Marketing support device, marketing support method, and marketing support program

Abstract

We support marketing based on brand loyalty. [Solution] The generation unit generates marketing information based on purchase information regarding purchased items purchased within a predetermined period. The output unit outputs the marketing information. The marketing information includes statistical information on loyal buyers among buyers who have purchased purchased items of a specific brand belonging to a specific category within a predetermined period. Loyal buyers are buyers who, within a predetermined period, primarily purchase purchased items of a specific brand from among purchased items of multiple brands, including a specific brand, belonging to a specific category.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to marketing support technology.

Background Art

[0002] Regarding marketing that approaches according to customer segments, a marketing support system that can easily perform analysis of segments for appropriate marketing activities is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In marketing, it is important to strengthen customers' loyalty awareness towards a brand and increase their willingness to purchase products or services of that brand. However, it is difficult to objectively evaluate customers' loyalty awareness towards a brand.

[0005] Note that such a problem occurs not only when increasing customers' willingness to purchase products or services but also when conducting various marketing activities.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In one proposal, the marketing support device includes a generation unit and an output unit. The generation unit generates marketing information based on purchase information regarding purchased items within a predetermined period. The output unit outputs the marketing information.

[0008] Marketing information includes statistical data on loyal customers who purchase specific brands and products belonging to a specific category within a specified period.

[0009] A loyal customer is a customer who, within a specified period, primarily purchases items from a specific brand among multiple brands belonging to a specific category. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] From one perspective, it can support marketing based on loyalty to the brand. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a functional configuration diagram of the marketing support device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart for the first marketing support process. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a marketing support system. [Figure 4] This is a functional configuration diagram of the server. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the multiple groups to which the buyer belongs. [Figure 6] This figure shows the calculation results of indices K1 to K5 for a specific product. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the groups of best-sellers and only-sellers. [Figure 8] This is the flowchart for the second marketing support process. [Figure 9] This is a hardware configuration diagram of an information processing device.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail while referring to the drawings.

[0013] According to the works of Dr. Barry Schwartz, an American psychologist, there are purchasers who aim to make the best purchase by carefully comparing and considering, and purchasers who are satisfied by immediately buying something they like. Planned purchases, where the purchaser compares and considers the product before buying, do have a high probability of making an ideal purchase, but in reality, the satisfaction with the purchase is low. Conversely, spontaneous purchases, where the purchaser decides immediately and buys the product, have a high probability of resulting in an expensive purchase that is not the lowest price, but in reality, the satisfaction with the purchase is high.

[0014] The same person may engage in both planned and spontaneous purchase behaviors. For example, in the case of high-value durable consumer goods, purchasers often choose planned purchases to reduce risks over time. In the case of daily consumables such as food, purchasers may make spontaneous purchases, buying the product impulsively at a store or the like. And often, impulse buying results in a higher level of satisfaction than spending time comparing and considering.

[0015] When the purchaser's satisfaction is high, the customer's loyalty awareness towards the brand increases, and the likelihood of the purchaser becoming a loyal customer also increases. A loyal customer is a customer with a high loyalty awareness towards the brand. On the other hand, when the purchaser's satisfaction is low, the likelihood of the purchaser becoming a loyal customer decreases. Since loyal customers of a specific brand often continue to purchase the brand's products or services, marketing based on loyalty awareness is effective.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a functional configuration example of the marketing support device according to the embodiment. The marketing support device 101 in FIG. 1 includes a generation unit 111 and an output unit 112.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a first marketing support process performed by the marketing support apparatus 101 of FIG. 1. The generation unit 111 generates marketing information based on purchase information regarding purchase targets purchased within a predetermined period (step 201). The output unit 112 outputs the marketing information (step 202).

[0018] The marketing information includes statistical information regarding royal purchasers among purchasers who have purchased purchase targets of a specific brand belonging to a specific category within a predetermined period.

[0019] A royal purchaser is a purchaser who mainly purchases purchase targets of a specific brand among purchase targets of a plurality of brands including the specific brand belonging to a specific category within a predetermined period.

[0020] According to the marketing support apparatus 101 of FIG. 1, it is possible to support marketing based on brand loyalty awareness.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of a marketing support system including the marketing support apparatus 101 of FIG. 1. The marketing support system of FIG. 3 includes a terminal device 301, a database server 302, and a server 303. The server 303 corresponds to the marketing support apparatus 101 of FIG. 1.

[0022] The terminal device 301 is a user's information processing device (computer), and the database server 302 is an information processing device that stores purchase history information. The purchase history information includes purchase information regarding various purchase targets belonging to each of a plurality of categories. The purchase target is, for example, a product or a service.

