Abstract: Methods, computer systems, and computer-storage media are provided for utilizing a quality-weighted generalized second-price auction to rank, price, and allocate advertisements for presentation on a results page. Advertisements responsive to a search query are identified, and a rank score is determined for each of the advertisements. The rank score is determined based on a quality score associated with each of the advertisements as well as a bid price for each of the advertisements. The satisfied click-through-rate for an advertisement is used as a proxy metric for the quality score. The quality score is further used to determine the cost-per-click of the advertisement. Certain quality metrics may also be utilized to determine the number of advertisements that should be presented on the results page in order to maximize publisher revenue and minimize user cost.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to evaluate advertising campaigns.

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: Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture facilitate analysis of a person's affective valence and arousal. A machine learning classifier is trained using training data created by (1) exposing individuals to eliciting stimuli, (2) recording extended facial expression appearances of the individuals when the individuals are exposed to the eliciting stimuli, and (3) obtaining ground truth of valence and arousal evoked from the individuals by the eliciting stimuli. The classifier is thus trained to analyze images with extended facial expressions (such as facial expressions, head poses, and/or gestures) evoked by various stimuli or spontaneously obtained, to estimate the valence and arousal of the persons in the images. The classifier may be deployed in sales kiosks, online trough mobile and other devices, and in other settings.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using a digital image in a social networking system may use digital image to identify a physical entity. Information about the identified physical entity may be provided to an electronic display for review by a user. The user may perform a social networking action with the identified physical entity or a website associated with the physical entity. Social networking actions may include rating or commenting about the physical entity or the associated website via a social networking system. Social networking actions may also include sharing information about the physical entity or associated website with another user via the social networking system.

Abstract: An example system includes: identifying campaigns for content distribution for which conversion information has been collected over time and stored in a database in computer storage, where the identified campaigns have at least one subject in common; for each of at least some of the campaigns, performing operations that include: identifying distribution clusters associated with the campaign, and determining relative conversion rates for the distribution clusters; and using relative conversion rates for distribution clusters, which have one or more features in common and are in different campaigns, in determining how to allocate resources for the content distribution.

Abstract: A method and a system to correlate location and content. For example, data is received from a client device that includes current geographical position data identifying a geographical position of the client device. A vendor having a geographical location within a specified distance of the geographical position of the client device is identified. An offer from the vendor within the distance of the client device is returned to the client device.

Abstract: A method and system for managing media advertising campaigns accesses a set of programming data that contains various attributes of media assets that a media service provider will present to consumers. A media advertising campaign manager receives various buyer criteria for the inclusion of advertisements in a buyer's advertising campaign. The system uses the attributes in the data set to develop an advertising campaign that satisfies the buyer's criteria. In various embodiments, the method system may consider buyer preferences, seller criteria, and campaign requests for other buyer's so that the advertising campaign is developed in a manner that maximizes a revenue opportunity for the media service provider.

Abstract: Provided are a system and a method that compares a client's brand to competitors' brands using normalized reference benchmarks. The normalized reference benchmarks are produced utilizing social media metrics. The system and method also provide constructive feedback on how the client can obtain a higher normalized reference benchmark. Also provided is a computer program code that implements the method steps.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium for measuring lift. A method includes: receiving requests for content for which a first content item is an eligible content item; delivering the first content item along with a first pixel that identifies the delivery of the first content item to a first portion of the received requests; delivering a second, different content item along with a second pixel that identifies the non-delivery of the first content item to a second portion of the received plurality of requests rather than the first content item; evaluating searches performed by users that received the first content item as compared to users that received the second content item including using the first pixel and second pixel in evaluating search logs associated with search requests performed by users; and presenting lift data to a sponsor associated with the first content item.

