Template Creation and Editing for a Message Campaign

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically creating individualized, multi-media messages and to deliver the messages to specific target groups or individual viewers. A message, story, or advertisement is assembled on demand, based upon rules applied to each viewer's profile and a library of media segments. The framework for the final personalized message is a story or message template designed for a campaign. A set of viewer profiles is assembled from designated databases for each of the targeted entities. A collection of media segments is also created or selected and then made available to produce the final personalized message at assembly time. Specific media segments are selected and merged according to the message template and information about the viewer derived from each viewer's profile. The information from the viewer profile is interpreted by a rule system to determine which of several potential media segments to select for use in the personalized message. The merged composite is then encoded to match the distribution media and forwarded to the viewer.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 545,524, filed Apr. 7, 2000, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention is directed towards video and media creation, and more particularly towards a system for creating personalized messages based on user information.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Marketers have come to rely on demographic solutions to establish patterns and trends about the purchasing-habits of their customers and how these habits relate to media purchases, demographics, and other factors. Alongside companys' proprietary databases, third party data warehouses have evolved, fashioned by many companies who share information either about specific customers or about data extracted from their customer bases. In both cases, advertisers use the derived information to generate observations relating to their markets, target individuals to different types of o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0023]Yet another advantage of the present invention is a highly flexible delivery system and method. The media messages may be assembled at any time during the process, anywhere from the time the message template and media segments are created, or up to and including real-time delivery where the media message is created and shown to the individual. Further the media message may be created at many different places, both centralized and decentralized, from the studio, to local station or web site, on a satellite, at a syndication station, at a cable television central office, neighborhood network, or even by a satellite receiver or cable box inside a viewer's home. Still further, the choice of delivery mediums is extremely varied, from prerecorded video tapes, DVDs, CDs etc. which are sent to an individual, to live feed through a cable system, internet connections, satellite link, RF towers, line RF signals, cell phones etc.

is a highly flexible delivery system and method. The media messages may be assembled at any time during the process, anywhere from the time the message template and media segments are created, or up to and including real-time delivery where the media message is created and shown to the individual. Further the media message may be created at many different places, both centralized and decentralized, from the studio, to local station or web site, on a satellite, at a syndication station, at a cable television central office, neighborhood network, or even by a satellite receiver or cable box inside a viewer's home. Still further, the choice of delivery mediums is extremely varied, from prerecorded video tapes, DVDs, CDs etc. which are sent to an individual, to live feed through a cable system, internet connections, satellite link, RF towers, line RF signals, cell phones etc.

Problems solved by technology

In the case of video advertising media, e.g., video tapes that are mailed, internet video streams, or broadcast or cable advertising—there are only limited means to produce personalized versions of the advertisements or direct marketing information that directly takes advantage of the information available about consumers purchasing habits and the like.

Mostly, this reflects the nature of the traditional delivery media for video, which, until very recently, provided very limited capability to deliver anything more than a common message.

As such, even though companies know a tremendous amount of information about their customers, the ability to leverage this information has been limited by the fundamentals of the broadcast medium, requiring a like message to be sent to all customers.

Additionally, the nature of video production, focused typically on one product, does not allow for incremental content changes.

Among the disadvantages of the system such as described, is that the video and corresponding web content are static and defined by the video producer during production.

Similarly, no mechanism is described for changing the content of the web pages in real time either, even if the server somehow obtained information about the preferences of the viewer.

Thus, nothing is “created” specifically for the viewer.

The results have left advertisers, who pay by the “eyeball,” dissatisfied with the expediency of their advertising dollars.

The result, in contrast to television advertising, forces the consumer to interact, distorting the media's capability to deliver a message.

However, even with the additional consideration of demographic information for real-time selection of advertising components, the templates provide a limited capability to effect enhanced advertising.

This known system does not include any capability to modify or incorporate video materials into the advertisements, thus depriving the advertisers of the rich menu of video-oriented raw materials from which to draw.

There is no capability to change the tempo, music, narration, lighting, or any other elements of the advertising that have been proven successful in gaining the viewer attention the advertisers desire.

Further, even with known interactive personalization solutions in place, text and graphics solutions cannot compete with the masterful ability of video and audio to generate interest, create brand awareness, or product image.

Although the Internet is a powerful medium on which to personalize dynamic offerings it lacks the power of traditional television which uses the richest of media to present powerful 30-second stories.

If the user can control the media message, either through explicit commands about what type of information the user reveals, or alternatively what information the user receives, the power of narrative story telling to a passive and receptive audience is lost.

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