Information provision system and information provision method

Abstract

The aim is to provide more effective mutual customer referrals. [Solution] The information provision system includes a generation unit 11 that generates information to support the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by each store for a user 3; a presentation unit that presents the generated sales promotion support information to the user 3; a calculation unit 12 that calculates an evaluation value that is a value evaluating the customer referral effect to each store 2 based on the performance of the sales promotion support information of each store 2 being presented to the user 3; and a determination unit 13 that determines second presentation conditions that are conditions for presenting second support information that supports the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the second store 2B based on a first evaluation value that is an evaluation value calculated for the first store 2A so as to balance the past customer referral effect to the first store 2A and the future customer referral effect to the second store 2B, and the presentation unit presents the second support information to the user 3 in accordance with the second presentation conditions.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing system and an information providing method, and more particularly to a technology for providing information that supports sales promotion. [Background technology]

[0002] For store operators, such as brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce stores, attracting customers is an important factor that determines the profitability of the business. Conventionally, store operators have generally used press releases, advertisements, and promotional materials to attract customers. In recent years, efforts to promote mutual customer referrals between different industries have been attracting attention (see Patent Document 1). Mutual customer referrals refer to mutual introductions of customers between different businesses.

[0003] An example of mutual customer referral between different industries is the mutual customer referral between food retailers such as convenience stores and supermarkets and sports gym operators. This is due to the growing health consciousness of the population, and the fact that food retailers are expanding their lineup of health-oriented products and that there is a high affinity between the demographic that purchases these products and the membership demographic of sports gyms.

[0004] Specifically, by providing gym members with information and coupons about health-oriented products from food retailers, they can encourage them to visit the gym when they use the facility. Another possible measure is to use the purchase history data of food retailers to identify potential customers who will join the gym, thereby efficiently acquiring new members.

[0005] However, in conventional mutual customer referral initiatives, imbalances tend to occur between businesses in the number of customers referred and the effects of the customer referrals on sales, etc. As a result, businesses that experience little benefit lose motivation to continue the mutual customer referral initiative, making it difficult to carry out mutual customer referrals that are beneficial to both businesses and sustainable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-100850 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] As described above, the conventional technology has not been able to provide more effective mutual customer referrals.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide more effective mutual customer referral. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the information provision system of the present invention includes a generation unit configured to generate information to support the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by each store for a user; a presentation unit configured to present the generated information to support the sales promotion to the user; a calculation unit configured to calculate an evaluation value which is a value evaluating the effectiveness of customer referrals to each store based on the performance of the information to support the sales promotion of each store when it has been presented to the user; and a determination unit configured to determine second presentation conditions which are conditions for presenting second support information which is information to support the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the other stores, based on a first evaluation value which is the evaluation value calculated for one store, so as to balance the past effectiveness of customer referrals to the one store and the future effectiveness of customer referrals to the other stores, and the presentation unit presents the second support information to the user in accordance with the second presentation conditions.

[0010] In addition, in the information provision system of the present invention, the calculation unit calculates a second evaluation value that evaluates the effectiveness of customer referrals to the other store based on the performance of presenting the second support information in accordance with the second presentation condition, and the determination unit further determines, based on the second evaluation value, first presentation conditions that are conditions for presenting first support information, which is information that supports the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the one store, so as to balance the past effectiveness of customer referrals to the other store and the future effectiveness of customer referrals to the one store, and the presentation unit may further present the first support information to the user in accordance with the determined first presentation conditions.

[0011] In addition, in the information provision system of the present invention, the calculation unit may calculate the evaluation value based on at least one of the number of times the information supporting sales promotion was presented and the time for which it was presented.

[0012] In addition, in the information provision system of the present invention, the presentation unit may display information that supports the sales promotion on a display screen, and the calculation unit may calculate the evaluation value based on an evaluation of visibility according to the arrangement and geometric characteristics of the information that supports the sales promotion displayed on the display screen.

[0013] In addition, in the information provision system of the present invention, the calculation unit may calculate the evaluation value based on a set value of an incentive that is set in the information that supports sales promotion and that promotes the purchasing power of the user.

[0014] In addition, in the information provision system of the present invention, the users may include a first user and a second user different from the first user, and the system may further include a first memory unit configured to store first user information indicating at least one of the first user's behavioral history related to the other store and the first user's attributes related to the other store.

[0015] In addition, in the information providing system of the present invention, the first memory unit may further store second user information indicating at least one of the second user's behavioral history related to the one store and the second user's attributes related to the one store.

[0016] In addition, the information provision system of the present invention may further include a second memory unit configured to store first information regarding at least one of the products and services handled by the first store and second information regarding at least one of the products and services handled by the other store, wherein the generation unit generates the first support information to support sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the first store to the first user based on the first information stored in the second memory unit, and generates the second support information to support sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the other store to the second user based on the second information stored in the second memory unit, and the presentation unit may further include a first presentation unit configured to present the first support information to the first user in accordance with the first presentation conditions, and a second presentation unit configured to present the second support information to the second user in accordance with the second presentation conditions.

