Analysis device, analysis method, and control program

Abstract

To perform analysis based on the timing when identification information printed on a printed material is read.SOLUTION: An analysis device 10 is provided, comprising: an acquisition unit 111 for acquiring history information indicating that identification information printed on printed materials has been read by a reading unit, identification information being different for each printed material; an analysis unit 112 configured to perform analysis based on the fact that a printed material has been read and the timing of the reading; and an output unit 113 for outputting a result of analysis by the analysis unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an analytical device, an analytical method, and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, brand owners who want to advertise their products have had printed materials created for the purpose of promoting their products, and have these printed materials sent to users such as consumers via direct mail or distributed at stores or exhibition venues that they visit. However, it is difficult to grasp the advertising effectiveness of printed materials simply by distributing them.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an advertising system that aims to determine the advertising effectiveness of distributed advertisements with greater accuracy. In this advertising system 1, "the posting server 25 selects distributors 31 based on the desired distribution period, distribution area, and number of copies set by the advertiser 10, and generates unique ID information and distribution data for the number of copies to be distributed, and sends them to each selected distributor 31. The distributor device 33 causes the printer 35 to print the number of copies to be distributed, superimposing the distribution data received from the posting server 25 with ID information extracted from the received multiple pieces of ID information, which is changed for each print." (Abstract)

[0004] In addition, in this advertising system, the location information read from distributor device 33 at the time of distribution and the information contained in the URL extracted from the code information of the printed matter are sent to posting server 25 and registered. Then, when the user who received the printed matter subsequently accesses the URL extracted from the code information, the fact that the access has occurred is registered in association with the identification information and location information contained in the URL. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-194221 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The advertising system of Patent Document 1 analyzes the effectiveness of advertising by detecting access to a URL that reads code information containing identification information from printed materials distributed to users. However, the advertising system of Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the timing at which the code information is read.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to perform analysis based on the timing at which identification information printed on a printed matter is read. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following means.

[0009] (1) an acquisition unit that acquires history information indicating that the identification information of a printed material, on which different identification information is printed for each printed material, has been read by a reading unit; an analysis unit that performs analysis based on the fact that the printed matter has been read and the timing of the reading; an output unit that outputs the analysis result by the analysis unit; Analyzer.

[0010] (2) further comprising a storage unit that stores the history information; The analysis device according to (1) above, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the history information from the storage unit.

[0011] (3) The printed matter is distributed to users via multiple distributors at the request of an advertiser, Each of the identification information is linked to one of the distributors in advance, The analysis device according to (1) above, wherein the analysis unit analyzes the degree of cooperation of each of the plurality of distributors.

[0012] (4) The printed matter is distributed to users via multiple distributors at the request of an advertiser, Each of the identification information is linked to one of the distributors in advance, The analysis device according to (1) above, wherein the analysis unit analyzes the distributor's behavioral patterns regarding distribution of the printed material.

[0013] (5) The printed matter is distributed to users via multiple distributors at the request of an advertiser, The analysis device according to (1) above, wherein the analysis unit analyzes the user's behavioral patterns regarding distribution of the printed materials.

[0014] (6) The printed matter is a poster installed at the request of an advertiser, the identification information is linked to installation location information of the poster; The analysis device according to (1) above, wherein the analysis unit analyzes advertising effectiveness based on the installation location, whether the poster was read, and the timing at which the reading was performed.

[0015] (7) a step (a) of acquiring history information indicating that the identification information of the printed matter on which different identification information is printed has been read by a reading means; (b) performing an analysis based on the fact that the print was read and the timing of the reading; and step (c) of outputting the analysis results from step (b).

