Abstract: A cost maintenance scheme useful with an advertising system which orders ads in a manner that maximizes both their relevance and their economic value, and which provides a fair bidding process in which a winning bidder is assured of not having paid too much. Ordering may be done based on accepted maximum ad bid information and/or ad performance information. For example, this information may be used to determine a position value. Cost may be determined based on accepted maximum ad bid information and/or performance information. Billing the determined cost may be subject to a condition precedent.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that dynamically set floor prices in a second price auction for impressions or events. Advertiser bids for the impressions or events are received by the computer system and used to create a statistical distribution. The advertiser with the highest bid for an impression or event is identified. The statistical distribution excludes bids received from the advertiser having the highest bid. The computer system sets a floor price for the impression or event. The floor price is based on the statistical distribution. The advertiser is charged the maximum of the floor price or the second highest bid received from another advertiser for the same impression. The advertisement associated with the advertiser having the highest bid is selected for display in a webpage that corresponds to the impression or event.

Abstract: Advertisements in a social networking system may be targeted to searching users in relation with a real-time search engine operated by a social networking system. Ads are targeted to users based in part on social information included in a structured search query and/or search results on a page. In a typeahead search, a user of the social networking system may receive prefix search results of objects in the search box. The prefix search results are ranked by relevance to the user, and advertisers may bid for particular objects to increase their ranking in the results list. An option may be provided to a viewer of search query results to buy an ad that would be seen by other users who performed the same search query, received a targeted search result, or based on targeting criteria as determined by the viewer bidding on the ad.

Abstract: A method for enabling services and functionalities across device types and service providers within a communication device includes processing a first device function type, a first service type, and a first cost function from the device, obtaining a first firmware and communicating the first firmware to the communication device for execution, activating a first set of service enabling instructions to enable a first service and a first functionality associated with the first firmware when the first firmware is executed on the communication device, processing a second device function type, a second service type, and a second cost function from the device, obtaining a second firmware to be executed on the device, communicating the second firmware to the device, and activating a second set of service enabling instructions to enable a second service and a second functionality associated with the second firmware when the second firmware is executed on the device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing and/or controlling tagged data in media content are disclosed herein. A tagging component assigns a tag to a content element in a media item. A bidding component determines a sponsor for the content element. A presentation component presents the tag with information regarding the content element. The information regarding the content element is determined by the sponsor.

Abstract: A system and method in accordance with exemplary embodiments may include advertiser auctions based on segmentation informed by purchase data, including a financial institution, one or more advertisers, and a bidding server to facilitate advertiser bidding. Additionally, a system and method in accordance with exemplary embodiments may pool customer and/or transaction information in one or more databases. The system and method in accordance with exemplary embodiments may also utilize a bidding server to permit advertisers to bid on access to information or the ability to present an advertisement and/or offer to a customer.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing electronic advertising which provides content to users based on observing behavior of certain trendsetters within a member population. The trendsetters are determined by studying historical adoption behavior of individuals within the member population, or by reference to known indicia.

Abstract: Presented are embodiments of methods and systems that provide for Internet advertisement pricing and placement to be variably based on the advertisement's performance within a given category of Internet media, while at the same time achieving predictable delivery and pricing for both advertisers and publishers. Techniques are presented where an advertiser's online campaign will be pre-empted only for underperformance on its own merits, and not for its relative performance or price versus other advertisers. Further, techniques are presented for allowing publishers of advertisements to realize increased revenue from their high value media while using tag passbacks to secure a minimum reserve pricing of their choice.

Abstract: An auction is effected with two levels of participation. A winning ticket is established and the auction object is awarded to the winning ticket. In addition, certain tickets are selected as payback tickets which receive back either the amount paid for the ticket or at least the mean entry fee, which is the average paid for all tickets. The winning ticket is awarded randomly, but the individual tickets in the “drawing” are weighted according to the entry fee paid for the given ticket. The payback tickets are determined according to another criterion, for example the time of purchase or a match between the actual fee paid for the ticket and the mean entry fee.

Abstract: A mediator system, which serves as a conduit between a customer and merchants, includes customer profile data. The mediator system analyzes the customer profile data, and assigns an indication to a customer represented by the customer profile data. The mediator system then provides the indication to the merchants, and then receives bids from the merchants. The bids are for establishing a connection between the merchants and the customer. The mediator system provides to a portion of the merchants, based on the bids, a connection to the customer.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining eligible content items. In one example, the determination is based, at least in part, on information about at least one previously presented content item.