[0023] When the purchase target is a product, the category may be specific food, specific household goods, specific cosmetics, specific furniture, specific household appliances (home appliances), automobiles, etc.

[0024] Certain foods may include soy sauce, milk, butter, instant curry, gum, potato chips, etc. Certain household items may include soap, shampoo, tissues, etc. Certain cosmetics may include cleansing balm, lotion, lipstick, etc. Certain furniture may include sofas, chairs, beds, dining tables, etc. Certain home appliances may include refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, smartphones, personal computers, etc.

[0025] If the item being purchased is a service, the category may include market research, construction work, automobile repair, rail transport, accommodation provision, etc.

[0026] The user of terminal device 301 may be the manufacturer of the goods, the seller of the goods, or the provider of the service. Purchase information regarding the purchased items may include, for example, the following:

[0027] (a) Identification information of the item to be purchased (b) Brand identification information representing the item to be purchased (c) Purchaser identification information (d) Gender and age group of the purchaser (e) The date and time the purchaser bought the item. (f) Customer satisfaction with the purchased item (g) Purchase intent of the purchaser for the item to be purchased

[0028] The identification information for the purchased item may include the name of the product or service. Brand identification information may include the name of the product manufacturer, seller, or service provider, or the trademark of the purchased item. Purchaser identification information may include a non-personally identifiable serial number.

[0029] Buyer satisfaction represents the degree to which a buyer is satisfied with the purchased item. Satisfaction can be expressed in three stages, for example: satisfied, acceptable, and rejected. Satisfied means the buyer is happy with the purchased item, acceptable means they accept the purchased item, and rejected means they are dissatisfied with the purchased item. Buyer purchase intent represents whether or not the buyer intends to purchase the item.

[0030] Purchase information is collected from various sources, such as data from nationwide consumer panel surveys, sales data from portal sites, personal spending surveys, and POS (Point of Sale) data.

[0031] Customer satisfaction and purchase intent can be collected, for example, by cross-referencing the results of consumer surveys with purchase data. Respondents to the survey may, for example, select either "satisfied," "acceptable," or "rejected" for the satisfaction item, and either "yes" or "no" for the purchase intent item.

[0032] It is also possible to collect purchase information solely from the results of consumer surveys, without using actual purchase data.

[0033] Server 303 communicates with terminal device 301 and database server 302 via communication network 304. Communication network 304 is, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network) or LAN (Local Area Network).

[0034] The terminal device 301 sends a processing request to the server 303 requesting the generation of marketing information, in accordance with the user's instructions. The processing request includes identification information of the purchase target P, identification information of the brand representing the purchase target P, period T1, and period T2.

[0035] Period T1 represents the period under analysis, and Period T2 represents the period prior to the period under analysis. Period T1 may be the most recent data collection period. Periods T1 and T2 can be any period within the range of 1 day to 1 year, for example. Period T1 is an example of a predetermined period, and Period T2 is an example of a period prior to the predetermined period.

[0036] Server 303 receives a processing request from terminal device 301 and retrieves purchase information from database server 302 for the category to which the purchase target P, indicated by the identification information included in the processing request, belongs. Then, server 303 generates marketing information using the retrieved purchase information and sends it to terminal device 301.

[0037] Figure 4 shows an example of the functional configuration of the server 303 in Figure 3. The server 303 in Figure 4 includes a communication unit 411, a generation unit 412, and a storage unit 413. The communication unit 411 and the generation unit 412 correspond to the output unit 112 and the generation unit 111 in Figure 1, respectively.

[0038] The communications unit 411 communicates with the terminal device 301 and the database server 302 via the communications network 304.

[0039] The generation unit 412 receives a processing request from the terminal device 301 via the communication unit 411. The generation unit 412 then sends a purchase information request, which includes the identification information of the purchase target P included in the processing request, to the database server 302 via the communication unit 411.

[0040] The database server 302 extracts the purchase information 421 for the category to which the purchased item P belongs from the purchase history information and sends it to the server 303.

[0041] The generation unit 412 receives purchase information 421 from the database server 302 via the communication unit 411 and stores it in the storage unit 413. Next, the generation unit 412 classifies the purchasers included in the purchase information 421 into several groups and calculates several metrics useful for marketing the target purchase P based on the number of purchasers belonging to each group. Then, the generation unit 412 generates marketing information 422 including the calculated metrics and stores it in the storage unit 413.

[0042] Figure 5 shows examples of multiple groups to which purchasers belong. "Category Purchased" represents groups that have purchased any item from any brand within the category to which the target item P belongs during period T1. "Category Purchased Not Purchased" represents groups that have never purchased any item from any brand within the category to which the target item P belongs. By observing the trend in the number of purchasers in the "Category Purchased" category, it is possible to understand whether the market for a particular category is expanding or contracting.