[0017] In addition, the information provision system of the present invention may further include an identification unit configured to identify a first characteristic element that indicates the needs of the first user that is evoked from the first user information, and the second memory unit may further store the first information in association with a characteristic element that indicates the needs of a user that is associated with the first information, and may further include an acquisition unit configured to acquire, from the second memory unit, information regarding at least one of the products and services sold at the store that are associated with the first characteristic element as the first information, and the generation unit may generate the first support information based on the first information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0018] In addition, in the information provision system of the present invention, the identification unit may further identify a second characteristic element that indicates the needs of the second user that is evoked from the second user information, the second memory unit may further associate the second information with a characteristic element that indicates the needs of a user that is associated with the second information and store it, the acquisition unit may further acquire from the second memory unit information regarding at least one of the products and services sold at the other store that are associated with the second characteristic element as the second information, and the generation unit may generate the second support information based on the second information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0019] In addition, in the information provision system of the present invention, the first memory unit may further update and store the first user information indicating at least one of the first user's behavioral history related to the one store and the first user's attributes related to the one store, and may further include a third memory unit configured to store the record of when the first support information was presented to the first user, and a determination unit configured to determine that the first user has been referred from the other store based on the record of when the first support information was presented and the updated first user information.

[0020] Furthermore, in the information provision system of the present invention, the first memory unit may further update and store the second user information indicating at least one of the second user's behavioral history related to the other store and the second user's attributes related to the other store, the third memory unit may store the record of the second support information being presented to the second user and the updated second user information, and the determination unit may determine that the second user has been referred by the one store based on the record of the second support information being presented.

[0021] In the information providing system according to the present invention, the calculation unit may further adjust the evaluation value based on the determination result by the determination unit. The presentation unit may present the sales promotion support information by audio, image, video, text, or a combination of these.

[0022] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the information provision method of the present invention includes a generation step of generating information to support the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by each store for a user; a presentation step of presenting the generated information to support the sales promotion to the user; a calculation step of calculating an evaluation value which is a value evaluating the effectiveness of customer referrals to each store based on the performance of the information to support the sales promotion of each store when it has been presented to the user; and a determination step of determining second presentation conditions which are conditions for presenting second support information which is information to support the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the other store based on a first evaluation value which is the evaluation value calculated for one store, so as to balance the past effectiveness of customer referrals to the one store and the future effectiveness of customer referrals to the other store, and the presentation step presents the second support information to the user in accordance with the second presentation conditions.

[0023] Furthermore, in the information provision method of the present invention, the calculation step calculates a second evaluation value that evaluates the effectiveness of customer referrals to the other store based on the performance of presenting the second support information in accordance with the second presentation condition, and the determination step further determines, based on the second evaluation value, first presentation conditions that are conditions for presenting first support information, which is information that supports the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the one store, so as to balance the past effectiveness of customer referrals to the other store and the future effectiveness of customer referrals to the one store, and the presentation step may further present the first support information to the user in accordance with the determined first presentation conditions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, based on a first evaluation value calculated for one store, a second presentation condition is determined as a condition for presenting second support information, which is information that supports sales promotion of at least one of products and services handled by another store, so as to balance the past effect of sending customers to the one store and the future effect of sending customers to the other store. This allows for more effective mutual customer referral. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information providing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information providing device included in the information providing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of the second storage unit included in the information providing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the information providing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information providing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of the second storage unit included in the information providing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the information providing system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0027] [First embodiment] First, an overview of an information provision system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the information provision system performs mutual customer referral between a preset first store 2A (one store) and a preset second store 2B (another store). The information provision system includes, for example, an information provision device 1, the first store 2A, the second store 2B, a first user 3A, and a second user 3B.

[0028] In this embodiment, the first store 2A is a fitness gym, and the second store 2B is a convenience store. The first store 2A and the second store 2B may be operated as part of business activities in different industries and may belong to the same group of companies, or may be operated by different companies. The first store 2A and the second store 2B may be physical stores located geographically close to each other, or may be stores that offer products and services on an e-commerce site such as an online shop. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the first store 2A and the second store 2B, they may be collectively referred to as "store 2."

[0029] In this embodiment, the first user 3A is a member of the second store 2B. On the other hand, the second user 3B is a member of the first store 2A. In the example of FIG. 1, the first user 3A, who is a member of the gym that is the second store 2B, is shopping at the convenience store that is the second store 2B. Also, the second user 3B, who is a member of the convenience store that is the first store 2A, uses the gym at the first store 2A. In other words, the first user 3A is a user who is a target of customer transfer from the second store 2B to the first store 2A. Similarly, the second user 3B is a user who is a target of customer transfer from the first store 2A to the second store 2B. When the first user 3A and the second user 3B are not to be distinguished from each other, they may be collectively referred to as "user 3."

[0030] In the following description, the first user 3A and the second user 3B are different users, but the first user 3A and the second user 3B may be the same user. Furthermore, the first user 3A is a member of the second store 2B, but the present invention is not limited to this. The first user 3A is a user who falls into at least one of the following categories: a user who is a member of the second store 2B, a user who has a usage history at the second store 2B, a user who has a purchase history of products and services offered at the second store 2B, and a user who has a behavioral history at the second store 2B. The same applies to the second user 3B. User information (first user information, second user information) such as the above-mentioned membership information of the first user 3A and the second user 3B is stored in a first storage unit 16 of the information providing device 1, which will be described later.

[0031] Furthermore, information (first information, second information) relating to at least one of the products and services handled by the first store 2A and the second store 2B is stored in advance in a second storage unit 17 of the information providing device 1, which will be described later.