Abstract: For a plurality of subscribers of network content, a first value per subscriber of may be determined. The determination may be based on conversion data associated with a first advertisement. The first value per subscriber may be compared with a value associated with a second advertisement. The effectiveness of the second advertisement may be evaluated based on the comparison.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved approach for performing opportunity association and attribution analysis. An advanced rules framework is provided to automatically infer associations between a set of marketing data and a set of sales data, allowing advanced revenue funnel analytics to be performed to measure marketing campaigns.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from an advertiser, an identification of one or more products in a catalog of the advertiser. The method may further include accessing an information graph that contains nodes and edges connecting the nodes. The nodes in the graph represent concepts related to at least one vertical. The method further includes associating a first node in the graph with a second node in the graph based on a relationship between the meaning of the concept represented by the first node and the meaning of the concept represented by the second node. A portion of the graph corresponds to an advertiser's product catalog. The method may further include identifying, based on the portion of the graph corresponding to the products identified by the advertiser, one or more products or product types related to the products identified by the advertiser.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing promotional content are provided. Criteria defining a plurality of different activity-related modes for a user of a mobile station are stored. A message from the mobile station containing that contains information about an activity engaged in by the user is received through a mobile communication network. One of the activity-related modes for a user of a mobile station is selected upon determining that the information about the activity satisfies at least one criterion corresponding to the selected activity-related mode. Promotional content associated with the selected activity-related mode is obtained. The obtained promotional content is transmitted through the mobile communication network to the mobile station for presentation to the user.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine efficiencies of media delivery across platforms are disclosed. An example method includes obtaining a first effectiveness metric for a first platform, obtaining a first reach of the first platform with respect for a target group of audience members, and calculating a first performance metric based on the first effectiveness metric and the first reach.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to measure exposure to mobile advertisements are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a panelist database containing first time-location data identifying a first set of physical locations of a first vehicle at corresponding points in time; an advertising vehicle database containing second time-location data identifying a second set of physical locations of a second vehicle at corresponding points in time, the second vehicle to display a first advertisement; and credit logic to determine whether to credit the first vehicle with an exposure to the first advertisement based on the first time-location data and the second time-location data.

Abstract: An advertisement distribution device includes: an arrangement position acquisition unit configured to acquire an arrangement position on a display screen of a terminal to display advertisement information; an attention degree index extracting unit configured to extract an attention degree index of the arrangement position based on acquisition of a specific position on the display screen and an attention degree index of the specific position; an arrangement position ranking unit configured to rank a plurality of arrangement positions based on a plurality of attention degree indices extracted by the attention degree index extracting unit; a distribution information ranking unit configured to rank a plurality of pieces of advertisement information based on a predetermined ranking process; and a distribution unit configured to distribute the plurality of pieces of advertisement information based on the ranks of the plurality of pieces of advertisement information and the ranks of the plurality of arrangement posi

Abstract: A method and a system for analyzing traffic on a website are disclosed, the website being arranged on a server. The method comprises the steps of allowing a visitor to perform multiple visits on the website, and monitoring navigations and/or actions performed by the visitor during each visit while accumulating value points in accordance with content viewed by the visitor and actions performed by the visitor, and in accordance with predefined value point settings associated with content of the website, thereby obtaining a value point score for each visit. An origin of the first visit, leading the visitor to the website, is registered and categorized according to type of origin in accordance with two or more predefined categories of origin. An accumulated value point score for the visitor is obtained by adding the obtained value point scores of the first visit and each of the subsequent visit(s).

Abstract: A closed-loop marketing system and method provides the ability to measure the return on investment of marketing programs across channels, both online and offline, including impression, page view and response levels. The present invention provides mechanisms for measuring a marketing department's contribution to the sales pipeline by taking into account the effect of multiple campaigns. A multi-campaign attribution methodology takes into measures the effect of a first touch (a campaign that first brought in an account), a last touch (a campaign that was presented immediately prior to the closing of a deal or creation of a sales-ready opportunity), and any significant re-touch events (campaigns that represent lead-nurturing and/or remarketing efforts).

Abstract: System, method, and computer program product to optimize a monetary value of a use of non-content time during a media distribution, by computing an advertisement value of selling an inventory unit to an advertiser, the inventory unit comprising a non-content time slot during the media distribution; computing a promotional value of using the inventory unit to air a promotion for a program during the media distribution, the promotion for the program comprising at least one of a local promotion and a national promotion; and evaluating the advertisement value and the promotional value to identify an opportunity to optimize the monetary value earned from the use of the inventory unit.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking advertising information and alerting advertisers are disclosed. Consumer activity responsive to first published content relating to an identified advertiser may be monitored. Based on the monitoring, advertisement events corresponding to instances of consumer activity may be identified. Sets of advertising information for the identified advertiser may be processed, the advertising information including information about the advertisement events. The sets of advertising information may be consolidated to form a composite set of advertising information for the identified advertiser. The composite set may be stored in a repository. Advertisement metrics of the composite set may be determined. Authenticated access may be enabled, to the identified advertiser via a network, to the composite set for the identified advertiser. The composite set may be presented via a dashboard view.