[0043] "Purchased before" represents a group that has purchased the target P at some point. "No purchase experience" represents a group that has never purchased the target P. "Currently purchased (active)" represents a group that has purchased the target P at some point during period T1. "Currently not purchased" represents a group that has never purchased the target P during period T1.

[0044] The "highest purchase" group represents the group that purchased the most items of item P within period T1, among multiple brands belonging to the same category as item P. A buyer who purchases the most items of item P among multiple brands is an example of a buyer who primarily purchases items from a specific brand among multiple brands.

[0045] Non-highest purchasers represent a group of customers who, within period T1, did not purchase the most items from any of the multiple brands belonging to the same category as item P. Non-highest purchasers may have purchased the most items from brands other than item P within period T1.

[0046] "Entry" represents a group of users who have purchased a category but have no prior purchase experience. "Sleep" represents a group of users who have purchased a category but have no current purchase experience.

[0047] A "Yes" purchase intention indicates a group that intends to purchase item P. A "No" purchase intention indicates a group that does not intend to purchase item P. A "Satisfied" satisfaction level indicates a group that is satisfied with item P. A "Acceptable" satisfaction level indicates a group that accepts item P. A "Rejected" satisfaction level indicates a group that is dissatisfied with item P.

[0048] Group G1 represents the group of entries that have an intention to purchase. Buyers in Group G1 have never purchased Target P, and during period T1, they have purchased Target P from a competing brand that competes with Target P, but intend to purchase Target P in the future. Therefore, buyers in Group G1 have the potential to purchase Target P through planned purchases.

[0049] Group G2 represents the group of entries with no intention to purchase. Buyers in Group G2 have never purchased Target P, and during period T1, they purchased Target P from a competing brand that competes with Target P, and have no intention of purchasing Target P in the future. However, buyers in Group G2 may purchase Target P through incidental purchases.

[0050] Group G3 represents the group of sleepers who are satisfied with their purchase. Purchasers in Group G3 have purchased Target P in the past and are satisfied with it, but have not purchased Target P again during period T1.

[0051] Group G4 represents the group of sleepers who find the satisfaction level "acceptable." Purchasers in Group G4 have purchased the target product P in the past and find it acceptable, yet they did not purchase the target product P during period T1.

[0052] The satisfaction level of buyers in Group G3 may change to acceptable as they repeatedly purchase the target product P. The satisfaction level of buyers in Group G4 may change to satisfied due to the implementation of content collaboration campaigns that the buyers like. In this way, buyer satisfaction fluctuates between satisfied and acceptable, and may eventually lead to rejection for various reasons.

[0053] Group G5 represents the group of customers who have made a purchase and are not the most frequent purchasers of the product, and who report being "satisfied." Although customers in Group G5 have purchased the target product P and are satisfied with it, they did not purchase the target product P the most among multiple brands, including the brand of the target product P, during period T1.

[0054] Group G6 represents the group of customers who have made a purchase and do not have the highest purchase rate, and whose satisfaction level is "acceptable." Although customers in Group G6 have purchased Target P in the past and are tolerant of Target P, they did not purchase Target P the most among multiple brands, including the brand of Target P, during period T1.

[0055] Group G7 represents the group of customers who have made a purchase and whose satisfaction level is "satisfied" among those who have made the most purchases. Purchasers in Group G7 have purchased Target P before, are satisfied with Target P, and, within period T1, have purchased Target P the most among multiple brands, including the brand of Target P.

[0056] Group G8 represents the group of customers who have made a purchase and whose satisfaction level is "acceptable" among those who made the most purchases. Purchasers in Group G8 have purchased Target P before, are satisfied with Target P, and within period T1, they purchased Target P the most among multiple brands, including the brand of Target P.

[0057] Purchasers in Groups G7 and G8 are examples of loyal purchasers who primarily buy specific brands and possess a strong sense of loyalty to the brand of purchase item P. Purchasers in Groups G5 and G6 are examples of regular purchasers who are not loyal purchasers. In the following text, purchasers in Groups G7 and G8 may be referred to as loyal purchasers, and purchasers in Groups G5 and G6 may be referred to as regular purchasers.

[0058] Even if loyal customers maintain their loyalty to a brand, they may change to regular customers if environmental changes lead to bulk purchases of competing brands, etc. Conversely, regular customers may change to loyal customers if environmental changes lead to bulk purchases of their target products, etc.

[0059] Thus, customer movement easily occurs between the group of loyal buyers and the group of regular buyers. For this reason, in marketing to target product P, it is desirable to maximize the total number of loyal and regular buyers.

[0060] Group G9 represents a group that has not made any purchases in the category. Purchasers in Group G9 are unlikely to purchase Target Product in the future, and therefore are excluded from marketing to Target Product.