[0016] (8) a step (a) of acquiring history information indicating that the identification information of the printed matter on which different identification information is printed has been read by a reading means; (b) performing an analysis based on the fact that the print was read and the timing of the reading; and (c) outputting the analysis results from step (b). [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The analysis device according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires history information indicating that the identification information of a printed material, on which different identification information is printed for each printed material, has been read by a reading unit, an analysis unit that performs analysis based on the fact that the printed material has been read and the timing of the reading, and an output unit that outputs the analysis results obtained by the analysis unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] Advantages and features provided by one or more embodiments of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, which are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting. [Figure 1] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the handling status of printed matter and the acquisition of access history in a market where the analysis device according to the first embodiment is applied; FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a distributor. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an analysis device. [Figure 4] 4 is a sequence chart showing an access history acquisition process and an analysis process performed by the analysis device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5A] This is an example of an ID list. [Figure 5B] This is an example of an ID list. [Figure 5C] 3 is an example of an ID list showing the first and second groups of distributors in FIG. 2. [Figure 5D] 3 is an example of an ID list showing the first and second groups of distributors in another example in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 10 is an example of an access history list. [Figure 7] 10 is a subroutine flowchart showing the analysis process of step S25. [Figure 8] 10 is an example of a table that aggregates access histories. [Figure 9]10 is an example of an output of an analysis result of the distributor's cooperation level. [Figure 10] 10 is a subroutine flowchart showing the analysis process of step S25 in a modified example. [Figure 11] 10 is an example of analysis result output. [Figure 12] 10 is an example of analysis result output. [Figure 13] 10 is an example of analysis result output. [Figure 14] 10 is an example of analysis result output. [Figure 15] 10 is an example of analysis result output. [Figure 16] 10 is an example of analysis result output. [Figure 17] 10 is a sequence chart showing an access history acquisition process and an analysis process performed by an analysis device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 18] This is an example of an ID list. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the geographical installation locations of posters. [Figure 20] 10 is a subroutine flowchart showing the analysis process of step S25 in the second embodiment. [Figure 21] 10 is an example of analysis result output. [Figure 22A] 10 is an example of a graph output. [Figure 22B] 10 is an example of a graph output. [Figure 22C] 10 is an example of a graph output. [Figure 23] 10 is a schematic diagram showing the installation position of a poster and the size of code information on the poster. FIG. [Figure 24] 10 is an example of analysis result output. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the handling status of printed matter and the acquisition of access history in a market where an analysis device 10 according to the first embodiment is applied.

[0021] 1, an analysis device 10 is communicatively connected to a print management device 20, a web server 30, terminal devices 35, 50, etc. via a network. The network is a communication line such as a public telephone network or a data communication network. Some networks may use a wired LAN or a wireless LAN (for example, a LAN conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard).

[0022] The analysis device 10 is a server or a PC (personal computer). When the analysis device 10 is a server, it may be a cloud server. The analysis device 10 is a device managed by an analysis company, and in response to a request from an advertiser, acquires history information indicating that the identification information of a printed matter has been read by a reading unit and performs analysis.

[0023] The printing management device 20 is a device managed by a printing company. The printing company and the analysis company may be the same corporation or a group of companies engaged in the service industry. In the following description, the printing company and the analysis company are assumed to be operated by a service company of the same corporation. The printing company creates printed materials in response to requests from customers such as advertisers and provides the printed materials to the customers. As will be described later, different identification information is printed on each printed material. For example, a two-dimensional code encoding a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which identification information is embedded is printed on the printed material along with advertising content. In the first embodiment described below, this identification information is a user ID, and in the second embodiment described below (FIG. 17 and subsequent figures), this identification information is a poster ID.

[0024] The printed material is passed to a distributor via the advertiser and distributed to the final user. The advertising content includes content that appeals to this user. For example, in one advertising job, 1,000 sheets of printed material are printed and distributed via a distributor, one sheet per user, for the number of printed materials.

[0025] The web server 30 may be a web server managed by the advertiser itself, or a web server managed by a third party outsourced by the advertiser. When a user accesses the web server 30 via a two-dimensional code attached to the printed material p1, the web server 30 records the identification information included in the URL. Then, for each identification, the web server 30 records the access and the timing in a history list (the access history list in FIG. 6, which will be described later). This history list is sent to the analysis device 10 at a predetermined timing. As another example, the analysis device 10 may have a web server function and record the user's access history via URL. In this case, a URL (encoded URL) including the identification information printed on the printed material indicates the connection destination to the analysis device 10. When the analysis device 10 receives a connection request to a URL from a user, it extracts the identification information included in the URL and records it in the access history list, while forwarding the connection request to the advertiser's web server 30.

[0026] The terminal devices 35 and 50 are portable communication terminals such as PCs or smartphones. For example, the terminal device 35 is a device used by an advertiser. The terminal device 50 is a portable terminal personally owned by each user. The terminal device 50 is provided with a camera as a reading unit, and the camera reads identification information (two-dimensional code) printed on a printed material. For example, a user reads the two-dimensional code on the surface of the printed material with the camera of the terminal device 50, decodes it using a two-dimensional code reader (application), obtains a URL, and uses this URL to access the web server 30 and obtain a web page including advertising content, etc.

[0027] Here, the advertiser is a brand owner. The advertiser distributes printed advertising materials to users through distributors to advertise their products or services. The advertiser also displays advertising posters on the streets or in passageways.

[0028] A printing company creates printed materials in response to requests from customers such as brand owners, and provides the printed materials to the customers. For example, one lot (one advertising job) produces between one hundred and several hundred thousand printed materials p1. In the first embodiment, the printed materials p1 are, for example, advertising papers printed on cut paper. In the second embodiment described below, the printing company prints exhibition posters on large-sized paper in response to requests from advertisers.

