; and associating at least a first of the one or more advertisements with information indicating that the user responded to the advertisement and determining, using a computer processor, the user advertising rating associated with the user and the geographic area.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for establishing media data exposure, where a media device, such as a computer, radio, television and the like, receive media data and produces research data from it. The research data may be based on computer-based or computer network-based characteristics, ancillary codes or audio signatures. As the research data is being produced, an inductive coupling is sought for nearby portable computer devices. Once a portable computing device inductively couples to the media device, information is transferred, allowing a system to determine and/or verify that specific users were exposed to particular media data.

Abstract: A disclosed example method to determine audience duplication in cross-media campaigns involves determining a first duplicated audience reach between a total television audience and an internet publisher audience for a demographic group. The total television audience is representative of audience members across a plurality of television networks, and the internet publisher audience is representative of audience members across one of a plurality of internet publishers. The example method involves determining a second duplicated audience reach between the total television audience and the internet publisher audience for a media campaign based on the first duplicated audience reach. The example method involves determining a third duplicated audience reach between a television network audience and the internet publisher audience for the media campaign based on the second duplicated audience reach.

Abstract: Providing targeted content to a surfer by determining which content object of a group of content objects, will be best suited for presentation in association with a link on a requested web page. Content objects may include the text, topic, font, color or other attribute of an external or internal advertisement, as well as the specific design of the object, an image, the design of the page in which the object is presented, etc. Selection of a content object can be based on predictive information that is associated with the request (i.e. day and time of receipt, IP address of request, etc.) or historical information about the surfer.

Abstract: Enabling advertisers to evaluate performance of an email advertisement campaign is disclosed. An advertisement is circulated via email among the users of an email system and feedback associated with one or more of user actions or automated actions by the email system with respect to the circulated advertisement are detected. The feedback is analyzed to determine the performance of the email advertisement campaign across various user segments. Informative reports regarding the feedback are generated and provided to the advertiser for a charge by the email system provider.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for implementing enterprise level social and business information networking are provided. Users can receive relevant information about a database system and its users at an appropriate time. Users can then use this relevant information to reduce errors and limit redundant efforts. For example, an update of a record in the database can be identified, and a story created automatically about the update and sent to the users that are following the record. Other events besides updating of records can also be tracked. A variety of enhanced features and functions are also presented in the context of an enterprise level social and business information networking environment.

Abstract: Various of the disclosed embodiments contemplate television viewing behavior data collected from a plurality of television set top boxes by using aggregation to detect an excess or a deficit in viewership for a group of television set top boxes. In some embodiments, a group of set top boxes can be associated with a particular television service provider, cable television head-end, or data warehouse. Additionally, some embodiments can clean television viewing behavior data by detecting and correcting aberrant viewership in a time series, e.g. based on a weekly or an approximately monthly frequency. In some embodiments, the aberrant viewership can be detected by calculating a minimum expected number of viewers for a day and comparing it to the actual number of households that reported viewers for that day.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described including receiving content provided by a content provider, rendering the provided content, viewing a commercial, wherein the commercial was spliced into the content based on a default commercial selection algorithm at a commercial break, determining if the user wants to rate the commercial, accepting the users rating of the commercial if the user wants to rate the commercial, and communicating the commercial and the users rating of the commercial to one or more social networking sites.

Abstract: A method for detecting an advertisement includes sensing a first information associated with the advertisement by a first wearable-computing device, and identifying the advertisement from one of a multitude of stored advertisements. The method further includes requesting, in response to a user input, a second information associated with the identified advertisement.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems are described for bumping a mobile device, such as a smart phone, against a fixed poster board display at a store to initiate a download of coupons, advertisements, or other benefits to the mobile device. Products can be rated by a user's up/down bump or other bump patterns. Using accelerometer-based inertial measurements, multiple users can control multiple mouse cursors on a large display with their mobile devices in order to select information to be downloaded to their mobile devices. The multiple users can bump the display in order to select their items simultaneously.

Abstract: A popularity score or rating may be provided for a third-party content item. The popularity score may be compared with an average score of similar genre third-party content items to determine a relationship of the popularity score relative to the average score of similar genre third-party content items. A popularity or other visual indicator may be provided proximate to the third-party content item to provide a visual indication of the relationship. The popularity indicator may include a bar or a plurality of symbols in some implementations.