[0061] Group G10 represents the group within the sleep phase that is dissatisfied with the product (product P). Buyers in Group G10 have previously purchased product P and are dissatisfied with it, therefore they did not purchase it again during period T1. Buyers in Group G10 are also unlikely to purchase product P in the future, and are therefore excluded from marketing efforts for product P.

[0062] The generation unit 412 calculates indices K1 to K5 based on the number of purchasers belonging to each group, for example, using the following formula.

[0063] K1 = R1 - R2 (1) K2 = N1 / N2 (2) K3 = N3 / N4 (3) K4 = N5 / N6 (4) K5 = N2 / N7 (5)

[0064] In equation (1), R1 represents the ratio of the number of purchasers who made a category purchase during period T1 to the total number of consumers included in the purchase information 421 for period T1. Consumers included in the purchase information 421 for period T1 may be purchasers who made any purchase during period T1, or they may be respondents to a survey conducted for period T1.

[0065] R2 represents the ratio of the number of consumers who made a category purchase during period T2 to the total number of consumers included in the purchase information 421 for period T2. Consumers included in the purchase information 421 for period T2 may be consumers who made any purchase during period T2, or they may be respondents to a survey conducted during period T2.

[0066] R1 is an example of a value calculated from the number of buyers who purchased items belonging to a specific category within a given period. R2 is an example of a value calculated from the number of buyers who purchased items belonging to a specific category within a period prior to the given period. The index K1 in equation (1) is an example of statistical information that represents the relationship between R1 and R2.

[0067] Indicator K1 shows the change in the percentage of buyers who made a category purchase between period T2 and period T1. By referring to indicator K1, users can understand whether the market for the category to which the purchased item P belongs is expanding or contracting.

[0068] In equation (2), N1 represents the number of buyers who have made a purchase and have expressed a purchase intention during period T1. N2 represents the number of buyers who have made a purchase in a category and have expressed a purchase intention during period T1.

[0069] The index K2 in equation (2) is an example of statistical information regarding buyers who have made a purchase in the category during period T1, and who have made a purchase and have an intention to purchase.

[0070] Metric K2 shows the percentage of buyers who intended to purchase the target product (P) but actually went through with a planned purchase of the target product. By referring to metric K2, users can understand the rate at which planned purchases of the target product occur.

[0071] In equation (3), N3 represents the number of buyers who made a purchase during period T1 and have no intention to purchase. N4 represents the number of buyers who made a purchase in a category during period T1 and have no intention to purchase.

[0072] The index K3 in equation (3) is an example of statistical information regarding buyers who have made a purchase in the category during period T1, who have made a purchase, and who have no intention to purchase.

[0073] Metric K3 shows the percentage of customers who had previously purchased items in a category but did not intend to purchase the target item (P), and who ended up making an incidental purchase of the target item. By referring to metric K3, users can understand the rate at which incidental purchases of the target item occur.

[0074] In equation (4), N5 represents the number of buyers with the highest purchase rate during period T1. N6 represents the number of buyers who have made a purchase during period T1.

[0075] Indicator K4 in equation (4) is an example of statistical information regarding loyal buyers among those who made a purchase during period T1. Indicator K4 is also an example of information regarding the ratio of loyal buyers to those who made a purchase during period T1.

[0076] Metric K4 represents the percentage of current buyers who have made purchases during period T1 and who have established a habit of primarily purchasing product P. Users can refer to metric K4 to understand the rate at which they have established a habit of primarily purchasing product P.

[0077] In equation (5), N7 represents the number of buyers who made a category purchase during period T1. Indicator K5 in equation (5) is an example of statistical information regarding buyers who made a category purchase during period T1 and who indicated a purchase intention of "yes".

[0078] Metric K5 represents the percentage of buyers who made a category purchase during period T1 and who then indicated an intention to purchase the target product (P). By referring to metric K5, users can understand the purchase activation rate of the target product.

[0079] Indicators K1 through K5 are sometimes referred to as KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).

[0080] The generation unit 412 may determine the number of consumers used in calculating index K1 from the number of respondents to the questionnaire survey using statistical data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Similarly, the generation unit 412 may determine the number of purchasers used in calculating indices K1 to K5 from the number of purchasers identified by the questionnaire survey using statistical data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

[0081] Figure 6 shows an example of the calculation results for indices K1 to K5 for a specific product. In this example, purchase history information was generated from the results of an online questionnaire survey conducted using dedicated response tablets from March 2019 to 2023. Period T1 is the period from three months before the survey date to the survey date, and period T2 is the period T1 of the year prior to the survey date.