[0029] Image forming devices used by printing companies include analog printing machines that create plates for offset printing or the like to perform mass printing, and digital printing machines that use electrophotographic or inkjet printing methods.

[0030] The distributor is a store, an intermediary, or a wholesaler. In the example shown in Figure 1, the distributor is a store or a distributor that hands the printed materials directly to the user. In the example shown in Figure 1, the distributor receives a stack of printed materials directly from the advertiser or printing company. The distributor then distributes them one by one to the user.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an example of distributing printed materials to users via multiple tiers of distributors. In FIG. 2, printed materials are delivered to a first group distributor (first tier) by an advertiser or a printing company commissioned by the advertiser. The first group distributor divides the delivered printed materials into several parts and delivers them to second group distributors (second tier) below. The second group distributor unit distributes the printed materials to users. For example, the first group distributor is an intermediary or wholesaler, and the second group distributor is a branch of the intermediary, or a store or service facility that directly interacts with users.

[0032] In the following, the advertiser will be described as a business that manufactures and sells pet food, the first group distributor will be a wholesaler that purchases pet food from the business and sells it to veterinary clinics, and the second group distributor will be a veterinary clinic that sells pet food to users.

[0033] (Analyzer 10) 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the analysis device 10. The analysis device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0034] (Control unit 11) The control unit 11 has a CPU and memories such as RAM and ROM. The CPU is a control circuit composed of a multi-core processor or the like that controls the above-mentioned units and executes various arithmetic processing in accordance with a program, and each function of the analysis device 10 is realized by the CPU executing the corresponding program. The control unit 11 also functions as an acquisition unit 111 and an output unit 113 in cooperation with the communication unit 13. The control unit 11 also functions as an analysis unit 112.

[0035] The storage unit 12 is a large-capacity auxiliary storage device that stores various programs including an operating system and various data. The storage may be, for example, a hard disk, a solid-state drive, a flash memory, or a ROM. The storage unit 12 stores a job list, multiple ID lists, access history, and the like. Examples of these lists will be described later.

[0036] (Communications Department 13) The communication unit 13 also serves as an interface for network connection with an external device such as a PC.

[0037] (Acquisition part 111) The acquisition unit 111 acquires history information indicating that the identification information of a printed material, on which different identification information is printed for each printed material, has been read by the reading unit. The acquisition unit 111 acquires the history information from the web server 30 or the storage unit 12. The history information records that the printed material has been read and the timing of the reading.

[0038] (Analysis Department 112) The analysis unit 112 performs various analyses using history information that records the fact that a printed material has been read and the timing of the reading. The analyses include at least one of the following. The analysis unit 112 may perform rule-based analysis or may perform analysis using a trained model. The distributor in the following analyses is at least either the first group distributor or the second group distributor. (1) The distributor's level of cooperation with the advertiser. (2) The distributor's behavioral patterns regarding the distribution of printed materials. (3) Behavioral patterns of users based on the distribution of printed materials.

[0039] (output unit 113) The output unit 113 outputs the analysis results of the analysis unit 112. For example, the output unit 113 transmits the analysis result data to the terminal device 35 of the advertiser, or displays it on the display unit of the terminal device 35.

[0040] (Analysis processing) FIG. 4 is a sequence chart showing the process of acquiring and analyzing an access history by the analysis device 10 in the first embodiment.

[0041] (Steps S01 to S03) An advertiser requests an advertising job related to an advertisement from a service company. For example, a person in charge of the advertiser sends the advertising job to the analysis device 10 using a terminal device 35. This advertising job includes image data for printing, access destination information (common URL), number of copies to be printed, distribution destinations (distributors), and information on the number of copies to be distributed to each destination.

[0042] The analysis device 10 of the service company generates advertisement print data including advertisement content based on the image data of the accepted advertisement job for advertisement distribution. Also, it generates user IDs for the number of print sheets and prepares them as a user ID list.

[0043] 5A to 5D are examples of ID lists. In the example of table T1 shown in Fig. 5A, unique user IDs ranging from 1 to 150000 are assigned. The number of IDs is the same as the number of printed sheets of the printed matter.

[0044] The control unit 11 of the analysis device 10 also generates a corresponding URL list from the user IDs and common URLs, and generates a two-dimensional code by encoding this. The number of user IDs and the number of two-dimensional codes prepared based on these are the same as the number of sheets to be printed. Then, variable print data for variable printing is generated, with the two-dimensional codes as the variable area and the advertising print data as the non-variable area. The variable area may also contain the user ID in a human-readable format (not encoded).

[0045] (Step S04) The analysis device 10 transmits the print data generated in step S03 to the print management device 20.

