WO2012155087A1

WO2012155087A1 - E-mail tracking

Info

Publication number: WO2012155087A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/037613
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carl PRINDLE; Scott Williams
Original assignee: Furniturecom Inc
Current assignee: Furniturecom Inc
Priority date: 2011-05-12
Filing date: 2012-05-11
Publication date: 2012-11-15
Anticipated expiration: 2013-11-12

Abstract

A system including a server configured to send messages, the server including computer readable instructions that, when executed by the server, cause the server to generate a message that includes a unique identifier corresponding to an original recipient, the message also including an incentive, send the message to an original recipient, receive from at least one other recipient an indication that the at least one other recipient opened a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient, track how many other recipients open the message originally forwarded by the original recipient, and increase the incentive as a function of the number of other users that open a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient.

Description

E-MAIL TRACKING

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional

Application No. 61/485,270, which was filed on May 12, 201 1. The contents of Y.S. Application No. 61/485,270 are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Internet and e-mail advertising of products is a cheap method to advertise products and services to potential customers. Such advertisements can be used to inform customers of the existence of a product and/or service, and can also be used to provide information that customers can use to obtain a discount (e.g., a coupon and/or discount code).

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a computer implemented method to generate a message that includes a unique identifier corresponding to an original recipient, the message also including an incentive, send the message to an original recipient, receive from at least one other recipient an indication that the at least one other recipient opened a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient, track how many other recipients open the message originally forwarded by the original recipient, and increase the incentive as a function of the number of other users that open a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient.

In another aspect, a method is provided including generating a message that includes a unique identifier corresponding to an original recipient, the message also including an incentive, sending the message to an original recipient, forwarding the original message from the original recipient to at least one second level recipient, sending an indication that the forwarded original message was opened by the at least one second level recipient, tracking how many second level recipients open the message originally forwarded by the original recipient, increasing the incentive as a function of the number of second level recipients that open a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient.

One or more of the following features can be included. The indication that the at least one other recipient opened a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient can be a request for an image associated with the message. The original recipient can have an existing relationship with a merchant and the incentive can be associated with the merchant. The message can further include information relating to an offer by a merchant. The incentive can be a coupon or a discount. The message can further include a narrative by a merchant. The message can allow the original recipient to determine the increased incentive.

A computer identifier from each of the other recipients can be received. A determination can be made as to when each copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient is first opened. Duplicative message openings can be identified. Information can be provided to a merchant. The merchant can be associated with the incentive. The information can include at least one of: number of other recipients, value of the incentive, and a net sale potential. The net sale potential can be based on all of the messages that have been sent. The net sales potential can be calculated according to:

NSP =∑ - D„

1

The method can further include forwarding, by at least one second level recipient, the message to at least one third level recipient, sending an indication that the forwarded message was opened by the at least one third level recipient, tracking how many third level recipients open the message forwarded by the at least one second level recipient, and increasing the incentive as a function of the number of third level recipients that open a copy of the message forwarded by the at least one second level recipient. The indication can be a beacon ID that can be sent as part of a request when the message is opened.

Various aspects of the invention may provide one or more of the following capabilities. Offer messages can be sent to targeted potential customers. An incentive can be provided to recipients of offer messages to pass the offer messages along to other potential customers. Effectiveness of message-based advertising can be increased compared with prior techniques. Unique openings of an offer message on different computers can be tracked to avoid fraudulent activity. Merchants can track the interest in marketing campaigns by monitoring number of times and offer message has been forwarded. The value of an offer provided to an original recipient can be increased based upon subsequent activity of the original recipient. Recipients can track the value of their offers in real-time. A merchant can provide offers to recipients that have no prior relationship with the merchant. Message footers can be included to advertise the marketing scheme operated by the server. Relevance of messages provided to recipients can be increased (e.g., because the person forwarding the message likely believes that the recipient is interested in the subject matter of the message). Messages forwarded using the techniques described herein can preferably have a lower likelihood of being blocked by spam blockers (e.g., because the person forwarding message is likely known to the recipient, and thus the e-mail will likely not be flagged as spam).

These and other capabilities of the invention, along with the invention itself, will be more fully understood after a review of the following figures, detailed description, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system used for distributing messages relating to a marketing campaign.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a message distribution scheme.

FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram.

FIG. 4 is a process flow diagram.

FIGS. 5-1 1 are exemplary screen shots.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for implementing a message- based marketing campaign that includes providing e-mail coupons to potential customers that can be modified based on actions by the potential customer. A server operated in connection with a merchant sends a message (e.g., an e-mail) to an original recipient. As the original recipient of the coupon forwards the coupon to additional people, the value of the coupon to the original recipient is increased. The value of the coupon to the original recipient can also be increased if the additional recipients forward the coupon to more recipients. Thus, for each subsequent forward of a coupon, the value of that coupon can be increased to the original recipient, and any intermediate recipients. Subsequent forwards of a particular coupon e-mail can be traced using a unique beacon identifier (ID) that is attached to the e-mail sent to the original recipient. The beacon ID can be embedded in a pixel of the coupon that is sent to the original recipient. Each time a coupon message is opened, the beacon ID and a unique ID corresponding to the opening computer can be sent back to the server for tracking purposes. Other embodiments are within the scope of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a system 1 includes a server 5, and user computers 10, 15, 20. Preferably, the server 5 and the user computers 10, 15, 20 are connected to one another via a network 25. The network 25 is preferably the Internet, although other networks can be used. For example, the network 25 can be an internal intranet, a LAN, WAN, MAN, etc. The network 25 preferably provides connectivity between each of the computers and/or devices connected to it. The system 1 is configured to transmit and track messages sent by the server 5. Messages are not limited to a single type of message, but can include e-mails, SMS messages, MMS messages, instant messages, Facebook messages, etc.

The server 5 can be one or more computers that are configured to implement the functionality described herein. For example, the server 5 can be a web server and/or an e-mail server that is configured to send and track messages used in a marketing campaign. The server 5 can be, for example, a server operated by the merchant responsible for the marketing campaign and/or a third party. The server 5 can be configured to host webpages and to send e-mails to one or more recipients at, for example, the user computers 10, 15, 20 (i.e., recipients 10, 15, 20, respectively). It will be appreciated that throughout the specification, subscript numerals are used to signify different recipients within a certain level (e.g., recipients 15_l5 15₂, 15₃ signifies three different second-level recipients). The server 5 can also be configured to receive communications from the user computers 10, 15, 20 that provide feedback from the user computers 10, 15, 20. The feedback provided by the user computer 10, 15, 20 can include an indication that a message has been opened and/or forwarded by a user.

The user computers 10, 15, 20 are preferably computerized devices that users can use to access the Web and/or messages. For example, the user computers 10, 15, 20 (also referred to herein as original recipient 10, second level recipient 15, and third level, recipient 20, respectively) can be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet PC, a smart phone, a feature phone, an iPad, etc. Preferably the user computers 10, 15, 20 are configured to connect to the network 25 in order to communicate with other user computers and/or the server 5. Preferably, the user computers 10, 15, 20 include software that allow users to access the Internet including webpages and messages. The software also preferably allows users of the user computers 10, 15, 20 to send messages to other recipients. While FIGS. 1-2 show a single original recipient, three second-level recipients, and six third-level recipients, other numbers of recipients and/or levels are possible. Preferably, the user computers 10, 15, 20 connect to the network 25 via a wired and/or wireless connection.

As an example of the operation of the system 1 , the server 5 is configured to send one or more seed e-mails to the original recipient 10 that include a coupon for a particular product and/or service. The seed e-mail preferably contains an original coupon value (e.g., $ 15). The original recipient 10 can forward the seed e-mail to one or more second- level recipients 15. The second-level recipients 15 are configured to send a message to the server 5 indicating if and when the second-level recipient opens the e-mail forwarded by the original recipient 10. The second-level recipients 15 are also configured to forward the e-mails received from the original recipient 10 to third-level recipients 20. The third-level recipients 20 are configured to send a message to the server 5 indicating if and when the third level recipient opens the e-mail forwarded by the second-level recipients 15. All of the recipients are also preferably able to send a unique identifier corresponding to the recipient. Using the feedback provided by the second- and third- level recipients, the server 5 can modify the value of the coupon provided to the original recipient (e.g., by increasing it to $50), and/or any intermediate recipients. For example, as the number of lower-level recipients open the e-mail forwarded by the original recipient 10, the value of the coupon provided to the original recipient 10 can be increased.

