FORM -2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970) & THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
PROVISIONAL
specification
(See Section 10; rule 13)


SYSTEM AND TOOLS FOR AID IN MARKETING
TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LTD.,
an Indian Company of Nirmal Building, 9th floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021, Maharashtra, India

THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION DESCRIBES THE INVENTION


Field of Invention:
This invention relates to system and tools for aid in marketing.
Introduction:
Any business may be product-oriented or service-oriented. For successful fruition of a business, a strategy of 'marketing' is generally adopted. 'Marketing' is a methodology or a strategy designed to stimulate a customer to take action towards a buying decision. Promotional marketing is a technique that includes various incentives to buy such as: Contest, Coupons, Free samples, and the like.
It is thus an important aspect to create awareness/interest amongst the public or a niche group of people, and then act on the created awareness by completing a successful sale of the service or product. One method of creating awareness is by means of advertisement through various means.
Advertisers are always on a lookout for an effective means to connect with their Target groups (TG). Advertisers resort to traditional mass promotion mechanism. They get their deals printed either as flyers or as coupon inserts in magazines, food coupons and distribute it to reach their TG. However, all of these mechanisms have no or ineffective targeting facilities build in, are costly and take long to implement. Advertisers do not have a cost effective, multi¬channel, self serve, end-to-end platform which connects with TG.
Also there is no tool that streamlines the promotion marketing process to target corporate and institutional audience.
i

It has been found that if the deals are sent on the mobile which is becoming the new medium of advertisement, the conversion rates are as high as 15 - 25%. Thus integrated multi-channel targeted engagement model with the preferred TG not only ensures high conversion rates for promotional ad spend but also ensures the advertisers cost in running such promotions are reduced by reducing the overall rollout time for the deals.
rd
Also, building a network to promote the (contextually matched) deals on 3 party websites and blogs to find the right consumer will only boost the conversion rates.
Key highlights from study of deals and coupons market in the already established US market and analyzing mobile coupon solution in particular are as follows:

Highlights

Paper Coupon Campaigns I Mobile Coupon

Implementation period 4 to 6 weeks Few days
Implementation Charges 25 to 40 cents per mailed coupons Extremely low
Average redemption rates 1% 15% to 25%
Subscriber acquisition charges $20 to $40 Extremely low
Offer update Repetition of entire cycle Automatic
Subscriber interactivity Limited High degree of interactivity
Coupon fraud Several cases and possibilities Eliminated
J

Source: Frost & Sullivan
From the above analysis it is clear that mobile and e-deals are more effective than the traditional mass promotion mechanism like paper coupon and deals platform wishes to provide the same benefits to Indian advertisers by adapting the platform to their needs.
India too is witnessing increasing growth in the online and mobile marketing. As mobile subscriber base in India is already 400 million and growing, more and more advertisers are taking this medium seriously. Internet usage will also rise from 45 million to 300 million in next 3 years.
Traditional mass promotion mechanisms include getting deals printed either as flyers or as coupon inserts in magazines, food coupons and distribute it to TG. But this lacks or provides very rudimentary targeting mechanism.
Recently there are many sites and tools that allow deal creation but none of this is targeted at unlocking the corporate and institutional user base.
There is a need for a tool which works as a platform and aims to overcome this challenge for the advertisers and corporate bodies.
Objects of the Invention:
An object of the invention is to provide a multichannel tool for marketing.
Another object of the invention is to provide a marketing tool that helps target specific user base e.g corporate employees.
4

Summary of the Invention:
According to this invention, a tool is provided that serves as a promotional marketing platform adapted to be used by corporate bodies, advertisers and web/mobile users. The tool has means adapted to allow a corporate body to execute its employee welfare programs by allowing advertisers to create special offers for corporate employees. Corporate bodies can implement employee loyalty points that can be used to redeem a deal. The tool in accordance with this invention has means which are adapted to be hosted on the Internet so as to let web users register for receiving this deal.
Typically, the beneficiaries of the tool in accordance with this invention includes Advertisers (retailers, manufacturers, etc.) who, by virtue of the mechanism and methodology of this tool, get access to cost effective, multi-channel, self serve, end-to-end platform which connects with TG.
The tool includes a deals' platform which is enabled for advertisers to reach out to their desired target group especially from the corporate and institutional audience with minimal efforts. It streamlines advertiser's processes of campaign and deal creation, targeting of corporate audience, redemption of deals and monitoring the effectiveness and returns on their promotional campaign.
It provides an integrated multichannel means of engaging with the end users thereby leveraging the power of the new marketing platforms of mobile and web. This helps in improving the conversion rate as compared to those of the traditional marketing platform like print. Typically, using the deals' platform, advertisers can perform the following tasks:
5