[0046] (Step S05) The print management device 20 generates printed matter from the print data using a printing device. This printed matter is variable printing in which the information of the two-dimensional code printed in a partial area varies from sheet to sheet, as described above.

[0047] (Step S06) The analysis device 10 associates the distributor and the like with the user ID and registers them based on the information of the advertisement job.

[0048] Table T1 in FIG. 5A shows the relationship between the customer ID, distributor ID of the first group distributor, and user ID for each advertising job ID. The customer ID is assigned to each advertiser. Table T1 in FIG. 5A and Table T2 in FIG. 5B show the relationship between the distributor ID of the first group distributor and the distributor name (e.g., wholesaler name). Table T3 in FIG. 5C shows the relationship between the distributor ID of the first group distributor, that distributor name, the sub-distributor ID of the second group distributor, and that distributor name (e.g., veterinary clinic name, store name, branch name). Table T4 in FIG. 5D shows, as another example, the relationship between the distributor ID of the first group distributor, that distributor name, the sub-distributor ID of the second group distributor, and that distributor name (the location of the first group distributor). This ID list links the user ID information included in each printed material with the distributor.

[0049] (Step S07) The printed materials generated in step S05 are handed over from the service company to the advertiser, and then handed over to the first group distributors via the advertiser. The number of printed materials handed over to each first group distributor and the user IDs printed on the printed materials are as shown in Table T1 of Fig. 5A. Then, in the example of Table T3 of Fig. 5C, the printed materials handed over to the first group distributors are handed over to veterinary clinics or the like as second group distributors, and distributed via the veterinary clinics or the like to users who are pet owners who visit the veterinary clinics.

[0050] (Steps S21 and S22) Some users who receive the printed material read the two-dimensional code printed on the printed material and access the URL. For example, a user who has shown interest in a product or service provided by an advertiser included in the advertising content printed on the printed material, or a user who wants to obtain a product coupon, photographs the two-dimensional code with the camera of a terminal device 50 (such as a smartphone). The user then accesses the web server 30 using the URL obtained after the code is decoded by a two-dimensional code reader (application) on the smartphone.

[0051] (Steps S23 and S24) The web server 30 records the occurrence of an access and the timing of the access, and generates an access history (history information). That is, an access history is generated indicating that the identification information of the printed material was read by a reading unit of a terminal device 50 such as a smartphone. FIG. 6 is an example of an access history list (hereinafter simply referred to as an access history). As shown in Table T11 in FIG. 6, the access history records the user ID included in the URL and the access timing each time there is access via a URL. For example, FIG. 6 records that there were two accesses by user ID (78645) between 8:00 PM on January 21st.

[0052] The web server 30 also sends content (e.g., product information, product coupons, etc.) to the terminal device 50. As another example, the analysis device 10 may have a web server function as described above, and the user may connect to this web server using the terminal device 50 with a URL that includes identification information printed on the printed material. In this case, the analysis device 10 records the user ID and the access timing.

[0053] (Step S25) The analysis device 10 performs analysis using the access history recorded in step S23. First, as an example of the above-mentioned analysis (1) to (3), the case of "(1) analyzing the distributor's cooperation with the advertiser" will be described. Figure 7 is a subroutine flowchart showing the processing of step S25.

[0054] (Step S310) The acquisition unit 111 of the analysis device 10 acquires the access history from the web server 30. Table T12 in Figure 8 is an example of an aggregated access history that has been aggregated on the analysis device 10 side using each list (tables T1 to T2) for the acquired access history (table T11).

[0055] (Steps S320 to S330) The analysis unit 112 analyzes the distributor's degree of cooperation with the advertiser from the access history. The output unit 113 outputs the analysis result. For example, the output unit 113 transmits the analysis result to the terminal device 35. An example of the analysis of the degree of cooperation here will be described later. This ends the processing in FIG. 7, and the processing returns to the processing in FIG. 4.

[0056] (Step S26) The terminal device 35 displays the analysis results on its display unit. Fig. 9 shows an example of an output screen 701 of the analysis results of the distributor's cooperation degree, which is displayed on the terminal device 35.

[0057] As shown on the output screen 701, the analysis unit 112 calculates the transition rate and confidence interval (95% confidence interval) of each distributor (first group distributor) as a measure of the distributor's cooperation, and compares these between distributors. Here, the transition rate is the number of accesses by the user ID linked to the distributor divided by the number of distributions. The number of distributions is the number of printed materials given to the distributor. In area a11 of the output screen 701, the transition rate is shown as a bar graph, and its 95% confidence interval is shown as an error bar.