[0082] The number of respondents represents the total number of respondents in the survey conducted each year. "No Purchase Category (%)" represents the ratio of respondents who did not make a purchase to the total number of respondents. "Active (%)" represents the ratio of current purchasers to the total number of respondents. "Regular (%)" represents the ratio of regular purchasers to the total number of respondents. "Loyal (%)" represents the ratio of loyal purchasers to the total number of respondents. Indicators K1 to K5 are in percentages (%).

[0083] The K1 index was -2.5% in 2020 and -2.3% in 2021. The fact that the K1 index was negative for two consecutive years indicates that the market contracted from 2019 to 2021. The positive K1 index from 2022 onwards indicates that the market recovered.

[0084] The K2 index for 2019 was 66.7%, while the K2 index for 2021-2023 is around 54%. The decrease in the K2 index from 2019 to 2023 indicates a decline in the incidence of planned purchases.

[0085] The K3 index for 2019 was 0.7%, while the K3 index for 2021-2023 is around 3%. The increase in the K3 index from 2019 to 2023 indicates an increase in the rate of incidental purchases.

[0086] The K4 index was 64.1% in 2019 and 76.0% in 2023. The increase in the K4 index from 2019 to 2023 indicates that buyer loyalty is increasing.

[0087] The K5 index was 2.0% in 2019, 7.6% in 2021, and 5.2% in 2023. The trend in the K5 index shows that the purchase stimulus rate peaked in 2021 and has been declining since then.

[0088] The generation unit 412 transmits marketing information 422, including indicators K1 to K5, to the terminal device 301 via the communication unit 411. The terminal device 301 displays the marketing information 422 received from the server 303 on its screen.

[0089] By referring to the displayed marketing information 422, users can analyze consumer behavior regarding the target product P and conduct effective marketing activities that maximize the total number of loyal and regular buyers.

[0090] To maximize the total number of loyal and regular buyers, users will implement measures such as social networking service (SNS) advertising or influencer marketing, video campaigns, gift promotions, and enriched point-of-purchase (POP) advertising. By utilizing SNS advertising or influencer marketing, attention to the target product can be gained from a human-centered approach.

[0091] As part of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), users may implement measures such as encouraging social media posts, conducting surveys, sending email newsletters or messages, and enriching product packaging. Implementing such CRM can increase the number of buyers who share a sense of loyalty to the brand.

[0092] Each group of loyal buyers and regular buyers includes a planned purchase group, which purchases product P through planned purchases, and a contingent purchase group, which purchases product P through incidental purchases. Each buyer belonging to the planned purchase group and the contingent purchase group repeatedly repurchases product P while feeling satisfied or tolerant of it. In the process of these repeated purchases, each buyer moves between the loyal buyer group and the regular buyer group. The greatest influence on movement within existing purchase groups is the trends of competing brands.

[0093] As an example, consider a scenario where a competing brand X, which competes with brand α of a specific product P that is the target of purchase, conducts a campaign offering a 40% point rebate for cashless payments at multiple major retail chains.

[0094] In this scenario, if customers make bulk purchases of competitor brand X, loyal customers of brand α may become regular customers. Furthermore, as competitor brand X's products continue to be used, there will be periods when brand α's products are not used. Additionally, while satisfaction with competitor brand X increases due to the 40% point reward program, satisfaction with brand α may shift from satisfactory to tolerable over time.

[0095] Here, if brand α and competitor brand X are frequently sold together in stores, the influence of competitor brand X will be even greater. However, if brand α and competitor brand X are rarely sold together in stores, the influence of competitor brand X will be smaller.

[0096] Therefore, in order to cultivate loyal and regular customers, it is important to identify the true competitor brand X from the perspective of whether or not brand α and competitor brand X are being sold together. Even if the user of terminal device 301 perceives brands A and B as competitor brand X, the true competitor brand X at the point of sale may be brands C and D. For this reason, it is desirable to identify the true competitor brand X from the perspective of the customer.

[0097] Therefore, in order to identify the true competing brand X, the generation unit 412 classifies loyal buyers into best buyers and only buyers, and performs buyer churn analysis and buyer inflow analysis.

[0098] Figure 7 shows examples of best-buyers and only-buyers groups. "Competitive purchases" represents the group of current buyers who purchased any item from any competing brand X during period T1. "No competitive purchases" represents the group of current buyers who did not purchase any item from any competing brand X during period T1.

[0099] The regular buyer group corresponds to groups G5 and G6 in Figure 5. The best buyer group represents loyal buyers who also purchased items from any of the competing brands X during period T1. Only buyers represent loyal buyers who did not purchase any items from any of the competing brands X during period T1.