The messages sent between the server 5, and a user computers 10, 15, 20 can include e-mails, SMS messages, MMS messages, instant messages, Facebook messages, etc. The messages can also include various information such as information relating to an advertisement, a coupon, a discount code, a promotion, etc. For example, the message could be a coupon that provides a 10% discount on a product offered by a merchant using the server 5. Certain messages can also include footers that provide additional information.

The server 5 can be configured to provide the ability for recipients of the seed message and/or forwarded messages to logon and track the current value of their offer(s). For example, recipients can logon to a webpage provided by the server 5 to view the current discount being offered (e.g., that they have earned by forwarding the seed message). An exemplary screen shot of a screen accessible by a recipient to track an offer is shown in FIG. 5. The server 5 can be configured to provide feedback to the original recipient 10 regarding the number of pending offers the original recipient 10 has, the number times the seed message has been opened, the current value of the offer provided to the original recipient 10, an expiration date of the offer, and/or additional incentives.

Recipients of offer messages from the server 5 can be required to "cash out" or claim the discount before that user is able to use the discount provided in the message. Upon cashing out, the recipient can be provided with a certificate that can be used to redeem the offer provided in the seed message. For example, the certificate can be another e-mail message with a coupon code, a physical gift card, a virtual gift card, etc. (e.g., as shown in FIG. 6). The server 5 can also be configured such that the recipients must cash out an offer before a deadline (e.g., such that offers are not allowed to grow indefinitely).

The server 5 can be configured to allow a merchant to set up an account that can be used to send seed messages to recipients. For example, the server 5 can be configured to provide a webpage that a merchant can use to create an account. Preferably, the server 5 is configured to receive identification and/or payment information from the merchant (e.g., name, address, credit card info) (e.g., as shown in FIG. 7). The server 5 is configured to allow the merchant to create an offer that will ultimately be sent to recipients (e.g., as shown in FIG. 8). This can include the ability to upload graphics to be used in sent messages, a starting coupon value, milestone coupon values, maximum coupon values, and an expiration date. Preferably, the starting coupon value is a value that is initially provided to all recipients of a seed message. Further parameters can be used to determine milestone coupon values such as a specific number of opens, a specific number forwards, a specific number of click-throughs, a specific number of opens within a predetermined time, etc.

The server 5 can be configured to charge merchants and/or recipients for use of the marketing system. For example, a server 5 can be configured to i) charge a merchant's credit card a percentage of net sales potential of all opened e-mails, ii) charge merchants recurring subscription fee, iii) charge merchants based on the number of forwarded e-mails, and iv) charge merchants based on the total value of coupons redeemed. Other payment calculations are possible.

The server 5 can be configured to provide feedback to a merchant regarding all of the outstanding marketing campaigns it has created (e.g., as shown in FIG. 9). For example, for each marketing campaign, the server 5 can be configured to show that number of levels through which seed e-mails have been sent, the number of recipients, the number of opens, the number of seed messages delivered, extra messages that have been delivered, the average discount amount, and the potential net sales based upon all outstanding seed messages.

Preferably, each seed message that is sent within the system 1 includes a beacon ID that can be used to track the forwarding and/or opening of messages. Preferably, the messages sent within the system 1 are configured such that when a user opens a message, the opening computer will contact the server 5 to, for example, retrieve an image saved in the server 5 that is part of the opened message. Preferably, the opening computer will send an ID to the server 5 that identifies the image that is needed to properly display the message. In one exemplary configuration of the system 1, the beacon ID can be included in the message as the identification of a image that needs to be retrieved. In this manner, the opening computer will preferably believe that the beacon ID is an image that should be retrieved from the server, and thus, will send the beacon ID to the server as part of standard message processing. When the server 5 receives from the opening computer a request that includes the beacon ID, the server 5 can be configured to recognize the beacon ID, and thus, to recognize that the message has been opened by the opening computer.