[0058] In addition, the area a12 shows the analysis results generated by the analysis unit 112. For example, the analysis results include: The analysis states, "Five out of nine companies have a low percentage and a statistically significantly low conversion rate. It would be better to push distributors to distribute flyers more closely and explain the situation to recipients."

[0059] (Variation) Next, as examples of the analysis of (1) to (3) above, (2) distributor's behavioral patterns regarding distribution of printed materials, and (3) user's behavioral patterns regarding distribution of printed materials will be described.

[0060] FIG. 10 is a subroutine flowchart showing the processing of step S25 in the modified example.

[0061] (Step S410) By processing similar to step S310, the acquisition unit 111 of the analysis device 10 acquires the access history from the web server 30. The control unit 11 also uses the access history and each list to generate an aggregated access history such as table T12 in FIG.

[0062] (Steps S420 to S440) The analysis unit 112 analyzes the distributor's behavioral patterns related to distribution by time from the access history. The analysis unit 112 also analyzes the user's behavioral patterns by time. The output unit 113 outputs the analysis results. For example, the output unit 113 transmits the analysis results to the terminal device 35. Examples of the analysis of each behavioral pattern here will be described later (see FIGS. 11 to 16). This ends the processing of FIG. 10, and the process returns to the processing of FIG. 4. In step S26 of FIG. 4, the terminal device 35 or the like displays the analysis results generated in this processing.

[0063] (Analysis of distributor behavior patterns) FIG. 11 is an example of an output screen 702 displayed on the terminal device 35, showing the analysis results of the distributor's behavioral patterns.

[0064] A table of aggregated access histories is displayed in area a21 of output screen 702. The timing of the access that was the basis for analysis by analysis unit 112 is enclosed in a dashed rectangular frame so that it can be distinguished from other accesses.

[0065] In addition, the area a22 shows the analysis results generated by the analysis unit 112. For example, the analysis results include: "<Determining the accuracy of proper use> The analysis states that "there was a continuous reading of IDs with closely spaced consecutive numbers. There is a possibility that they were used for explanatory purposes or distributed in bulk fraudulently, and the probability of proper use of this use is determined to be low." The probability here refers to the possibility that the printed material was used for its intended purpose (proper use) (the same applies below). A low probability means that there is a low possibility that the printed material was used for its intended purpose.

[0066] (Analysis of distributor and user behavior patterns by time period) FIG. 12 is an example of an output screen 703 displayed on the terminal device 35, showing the analysis results of the behavioral patterns of distributors and users by time period.

[0067] A histogram of the number of transitions by time period for one advertising job is displayed in area a31 of output screen 703. In addition, the data for the time period that was the basis for analysis by analysis unit 112 is surrounded by a rectangular dashed line frame (A to B) so that it can be distinguished from other data.

[0068] In addition, an area a32 shows the analysis results generated by the analysis unit 112. For example, the analysis results include: (A) There were many transitions even during the store's lunch break. Since the person in charge of distribution used it to explain things to the store staff, it can be assumed that the likelihood of proper use is low. (B) The transition is confirmed outside the store's business hours. It can be assumed that the person (user) who received the printed materials takes them home without throwing them away. It can be estimated that there is a high possibility of appropriate use and that the user's engagement is also high." By analyzing user access, the analysis unit 112 can analyze how the user stores and handles the distributed printed materials.

[0069] (Analysis of distributor and user behavior patterns by date) FIG. 13 is an example of an output screen 704 displayed on the terminal device 35, showing the analysis results of the behavioral patterns of distributors and users by date.

[0070] A histogram of the number of transitions by date for one advertising job is displayed in area a41 of output screen 704. In addition, the data for the date that was the basis for analysis by analysis unit 112 is surrounded by a rectangular dashed frame (A) so that it can be distinguished from other data.

[0071] In addition, the area a42 shows the analysis results generated by the analysis unit 112. For example, the analysis results include: (A) The number of orders increased on a specific day, February 22nd (Cat Day (Meow Meow Meow)). It wasn't a gimmick by the distributors, but it was a pun related to the industry. It is possible that the store used it for a campaign, suggesting that it may be effective on other similar occasions."

[0072] (Analysis of behavioral patterns by date for the first and second distribution groups) FIG. 14 is an example of an output screen 705 displayed on the terminal device 35, showing the analysis results of the distributor's behavioral patterns by date.

[0073] Area a51 of output screen 705 displays a table of the number of transitions by date for one advertising job. Furthermore, the data that was the basis for the analysis by analysis unit 112 is enclosed in a dashed rectangular frame (A to C) so that it can be distinguished from other data. In the example of Figure 14, the second group distributor corresponds to table T4 in Figure 5D, and corresponds to the base (branch or sales office) of the first group distributor.