Abstract: A social networking system receives a request to generate a post including a content item from a user and extracts a topic from the content item. Using the extracted topic, the social networking system identifies candidate keywords, each associated with one or more expected values. The social networking system may use information associated with the user to determine the expected values associated with the candidate keywords. Using the expected values, the social networking system ranks the candidate keywords and selects a keyword from the candidate keywords based on the ranking. Based on the selected keyword the social networking system generates a link to content and includes the link to content and the generated content item in the post that is presented to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may facilitate the programmatic purchase of online advertising space. In particular, information contained within a request transmitted by a seller of online advertising space may be extracted and used to cross-reference a database containing historical information associated with past transactions involving the sale of online inventory. The historical information may be used to generate a prioritized list of potential purchasers of the inventory and determine a customized offer price to be transmitted to each potential purchaser. The potential purchasers may then be serially contacted until a purchaser of the online advertising space is found.

Abstract: A method of managing the delivery of offers from suppliers to members via a spatial marketplace system involves registering potential customers as members of the spatial marketplace system by recording their names and contact details in a database. A spatial identifier is assigned to each database record, the spatial identifier being sourced from the contact details supplied during a registration process. Each member nominates one or more attributes corresponding to a commodity in relation to which the member is interested in receiving offers. Each supplier defines a geographic region in which the supplier wishes to do business and nominates one or more attributes corresponding to commodities, which the supplier wishes to sell. A spatial identifier location algorithm is used to identify the database records with spatial identifiers located within the geographical region defined by the supplier.

Abstract: A computerized auction system is used for collecting bids from a plurality of producers. The bids are placed on individual components of a multi-component ensemble. Bids from separate marketers are added and affect the rank of a single ensemble within a potential consumer's ensemble search result. The bids are cooperative as the separate bids on the components are added to form the single bid on the ensemble. The bids are anonymous such that each bidding marketer is kept unaware of whether another marketer's bid was combined with the bidding marketer's bid.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for use, for example, in e-commerce. E-commerce data from a merchant may be received regarding interactions of customers with a website of the merchant. Characteristics of the e-commerce data may be identified. Based at least in part on the one or more identified characteristics, a plurality of marketing actions may be selected, or automatically selected, that are potentially effective for the merchant. The selected marketing actions may be ranked based at least in part on one or more of a quality score and one or more bids associated with each of the selected marketing actions. A ranked list of the selected marketing actions may be provided, or recommended, to the merchant.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for various embodiments of an automated campaign generation tool for creating content given one or more sources of data. The campaign generation tool may provide an interface to guide a user through a series of steps by which an automated content generation task is specified and created, such that when the automated content generation task is executed, one or more content objects may be generated in order to be provide to a search engine. By automating the content generation, a user may be able to manage a large and frequently updated source of data.

Abstract: A method for maximizing a conversion value for content provided by a content provider based on a fixed budget includes receiving a total budget of the content provider and a set of keywords for the content provider to bid on. The method further includes determining a conversion value and a cost for each keyword. The method further includes calculating a bid for each keyword based on a comparison of the conversion value for each keyword and the cost for each keyword.

Abstract: An improved system and method for publishing content in marketing communications across digital media is provided. Marketing communications, including marketing emails, may include information about offers and advertising information for using the offers in online advertising such as advertising channel information, monetization information, and social sharing information. Upon receiving the marketing communications, offer information and advertising information may be extracted from the marketing communications. Offers may be generated from the offer information extracted from the marketing communications, and the offers and advertising information may be stored in persistent storage. A request may be received, for instance from an advertisement server or advertisement exchange network, to serve an advertisement for an advertising channel to the user. And an offer extracted from the marketing communications sent to the user may be served as an advertisement to a device operated by the user for display.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may facilitate the programmatic purchase of online advertising space as part of a real-time bidding auction. In particular, online advertising inventory offered for sale may be evaluated to determine if the inventory satisfies predetermined criteria. Information associated with the inventory may be prioritized such that the inventory can be evaluated efficiently and undesirable inventory may be rejected quickly and without consuming additional resources.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may facilitate the programmatic purchase of online advertising space as part of a real-time bidding auction. In particular, a second real-time bidding auction may be conducted during a first real-time bidding auction for the same advertising space. A winning bid in the second real-time auction may be modified and submitted as a bid to the first real-time auction in order to increase market participation, liquidity, win rates, and volume within an online advertising exchange.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may utilize multiple databases spaced geographically around the world to collect user information, the databases being in communication with one another to synchronize user information. At least in part by matching the synchronized user information to a user characteristic in a bid request, an exchange system may programmatically decide whether to purchase ad space for reselling once it becomes in view on a user's screen. The exchange system may provide a self-monitoring ad tag that may be executed by the user computing device to assist in determining the viewability of the ad space. This may allow an exchange to log known viewable ad space and user information, and later purchase that ad space for resale a higher price based on the viewability and user information.