Abstract: A system for targeting advertising content includes the steps of: (a) receiving respective requests for advertising content corresponding to a plurality of mobile communication facilities operated by a group of users, wherein the plurality includes first and second types of mobile communication facilities with different rendering capabilities; (b) receiving a datum corresponding to the group; (c) selecting from a first and second sponsor respective content based on a relevancy to the datum, wherein each content includes a first and second item requiring respective rendering capabilities; (d) receiving bids from the first and second sponsors; (e) attributing a priority to the content of the first sponsor based upon a determination that a yield associated with the first sponsor is greater than a yield associated with the second sponsor; and (f) transmitting the first and second items of the first sponsor to the first and second types of mobile communication facilities respectively.

Abstract: A system for targeting advertising content includes the steps of: (a) receiving respective requests for advertising content corresponding to a plurality of mobile communication facilities operated by a group of users, wherein the plurality includes first and second types of mobile communication facilities with different rendering capabilities; (b) receiving a datum corresponding to the group; (c) selecting from a first and second sponsor respective content based on a relevancy to the datum, wherein each content includes a first and second item requiring respective rendering capabilities; (d) receiving bids from the first and second sponsors; (e) attributing a priority to the content of the first sponsor based upon a determination that a yield associated with the first sponsor is greater than a yield associated with the second sponsor; and (f) transmitting the first and second items of the first sponsor to the first and second types of mobile communication facilities respectively.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to profile the spending distribution of users who have made purchases from a merchant and who have paid for the purchases via a transaction handler (e.g., using credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards). The spending distribution is determined based on transaction data of the users, where the transaction data records the transactions of the users for purchases from various merchants. The spending distribution is profiled to indicate the preference of the customers of the merchant as a whole and thus can be used to customize the ratio of media content provided to the customers of the merchant, such as the presentation ratio of advertisements from different merchants, or from merchants of different categories.

Abstract: A system and method for performing cross-platform data analytics of advertising campaign information.

Abstract: Methods for scoring and ranking advertisement content creators.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to profile the spending distribution of users who have made purchases from a merchant and who have paid for the purchases via a transaction handler (e.g., using credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards). The spending distribution is determined based on transaction data of the users, where the transaction data records the transactions of the users for purchases from various merchants. The spending distribution is profiled to indicate the preference of the customers of the merchant as a whole and thus can be used to customize the ratio of media content provided to the customers of the merchant, such as the presentation ratio of advertisements from different merchants, or from merchants of different categories.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for planning an advertisement campaign. In one implementation, a processing device provides one or more advertisements associated with a first advertising campaign within one or more advertising placements, each of the one or more advertisements being configured to receive sign-up information from one or more users, the one or more advertising placements corresponding to one or more related advertising impressions. Sign-up information is received from one or more users via the one or more advertisements. One or more messages are sent, based on the sign-up information, to each of the one or more users. One or more responses to the one or more messages are received. Based on the one or more responses, a user engagement level of the first advertising campaign is determined. Based on the user engagement level of the first advertising campaign, a user engagement level of a second advertising campaign is forecasted.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for allocating advertising budgets. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a set of candidate keywords specifying targeting keywords for content items. Each targeting keyword can be a phrase to be matched for a content item to be eligible to be provided in response to a content item request. For each of the targeting keywords, a probability distribution specifying likelihoods of specified user actions occurring in response to a content item is received. Based on the probability distributions, a set of final keywords with which distribution of the content items will be controlled is selected, the set of final keywords being one or more keywords for which a likelihood of a specified outcome occurring exceeds a threshold likelihood. The set of final keywords is a set which a total cost of distributing the content items is below a specified value.

Abstract: An advertising system may enable an advertiser to associate multiple targeting criteria bids with an advertisement. The targeting criteria bids include a bid amount and a targeting criteria defining a group of users who may be delivered the advertisement. The cost for the advertisement is the sum of the bid amounts associated with the targeting criteria that match the user profile of the viewing user.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a data processing system for managing electronic offers comprises: a first logic module adapted to receive a set of recommendation reference data comprising a plurality of items, the plurality of items including at least one product or service, and a plurality of offers; a second logic module adapted to determine a set of association scores for the plurality of items based on the recommendation reference data; a third logic module adapted to determine a universal score for each offer; and a fourth logic module adapted to rank the offers in a recommendation order based on the set of association scores and on the universal scores. In an embodiment, each universal score is based at least in part on a measure of revenue associated with one or more of: activation, recommendation, or redemption of the offer.