Channelise promotional efforts
Optimize marketing spends
Reach target consumers
Boost promotional sales
Improve return on ad spend
Build loyal customers
Additionally, a 'Deal Network' will help 3rd Party Websites and blogs get additional source of revenue by promoting various deals available on said deals' platform.
End users; both the corporate and the online web users, benefit by staying informed about ongoing deals either through SMS, email or access them through WAP, rich mobile client and web. They can set their own preferences to receive deals of their interest and also get a personalized package deal from advertisers.
The deals' platform, in accordance with this invention, is an ideal platform for corporate bodies willing to streamline its employee loyalty program and advertisers willing to target this audience. This platform is available as a shared service or white label service for the advertisers.
According to an embodiment of this invention, the tool is adapted to let an advertiser create deals and run them on multiple channels against their choice of targeted customers. Targeted customers are end users who are either corporate employees or Internet users who register through a pre-defined medium, typically through an Internet or a mobile phone, to receive information about
t>

ongoing deals either through SMS, e-mail or access them through WAP, rich mobile client and web.
According to another embodiment of this invention, the system has a built in viral component which is adapted to promote use of open social applications (orkut, myspace, hi5, facebook applications and the like) to promote the deals listed on the tool of this invention. It is also adapted to use twitter and other similar micro blogging sites and RSS feeds to push deals to interested subscribers. It enables end user to share the deals with their families and friends and in turn expand the reach of the advertisers.
According to yet another embodiment of this invention, the tool includes a platform which is adapted to be offered as a shared service or a white label service to advertisers and can easily be integrated with their ERP and PoS system. The platform will incorporate a bar code means and QR code generation means and integrate with their respective scanners to complete the redemption cycle for mobile coupons.
According to yet another embodiment of this invention, the tool includes a platform which is adapted to provide advertisers an easy way to incorporate deals that are targeted to customers based on their spending analysis with the customer loyalty cards.
According to still another embodiment of this invention, the tool includes a platform which is adapted to provide advertisers an easy way for end to end promotional campaign with effective tools for monitoring and analysis for campaign effectiveness.
/

Brief Description of the Accompanying Drawings:
The invention will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a Means and process flow for Advertiser registration, approval and deal creation;
Figure 2 illustrates Means for End User registration and validation;
Figure 3 illustrates Means and Process flow for deal delivery via SMS & email channel;
Figure 4 illustrates Means and Process flow for deal display via WAP / Rich channel;
Figure 5 illustrates Means and Process flow for deal display via Web channel; and
Figure 6 illustrates Means for 'Deal Network' - promotion of deals on 3rd party websites and blogs.
Detailed Description of the Accompanying Drawings:
The tool in accordance with this invention includes a platform which has different means for different processes, typically for 8 different process flowcharts that are explained below with the help of process flow drawings.
8

1. Means and process flow for Advertiser registration, approval and
deal creation (as illustrated in Figure 1) includes the following:
• Advertiser registration means: Advertiser visits an advertisement platform, typically a URL, and registers himself on the system. Administrative means handled by an administrative team is enabled to validate the advertiser and required agreements are signed.
• Advertiser payment means: Based on the advertiser category, agreed sum of operational cost is collected. There could be payment based on monthly billing instead of pre-paid model. Various pricing options like listing based, action-based impression or per click based (CPM/CPC), platform usage fee are available.
• Deal creation means: Post payment realization and Level2 approval, advertisers can create deals and target them to desired group (corporate bodies or public entities) geographically and demographically.
• Deal approval means: Every deal is approved by an Administrative means team. Post approval Deal data is taken into consideration for batch process of desired channel of delivery.
2. Means for End User registration and validation (as illustrated in
Figure 2):
• End User registration means: End user (corporate body or public entities) registers on a suitable platform typically pertaining to various deals. In case of corporate bodies, the deals' platform integrates with an HRMS database. A Backend system is adapted to send validation code to end user's mobile number and email Validation link to his/her mail ID.
• Validation means: Mobile is validated if a user enters the same code what he received via SMS. And an email is validated by clicking on a
y