Abstract: An improved system and method for publishing content in marketing communications across digital media is provided. Marketing communications, including marketing emails, may include information about offers and advertising information for using the offers in online advertising such as advertising channel information, monetization information, and social sharing information. Upon receiving the marketing communications, offer information and advertising information may be extracted from the marketing communications. Offers may be generated from the offer information extracted from the marketing communications, and the offers and advertising information may be stored in persistent storage. A request may be received, for instance from an advertisement server or advertisement exchange network, to serve an advertisement for an advertising channel to the user. And an offer extracted from the marketing communications sent to the user may be served as an advertisement to a device operated by the user for display.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may programmatically monitor ad space and predict whether ad space will be viewable on a user's screen upon a web page or other content loading. If an exchange is participating in a supply-side auction for ad space and determines the ad space is known to be viewable, the exchange may solicit bids in a viewable-only (i.e., in view only) real-time auction, and pass the winning bid or a modification thereof to the supply-side auction. The exchange may also place the advertisement with a client device and provide code along with the advertisement to verify the advertisement is in view.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may programmatically purchase ad space as part of a real-time bidding auction. The ad space may be located within content being loaded on a user computing device, such as a webpage, but instead of placing a traditional advertisement within the space, systems and methods herein may supply a self-monitoring ad tag. The self-monitoring ad tag may be executed by the user computing device to locally monitor events, causing the user computing device to request resale of the ad space at an optimal time. This may allow an exchange to purchase an ad space for a relatively low price and then resell it for a higher price once the ad space becomes visible at the user computing device.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may include an exchange or server that may auction off ad space, place a first advertisement at the ad space on a computing device, and then re-auction the ad space after a period of time for placement of a second advertisement at the ad space on the computing device. An exchange may facilitate placement of the first advertisement along with code that gets executed by the computing device, causing the computing device to wait a period of time after displaying the first advertisement and then contact the exchange to perform a viewable-only (i.e., in view only) real-time auction. The winner of that auction may have its advertisement placed at the same ad space.

Abstract: An auction for ad inventory to be placed in streaming video content is characterized by a floor (minimum) price. A seller component receives, via a real time auction exchange system, a request for a set of ad impressions meeting specified criteria to be delivered by an online video streaming system, sometimes referred to as an “auction lot”. The seller component determines a floor price based on an inventory pressure calculated for the auction lot in response to receiving the request. The seller component determines the inventory pressure based on an inventory pressure determined for an inventory segment identified by the auction lot. The auction lot may then be entered into a bidding process including at least one bidder wherein bids less than the floor price are not accepted.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may facilitate the programmatic purchase of online advertising space as part of a real-time bidding auction. In particular, an offer price accepted in conjunction with a waterfall sales environment may be modified and submitted as a bid to the a real-time auction in order to increase market participation, liquidity, win rates, and volume within an online advertising exchange.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may include an exchange or server that may sell the same ad space within content on a computing device a plurality of times before the computing device navigates away from the content. This may include programmatically selling the ad space, such as in a waterfall or real-time auction process, placing a first advertisement at the ad space, then receiving an indication that it is time to resell the ad space before the computing device has navigated away from the content. A second advertisement may then be placed at the ad space. Additionally, the programmatic reselling may include reselling the ad space as in-view.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may programmatically predict whether ad space will be viewable on a user's screen upon a web page or other content loading, and programmatically purchase ad space based on the determined likelihood of view ability. The ad space may be located within content being loaded on a user computing device, such as a webpage, but instead of placing a traditional advertisement within the space, systems and methods herein may supply a self-monitoring ad tag. The self-monitoring ad tag may be executed by the user computing device to assist in determining the viewability of the ad space upon the content loading or shortly thereafter. This may allow an exchange to log known viewable ad space, and later purchase that ad space for resale a higher price based on the viewability.

Abstract: A search engine, system and method for locating and rating a plurality of electronic mentions of respective ones of a plurality of brands.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may programmatically predict that ad space will be in view on a user's screen upon a web page or other content loading based on monitoring for a sequence of pixels. The ad space may be located within content being loaded on a user computing device, such as a webpage, and the system may learn whether the ad space is in view by placing code (a self-monitoring ad tag) along with the advertisement. The self-monitoring ad tag may be executed by the user computing device to assist in determining the viewability of the ad space upon the content loading or shortly thereafter. This may allow an exchange to log known viewable ad space, and make correct decisions regarding whether to sell that ad space as viewable in the future.

