Abstract: Techniques are described for facilitating the awarding of prizes in chance-based contests in various ways, such as chance-based contests which are part of promotional advertising, etc. In at least some embodiments, the techniques include facilitating the awarding of prizes at the time a contestant enter or plays the contests, while awarding a selected number of prizes, which may be determined before the contest starts. In at least some embodiments, the techniques include employing an award counter to control awarding of prizes in a chance-based contest. For example, an award counter may be incremented at random or pseudo-random times. In at least some embodiments, the contest is associated with a location-based virtual group of users that has one or more associated geographical areas.

Abstract: The method, apparatus and computer program product described herein is configured to train and deploy a predictive model that is configured to generate a predicted ROI value for a provider with respect to a current promotion or a future promotion. An example embodiment may comprise receiving input indicative of one or more attributes of a provider or a promotion. The example embodiment may further comprise generating at least one of a predicted return on investment (ROI) value or a predicted ROI component value based at least in part on the one or more attributes of the provider or the promotion and a ROI prediction model. The method may further still comprise generating a merchant impact report including the at least one of the predicted ROI value or the predicted ROI component value for the promotion.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for mobile location based sales lead identification. Sales lead information may be provided based on a reference location, such as a sales resource real time location. Additional location information, demand information, competitive information, activity history, follow-up tasks, sales resource ownership information and past promotions relating to a particular sales lead may be additionally provided. The mobile location based sales lead information may allow a sales resource to efficiently manage their time during and in between sales visits, and prepare effective sales pitches to sales leads.

Abstract: The unified payment system, product and method provide an effective and efficient way to better communicate to a merchant the value of running a promotion and determine a deal structure that works for the merchant, the customer, the promotion system, or any combination thereof. The unified payment system, product and method provide real-time ROI calculations that a merchant and sales representative can collaboratively simultaneously work on to identify a deal structure for the merchant to select. In this way, the merchant and sales representative may arrive at a mutually acceptable payment plan.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to score elements of a structure database. The method includes accessing a structure database comprising one or more promotion options, one or more promotion option structures, and one or more promotion structures, wherein each promotion structure comprises one or more of the promotion option structures, each promotion option structure corresponds to one or more of the promotion options, and each promotion option is associated with at least one service. The method further includes generating a promotion option score for each promotion option in the structure database, generating, by a processor, a promotion option structure score for each promotion option structure in the structure database, and generating a promotion structure score for each promotion structure in the structure database. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for assigning, calculating or determining a provider quality score. An example method comprises capturing metric information from a web source, the metric information indicative of a product, service, or experience performance of a provider. For example each of a number of reviews and the total number of reviews may be captured. The method may further comprise assigning a provider quality score.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve the process of generating promotions. The method includes identifying a promotion structure for approval, the promotion structure defining a promotion to be displayed via a promotion and marketing service and determining whether the promotion structure satisfies automatic approval requirements, the automatic approval requirements including one or more parameters relating to the promotion structure. The method further includes in an instance in which the promotion structure satisfies the automatic approval requirements, automatically approving the promotion structure for display via the promotion and marketing service, and in an instance in which the promotion structure does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, indicating that the promotion structure cannot be automatically approved. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for updating a structure database. The method includes accessing a corpus of machine readable text generated based on a plurality of promotions, wherein each of the plurality of promotions comprises at least one promotion option associated with at least one service, and extracting features from the promotion options, the features being mapped to services associated with respective promotion options from which the features are extracted. The method further includes identifying one or more components associated with the extracted features, tagging, using a processor, each promotion option with every component associated with at least one feature of the promotion option, and updating a structure database using the tagged promotion options. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to score elements of a structure database. The method includes accessing a structure database comprising one or more promotion options, one or more promotion option structures, and one or more promotion structures, wherein each promotion structure comprises one or more of the promotion option structures, each promotion option structure corresponds to one or more of the promotion options, and each promotion option is associated with at least one service. The method further includes generating a promotion option score for each promotion option in the structure database, generating, by a processor, a promotion option structure score for each promotion option structure in the structure database, and generating a promotion structure score for each promotion structure in the structure database. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for generating a promotion structure. The method includes receiving an indication of a service offered by a merchant and presenting one or more tiles based on one or more promotion option structures, wherein each tile includes at least one option and a descriptor associated with each included option. The method further includes receiving one or more selections, and generating, by a processor, the promotion structure based on the received one or more selections. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for setting a benchmark conversion rate. An example method comprises accessing user search data, the user search data generated by a user interacting with a promotion and marketing service to identify a requested promotion, generating an identification pair for the search data, the identification pair comprising an identification of a promotion tuple and a geographic subdivision, generating a search velocity based on the generated identification pairs, accessing a conversion rate for the promotion tuple in a plurality of geographic subdivisions and setting a benchmark rate for a promotion tuple, the benchmark rate corresponding to the conversion rate of a subdivision of the plurality of subdivisions based on the subdivision satisfying at least one of a search velocity threshold, a prime merchant metric threshold or a conversion rate threshold.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for assigning, calculating or determining a provider quality score. An example method comprises capturing metric information from a web source, the metric information indicative of a product, service, or experience performance of a provider. For example each of a number of reviews and the total number of reviews may be captured. The method may further comprise assigning a provider quality score.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve the process of generating promotions. The method includes identifying a promotion structure for approval, the promotion structure defining a promotion to be displayed via a promotion and marketing service and determining whether the promotion structure satisfies automatic approval requirements, the automatic approval requirements including one or more parameters relating to the promotion structure. The method further includes in an instance in which the promotion structure satisfies the automatic approval requirements, automatically approving the promotion structure for display via the promotion and marketing service, and in an instance in which the promotion structure does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, indicating that the promotion structure cannot be automatically approved. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing location-based information and functionality to people and computing devices in various ways. In at least some situations, the techniques include enabling multiple people in a common geographic area to interact in various ways, such as via devices capable of communications (e.g., cellular telephones, computing devices with wired and/or wireless communications capabilities, etc.), while in other situations at least some users who are remote from a particular geographic area may be allowed to intercommunicate with one or more other users or other entities in or related to that geographic area. In addition, the techniques include enabling the creation and maintenance of location-based virtual groups of users (also referred to as “clouds”), such as for users of mobile and/or fixed-location devices. Such clouds may enable various types of interactions between group members, and may be temporary and/or mobile.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for assigning leads. An example for method for assigning leads comprises receiving a list of one or more merchants, wherein the one or more merchants comprise a sales value and an indication of an ability to provide a service associated with at least one demanded offer, accessing sales resource data comprising at least one or more sales resources and an associated capacity for contacting one or more merchants, assigning one or more sales resources an assignment probability number, wherein an assignment probability number represents a probability that a sales resource will be randomly assigned a next supply source in an assignment process, adjusting an assignment probability number based on the associated capacity, and assigning at least a portion of the one or more merchants according to at least the assignment probability number of the one or more sales resource and the sales value of the one or more merchants.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for setting a benchmark conversion rate. An example method comprises accessing user search data, the user search data generated by a user interacting with a promotion and marketing service to identify a requested promotion, generating an identification pair for the search data, the identification pair comprising an identification of a promotion tuple and a geographic subdivision, generating a search velocity based on the generated identification pairs, accessing a conversion rate for the promotion tuple in a plurality of geographic subdivisions and setting a benchmark rate for a promotion tuple, the benchmark rate corresponding to the conversion rate of a subdivision of the plurality of subdivisions based on the subdivision satisfying at least one of a search velocity threshold, a prime merchant metric threshold or a conversion rate threshold.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for providing a dashboard. An example method comprises determining, using a processor, a total demand for one or more promotion tuples, identifying a current supply, wherein the current supply is identified in an instance in which the current supply is usable to satisfy the total demand, determining one or more demand gaps based on a difference between the total demand and the current supply, providing a first view in a lead dashboard, the first view comprising at least one of a total demand, current supply or one or more demand gaps, receiving a selection of one of a plurality of granularities of either a location or category, and refining the first view into a second view, the second view comprising additional granularity of at least one of a total demand, current supply or one or more demand gaps when compared to the first view.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for generating a promotion structure. The method includes receiving an indication of a service offered by a merchant and presenting one or more tiles based on one or more promotion option structures, wherein each tile includes at least one option and a descriptor associated with each included option. The method further includes receiving one or more selections, and generating, by a processor, the promotion structure based on the received one or more selections. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for assigning leads. An example for method for assigning leads comprises receiving a list of one or more merchants, wherein the one or more merchants comprise a sales value and an indication of an ability to provide a service associated with at least one demanded offer, accessing sales resource data comprising at least one or more sales resources and an associated capacity for contacting one or more merchants, assigning one or more sales resources an assignment probability number, wherein an assignment probability number represents a probability that a sales resource will be randomly assigned a next supply source in an assignment process, adjusting an assignment probability number based on the associated capacity, and assigning at least a portion of the one or more merchants according to at least the assignment probability number of the one or more sales resource and the sales value of the one or more merchants.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for managing a sales pipeline, and in some embodiments, generating demand based on real time demand and predicted demand.