validation link. If both the validations are successful, end user 'preferences (category and delivery time) and additional information' is saved in the user data repository means.
3. Means and Process flow for deal delivery via SMS & email channel
(as illustrated in Figure 3):
• Batch Data means: Mixing & matching of data is done considering Demographic & Geographic target information, Budget set by Advertisers and Time, volume & category preferences set by End User. Mixed & matched data is used to create batch data to push SMS / email (deal) to end user. Batch data also considers the deal history and end user history while creating batch data.
• Deal Delivery means: Email Server and 3rd Party SMS push gateway is used to pass the deal to end user. A Report server gets updated after each batch process.
4. Means and Process flow for deal display via WAP / Rich channel (as
illustrated in Figure 4):
• Requesting means: End user enters Rich / WAP application through a platform typically pertaining to various deals and starts requesting for information. Request is fulfilled by Pull-Push logic means.
• Pull-push logic means: Request ID and deal data is mixed and matched to pass the requested information to end user's handset. Respective report servers are updated accordingly.
5. Means and Process flow for deal display via Web channel (as
illustrated in Figure 5):
1U

• Requesting means: End user visits Web application of a platform pertaining to various deals and starts requesting for information. Request is fulfilled by Pull-Push logic means.
• Pull-push logic means: Request ID and deal data is mixed and matched to pass the requested information to the web. Respective report servers are updated accordingly.
• Deal based action means: End user can save, print, refer, and set reminders the deals. Each action is tracked by the system.
• Employee Loyalty Points Redemption means: Employee can redeem the loyalty points awarded by their employer against a deal. Order information is send to the advertiser who will then fulfill the order and settle the accounts with the employer.
6. Means for 'Deal Network' - promotion of deals on 3rd party websites and blogs (as illustrated in Figure 6):
• Website/Blog registration means: Website/blog registers on a platform pertaining to networks, enters deal preferences. Post approval by admin team, Website/Blog owner enters banking information (to receive cheques).
• Deal Script Generation means: Script for various banner sizes or plain Text deals can be generated. Same can be placed on respective available slot on website/blog.
• Deal Script call and display means: Anyone visiting the site/blog will trigger the deal script. On trigger, deal request will fetch the preference data and run the contextual match on preferred deals. Deal selection logic is adapted to shortlist the deal to display on the website/blog. All respective report servers get updated.
11

Additional Features
1. Means for Deal Redemption
Typical exemplary embodiments for this are:
• Barcode means: Deals platform will be integrated with the advertisers POS system. End user takes the mobile coupon with barcode to the advertiser's retail shop. Advertiser scans the barcode with a scanner and validates if the coupon is valid. If yes it will redeem the coupon.
• QR Code means: Deals platform will be integrated with a QR code generation tool. The QR code reader on the end user mobile phone can capture the deal information by reading the QR code displayed either on the web listing or the print poster. User will than take this deal information to the advertisers retail store for the deal redemption.
2. 'Social Computing of Deals':
Typical exemplary embodiments for this are:
• Twitter / Micro-bloging means: Each valid deal will be promoted on twitter via official account of deals@tcsdigital, this will act as alert mechanism for all followers.
• Open Social / Facebook application means: Social application around deals platform which will enable users of social networking sites to view/share deals directly on sites like Orkut, Facebook, Hi5, etc.
• RSS/Atom feeds means: Dynamic creation of feeds for each advertiser/category/Search which enables any user to get updates in any standard feed reader.
• Instant Messaging means: Deals platform 'bot' for all leading Instant messenger to enable user to find deals via instant messenger.
12

• Widget/Gadget/Plugin means: Access deals via iGoogle gadget, Yahoo Widget, Firefox plugin, Widset, etc
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the particular features of this invention, it will be appreciated that various modifications can be made, and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. These and other modifications in the nature of the invention or the preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.

MOHAN DEWAN
Of R. K. DEWAN & CO.
APPLICANTS' PATENT ATTORNEY
13