[0032] 1, the first presentation unit 14A of the information providing device 1 is installed in the second store 2B as a terminal device with a digital signage function, and presents to the first user 3A first support information that supports sales promotion of products and services of the first store 2A. Meanwhile, the second presentation unit 14B of the information providing device 1 is installed in the first store 2A as a terminal device with a digital signage function, and presents to the second user 3B second support information that supports sales promotion of products and services of the second store 2B. Note that, as will be described in detail later, the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B may be configured to present the first support information and the second support information on the display screens of user terminals such as smartphones carried by the first user 3A and the second user 3B, respectively.

[0033] [Function block of information providing device] As shown in FIG. 1, the information providing device 1 includes an acquisition unit 10, a generation unit 11, a calculation unit 12, a determination unit 13, a first presentation unit 14A, a second presentation unit 14B, a judgment unit 15, a first memory unit 16, a second memory unit 17, a third memory unit 18, and a fourth memory unit 19.

[0034] The acquisition unit 10 acquires first information related to at least one of the products and services handled by the first store 2A. The acquisition unit 10 also acquires second information related to at least one of the products and services handled by the second store 2B. The acquisition unit 10 can acquire, as the first information and the second information, at least one of specific products and services from among the products and services handled by each of the first store 2A and the second store 2B, which are pre-stored in the second storage unit 17 described below. The acquisition unit 10 can acquire the first information and the second information related to specific products and services that have been set in advance. For example, the acquisition unit 10 can acquire, as the first information and the second information, information related to products and services that are on sale or promotion for a limited time at each of the first store 2A and the second store 2B.

[0035] The generation unit 11 generates information to support sales promotion for users of at least one of the products and services handled at each store 2. More specifically, the generation unit 11 generates first support information to support sales promotion for at least one of the products and services handled at the first store 2A for the first user 3A, based on the first information acquired by the acquisition unit 10 from the second storage unit 17. Furthermore, the generation unit 11 generates second support information to support sales promotion for at least one of the products and services handled at the second store 2B for the second user 3B, based on the second information acquired by the acquisition unit 10 from the second storage unit 17.

[0036] The generation unit 11 can generate first support information or second support information from images, videos, audio, text, or the like included in the first information or second information, based on the first information or second information acquired by the acquisition unit 10 from the second storage unit 17. Furthermore, the generation unit 11 may include template information including geometric layout information in the first information or second information, and automatically generate visual information. Furthermore, the generation unit 11 may generate images, videos, audio, text, or the like using a generation AI.

[0037] The generation unit 11 can generate product and service advertisements as the first support information and the second support information. The generation unit 11 can also add set values ​​of incentives to promote the purchasing power of the first user 3A or the second user 3B, such as coupons and points for purchasing target products or services, to the first support information and the second support information. Specific values ​​such as the coupon discount rate and the number of points can use preset values.

[0038] For example, generation unit 11 can generate an advertisement for a certain product as the first support information, and add a point award of 1,000 yen as a set value for the incentive. Note that the set value for the incentive added to the support information generated by generation unit 11 does not include information on whether the information about the point award is to be presented all at once or in multiple installments. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the first support information and the second support information, they may be collectively referred to as "support information."

[0039] The calculation unit 12 calculates an evaluation value that is a value evaluating the effect of sending customers to each store 2 based on the record of information supporting sales promotion for each store 2 being presented to users. The calculation unit 12 calculates a second evaluation value that evaluates the effect of sending customers to the second store 2B based on the record of second support information being presented in accordance with second presentation conditions, which are conditions for presenting the second support information, determined by the determination unit 13 described below. The calculation unit 12 also calculates a first evaluation value that evaluates the effect of sending customers to the first store 2A based on the record of first support information being presented in accordance with first presentation conditions, which are conditions for presenting the first support information. Furthermore, the calculation unit 12 adjusts the evaluation value based on the determination result by the determination unit 15 described below. The calculation of the evaluation value by the calculation unit 12 will be described in detail below.

[0040] The determination unit 13 determines conditions for presenting each of the first support information and the second support information. More specifically, based on a first evaluation value that is an evaluation value calculated for the first store 2A, the determination unit 13 determines second presentation conditions that are conditions for presenting second support information that is information that supports sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the second store 2B, so as to balance the past effect of sending customers to the first store 2A and the future effect of sending customers to the second store 2B. Furthermore, based on the second evaluation value, the determination unit 13 determines first presentation conditions that are conditions for presenting first support information that is information that supports sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the first store 2A, so as to balance the past effect of sending customers to the second store 2B and the future effect of sending customers to the first store 2A.

[0041] The determination unit 13 sets the first presentation condition and the second presentation condition, respectively, based on at least one of the number of times the first support information and the second support information are presented, the presentation time, the visibility according to the arrangement and geometric characteristics of the information supporting the sales promotion displayed on the display screens of the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B, and the set value of an incentive for promoting the purchasing power of the first user 3A or the second user 3B, which is set for the first support information and the second support information. Details of the determination of the first presentation condition and the second presentation condition by the determination unit 13 will be described later.

[0042] The first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B constitute a presentation unit. The presentation unit can display the first support information and the second support information on a display screen. Alternatively, the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B can present the first support information and the second support information using audio, images, video, or text, or a combination of these. The first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B are not limited to these presentation modes, as long as they can present the first support information and the second support information in a mode that allows the first user 3A and the second user 3B to understand the content of the first support information and the second support information.

[0043] The first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B may be installed as terminals with digital signage functions in the second store 2B and the first store 2A, or may be configured to present the first support information and the second support information on the display screens of user terminals such as smartphones or tablet terminals of the first user 3A and the second user 3B. In particular, when the first user 3A and the second user 3B are the same user 3, the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B may be realized by a single display device 107.