[0074] In addition, the area a52 shows the analysis results generated by the analysis unit 112. For example, the analysis results include: Regarding Company B's Saitama 2nd Sales Office, it was analyzed that "(A) The number of cases changes continuously every day. It is a proactive partner company that distributes to a wide range of stores." Furthermore, regarding Company A's Yamaguchi Branch, it was analyzed that "(B) There are days when the number of cases increases sharply. It is possible that they have set up some kind of scheme, so they are a distributor that we may be able to work with in the future." Furthermore, regarding Company A's Obihiro Branch, Aomori Branch, etc., it was analyzed that "(C) Continuous changes cannot be confirmed. They are either not distributing in the first place, or distribution to cooperative stores has finished. A push is needed to distribute again."

[0075] (Analysis of behavioral patterns by date for first group recipients) FIG. 15 is an example of an output screen 706 displayed on the terminal device 35, showing the analysis results of the behavioral patterns of the first group of distributors by date.

[0076] Area a61 of output screen 706 displays a table showing the number of transitions by date for each first group of distributors (Company A to Company F) for one advertising job. The data that was the basis for analysis by analysis unit 112 is enclosed in a dashed rectangular frame so that it can be distinguished from other data. In Figure 15, a portion of the table in area a61 is displayed enlarged at the top.

[0077] In addition, an area a62 shows the analysis results generated by the analysis unit 112. For example, the analysis results include: "<Extraction of stores with special business formats> For example, if there are many transitions on Sundays, which is generally a day off in the industry, it may be a store that is open on holidays. There is room to run campaigns that are only available on specific days of the week. The same idea can be applied to time periods (such as late night or early morning opening hours)."

[0078] (Results of user behavior pattern analysis) FIG. 16 is an example of an output screen 707 displayed on the terminal device 35, showing the analysis results of the user's behavioral patterns.

[0079] A table of aggregated access histories is displayed in area a71 of output screen 707. Accesses by users that are the basis of analysis by analysis unit 112 are enclosed in a dashed rectangular frame so that they can be distinguished from accesses by other users.

[0080] In addition, an area a72 shows the analysis results generated by the analysis unit 112. For example, the analysis results include: "<Extracting user confusion and consideration status> If something that should be processed in one read is accessed multiple times, it may be difficult to operate at the destination. You can use a site analysis tool to analyze where the problem is and improve the user experience. -If a user compares performance and price several times before purchasing, there is a chance that the user is repeatedly considering the product. The degree of consideration can be determined from a combination of the length of time from the first visit to the most recent visit and the number of hits. It is possible to gauge the attractiveness of a product by understanding not only whether it sold or not, but also how many people considered it.

[0081] As described above, the analysis device according to the first embodiment includes an acquisition unit that acquires history information indicating that the reading unit has read the identification information of printed materials, each of which has different identification information printed on it; an analysis unit that performs analysis based on the fact that the printed materials have been read and the timing of the reading; and an output unit that outputs the analysis results obtained by the analysis unit. This allows analysis to be performed based on the timing at which the identification information printed on the printed materials was read. In particular, in the first embodiment, by analyzing the fact that the identification information has been read and the timing of the reading, it is possible to analyze (1) the distributor's level of cooperation with the advertiser, (2) the distributor's behavioral patterns regarding the distribution of printed materials, and (3) the user's behavioral patterns regarding the distribution of printed materials. This allows advertisers to be provided with information useful for making decisions regarding their advertisements, thereby supporting their decision-making.

[0082] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 23. In the first embodiment, printed matter on which identification information is printed is distributed to individual users, such as flyers, and the identification information is a user ID linked to the distributor. In the second embodiment, a poster is used that is installed in a specific location, and the identification information is a poster ID linked to installation location information. In the second embodiment, no distributor appears, and the poster is installed by an advertiser or a service company. Also, the control block diagram of FIG. 3 and some of the various tables shown in FIGS. 5A to 6 can be commonly applied to the second embodiment.

[0083] (Analysis processing) FIG. 17 is a sequence chart showing the process of acquiring and analyzing an access history by the analysis device 10 according to the second embodiment.

[0084] (Steps S11 to S13) An advertiser requests an advertising job related to an advertisement from a service company. For example, the advertising job is sent to the analysis device 10 via a terminal device 35. This advertising job includes image data for printing, access destination information (common URL), number of copies to be printed, and installation location information.

[0085] The analysis device 10 of the service company generates advertisement print data including advertisement content based on the image data of the accepted advertisement job for advertisement distribution. Also, it generates poster IDs for the number of prints and prepares them as an ID list.