Abstract: The system provides a method and apparatus for a syndication network of publishers to share advertising and customer acquisition strategies. In one embodiment, the system allows the sharing of promotions, such as a daily deal, among publishers, with the ability to accurately track the allocation of compensation related to the daily deal using the system. In addition, the system allows for the acquisition of customers in the syndication network. A dashboard provides the ability to automate decision making, deal acquisition and deployment, accounting, and the definition of filters to maximize customer acquisition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed, the method for facilitating the creation of a product data set for a product on a website, the method comprising use of a microprocessor for providing an indication of the product; locating a plurality of listings offering at least one of the product and a similar product; locating a plurality of user reviews concerning at least one of the product and a similar product; determining at least one popular listing amongst the plurality of listings located; generating metadata using the determined at least one popular listings and the plurality of user reviews to thereby facilitate the creation of a product data set for the product.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for dynamically adjusting advertisement (“ad”) time for a multicast channel. In one embodiment, a variable ad insertion function operates to receive one or more multicasts of media content from a core distribution network, insert ad timeslots into the media content, and optionally perform late-binding of ads to the ad timeslots. The media content including the inserted ad timeslots and late-binded ads, if any, is then multicast to associated client devices over a feeder network using corresponding multicast channels. For each multicast channel, insertion of ad timeslots into the associated media content is dynamically controlled based on the number of users currently consuming or predicted to consume the multicast channel, the number of client devices receiving or predicted to receive the multicast channel, or both.

Abstract: A method, system, computer program product and computer readable media for b-matching using sufficient selection belief propagation is disclosed. The belief propagation method, is adapted to use a simplified compressed message update rule and is suitable for use with distributed processing systems. Embodiments for online advertisement/search term matching, product recommendation, dating service and social network matching, auction buyer/seller matching and resource allocation, among others, are disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and systems for sharing content among users of an information acquisition system. A processor operating on a server accumulates interest activity information and user situational information provided by a mobile device. The interest activity information comprises user identifying information. A dynamic portion of a user profile associated with the user identifying information is updated with the accumulated user activity information and the accumulated user situational information. A first rule is applied to the user profile to select information from an information database. The user profile comprises a quasi-static portion and the updated dynamic portion. A second rule is applied to the selected content to identify the selected information as shared content or as private content in the user profile. A reply message is generated using the selected information and sent to the mobile device.

Abstract: A method of providing advertising content using a group training system (GTS) includes transferring first advertising content from an advertiser system (AS) to a first GTS by an advertising content service provider system (ACSPS), transferring payment from the AS by the ACSPS as compensation for the first advertising content being displayed on a multi-user display associated with the first GTS, and transferring payment from the ACSPS to an entity associated with the first GTS as compensation for the first advertising content being displayed on the multi-user display associated with the first GTS. An advertising content service provider system (ACSPS) includes a processing device and a memory device.

Abstract: One methodology in accordance with the disclosure is a computer-implementable methodology for quantitatively assessing the impact of paid search advertising on the total visits (paid and organic search-based visits) from search engines and utilizing this assessment to improve search engine marketing performance. The methodology relies on the computation of a synergy score for each search engine keyword of interest or coefficients in a synergy equation. Once computed, the score can be used to repeatedly compute the total return on advertising spend (ROAS) and other performance metrics on a go-forward basis without the time lag inherent in computing the synergy score itself. The methodology includes specific computer-implementable methods for improving search engine marketing performance based on the total (paid plus organic) performance metrics.

Abstract: The Disclosed is a method for processing content published on-line so as to identify each item in a unique manner. In some implementations, an RSS feed is received from a publisher and a unique identifier is identified for each item in the feed. Each item then has third party content or advertisements associated with the item based on the unique identifier. The feed is then stored and, when appropriate, updated. The augmented feed, which contains the third party content and the items in the feed, is provided to user devices.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture for generating advertisements using an algorithmic system, such as a combinatoric system, and determining effectiveness metrics or predictions for the advertisements are described herein.

Abstract: A recommender system can be analyzed to determine various performance characteristics of an online content service provider. The recommender system is analyzed using a predetermined policy, to determine if it satisfies such policy, and/or has other measurable intended and/or unintended biases. The policy can include such parameters as whether a particular profile is presented with certain particular types of items by the recommender system. The reliability of search engines can also be tested using a similar approach.

Abstract: A processing device selects a local sub-population that matches a national population based on a fitness function. During a national advertisement campaign, the processing device introduces a local advertisement campaign to a treatment group comprising the local sub-population, wherein the local advertisement campaign mirrors the national advertisement campaign. The processing device measures sales of a product or service in a control group and in the treatment group, and calculates a difference in sales metrics between the treatment group and the control group. The difference is used to estimate an effect on national sales metrics due to the national campaign.