[0044] The first presentation unit 14A presents the first support information to the first user 3A in accordance with the first presentation condition. In the example of Fig. 1, the first presentation unit 14A is installed in the second store 2B, but the first presentation unit 14A may be installed in a location other than the second store 2B.

[0045] The second presentation unit 14B presents the second support information to the second user 3B in accordance with the second presentation conditions. In the example of FIG. 1, the second presentation unit 14B is installed in the first store 2A, but the second presentation unit 14B may also be installed in a location other than the first store 2A. Note that, hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B, they may be collectively referred to as the "presentation unit 14."

[0046] The first presenting unit 14A and the second presenting unit 14B may further have a function of detecting or determining the number of times and the duration for which the first support information and the second support information have been presented, respectively.

[0047] The determination unit 15 determines that the first user 3A has been referred from the second store 2B based on the results of the presentation of the first support information and the updated first user information. The determination unit 15 also determines that the second user 3B has been referred from the first store 2A based on the results of the presentation of the second support information and the updated second user information. More specifically, after the second support information is presented to the second user 3B in accordance with the second presentation conditions, if membership information, purchase history, etc. indicating that the second user 3B has become a customer, etc. of the second store 2B is registered as the second user information in the first storage unit 16 described below, the determination unit 15 determines that the second user 3B has been referred from the first store 2A to the second store 2B.

[0048] The determination by the determination unit 15 is not limited to being based on registered membership information, purchase history, etc., but can also be based on the detection of a user 3's visit to the store 2 using BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or the like, or, in the case of an online store, the recognition of site access through cookie tracking. In this case, when the visit of the user 3 to the store 2 is detected, the first storage unit 16, which will be described later, can update and store the first user information or the second user information.

[0049] The first storage unit 16 stores first user information indicating at least one of the behavior history of the first user 3A related to the second store 2B and the attributes of the first user 3A related to the second store 2B. The first storage unit 16 stores second user information indicating at least one of the behavior history of the second user 3B related to the first store 2A and the attributes of the second user 3B related to the first store 2A.

[0050] The first storage unit 16 stores information including, for example, the first user 3A's membership information at the second store 2B, the first user 3A's usage history at the second store 2B, the first user 3A's purchase history of products and services provided at the second store B, and the first user 3A's behavioral history at the second store 2B. Similarly, the first storage unit 16 stores information including, for example, the second user 3B's membership information at the first store 2A, the usage history at the first store 2A, the purchase history of products and services provided at the first store 2A, and the behavioral history at the first store 2A. The first user information and second user information including this information stored in advance in the first storage unit 16 indicate that the first user 3A is already a customer, etc. of the second store 2B, and that the second user 3B is already a customer, etc. of the first store 2A.

[0051] The first storage unit 16 also updates and stores, as first user information, information indicating at least one of the behavioral history of the first user 3A related to the first store 2A and the first user 3A's attributes related to the first store 2A. Similarly, the first storage unit 16 also updates and stores, as second user information, information indicating at least one of the behavioral history of the second user 3B related to the second store 2B and the second user 3B's attributes related to the second store 2B. The user's behavioral history related to the store 2 and the user 3A's attributes related to the store 2 include the first user 3A's membership information at the first store 2A, the user's usage history at the first store 2A, the purchase history of products and services offered at the first store 2A, and the user's behavioral history at the first store 2A. Similar information is also included for the second user 3B's membership information at the second store 2B.

[0052] By updating and registering this additional information for the first user information and the second user information, it is indicated that the first user 3A has become a new customer of the first store 2A, and the second user 3B has become a new customer of the second store 2B. Note that in this embodiment, it is assumed that this information is not stored in the first storage unit 16 in advance.

[0053] The second memory unit 17 stores first information about at least one of the products and services offered at the first store 2A and second information about at least one of the products and services offered at the second store 2B. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a table 170 constituting the second memory unit 17. The table 170 has a structure in which a store name, a product ID, and a service ID are associated with each other. The table 170 registers some or all of the products and services offered at the first store 2A, "A FITNESS." Similarly, the table 170 registers some or all of the products and services offered at the second store 2B, "B STORE." The second memory unit 17 may be included in a store information management system managed by each store 2 and may share data via an API or the like.

[0054] Furthermore, the second storage unit 17 can store, as the first information and the second information, information about the period during which a product or service is on sale, and information indicating that the product or service is being promoted at each of the first store 2A and the second store 2B. For example, information indicating the priority of promotion of a product or service handled at each store 2 may be added to the product ID or service ID. Furthermore, information such as the age group and gender of users 3 who are the target demographic for these products or services can be added to the product ID or service ID. Furthermore, the second storage unit 17 can also store information supporting the promotion of products or services handled at each store 2 in the form of images, videos, audio, text, or the like.

[0055] The third storage unit 18 stores the number of times that the first support information has been presented to the first user 3A. The third storage unit 18 also stores the number of times that the second support information has been presented to the second user 3B. The third storage unit 18 stores the number of times and the presentation time of the first support information and the second support information, respectively, presented by the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B. The third storage unit 18 also stores information about the arrangement and geometric characteristics of the first support information and the second support information when they are displayed on the display screen.

[0056] The third storage unit 18 can also store the layout and geometric characteristics of the first support information and the second support information when they are displayed on the display screen, and can also store incentive setting values, such as coupon discount rates, set for the presented first support information and second support information.