[0100] The group of regular buyers may include loyal buyers of products from competitor brand X. Loyal buyers of products from competitor brand X are those who, during period T1, purchased the most products from competitor brand X among multiple brands belonging to the same category as product P. In this case, competitor brand X is the brand to which regular buyers have migrated as loyal buyers from product P.

[0101] A loyal customer of competitor brand X is an example of a typical customer who primarily purchases items from brands other than a specific brand among several brands.

[0102] In the customer churn analysis, the generation unit 412 identifies the competing brand X to which regular customers are churning as loyal customers. This identifies one or more competing brands X from among the competing brands X that compete with brand α as the competing brands X to which customers are churning.

[0103] The group of best buyers may include regular buyers of products from competitor brand X. Regular buyers of products from competitor brand X are buyers who, during period T1, have purchased products from competitor brand X from among multiple brands belonging to the same category as product P. In this case, competitor brand X is the source brand from which regular buyers have become loyal buyers and have moved to the brand of product P.

[0104] A typical buyer of a competitor brand X's target product is an example of a loyal customer who purchases the same product from multiple brands, but not from a specific brand.

[0105] In the buyer inflow analysis, the generation unit 412 identifies the source competitor brand X from which regular buyers are coming as loyal buyers. As a result, one or more of the competitor brands X that compete with brand α are identified as the source competitor brand X.

[0106] When a customer churn analysis and a customer inflow analysis are performed, the generation unit 412 generates marketing information 422 that includes, in addition to indicators K1 to K5, identification information of the competing brand X to which the customer churns and identification information of the competing brand X from which the customer inflows, and transmits it to the terminal device 301.

[0107] Similar to the calculation results shown in Figure 6, by aggregating the results of customer churn analysis over several years, it is possible to understand the trend of regular customers switching to competitor brand X as loyal customers. Conversely, by aggregating the results of customer inflow analysis over several years, it is possible to understand the trend of regular customers switching to competitor brand X as loyal customers.

[0108] Because this kind of cross-brand customer movement often occurs between only a few brands out of several, it becomes possible to identify the true competitor brand X from among the competing brands X to which customers leave and to which customers come. Identifying the true competitor brand X improves the accuracy of marketing that induces accidental purchases.

[0109] The generation unit 412 may generate marketing information 422 that includes any one or more of the following information, instead of marketing information 422 that includes all of the indicators K1 to K5, the identification information of the competing brand X to which the information is lost, and the identification information of the competing brand X from which the information is received. For example, the generation unit 412 may generate marketing information 422 that includes any one or more of the indicators K1 to K5.

[0110] Server 303 can support brand loyalty-based marketing by providing users with marketing information 422, which includes metric K4, identification information of the destination competitor brand X, or identification information of the source competitor brand X.

[0111] Incidentally, marketing that encourages individual, planned purchases, starting with the buyer, is an approach that creates popular figures that everyone knows, arouses awareness and interest, and increases the number of consumers with purchase intent.

[0112] Marketing aimed at encouraging planned purchases can stimulate consumer awareness, consideration, and purchase behavior at each stage of the process by implementing methods such as TV commercials (CMs), digital long-form videos, search engine advertising, and banner advertising.

[0113] On the other hand, marketing that induces spontaneous purchases at the community level, starting with acquaintances, is an approach that generates enthusiasm within the community centered on actual human relationships, encouraging spontaneous purchasing behavior from consumers who do not have a purchase intention. In order to induce spontaneous purchases, which result in higher satisfaction than planned purchases, it is desirable to satisfy three conditions: browsing, serendipity, and receptivity.

[0114] Browsing refers to the phenomenon where consumers, whose purchase of items belonging to a specific category is recognized, are guided through a sea of ​​information by an algorithm. Contingency refers to the phenomenon where consumers encounter items they had not planned to purchase and become strongly attracted to them. Acceptance refers to the phenomenon where consumers accept the purchase of an item at the moment they encounter it. In other words, contingency purchase is a purchasing behavior that smoothly transitions through the stages of browsing, encounter, and acceptance.

[0115] Spontaneous purchases can be broadly categorized into two types: digital spontaneous purchases and in-store spontaneous purchases. Digital spontaneous purchases refer to spontaneous purchases made on online portal sites, while in-store spontaneous purchases refer to spontaneous purchases made in physical stores.

[0116] Effective marketing strategies for inducing digital impulse purchases include creating digital vertical videos that are easily picked up by algorithms, improving the quality of organic posts, using influencer endorsements, and providing detailed explanations by experts through media tie-ups. These strategies make it easier for consumers navigating a sea of ​​specific information affinities to encounter potential purchases, leading to a rapid increase in engagement.

[0117] In marketing that induces digital impulse purchases, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) on portal sites is crucial. SEO uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to automatically analyze past browsing, searching, and purchasing behavior, optimizing category-based information browsing. Category-based information browsing refers to the phenomenon where consumers unknowingly begin browsing a sea of ​​information within a specific category.