Abstract: A call tracking system and method that estimates a number of calls associated with a publication channel. The system uses a sampling algorithm to perform the estimation. The sampling algorithm selects a group of advertisements to serve as a sample group, and determines a distribution of calls for each of the publication channels associated with the sample group. The distribution of calls from the publication channels is assumed to be the same for all advertisements, and the data from the sample group is used to model the performance across all advertisements. The selected advertisements may be associated with one or more advertisers. Pooled or dynamic signal processing methods may also be used to estimate a number of calls associated with a publication channel. The number of calls associated with a publication channel may be utilized to determine the efficiency of, or calculate the revenue share associated with, an advertising campaign.

Abstract: A marketing management system interfaces with a sales platform, company servers, and various other sources of data to obtain information about leads, programs in various channels, interactions, and opportunities. The system provides a user interface that enables users to define metadata tags for marketing programs to indicate various common aspects of the programs, such as program success criteria, parent program, acquisition program for a lead, and the like. This metadata-based tag system allows for comparison of marketing programs in different channels, facilitating cross-channel analytics otherwise unavailable to users of the marketing management system. One type of cross-channel analytics includes the accurate attribution of marketing contributions to revenue generation and lead acquisition.

Abstract: Methods, and systems, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable storage mediums, including a method for determining an aggregated user exposure level to a content item. The method includes receiving, by a user device, a content item; accessing, by the user device, measurement instructions including instructions to measure user exposure levels to the content item during various display states, and upon execution of the measurement instructions by the user device: detecting, by the user device, at least two display states; for each of the display states, determining, by the user device, a user exposure level of the content item in the viewport for the display state, the user exposure level being a measurement of (i) an area of the particular portion of the viewport occupied by the content item and (ii) a duration of the display state; and determining, by the user device, an aggregation of the user exposure levels.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to generating an online marketing campaign that comprises a list of keywords to be purchased from a search engine. Keywords for a business' marketing campaign may be selected from a pre-defined template of keywords for the business service category into which the business falls. In addition, the business may add keywords not found in the template into its marketing campaign. The performance of the non-template keywords added by the business may be evaluated and, if they are determined to have been performed well, may be added into the template so that they may be used in the marketing campaigns of other businesses in the business service category.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatuses are disclosed for collecting, over a time period in near real time, non-broadcast marketing performance data regarding marketing communications of an offering through two or more providers over the time period on a per provider basis. The non-broadcast marketing performance data for each provider is stored in a separate staging database in provider-specific formats. The non-broadcast marketing performance data is converted from the provider-specific formats to specialized format and stored in a dimensional database. Web site usage data, including at least one web usage metric, about the impact of the advertising on a web site relating to the offering is collected over the time period in near real time. The near real time non-broadcast marketing performance data is correlated with the near real time web site usage data. The correlation includes a graphical comparison of the impacts of the marketing communications in a web usage metric.

Abstract: A campaign management system may include a data collection subsystem to collect and store data from different sources that may be related to different marketing channels. The system may also include a map generation subsystem to generate a marketing campaign map that includes a visual representation of performance of the marketing channels. A performance metric adjustment factor may be determined for one or more performance metrics to determine an actual value performance metric for each metric. The actual value performance metrics may be aggregated and compared to benchmarks to generate a visual representation of the entire campaign performance across the marketing channels.

Abstract: Provided in various aspects, are systems and methods for organizing and delivering commodity information to a consumer in an easily understood user interface. In some embodiments, the user interface is specially configured to present a matrix of information to the consumer, blending “branded” and non-branded opportunities. Branded opportunities can be configured to present commodity information in association with a specific provider or the provider's brand. Combining branded opportunities with unbranded opportunities enables commodity providers to target brand loyal customers while at the same time providing discounted opportunities without diluting brand associations. The matrix based organization can be implemented in conjunction with commodity data feed providers, including for example, rental car information suppliers to deliver commodity information in an easily understood user interface.

Abstract: A network device receives location information from a user device and identifies, from an index of offers, a set of offers applicable in proximity to the location. Each offer in the set of offers includes location data to associate the offer with a particular geographic location. The network device sends, to the user device, at least a portion of set of offers as a default offer set. The user device store user preferences for advertising categories and presents, to a user, a reality image from the location of the user device. The user device selects—based on the user preferences, the reality image, and the location data—offers in the default offer set that are applicable to a user of the user device. The user device displays indications of the applicable offers overlaid on a portion of the reality image and makes the indications available for selection by the user.