Abstract: A method for measuring the impact of advertising on brand perception is provided. The method utilizes a computing device to compare the perception of a brand from respondents who have been exposed to an advertising campaign with a second group of respondents who have not been exposed to the advertising campaign and calculating the percentage of change in the perception of the brand, across all respondents as a result of exposure to the advertising campaign.

Abstract: A system and method for populating and analyzing a member consumer profile database for implementing an incentive driven targeted product marketing program is disclosed. To implement the targeted product marketing program, personal profile information is collected from several member consumers and stored in a profile database. A group of the member consumers are identified and selected, and the promotion operator provides a promotion to this group on behalf of a sponsor. During and/or after the promotion, information is solicited from the member consumer about the promotion in exchange for rewards. In addition, interactive behavior information of the member consumer is tracked. The solicited information and the interactive behavior information can then be used to enrich the profile database for future promotions.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for providing social media data to brands comprising pairing a user with a brand in response to the user requesting a connection with the brand. A privacy agreement is made between the user and the brand to facilitate receiving social media data related to the user. A user data package is created that includes at least a portion of the social media data and the user data package includes data based on instructions from the brand. Data is removed from the user data package that is excluded by the privacy agreement to create a filtered data package. The filtered data package is then sent to the brand. Remote social media data is received from a remote social media network in response to the user selecting a link with the remote social media network and the remote social media data is added to the social media data.

Abstract: A process of creating incentives for wireless hotspots by a service provider is disclosed. An access point is provided to a wireless hotspot for wireless devices to wirelessly connect to a larger network in a publicly accessible location. Use of the access point for a portable device is authenticated by requesting submission of an account identifier to the service provider and billing data for a user of the portable device for use of the access point is generated. Use statistics are evaluated of the access point of the wireless hotspot by portables devices and an inducement is provided to the publicly accessible location based on the evaluated use statistics.

Abstract: Sentiment analysis of user feedback is performed, using uncertainty rules. Different levels of uncertainty associated with sentiment results of the sentiment analysis are determined, where the sentiment results identify user sentiments contained in the user feedback. At least one visualization of the sentiment result is provided, where the visualization has first visual indicators to represent respective user sentiments, and second visual indicators associated with the first visual indicators to represent respective levels of uncertainty associated with the respective user sentiments.

Abstract: A system and method are described for tracking on-line advertisement exposure information for particular user devices. Alternative approaches are proposed as alternatives to using cookies on user devices to maintain a summary of previous on-line advertisement exposure. A survey participant server maintains a database including elements containing the summary of previous on-line advertisement exposure, each element being associated with a unique identifier value assigned to a particular user device. Such information is subsequently used to administer on-line surveys presented to users via the user devices.

Abstract: The invention is an SMS distribution method for inquiries, invitations and proposals in which inquiries are sent to mobile telephone numbers included in a distribution list and their replies are collected as text messages via the SMS service (7) provided by the telecommunications network by means of a software program (1) installed on a server (2). The problem in distributing inquiries with existing SMS services has been the limited possibility of replying to the sending telecommunications operator and separating replies to several inquiries from one another. In the method embodied by this invention, universally reachable mobile network numbers (11) are used as reply addresses for the inquiries, invitations and proposals, and replies are separated from one another by means of reply addresses consisting of public mobile communication network numbers and SMS service numbers and automatically generated reply symbols.

Abstract: Advertisement user feedback data may be collected and provided to an advertisement decision engine. Advertisements may be presented to users via various electronic media such as digital television, Internet, software, etc., and advertisement feedback user interfaces may be provided to users in connection with such advertisements. An advertisement feedback user interface may be provided via the same electronic medium and device as the corresponding advertisements, or via a different electronic medium and/or device. User feedback data regarding electronic advertisements, as well as additional related data, may be received and provided to one or more advertisement decision engines. An advertisement decision engine may use the advertisement user feedback data to determine a future advertisement to be presented to one or more users at an advertisement insertion opportunity identified in one or more various electronic media.

Abstract: A method for determining changes in brand awareness after exposures to on-line advertisements includes: first selecting and monitoring a test group including a first plurality of members and a control group including a second plurality of members from a pool of users, whereby the first plurality of members and the second plurality of members do not overlap; second exposing the test group, but not the control group, to an advertisement associated with a brand; third conducting surveys of the first plurality of members and the second plurality of members with respect to the brand; and fourth analyzing the monitoring of the test group and the control group to determine a brand lift index with respect to the advertisement.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that records a user's interactions with online ads, and that detects associations between these interactions and subsequent purchases (such as in-store purchases). The system may include a mobile application that tracks the ad interactions and purchase events. Users control whether the associations between the purchases and ad interactions are divulged to an ad serving entity or any other entity. In return for divulging the associations, the user may be offered compensation. The system enables the ad serving entity to bill the advertiser on a pay-per-purchase basis, and enables advertisers to obtain clear performance indicators for their ads.