[0057] When the first presentation unit 14A or the second presentation unit 14B is not configured as a display device 107 provided in the user terminal, the third storage unit 18 analyzes images or videos acquired by BLE (registered trademark) or a camera, and determines whether the first presentation unit 14A or the second presentation unit 14B has presented the first support information or the second support information to the first user 3A or the second user 3B, and determines the number of times and duration of presentation. Furthermore, when the first presentation unit 14A or the second presentation unit 14B is configured as a display device 107 provided in each user terminal, the third storage unit 18 can identify the user to whom the first support information or the second support information has been presented, and determine the number of times and duration of presentation, based on the identifier or login information of the user terminal. The third storage unit 18 can store the results of this determination.

[0058] Furthermore, the third storage unit 18 can store values ​​that quantitatively indicate the engagement and other reactions of the first user 3A and the second user 3B to the presentation of the first support information and the second support information. For example, the third storage unit 18 can store tracking results of how long the user terminals of the first user 3A and the second user 3B stayed near the digital signage that constitutes the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B, using, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or BLE (registered trademark) of each store. Furthermore, when the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B are configured as display devices 107 provided in the user terminals, the third storage unit 18 can store the number of clicks on the support information and the like.

[0059] In this way, the third storage unit 18 stores a presentation record indicating that the first support information and the second support information have been presented to the first user 3A and the second user 3B by the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B, respectively, as well as a presentation record quantitatively indicating how much the information has reached each user 3. Furthermore, the third storage unit 18 records and saves the presentation record every time the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B present the first support information and the second support information, respectively. The information on the presentation record of the support information includes tracking data collected separately as well as information acquired from the generation unit 11 and the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B.

[0060] The fourth storage unit 19 stores information such as basic attributes of the first user 3A and the second user 3B. The basic attributes include attributes such as the name, age, gender, and address of each user. The fourth storage unit 19 also stores store information for the first store 2A and the second store 2B. The store information includes information indicating the store name, store address, and business type.

[0061] Here, the evaluation value, which is a value that evaluates the effect of sending customers to each store 2, calculated by the calculation unit 12 described above, will be described. As an example, the calculation unit 12 can use the number of times that the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B, stored in the third storage unit 18, have presented the first support information and the second support information, respectively, as the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value. However, when the number of times the support information is presented is used as the evaluation value, the timing of presentation and the effect of the content are not taken into consideration. Therefore, in order to more effectively balance the effect of sending customers, the evaluation value can be calculated by combining various factors described below.

[0062] For example, when calculating the number of times the first support information and the second support information are presented as evaluation values, the calculation unit 12 uses not only the number of times the information is simply displayed on the screen, but also the effective number of times the user 3 actually viewed the support information. When the presentation unit 14 is realized by the display screen of the user terminal, the effective number of times the information is presented is counted under the following conditions, for example: 1. 50% or more of the support information is displayed in the viewport of the display screen for 3 seconds or more. 2. User 3 hovers over the area of ​​the display screen where support information is displayed for more than one second. 3. Scrolling to support information stops for more than 2 seconds 4. A touch event or mouse click occurs within the area where support information is displayed.

[0063] These conditions are appropriately adjusted depending on the type of device and screen size of the display device 107 that implements the presentation unit 14. For example, the scrolling speed and threshold value for pause time may be set shorter for a mobile device than for a desktop. The effective number of times the support information has been displayed is stored in the third storage unit 18 as the presentation record of the support information.

[0064] When calculating the display time of the support information as an evaluation value, the calculation unit 12 combines aggregation by session and aggregation of the display time by user 3. For each session, the cumulative display time of the support information during one application launch is measured. At this time, the time for transitioning to the background and the time for locking the screen are excluded. For each user 3, the calculation unit 12 calculates statistical values ​​such as the total, average, and median of the display time of the support information across multiple sessions. Furthermore, the calculation unit 12 also aggregates data by period, such as the most recent 7 days, 30 days, or 90 days, and can analyze changes in effectiveness over time. The calculation unit 12 can also calculate an evaluation value that quantifies the difference in customer attraction effectiveness for the time periods within a day when the support information is presented.

[0065] Furthermore, the calculation unit 12 can calculate an evaluation value based on the evaluation of the visibility of the support information. When multiple pieces of support information are simultaneously displayed on the display screen of a user terminal, differences in visibility due to the position, size, and order of the pieces of support information on the display screen are factors that have a significant impact on the customer attraction effect. For example, the visibility depending on the order of the support information can be evaluated as follows.

[0066] When multiple pieces of support information are arranged vertically, the general viewing tendency of users 3 is to view them from the top down, so the following coefficients are set. Top (1st): 1.0 Top (second): 0.9 Central (3rd): 0.8 Bottom (4th): 0.7 Bottom (5th and above): 0.6

[0067] When multiple pieces of support information are arranged horizontally, the following coefficients are set. Leftmost (1st): 1.0 Second from the left: 0.95 ·Center: 0.9 Second from the right: 0.85 Right edge: 0.8

[0068] When support information is arranged in a grid, coefficients are set taking into account the Z-shaped line of sight movement as shown below. Top left (1st): 1.0 Top right (second): 0.95 Left center (third): 0.9 Right center (4th): 0.85 Bottom left (5th): 0.8 Bottom right (6th): 0.75