[0086] FIG. 18 is an example of an ID list. As shown in the example of table T21 in FIG. 18, a unique poster ID is assigned to each poster. The number of IDs is the same as the number of printed materials (posters). Each poster ID is also linked to installation location information. The installation location information includes information indicating a geographical location. The poster ID may also be linked to installation location information such as height information indicating the height from the ground and size information of the code printed on the poster (see the example in FIG. 23, described below).

[0087] A corresponding URL list is also generated from the poster ID and common URL, and a two-dimensional code is generated by encoding this. The same number of two-dimensional codes as the number of copies to be printed is prepared. Variable print data for variable printing is then generated, with the two-dimensional code as the variable area and the advertising print data as the non-variable area. The variable area may also contain a human-readable (unencoded) poster ID.

[0088] (Step S14) The analysis device 10 transmits the print data generated in step S13 to the print management device 20.

[0089] (Step SS15) The print management device 20 generates printed matter from print data using a printing device. This printed matter is variable printing in which information of a two-dimensional code printed in a partial area varies from sheet to sheet.

[0090] (Step S16) Based on the information of the advertising job, the analysis device 10 associates the installation location information and the like with the poster ID and registers them as shown in table T21.

[0091] (Step S17) The printed matter (poster) generated in step S15 is handed over from the service company to the advertiser, and then installed at a predetermined location via the advertiser. Figure 19 is a schematic diagram showing the geographical installation locations of posters. For example, Poster 1 is installed within the premises, and Poster 2 is installed within the premises facing the road.

[0092] (Steps S21 to S26) Steps S21 to S26 are the same as those in the sequence chart shown in Figure 4. A user reads the two-dimensional code printed on the poster and accesses the URL. Web server 30 records this access and generates an access history, and analysis device 10 uses this access history to perform analysis.

[0093] FIG. 20 is a subroutine flowchart showing the processing of step S25 in the second embodiment.

[0094] (Step S510) The acquisition unit 111 of the analysis device 10 acquires the access history from the web server 30. The access history here is a table similar to T11 in Fig. 6. For each poster ID, the fact that there was an access and the timing of that access are recorded.

[0095] (Steps S520 to S530) The analysis unit 112 analyzes the advertising effectiveness of the poster installation position for the advertiser based on the access history. The output unit 113 outputs the analysis result. For example, the output unit 113 transmits the analysis result to the terminal device 35.

[0096] Fig. 21 is an example of an output screen 708 showing the analysis results relating to the installation positions of posters, displayed on the terminal device 35. As shown in Fig. 21, a graph is displayed in an area a81 of the output screen 708, and the analysis results are displayed in an area a82. For example, one of the graphs shown in Figs. 22A to 22C is displayed in area a81.

[0097] For example, in the analysis results shown in area a82, "<Extracting characteristics based on poster placement> If the transition is only during business hours, as in Poster 1, it is likely to be in a location that can only be seen from within the premises. This will enhance the effectiveness of in-store appeal. If there is a transition from outside business hours, as in Poster 2, it is likely that the location is also seen from outside the premises. Appeals that are not dependent on time or the inside of the store can be more effective. "When there are many transitions at certain times, like in the morning and evening, as in Poster 3, it is predicted that there will be a lot of people commuting to work or school. When targeting people on the move, they are busy, so an appeal that encourages a response at a glance is effective. When targeting people who are stopped, such as those waiting for a train, content that requires them to take some time to read is also effective."

[0098] (Variation 1: Height information from the ground / Size information of the poster code) FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing height information indicating the height from the ground and size information of the code printed on the poster. This height information and size information are linked to the poster ID (see table T21 in FIG. 18). For example, the height information is such that the height of a bulletin board is 1m to 5m from the ground, and two posters are placed on the same bulletin board at heights of 4m and 2m, respectively, within that range. Furthermore, one of the posters has a standard small-sized two-dimensional code that encodes a URL containing identification information, while the other has a larger large-sized two-dimensional code. Apart from the two-dimensional code, the content printed on the posters is the same.

[0099] FIG. 24 is an example of an output screen 708 displayed on the terminal device 35, showing the analysis results relating to the installation positions of posters and / or the size of the two-dimensional codes in Modification 1. As shown in FIG. 24, a graph is displayed in area a91 of the output screen 709, and the analysis results are shown in area a92. For example, area a91 displays one of the graphs shown in FIGS. 22A to 22C. For example, in FIGS. 22A to 22C, Poster 1 is a poster that is positioned high, and Poster 2 is a poster that is positioned low. Poster 3 is a poster that is positioned high and has a large two-dimensional code.