[0118] In marketing aimed at inducing spontaneous purchases at physical stores, it is effective to utilize retail media and other means to encourage encounters with people, products, and money. Encounters with people include, for example, collaboration campaigns featuring favorite brands or encounters with sales staff at the store. Encounters with products include, for example, packaging that conveys a sense of style or category names that easily interest consumers. Encounters with money include, for example, encounters with digital promotional campaigns such as special prices, cashback, point rewards, or discount coupons.

[0119] In marketing aimed at inducing spontaneous purchases at physical stores, strategies such as Surf Optimization on social media and Encounter Optimization at the point of sale are crucial.

[0120] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the second marketing support processing performed by the server 303 in Figure 4. First, the generation unit 412 receives a processing request from the terminal device 301 via the communication unit 411 (step 801).

[0121] Next, the generation unit 412 sends a purchase information request, which includes the identification information of the purchase target P included in the processing request, to the database server 302 via the communication unit 411 (step 802). Then, the generation unit 412 receives purchase information 421 for the category to which the purchase target P belongs from the database server 302 via the communication unit 411 (step 803).

[0122] Next, the generation unit 412 classifies the purchasers included in the purchase information 421 into several groups and calculates indices K1 to K5 based on the number of purchasers belonging to each group (step 804).

[0123] Next, the generation unit 412 performs a buyer outflow analysis to identify the competing brand X to which regular buyers are leaving as loyal buyers (step 805). Then, the generation unit 412 performs a buyer inflow analysis to identify the competing brand X from which regular buyers are leaving as loyal buyers (step 806).

[0124] Next, the generation unit 412 generates marketing information 422, which includes indicators K1 to K5, identification information of the competing brand X to which the data is headed, and identification information of the competing brand X to which the data is headed (step 807). Then, the generation unit 412 transmits the marketing information 422 to the terminal device 301 via the communication unit 411 (step 808).

[0125] The configuration of the marketing support device 101 shown in Figure 1 is merely an example, and some components may be omitted or changed depending on the intended use or conditions of the marketing support device 101.

[0126] The configuration of the marketing support system shown in Figure 3 is merely an example, and some components may be omitted or modified depending on the intended use or conditions of the marketing support system.

[0127] The configuration of server 303 in Figure 4 is merely an example, and some components may be omitted or modified depending on the configuration or conditions of the marketing support system.

[0128] The flowcharts in Figures 2 and 8 are merely examples, and some processes may be omitted or modified depending on the configuration or conditions of the marketing support device 101 or the marketing support system.

[0129] For example, if server 303 generates marketing information 422 that does not include indicators K1 to K5, the processing in step 804 of Figure 8 can be omitted. If server 303 generates marketing information 422 that does not include identification information of the competing brand X to which the data is leaked, the processing in step 805 of Figure 8 can be omitted. If server 303 generates marketing information 422 that does not include identification information of the competing brand X from which the data is leaked, the processing in step 806 of Figure 8 can be omitted.

[0130] The groups shown in Figures 5 and 7 are merely examples, and the generation unit 412 may determine the group to which the purchaser belongs based on other classification criteria. The calculation results of indices K1 to K5 shown in Figure 6 are merely examples, and the calculation results of indices K1 to K5 will vary depending on the purchase target P and purchase information 421.

[0131] Equations (1) to (5) are merely examples, and the generation unit 412 may calculate indicators useful for marketing the target product P using other calculation formulas.

[0132] Figure 9 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device used as the marketing support device 101 in Figure 1 and the server 303 in Figure 4. The information processing device in Figure 9 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, memory 902, input device 903, output device 904, auxiliary storage device 905, media drive device 906, and network connection device 907. These components are hardware and are connected to each other by a bus 908.

[0133] Memory 902 is a semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), or flash memory, and stores the program and data used for processing. Memory 902 may also operate as the storage unit 413 in Figure 4.

[0134] The CPU 901 (processor) operates as the generation unit 111 in Figure 1, for example, by executing a program using the memory 902. The CPU 901 also operates as the generation unit 412 in Figure 4 by executing a program using the memory 902.

[0135] The input device 903 is, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc., and is used for inputting instructions or information from the operator. The output device 904 is, for example, a display device, a printer, a speaker, etc., and is used for inquiries or instructions to the operator and outputting processing results. The processing results may be marketing information 422.

[0136] The auxiliary storage device 905 is, for example, a magnetic disk drive, an optical disk drive, a magneto-optical disk drive, a tape drive, etc. The auxiliary storage device 905 may also be a hard disk drive or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The information processing device can store programs and data in the auxiliary storage device 905 and load them into the memory 902 for use. The auxiliary storage device 905 may also operate as the storage unit 413 in Figure 4.