Abstract: An advertisement distribution apparatus of the present application includes a storage unit, a calculating unit, a determining unit, and a distributing unit. The storage unit stores a value related to degree of association with content to which advertisement information is allowed to be distributed. The calculating unit calculates degree of association between content and advertisement information upon receiving a distribution request for advertisement information to be distributed to the content. The determining unit determines whether the degree of association calculated by the calculating unit is within a range determined by the value related to the degree of association stored in the storage unit. The distributing unit distributes the advertisement information as advertisement information to be distributed to the content when the determining unit determines that the degree of association is within the range.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein may programmatically predict that ad space will be in view on a user's screen upon a web page or other content loading, and arbitrage the ad space by selling it in a real-time viewable-only auction. The ad space may be located within content being loaded on a user computing device, such as a webpage, and the system may learn whether the ad space is in view by placing code (a self-monitoring ad tag) along with the advertisement. The self-monitoring ad tag may be executed by the user computing device to assist in determining the viewability of the ad space upon the content loading or shortly thereafter. This may allow an exchange to log known viewable ad space, and make correct decisions regarding whether to sell that ad space as viewable in the future.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and system for trading goods and services through recurring auctions. Recurring auctions are increasingly popular form of markets for perishable and time-sensitive resources. Traditional auctions strive to motivate bidders to bid their true valuation of the resources traded. Yet, when successful, they also quickly divide the recurring auction bidders into permanent winners and permanent losers. The latter have no incentive to stay in the market, so they leave, decreasing the competitive pressure and depressing pricing. The present invention introduces a novel winner selection method to maintain customers' interest in auction participation that employs participant retention mechanism in assigning traded resources to bidders. The winners are selected from a wider range of bidder ranks than in traditional auction mechanisms.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media that may be used to allow composite bidding in auctions are provided. One method includes receiving a plurality of initial bids. Each initial bid includes a bid amount for a content item to be displayed. The method further includes receiving one or more supplemental bids. Each of the supplemental bids is associated with one or more of the plurality of initial bids and comprises a supplemental amount. The method further includes determining, for each of the initial bids, a combined bid amount based on the bid amount of the initial bid and the supplemental amount of any supplemental bids associated with the initial bid. The method further includes determining one or more of the plurality of initial bids to win the auction based on the combined bid amounts.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing bid adjustments in an online advertisement exchange are disclosed. A plurality of bids from a plurality of advertisers may be received for an online advertisement opportunity. A first advertiser may be associated with a first bid bias value. In some embodiments, if the first advertiser is associated with a first bid bias value, then the bid received from the first advertiser may be adjusted based on the first bid bias value. For example, an adjusted bid may be calculated based on the bid received from the first advertiser and the first bid bias value. The online advertisement exchange may conduct an online auction with the adjusted bid from the first advertiser. If the first advertiser wins the auction based on the adjusted bid, then the first advertiser may be charged the value of the bid received from the first advertiser instead of the adjusted bid value.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, and including a computer-implemented method for providing a creative. The method comprises identifying, using one or more processors, a creative for processing, the creative including a title portion, a body portion and optionally a reference portion. The method further comprises evaluating the body portion including determining when the body portion includes one or more words that can be added to the title portion. The method further comprises promoting, using the one or more processors, the one or more words into the title portion. The method further comprises providing the creative including the title portion with the promoted one or more words.

Abstract: A simultaneous ascending price auction (“SAA”) can be used to allocate advertising inventory to bidders. The advertising inventory can be, for example, radio or television advertisement spots (“spots”). The bidders can be advertisers that can provide advertisements for presentation in the spots. Two or more contiguous spots can define an advertising block. Spots or advertising blocks can be allocated to advertisers by the SAA mechanism based on bid criteria. The SAA can perform simultaneous advertisement scheduling and pricing. The auction allocation can be optimized to facilitate efficient allocation of advertisements to spots or blocks.

Abstract: A multistage online auction for electronic advertising is described including simulation. A first stage auction occurs internally within a demand-side platform where multiple advertiser clients compete to determine whose advertisement is submitted to at least one external auction site. Within the internal auction, an advertiser client optionally simulates their participation. All bidders enter a bid and campaign targeting parameters. A simulating bidder's campaign is processed in real time just as those of real bidders. Ad placement opportunities received from an external auction site are filtered for each campaign producing a list of targetable impressions. For each targetable impression, the client placing the highest real bid has their ad and bid submitted to the second stage external auction. A simulating bidder receives a report on targetable impressions for their campaign. A targetable impression for a simulated bid that is higher than any real bid is reported as a winnable impression.