The beacon ID can be, for example, a single pixel that is embedded in a message. The beacon ID can also be configured such that the image of the offer and the beacon ID are one in the same. Preferably, each of the user computer 10, 15, 20 are configured such that external content is enabled in messages. In certain configurations, the use of the beacon ID can be enforced by sending seed e-mails that only contain images that must be retrieved, thus requiring the user to enable external content in order to view the message. Additionally, each message (and/or seed message) that is sent within the system 1 can contain a unique beacon ID such that the messages can be tracked. If a subsequent recipient creates a new seed e-mail so they can get credit (e.g., by requesting an offer), the beacon ID of the original seed e-mail, and the new seed e-mail can be linked in a database such that both users receive credit for subsequent openings of forwarded e- mails.

Preferably, for each beacon ID that is generated, the server 5 creates an entry in a table that correlates the beacon ID to specific recipients. For example, a specific beacon ID can be associate with a single recipient (e.g., in the case of an original seed e-mail) and/or multiple recipients (e.g., in the case where intermediate recipients have registered with the server 5). The table can be stored in a memory that is part of or connected to the server 5.

The server 5 is preferably configured such that the receipt of a beacon ID from a user computer triggers a handler that captures the received beacon ID, captures the IP address of the user computer from which the beacon ID was sent from, and captures additional Request DNA. The Request DNA can be, for example, an aggregate of request header properties including, for example, the following fields: Connection, Accept, Accept-Encoding, Host, User-Agent, UA-CPU. Other information can also be captured by the handler. Preferably, the handler is configured to save the captured information in a memory that is part of and/or connected to the server 5. The handler can be configured such that, upon receipt of the captured information, a client cookie is set in the opening computer.

Preferably, the server 5 is configured to determine when a message has been opened for a first and/or subsequent time. In this configuration, the system 5 can track the opening of messages such that credit is given to the sending user (or intermediate recipient) only for unique openings by new viewers (e.g., to eliminate giving credit to a sender when a user opens a message ten times). The server 5 can be configured to determine if a message has been previously opened using some or all of the beacon ID, cookies, the IP address of the user computer opening the message, and the Request DNA. For example, one or more analysis techniques can be used to identify duplicative openings:

• Receiving a unique beacon ID at the server 5 for the first time can be assumed to be a first opening.

• Setting a multi-valued cookie in the opening computer of all the offers the user is engaged with. If a message is opened a subsequent time, the presence of the offer in the cookie can prevent the subsequent beacon request from being validated as a new opening.

• The server 5 can track the IP address that the beacon request arrives from. The server 5 can also create a "Request DNA snapshot" of immutable browser client data in the request other than the IP address (e.g., Connection, Accept, Accept- Encoding, Host, User- Agent, UA-CPU). The server 5 can take the IP address along with the Request DNA snapshot to invalidate offer beacon requests likely to be from the same computer. The server 5, however, should be able to expect that IP address of requesting computers may be present in multiple subnets.

• The server 5 can be configured to carry out automated beacon validation using a rules engine augmenting available data points with pattern recognition and previous instances of attempted shenanigans. For example, a fraud detection engine similar to that used with credit cards, can be used to detect common logons, common passwords, frequency of openings from a particular IP address, number of offers available to a given users as a given time, etc. In operation, referring to FIG. 3, with further reference to FIGS. 1-2, a process 100 for providing an enhanced coupon system using the system 1 includes the stages shown. The process 100, however, is exemplary only and not limiting. The process 100 may be altered, e.g., by having stages added, removed, or rearranged.

At stage 105, a merchant sends a seed message to original recipient 10.

Preferably, the seed message is an e-mail message that includes a coupon and/or discount offer that can be used by the original recipient 10 in connection with a product and/or service offered by the merchant. Preferably, the seed message sent by the server 5 to the original recipient 10 includes a beacon ID that is linked to the original recipient. If and when the original recipient 10 opens the seed message received from the server 5, the original recipient 10 is configured to notify the server 5. For example, by requesting an image from the server 5 that is identified by the beacon ID, the original recipient 10 can "notify" the server 5 that the message has been opened. The seed message sent by the server 5 can be sent, for example, in response to a request by the original recipient 10 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 10), and/or in response to an existing relationship between the merchant and the original recipient 10.