[0069] When calculating the evaluation value of the customer transfer effect based on the presentation record of the support information by evaluating the visibility of the support information, the calculation unit 12 can calculate the evaluation value from a comprehensive perspective by using the following overall visibility coefficient for factors related to the arrangement of multiple pieces of support information including the first support information and the second support information. Note that the arrangement of multiple pieces of support information including the first support information and the second support information includes, for example, a configuration in which, when multiple pieces of support information are composed of banners or the like, multiple banners are displayed in order in the vertical direction or the like of the display screen. Overall visibility coefficient = Basic visibility coefficient × Display position coefficient × Display size coefficient × Device coefficient × Order coefficient (1)

[0070] In the above formula (1), the basic visibility coefficient is a coefficient set according to the form of the support information when it is a combination of an image, a video, or text. The display position coefficient is a coefficient set according to the position where the support information is displayed on the display screen. The display size coefficient is a coefficient based on the size of the support information on the display screen, etc. The device coefficient is a coefficient set in advance for each display device 107 that realizes the presentation unit 14. The order coefficient is a coefficient for the order in which the above-mentioned multiple pieces of support information are displayed. Note that the order coefficient is only applied when multiple pieces of support information exist, and is set to 1.0 when a single piece of support information is displayed. The calculation unit 12 can use the value of the overall visibility coefficient calculated by the above formula (1) as the evaluation value.

[0071] Furthermore, the calculation unit 12 can calculate an evaluation value for evaluating the customer referral effect based on the set value of the incentive set in the support information to promote the purchasing power of the user 3. Specifically, the calculation unit 12 quantifies the monetary value of the incentive as direct and indirect monetary value. First, the following specific values ​​can be used as the direct monetary value of the incentive set in the support information. Discount amount: Fixed amount discount, fixed percentage discount Points awarded: Number of points awarded x point price · Product exchange: Cost price, retail price, and retail price of the offered product Cashback: Amount refunded Coupon distribution: face value Free shipping and handling; equivalent amount Costs for procedures and installation; equivalent amount - Free upgrades and paid options; equivalent amount, difference · Interest-free; equivalent amount Trade-in price increase; difference

[0072] Furthermore, the calculation unit 12 can use values ​​regarding the discount amount, points awarded, expiration date of incentives such as product exchange, terms of use, and versatility as the indirect monetary value of the incentive set in the support information. Expiration date: Coefficient when long-term (90 days or more) is 1.0 (medium-term 0.8, short-term 0.6, etc.) Usage conditions: Coefficient with 1.0 being the least restrictive (medium 0.7, strict 0.4, etc.) Versatility: Coefficient when all products are applied as 1.0 (0.8 for category-specific products, 0.6 for specific products, etc.)

[0073] As described above, these incentive setting values ​​are generated and added to the support information when the generation unit 11 generates the support information. The calculation unit 12 can calculate the incentive evaluation value using the following formula (2) as a calculation formula combining these values. Incentive evaluation value = direct monetary value × (expiration date coefficient + usage condition coefficient + versatility coefficient) / 3 (2)

[0074] Furthermore, the calculation unit 12 can also take into account differences in customer attraction effects depending on the type of incentive. For example, even if the monetary value is the same, an immediate discount and a later point award may have different psychological values ​​for the user 3. To reflect this difference, a weighting coefficient is set for each type of incentive. Instant discount: 1.2 ·Coupon discount: 1.0 Points awarded: 0.8 ·Product redemption: 1.1

[0075] Furthermore, the calculation unit 12 can calculate an evaluation value based on the actual performance of sending customers as a result of the presentation of the support information. In this case, the calculation unit 12 calculates a more precise evaluation value by an evaluation based on tracking the behavior of the user 3 from the presentation of the support information to the actual realization of sending customers. The behavior of the user 3 can be tracked separately by the information providing device 1. The following tracking data can be used in combination as tracking data of the behavior of the user 3 used by the calculation unit 12:

[0076] [1. Tracking data when using electronic coupons] · Coupon code usage record · Barcode / 2D code scan history · Payment records via electronic money linkage [2. Tracking data based on member information] Present your membership card or enter your membership number Check-in via smartphone app · Biometric identity verification [3. Purchasing information tracking data] POS system integration ·Purchase management database integration [4. Location-based tracking data] ·GPS location information ·Communication with in-store beacons Wi-Fi connection history

[0077] The calculation unit 12 calculates the basic index and the time-series index from these tracking data. [1. Basic indicators] Visit rate: The ratio of actual visits to the number of support information provided Conversion rate: The ratio of the number of purchases made to the number of store visits · Average purchase amount: Average purchase amount at the time of purchase [2. Time series indicators] Average number of days required for first visit Repeat visit rate (within 7 days, within 30 days, within 90 days) Probability of repeat visits (decrease rate depending on the number of days since the most recent visit)

[0078] The calculation unit 12 can calculate an evaluation value that quantitatively evaluates the customer attraction effect of the support information presentation by, for example, comparing basic indicators with the actual performance of the support information presentation. Specifically, the calculation unit 12 can use basic indicators such as the store visit rate, conversion rate, and average customer spending to calculate an evaluation value of the actual customer attraction effect brought about by the number of times the support information is presented, the presentation time, visibility evaluation, or the incentive setting value set for the support information. Similarly, the calculation unit 12 can calculate an evaluation value that quantitatively evaluates the effect of the support information presentation by comparing time-series indicators with the actual performance of the support information presentation.

