Method and apparatus for conducting or facilitating a promotion

Abstract

A method and apparatus for conducting a promotion and for distributing promotions to potential users provide a merchant or promotion organizer flexibility in the way they conduct the promotion as well as an ability to change one or more aspects of the promotion during the operation of the promotion. One or more outcomes are generated by a controller and provided to a user. In addition, one or more codes which allow the outcomes to be revealed or unlocked are generated by the controller and provided to an intermediary. In exchange for completing or satisfying a qualifying action or criteria, the user may receive a code from the intermediary. The user can then unlock an outcome to reveal a prize, benefit, symbol, value, etc., associated with the unlocked outcome. The user may provide a redemption request to either the controller or the intermediary based on the unlocked outcome to receive a benefit or prize associated with the unlocked outcome.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for conducting a promotion and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for distributing promotions to potential participants and for allowing the promotion participants to receive benefits associated with the promotions. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] Merchants and manufacturers often use promotions to entice people to try or purchase products, shop or conduct transactions in certain stores, or to make people aware of products, store locations, sales, etc. Unfortunately, many such promotions suffer from a number of drawbacks. For example, promotions for which paper coupons, flyers, invitations, promotion entry forms, promotion rules, etc., must be printed may incur significant printing and distribution costs. Furthermore, knowing how many paper coupons, flyers, invitations, promotion entry forms, promotion rules, etc., to print ma...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This approach reduces costs, enhances flexibility for merchants to adapt promotions based on participation and market needs, and allows for geographically widespread participation while minimizing fraud and distribution complexities.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, many such promotions suffer from a number of drawbacks.

For example, promotions for which paper coupons, flyers, invitations, promotion entry forms, promotion rules, etc., must be printed may incur significant printing and distribution costs.

Furthermore, knowing how many paper coupons, flyers, invitations, promotion entry forms, promotion rules, etc., to print may be difficult to predict, thereby often causing a merchant or manufacturer conducting the promotion to print too many or too few of the necessary items.

Additional problems for print based promotions may result when a merchant or manufacturer conducting the promotion desires to change a rule, benefit, prize, entry criteria, redemption criteria, or other aspect of the promotion once the promotion has started, or at least after the merchant or manufacturer has printed or distributed the printed items necessary for the promotion.

Therefore, merchants have little ability to tailor such promotions to their products or market niches, customer demographics, inventory levels, etc.

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