The seed message received by the original recipient 10 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 11) preferably includes information relating to an offer by the merchant such as a coupon and/or discount. The seed message can also include a narrative by the merchant telling the original recipient to forward the seed message onto additional people in order increase the value of the offer. The seed message can also include a link that will allow the original recipient to see how much of a discount has been earned based on subsequent forwards of the seed message. The seed message can also include a link used by the original recipient to generate a second seed message to be the new seed message. The new seed message can be the message that is sent to the next level recipient, rather than directly forwarding the first seed message. The seed message can also include a link used by second and lower-level recipients of the message to allow the lower-level recipients to earn larger discounts for themselves. That is, a new beacon ID can be created that relates to both the second-level user and the original recipient 10. In this manner, for example, if second-level recipient 151 forwards the message to third level recipient 20_1? both the second-level recipient 151 and the original recipient 10 can receive credit if and when the third level recipient 20j opens the forwarded message.

At stage 110, the original recipient 10 forwards the seed message received from the server 5 to one or more second-level recipients 15. Preferably, the message forwarded to the second-level recipients 15 includes the beacon ID that is linked to the original recipient.

At stage 1 15, each of the second-level recipients 15 receives the message sent from the original recipient 10. Each of the second-level recipients 15 is preferably configured to provide feedback to the server 5 relating to the message received from the original recipient 10. For example, as each of the second-level recipients 15 receive and/or open the message that was forwarded by the original recipient 10, the second-level recipient 15 that received and/or opened the message notifies the server 5. For example, if only second-level recipients 151 and 15₂ open the forwarded message, then, notifications are sent only from those recipients. Each of the second-level recipients also preferably sends a unique identifier corresponding to itself such that the server 5 can track the identity of the second-level recipients.

Notifications are preferably sent to the server 5 by sending the beacon ID contained in the e-mail. Preferably, the feedback provided by each of the second-level recipients 15 includes the beacon ID, and a unique computer ID corresponding to that particular recipient.

At stage 120, the server 5 tracks the information relating to the forwarded messages. For example, the server 5 receives information from the second-level recipient relating to when the message that is forwarded by the original recipient 10 is received and/or opened. Preferably, as described above, the server 5 tracks beacon IDs and computer ID to determine when each e-mail is first opened (e.g., when a unique computer opens the forwarded e-mail). Using this technique, the server 5 can avoid counting multiple openings by a single user.

The server 5 can use the information it receives to adjust an offer made to the original recipient 10. The server 5 can be configured to adjust an offer made to the original recipient based on various formulas that can be pre-defined, and/or defined by a merchant. Preferably, exposing a seed message to, a larger number of recipients will increase the value of the offer made to the original recipient 10. For example, if ten second-level recipients receive and open a seed message forwarded by the original recipient 10, a discount given to the original recipient in the seed message can be increased. As another example, if ten second level recipients receive, open, and click through on an offer in the seed message forwarded by the original recipient 10, a discount given to the original recipient 10 can be increased (e.g., by tracking when the click- through occurs).

At stage 125, one or more of the second-level recipients 15 that received the message forwarded by the original recipient 10 forward the message to one or more third level recipients 20. Preferably, the message forwarded to the third-level recipients 20 includes the beacon ID that is linked to the original recipient and possibly, or a new second beacon ID that relates to both the original recipient and the second level recipient that forwarded the message.

A stage 130, the third-level recipients 20 receive the messages sent by the second- level recipients 15. Each of third-level recipients 20 is preferably configured to provide feedback to the server 5 relating to the message received from the second-level recipients 15. For example, as each of the third-level recipients 20 receives and/or opens the message that was forwarded by the second-level recipient 15, the third-level recipient 20 that received and/or opened the message preferably notifies the server 5. For example, if only third-level recipients 20 χ and 20₂ open the forwarded message, then, notifications are sent only from those recipients.

Feedback can be provided by, for example, requesting an image from the server 5 using the beacon ID contained in the e-mail. Preferably, the feedback provided by each of the third-level recipients 15 includes the beacon ID, and a unique computer ID corresponding to that particular recipient. The beacon ID provided by the third level recipient 15 can relate to the original recipient 10 and/or a second-level recipient 20 the forwarded the message to the third level recipient.