Abstract: In one of many possible embodiments, an exemplary system includes a landmark data subsystem providing landmark data and a driving directions subsystem communicatively coupled to the landmark data subsystem. The driving directions subsystem is configured to generate driving directions in response to a request received from an access device. The driving directions include a least a subset of the landmark data, which is representative of one or more landmarks located along a route defined by the driving directions. The driving directions subsystem is further configured to provide data representative of the driving directions to the access device. In certain embodiments, the driving directions subsystem is configured to provide to the access device a selection tool enabling a user of the access device to select between displaying and hiding the landmark data.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that processes a query from a user. During operation, the system obtains a set of travel products matching the query. Next, the system provides a minimum bid for each of the travel products and enables additional bidding on the travel products by a set of suppliers associated with the travel products. The system then generates a ranking of the travel products based on the minimum bid, the additional bidding, and a set of quality scores associated with the travel products. Finally, the system provides the travel products to the user based on the ranking.

Abstract: A method for generating an advertisement impression which moves a selected instance of advertisement content in conjunction with a mouse pointer on a client rendering system includes defining, in a placement database, a plurality of instances of advertisement content. Each instance of advertisement content is associated with an advertisement category, a financial parameter, and response data. A selected instance of advertisement content is selected from the placement database. The selected instance of advertisement content is one of the plurality of instances of advertisement content that is associated with an advertisement category meeting selection criteria and a financial parameter meeting selection criteria. The selected instance of advertisement content is combined with pointer tracking instructions to generate the advertisement impression.

Abstract: A subscriber-based sales leads exchange system for efficiently maximizing revenue to lead sellers and for providing high quality, temporally relevant sales leads to lead buyers based on a transaction between a lead seller and a customer of said lead seller.

Abstract: An advertisement campaign optimization system, method, and a computer product for determining real time bidding data corresponding to one or more advertisement campaigns targeting one or more users are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method comprises receiving a bid request for the one or more advertisement campaigns. User interest data corresponding to the one or more users is determined. One or more bidding rules based on a first data set and a second data set are also determined. The first data set comprises data corresponding to the one or more users and the second data set comprises data corresponding to the one or more advertisement campaigns. The method determines real time bidding data based on the user interest data and the one or more bidding rules.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for determining configurable auction parameters based upon historic auction information that includes identities of auction participants or bidders. Such configurable auction parameters specify values to be applied for particular auction parameters (e.g., floor price), at the time of an auction for available advertising space, when one or more of the auction participants are associated with specified identities. Further provided are systems and methods for, at the time of an auction for available advertising space, determining auction parameter values in accordance with configurable auction parameters.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for computing a displayable size for a device, a default visible area for the device, and a number of pages of content based upon historical device click-through data and pagination data. A size of an advertising candidate set is determined. The advertising candidate set, containing one or more advertisements, is determined based in part upon a query. The advertising candidate set is categorized into two or more buckets. The advertisements within each bucket are ranked. Selected advertisements based upon the ranked advertisements to send to the device are determined.

Abstract: This specification describes methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage device, for precluding the serving of expandable content items from vendors for publisher hosts that do not support the particular vendors.

Abstract: A cost-per-second (CPS) based technology for Internet advertising is introduced. In one embodiment, the systems and methods described herein improve efficiency and efficacy of Internet based advertisements. Efficiency is improved by making advertisements relevant to the user; decreasing loss or waste in advertisement space and opportunity for the publisher; and displaying advertisements only for an appropriate duration and being charged according to actual duration for the advertiser. In embodiments, the cost for a certain branding effect can be measured and used with higher accuracy. In embodiments where multiple advertisements are shown simultaneously or at various timings, the technology introduced here provides unique bidding models to allow an advertiser to bid for advertising space, of an advertisement display. The bidding models incorporate bidding based on CPS, a function of CPS and cost-plus-click, effective CPS, etc.

Abstract: A method and system for maintaining and delivering secure online content includes facilitating registration of secure content with an online content placement auction system, auditing the registered content to ensure security requirements for the registered content are met, and holding an auction among bidders for placement of content in a secure online content space. The process of holding an auction for the content space includes receiving a call for secure content to be served in the content space, transmitting a bid request to bidders in response to the call, receiving bid replies having bid amounts and proposed content to be securely served in the content space, and determining a qualifying subset of the received bid replies having proposed content approved as secure.