[0079] Furthermore, when a plurality of pieces of support information including first support information and second support information are presented to the user 3, the calculation unit 12 can quantify, as a relative value, the evaluation value of the customer driving effect resulting from the presentation of each piece of support information by comparing the relative customer driving effects between the plurality of pieces of support information. Also, by combining time-series indicators such as the average number of days required for users 3 who have received the support information to visit the store 2 for the first time and the repeat rate, the calculation unit 12 can calculate an evaluation value that takes into account the influence of the display timing and display period of the support information on the customer driving effect. In this way, by calculating a multifaceted evaluation value that combines multiple indicators, the customer driving effect of the support information can be appropriately quantified and used to balance the customer driving effects.

[0080] Here, the first presentation condition and the second presentation condition determined by the determination unit 13 will be described. As described above, the determination unit 13 determines the presentation conditions of the first support information and the second support information that achieve a balance in the customer referral effect between the first store 2A and the second store 2B. Below, we consider the second presentation condition determined by the determination unit 13 based on the first evaluation value calculated for the first store 2A, which balances the past customer referral effect to the first store 2A and the future customer referral effect to the second store 2B. For example, if the first evaluation value indicates that the first support information has been presented to the first user 3A 10 times, the determination unit 13 determines the second presentation condition that sets the number of times the second support information is presented to the second user 3B to 10 times. By setting the number of times the support information is presented to the second user 3B to be the same as the number of times the support information is presented in this way, the customer referral effect can be balanced.

[0081] When determining presentation conditions that balance the customer driving effects based on the number of times that support information is presented, the determination unit 13 can further balance the customer driving effects by taking into consideration differences in the effects of the content and timing of presentation of the support information. Specifically, the determination unit 13 determines presentation conditions that balance the customer driving effects after weighting the number of times that the first support information and the second support information are presented, for example.

[0082] More specifically, the determination unit 13 weights the customer sending effect per presentation of the first support information and the second support information, and can determine the presentation conditions so that the cumulative customer sending effect of the number of presentations is balanced. For example, if the customer sending effect per presentation of the first support information is 1.0 and the customer sending effect per presentation of the second support information is 0.8, the determination unit 13 determines the second presentation condition to increase the number of times the second support information is presented by 1.25 times the number of times the first support information is presented. Note that the determination unit 13 determines, as the second presentation condition, the number of times the second support information is presented, which is adjusted by weighting the number of times the first support information is presented, which is the first evaluation value calculated for the first store 2A.

[0083] The determination unit 13 further sets different incentive intensities for customer referrals and purchasing motivation of the user 3 between the first support information and the second support information, and balances the customer referral effects in combination with the number of times of presentation. For example, if the determination unit 13 presents information including points worth 1,000 yen twice as the first support information and obtains a customer referral effect that leads to purchases worth a total of 2,000 points, the determination unit 13 can determine that the second presentation condition for the second support information is a condition in which the incentive intensity is dynamically adjusted.

[0084] For example, the determination unit 13 can select the second presentation condition for the second support information from among the following conditions. · Show 4 times to receive 500 yen worth of points · Present 2,000 yen worth of points once - Present 1,500 yen worth of points once and 500 yen worth of points once

[0085] Furthermore, the determination unit 13 can determine, as the second presentation condition, the number of times to present the second support information for each time period that balances the customer-driving effect, taking into consideration the customer-driving effect of the time period during which the first support information is presented, in addition to the relationship with the first evaluation value of the customer-driving effect to the first store 2A due to the presentation of the first support information. Specifically, a presentation condition can be adopted that reduces the number of times to present the support information during time periods during a day when the customer-driving effect is higher, and increases the number of times to present the support information during time periods when the customer-driving effect is lower. For example, the following presentation conditions can be determined according to time period coefficients. Prime Time (6pm-10pm): 1.2 Daytime (10am-5pm): 1.0 Morning (7am-9am): 0.8 Nighttime (11pm to 6am): 0.6

[0086] Furthermore, the determination unit 13 can segment the user 3 based on the attributes and behavior history of the user 3, and set different presentation conditions for each segment. For example, the following four segments can be used as segments for the user 3. Note that the reference number of presentations simply refers to the number of presentations when the number of presentations of the second support information is set to be the same as the number of presentations of the first support information. Heavy users: Reference number of presentations x 0.8 -Medium users: Reference number of presentations x 1.0 Light users: Reference number of presentations x 1.2 New users: Reference number of presentations x 1.5

[0087] Furthermore, when the first support information and the second support information are displayed on the same display screen, the determination unit 13 can determine the first presentation condition and the second presentation condition as dynamic conditions for the order in which the first support information and the second support information are displayed on the display screen.

[0088] For example, the determination unit 13 can adopt the following presentation conditions for rotating the display of support information, which averages the visibility of each piece of support information by changing the order of the first support information and the second support information on the display screen at regular intervals. Swap positions every 30 seconds -Shuffle order every minute - Change display order for each access

[0089] Furthermore, the determination unit 13 can determine, as a presentation condition, an optimal order of the first support information and the second support information on the display screen based on the past behavior history of the user 3. Specifically, the determination unit 13 can adopt the following presentation conditions: - Support information for frequently viewed categories is displayed at the top - Placement taking into account the characteristics of support information to which User 3 has responded in the past Optimize placement based on user 3's browsing pattern

[0090] Furthermore, the determination unit 13 can adopt the following specific presentation conditions for adjusting the order of support information according to the context. - Change the sort order by time period - Switching placement patterns by day of the week - Adjusting the display order to take seasonality into account

[0091] Furthermore, the determination unit 13 can adopt the following presentation conditions for optimizing the order of each piece of support information through A / B testing. -Measurement of the effectiveness of multiple sorting patterns - Automatic optimization of sorting order based on click rate - Learning optimal sorting order for each segment of user 3

[0092] Furthermore, the determination unit 13 can also use the following hybrid presentation conditions as presentation conditions when the first support information and the second support information are displayed on the same display screen.