Abstract: A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a campaign business object.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for quickly and easily displaying supplemental information about an event occurring in a media asset. In some embodiments, a media application may use a content-recognition module to determine the context of an event and distribute itemized tasks to multiple entities in order to generate the supplemental information about the event.

Abstract: Techniques for advertising are provided. A mobile device is synchronized with a media feed playing on a separate device and metadata for products and services related to the media feed are presented on the mobile device. A user makes comments on selective products and services and actions are performed on the mobile device to assist the user in one or more of: acquiring additional information for the selected products and services, scheduling a time to try out the selected products and services, and purchasing and/or picking up the selected products and services.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer program product provide the ability to rate advertisement placement quality. First data is collected from a panel of opt-in users. The first data is information about advertisement exposure and first web pages visited. A system of web crawlers are used to visit and render second web pages in a web browser to extract web crawling data. The web crawling data is information about advertisement placement in the second web pages. The first data is processed and aggregated with the web crawling data. Based on the aggregated first data and web crawling data, an ad placement quality rating is computed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a plurality of table-top display devices for displaying advertising content associated with advertiser to patrons of a business establishment. Each of the plurality of table-top display devices includes a display screen configured to display the advertising content, a data storage configured to store content data that defines the advertising or promotional content, and a control unit configured to access the content data in the data storage and control the display of the advertising content on the display screen. The display screen is a touchscreen display. The system also includes a server subsystem configured to allow user selection of the content data and to facilitate distribution of the content data to the plurality of table-top display devices. Distribution of the advertising content to the plurality of table-top display devices is at least partially managed by the advertiser.

Abstract: An online system stores profiles describing characteristics of a plurality of users. An advertisement is presented to a first group of users. A subset of the first group, comprising a second group of users, provides explicit negative feedback for the advertisement. The negative feedback indicates the users' lack of interest in the advertisement. The online system identifies characteristics of the second group of users and determines a cluster of users other than the users in the first group. For each user in the cluster, the online system determines whether to provide the advertisement to the user based at least in part on the user's inclusion in the cluster.

Abstract: A social networking system stores a plurality of objects and displays advertisements related to the objects to users of the system. If a user dislikes an advertisement, the user may provide explicit negative feedback for the advertisement. When the social networking system receives the negative feedback, a list of reasons for the user's dislike is presented to the user, who may select one or more of the reasons. If the user selects a user-specific reason, the object represented by the advertisement is added to a negative interests list for the user. If the user selects an advertisement-specific reason, the negative feedback is used to determine a quality score for the advertisement.

Abstract: Items—including gourmet products—are evaluated and rated by participants in a controlled event, which can be coordinated by software locally or at a dedicated website. Event data, including item scores and participant scores can be shared with vendors, merchants and other commercial entities associated with the products. Promotional incentives from such entities for the products (and related products) can then be directly targeted and provided to participants and other members of the public. The participant's activities can also be collected and disseminated to affiliates/friends of the participants through social networking sites, personalized web pages, etc.

Abstract: An ad publishing system measures the effectiveness of an advertisement by determining whether recipients of the advertisement recall receiving it. This measurement is accomplished by polling a subset of the recipients of the advertisement as to whether they recall receiving, viewing, or otherwise being exposed to the advertisement. The market segment characteristics of the recipients and the subset of recipients are accounted for to improve the relevance of the polling responses. Market segment characteristics are determined using information describing recipients such as demographic information, psychographic information, or other information identifying likes, dislikes, interests, consuming habits, personal connections, group affiliations, internet browsing history, and other similar information. The responses to the recall poll can be used to calculate an effectiveness score of the advertisement as a function of market segment, advertisement publisher platform, or other variables.

Abstract: A method for recruiting a mobile app user to participate in a survey includes the steps of receiving a user id from the mobile device app, transmitting notification information to the mobile device, wherein the notification information is displayable by the mobile device to present an option of participating or declining participation in the survey, receiving participation information that reflects a participation state of the survey, and updating a non-recruitment period persistently stored in association with the user id in accordance with a rules database depending on the participation information.