[0100] In the region a92, the analysis unit 112 calculates, for example, "<Extracting characteristics based on poster placement> Posters that are posted in high places are more visible from a distance. However, the 2D code is also smaller, which may reduce the number of times it is scanned. On the other hand, if it is posted in a low place, it is visible right in front of the eyes and easy to scan, but the number of people who see it will also decrease. It is difficult to say which is superior depending on the characteristics of the target people and facility. Therefore, by comparing both, it is possible to determine which is more appealing. During busy times, if the poster is positioned low, it is difficult to view it comfortably. If the poster is positioned high, it can be viewed carefully by avoiding the crowds. On the other hand, during quiet times, a poster positioned low is easier to read. "The relationship between the height of the poster and the size of the 2D code is that when the poster is placed at a higher position, a larger 2D code is easier to read," the analysis states.

[0101] (Variation 2: Poster content) Furthermore, the analysis unit 112 of the analysis device 10 may evaluate the catchphrase and its appeal based on the relationship between the content of the catchphrase written on the poster and the timing at which the poster's identification information (two-dimensional code) was read by the reading unit. For example, if the catchphrase is "XYZ before bed" or "XYZ at work and after work," the analysis unit 112 evaluates the relationship between the catchphrase ("XYZ") and the timing at which it was read.

[0102] As described above, the analysis device according to the second embodiment includes an acquisition unit that acquires history information indicating that the identification information of printed matter, on which different identification information is printed for each printed matter, has been read by a reading unit; an analysis unit that performs analysis based on the fact that the printed matter has been read and the timing of the reading; and an output unit that outputs the analysis results obtained by the analysis unit. This provides the same effects as the first embodiment. In particular, analysis can be performed based on the timing at which the identification information printed on the printed matter was read. Furthermore, particularly in the second embodiment, advertising effectiveness can be analyzed based on the installation location of the poster, the fact that the poster was read, and the timing at which the reading was performed. This allows advertisers to be provided with information that is useful for making decisions regarding advertising, thereby supporting decision-making.

[0103] The configuration of the analyzer 10 described above is a description of the main configuration in explaining the features of the above embodiment, but is not limited to the above configuration and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, configurations that are included in general analyzers are not excluded.

[0104] For example, in the first embodiment, a list of IDs of distributors in the first and second groups is generated and managed by linking them to the user ID of each printed material, but it is also possible to manage only distributors in the first group, or only distributors in the second group. Also, as shown in Fig. 1, if there is only one level of distributors, it is also possible to manage only distributors in one level.

[0105] The means and methods for performing various processes in the analytical device 10 according to the above-described embodiment can be realized by either a dedicated hardware circuit or a programmed computer. The program may be provided by a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB memory or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, or may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium is typically transferred to and stored in a storage unit such as a hard disk. The program may be provided as standalone application software, or may be incorporated into the software of the device as a function of the device.

[0106] While embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in detail, the disclosed embodiments are made for purposes of illustration and example only and are not intended to be limiting, and the scope of the present invention should be construed by the language of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 10 Analyzer 11 Control section 111 Acquisition Department 112 Analysis Department 113 Output section 12 Storage section 13 Communications Department 30 web servers 35, 50 Terminal equipment

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires history information indicating that the identification information of a printed material on which different identification information is printed has been read by the reading unit; an analysis unit that performs analysis based on the fact that the printed matter has been read and the timing of the reading; an output unit that outputs the analysis result by the analysis unit; Analyzer.

2. further comprising a storage unit that stores the history information; The analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires the history information from the storage unit.

3. The printed matter is a printed matter distributed to users via multiple distributors at the request of an advertiser, Each of the identification information is linked to one of the distributors in advance, The analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis unit analyzes the degree of cooperation of each of the plurality of distributors.

4. The printed matter is a printed matter distributed to users via multiple distributors at the request of an advertiser, Each of the identification information is linked to one of the distributors in advance, The analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis unit analyzes behavioral patterns of the distributors regarding distribution of the printed materials.

5. The printed matter is a printed matter distributed to users via multiple distributors at the request of an advertiser, The analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis unit analyzes the user's behavioral patterns regarding distribution of the printed matter.

6. The printed matter is a poster installed at the request of an advertiser, the identification information is linked to installation location information of the poster; The analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis unit analyzes advertising effectiveness based on the installation location, whether the poster was read, and the timing at which the reading was performed.

7. a step (a) of acquiring history information indicating that the identification information of the printed matter on which different identification information is printed has been read by a reading means; (b) performing an analysis based on the fact that the print has been read and the timing of the reading; and step (c) of outputting the analysis results from step (b).

8. a step (a) of acquiring history information indicating that the identification information of the printed matter on which different identification information is printed has been read by a reading means; (b) performing an analysis based on the fact that the print has been read and the timing of the reading; and (c) outputting the analysis results from step (b).

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