At stage 135, the server 5 tracks the information relating to the forwarded messages. For example, the server 5 receives information from the third-level recipient relating to when the message that is forwarded by the second-level recipient 15 is received and/or opened. Preferably, as described above, the server 5 tracks beacon IDs and computer ID to determine when each unique computer opens the forwarded message. Using this technique, the server 5 can avoid counting multiple openings on a single computer.

The server 5 can use the tracking information it receives to adjust an offer made to the original recipient 10 and/or second level recipient. The server 5 can be configured to adjust an offer made based on various formulas. Preferably, exposing a seed message to a larger number of recipients will increase the value of the offer made to the original recipient 10 and any intermediate recipients. For example, if ten second-level recipients and twenty third-level recipients receive and open, a seed message forwarded by the original recipient 10, a discount given to the original recipient and/or intermediate recipients in the seed message can be increased. As another example, if ten second level recipients and twenty third-level recipients receive, open, and click through on an offer in the seed message forwarded by the original recipient 10, a discount given to the original recipient 10 and/or intermediate recipients can be increased. Preferably, each forward and/or opening of a seed message is credited to the original recipient, and every other linked user.

While the process 100 only describes three levels of recipients, additional levels of recipients can be part of the process 100. For example, if a seed e-mail is forwarded to fifteen levels of recipients, the original recipient 10 and/or intermediate recipients can receive credit for all fifteen levels of recipients in the form of an increased-value offer.

In operation, referring to FIG. 4, with further reference to FIGS. 1-2, a process 200 for allowing a merchant to create a marketing campaign includes the stages shown. The process 200, however, is exemplary only and not limiting. The process 200 may be altered, e.g., by having stages added, removed, or rearranged.

At stage 205, a merchant wishing to create a marketing campaign logs on to the server 5. The interface can be for example, a webpage interface. It will be appreciated that a "merchant" can be anyone that accesses the server 5 with the intent to create a marketing campaign (e.g., individuals, companies, and/or other entities).

At stage 210, if the merchant does not already have an existing account, the merchant can be prompted to provide information that can be used to create a new account (e.g., name, address, billing information, logon information, etc.). At stage 215, the merchant creates one or more marketing campaigns by providing various pieces of information relating to the marketing campaign. For example, the merchant can provide the name of the marketing campaign, a graphic to be included in offer messages sent to recipients, an expiration date, a starting value of the offer, and a maximum value of the offer. The server 5 can also provide information to the merchant regarding payment information. For example, the server 5 can charge a credit card 0.1% of net sales potential of all opened e-mails. Other payment

arrangements are possible.

The server 5 can also be configured to receive from the merchant one or more milestones that can be used to calculate how to adjust the value of the offer provided to the recipients. For example, a marketing campaign can be configured such that for each 100 forwarded messages that are opened, the coupon provided to the original recipient is increased by a predetermined dollar amount. Other milestones can also be defined. The server 5 can also be configured to allow merchants to edit account information (e.g., change logon information and/or billing information), and view and edit existing marketing campaigns. The server 5 can also be configured to allow recipients to edit account information (e.g., change logon information and/or billing information), and view existing marketing campaigns that the recipient is participating in.

At stage 220, the merchant can track its active marketing campaigns. For example, the merchant can log on to a web-based interface to view all active marketing campaigns and information relating to the same. The server 5 can be configured to provide, for each marketing campaign, information such as the number of recipient levels the offer has passed through, the number of agents, the number of offer messages that have been opened, the number of seed coupons have been delivered, the number of additional coupons that have been sent, the average extra discount, and the net sales potential based on all of the messages that have been sent. The net sales can be

calculated according to, for example, where NSP is the net sales potential, P is the price of the item, D_n is the discount available to recipient n.

At stage 225, the merchant can be billed by the server 5 for the services provided. Exemplary billing methods include charging the merchant a percentage value of all coupons sent, a percentage of the total possible net sales based on the messages that have been sent, a flat rate, and per-day charge. The server 5 can be configured to

automatically charge credit card that has been provided by merchant.

While many functions described herein are described as being provided by the server 5, it should be appreciated that the server 5 may be made up of multiple different computers in different locations. For example, a first computer may provide the interface by which a merchant manages a marketing campaign, a second computer may be responsible for sending messages to recipients, and a third computer may be responsible for allowing recipients to track a received offer.