[0137] The media drive unit 906 drives the portable recording medium 909 and accesses its recorded contents. The portable recording medium 909 can be a memory device, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, etc. The portable recording medium 909 may also be a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, etc. The operator can store programs and data on the portable recording medium 909 and load them into the memory 902 for use.

[0138] Thus, the computer-readable recording medium that stores the programs and data used in the processing is a physical (non-temporary) recording medium such as memory 902, auxiliary storage device 905, or portable recording medium 909.

[0139] The network connection device 907 is a communication device connected to the communication network 304 that performs data conversion associated with communication. The information processing device can receive programs and data from external devices via the network connection device 907, load them into the memory 902, and use them. The network connection device 907 may also operate as the communication unit 411 in Figure 4.

[0140] Note that the information processing device does not need to include all the components shown in Figure 9, and some components may be omitted depending on the application or conditions. For example, if an interface with an operator is not required, the input device 903 and output device 904 may be omitted. If a portable recording medium 909 or a communication network is not used, the media drive device 906 or network connection device 907 may be omitted.

[0141] The terminal device 301 and database server 302 in Figure 3 can be the same information processing devices as those in Figure 9.

[0142] While embodiments of the disclosure and their advantages have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications, additions, and omissions without departing from the scope of the invention as expressly stated in the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0143] 101 Marketing support device 111, 412 Generation part 112 Output section 301 Terminal device 302 Database Server 303 Server 304 Communication Network 411 Communications Department 413 Storage section 421 Purchase Information 422 Marketing Information 901 CPU 902 memory 903 Input device 904 Output device 905 Auxiliary storage device 906 Media drive unit 907 Network Connection Device 908 Bus 909 Portable recording media

Claims

1. A generation unit generates marketing information, including statistical information on loyal buyers, among those who purchased items of a specific brand belonging to a specific category within a predetermined period, based on purchase information regarding items purchased within a predetermined period. An output unit that outputs the aforementioned marketing information, Equipped with, A marketing support device characterized in that the loyal purchaser is a purchaser who, within the predetermined period, primarily purchases items of the specific brand from among multiple brands, including the specific brand, that belong to the specific category.

2. The marketing support device according to claim 1, characterized in that the statistical information includes information regarding the ratio of loyal customers to customers who purchase the target product of the specific brand within the predetermined period.

3. The marketing support device according to claim 1, further comprising statistical information representing the relationship between a numerical value obtained from the number of purchasers who purchased the purchase items belonging to the specific category within the predetermined period and a numerical value obtained from the number of purchasers who purchased the purchase items belonging to the specific category within a period prior to the predetermined period.

4. The marketing support device according to claim 1, characterized in that the marketing information further includes statistical information relating to purchasers who, among those who have purchased items belonging to the specific category within the predetermined period, have the intention to purchase items of the specific brand and have purchased items of the specific brand.

5. The marketing support device according to claim 1, characterized in that the marketing information further includes statistical information relating to purchasers who have purchased items belonging to the specific category within the predetermined period, who do not intend to purchase items of the specific brand, and who have purchased items of the specific brand.

6. The marketing support device according to claim 1, further comprising statistical information relating to purchasers who have purchased items belonging to the specific category within the predetermined period and who intend to purchase items of the specific brand.

7. The generation unit, if within the predetermined period the usual purchaser primarily purchases items from brands other than the specific brand among the multiple brands, includes the identification information of the other brand in the marketing information. The marketing support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the regular purchaser is a purchaser other than the loyal purchaser among purchasers who have purchased the target product of the specific brand within the predetermined period.

8. The marketing support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the generation unit includes identification information of the other brand in the marketing information if the loyal purchaser purchases an item from a brand other than the specific brand among the multiple brands within the predetermined period.

9. Based on purchase information regarding items purchased within a predetermined period, marketing information is generated that includes statistical information on loyal customers among those who purchased items of a specific brand belonging to a specific category within the predetermined period. Outputting the aforementioned marketing information, The computer performs the process, A marketing support method characterized in that the loyal purchaser is a purchaser who, within the predetermined period, primarily purchases items of the specific brand from among multiple brands, including the specific brand, that belong to the specific category.

10. Based on purchase information regarding items purchased within a predetermined period, marketing information is generated that includes statistical information on loyal customers among those who purchased items of a specific brand belonging to a specific category within the predetermined period. Outputting the aforementioned marketing information, Let the computer perform the process, A marketing support program characterized in that the loyal purchaser is a purchaser who, within the predetermined period, primarily purchases items from a selection of items belonging to a specific category, including the specific brand.

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