Other embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the invention.

The subject matter described herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structural means disclosed in this specification and structural equivalents thereof, or in combinations of them. The subject matter described herein can be implemented as one or more computer program products, such as one or more computer programs tangibly embodied in an information carrier (e.g., in a machine-readable storage device), or embodied in a propagated signal, for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus (e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers). A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing

environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data, in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification, including the method steps of the subject matter described herein, can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions of the subject matter described herein by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus of the subject matter described herein can be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processor of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. Information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices); magnetic disks, (e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks); magneto-optical disks; and optical disks (e.g., CD and DVD disks). The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, the subject matter described herein can be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, (e.g., a mouse or a trackball), by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well. For example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback), and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.

The subject matter described herein can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), a middleware component (e.g., an application server), or a front-end component (e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described herein), or any combination of such back-end, middleware, and front-end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, e.g., a

communication network. Examples of communication networks include a local area network ("LAN") and a wide area network ("WAN"), e.g., the Internet.

Further, while the description above refers to the invention, the description may include more than one invention.

What is claimed is:

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising:

computer executable instructions stored on non-transitory computer readable media, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

generating a message that includes a unique identifier corresponding to an original recipient, the message also including an incentive;

sending the message to the original recipient;

receiving from at least one other recipient an indication that the at least one other recipient opened a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient;

tracking how many other recipients open the message originally forwarded by the original recipient; and

increasing the incentive based on the number of other users that open a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the indication that the at least one other recipient opened a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient is a request for an image associated with the message.

3. The article of manufacture of any of the preceding claims, wherein the original recipient has an existing relationship with a merchant and the incentive is associated with the merchant.

4. The article of manufacture of any of the preceding claims, wherein the message further includes information relating to an offer by a merchant.

5. The article of manufacture of any of the preceding claims, wherein the incentive is a coupon or a discount.

6. The article of manufacture of any of the preceding claims, wherein the message further includes a narrative by a merchant.

7. The article of manufacture of any of the preceding claims, wherein the message allows the original recipient to determine the increased incentive.

8. The article of manufacture of any of the preceding claims, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a computer identifier from each of the other recipients; and determining when each copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient is first opened.

9. The article of manufacture as in any of the preceding claims, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations further comprising:

providing to a merchant information, the merchant associated with the incentive, and the information including at least one of: number of other recipients, value of the incentive, and a net sale potential.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the net sale potential is based on all of the messages that have been sent.

11. The article of manufacture of any of claims 9- 10, wherein the net sales potential is calculated according to:

NSP =T^° P - D_a

1

12. The article of manufacture of any of the preceding claims, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations further comprising:

identifying duplicative message openings.

13. A server configured to send messages, the server comprising:

at least one data processor;

memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, causes the at least one data processor to perform operations comprising:

sending the message to an original recipient;

increasing the incentive as a function of the number of other users that open a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient.

14. The server as in any of claim 13, wherein the indication that the at least one other recipient opened a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient is a request for an image associated with the message.

15. The server as in any of claims 13-14, wherein the original recipient has an existing relationship with a merchant and the incentive is associated with the merchant.

16. The server as in any of claims 13-15, wherein the message further includes information relating to an offer by a merchant.

17. The server as in any of claims 13-16, wherein the incentive is a coupon or a discount.

18. A method comprising :

generating a message that includes a unique identifier corresponding to an original recipient, the message also including an incentive; sending the message to an original recipient;

forwarding the original message from the original recipient to at least one second level recipient;

sending an indication that the forwarded original message was opened by the at least one second level recipient;

tracking how many second level recipients open the message originally forwarded by the original recipient;

increasing the incentive as a function of the number of second level recipients that open a copy of the message originally forwarded by the original recipient.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

forwarding, by at least one second level recipient, the message to at least one third level recipient;

sending an indication that the forwarded message was opened by the at least one third level recipient;

tracking how many third level recipients open the message forwarded by the at least one second level recipient; and

increasing the incentive as a function of the number of third level recipients that open a copy of the message forwarded by the at least one second level recipient.

20. The method of any one of claims 18 and 19 wherein the indication is a beacon ID that is sent as part of a request when the message is opened.