[0093] Specifically, the determination unit 13 can use the selection of the display method based on the following priorities as the presentation condition. High priority: Single display (not affected by sort order) Medium priority: Limited to 2-3 items (small impact on sort order) Low priority: List display (large impact of sort order)

[0094] Furthermore, the determination unit 13 can use the following responsive display method switching as a presentation condition. This allows the optimal order and display method to be selected depending on the device and screen size, making it possible to ensure effective visibility and, as a result, contributing to balancing the customer transfer effect. - Wide screen: Horizontal alignment - If the screen width is narrow: Vertical alignment - Medium screen width: Grid display

[0095] [Hardware configuration of information providing device] Next, an example of a hardware configuration for realizing the information providing device 1 having the above-described functions will be described with reference to FIG.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 2, the information providing device 1 can be realized, for example, by a computer having a processor 102, a main memory device 103, a communication interface 104, an auxiliary memory device 105, and an input / output (I / O) 106 connected via a bus 101, and a program that controls these hardware resources.

[0097] The main memory device 103 pre-stores programs for the processor 102 to perform various controls and calculations. The processor 102 and the main memory device 103 implement the functions of the information providing device 1, such as the acquisition unit 10, the generation unit 11, the calculation unit 12, the determination unit 13, and the judgment unit 15 shown in FIG.

[0098] The communication interface 104 is an interface circuit for connecting the information providing device 1 to various external electronic devices via a network.

[0099] The auxiliary storage device 105 is composed of a readable / writable storage medium and a drive for reading and writing various information such as programs and data from and to the storage medium. The auxiliary storage device 105 can use a semiconductor memory such as a hard disk or flash memory as the storage medium.

[0100] The auxiliary storage device 105 has a program storage area for storing an information provision program executed by the information provision device 1. It also has a program storage area for storing a tracking program that causes the information provision device 1 to track the behavior of the user 3 who has received support information. The auxiliary storage device 105 also has a program storage area for storing a program that measures the support information presentation record. The auxiliary storage device 105 realizes the first storage unit 16, second storage unit 17, third storage unit 18, and fourth storage unit 19 described in FIG. 1. Furthermore, it may have, for example, a backup area for backing up the above-mentioned data, programs, etc.

[0101] The input / output I / O 106 is an input / output device that inputs signals from external devices and outputs signals to external devices.

[0102] The display device 107 is realized by a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like, and constitutes the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B in FIG. 1. The display device 107 can be configured as a display device such as a digital signage installed in each of the first store 2A and the second store 2B. Alternatively, the display device 107 can be configured as a display device included in a user terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal of the user 3.

[0103] The speaker 108 converts an electrical signal indicating the assistance information into sound, which is a physical vibration, and outputs the sound, and can be realized as the first presentation unit 14A and the second presentation unit 14B.

[0104] [Operation of the information provision system] Next, the operation of the information provision system having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 4. It is assumed that first user information indicating that first user 3A is a customer of second store 2B and second user information indicating that second user 3B is a customer of first store 2A are stored in advance in first storage unit 16.

[0105] First, the acquisition unit 10 acquires, from the second storage unit 17, first information related to at least one of products and services handled by the first store 2A (step S1). In step 1, the acquisition unit 10 can acquire the first information related to a specific product or service based on preset conditions. The first information may include, in addition to the ID of the specific product or service handled by the first store 2A, information related to the sale of the product or service at the first store 2A, such as information that the product or service is being promoted for a limited time at the first store 2A. Furthermore, in step S1, the acquisition unit 10 can acquire the first information related to the specific product or service based on basic attributes (stored in the fourth storage unit 19) such as the age and gender of the first user 3A. In this case, in the second storage unit 17, information such as the age group and gender of the target user 3 is added to the product ID or service ID.

[0106] Next, the generation unit 11 generates first support information for supporting sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the first store 2A to the first user 3A based on the first information acquired in step S1 (step S2). For example, in step S2, the generation unit 11 generates support information such as "A FITNESS trial membership now available" as the first support information consisting of an image and text, as shown in FIG.

[0107] Next, the first presentation unit 14A presents the first support information generated in step S2 to the first user 3A (step S3). In step S3, the first support information can be presented in accordance with the initial values ​​of the first presentation conditions. The initial values ​​of the first presentation conditions are preset values ​​for the number of times the first support information is presented, the presentation time, a visibility index according to the layout and geometric characteristics of the first support information on the display screen, and an incentive setting value for promoting the purchasing power of the first user 3A. In other words, the initial values ​​of the first presentation conditions are values ​​that do not take into account the actual presentation record of the second support information presented to the second user 3B.

[0108] In step S3, the first presentation unit 14A displays first support information consisting of images and text, "A FITNESS trial membership now available," on the display device 107 of digital signage installed in the second store 2B, as shown in Fig. 1. Also, in step S3, the first presentation unit 14A causes the first support information to be displayed on the display screen of the display device 107 provided in the user terminal carried by the first user 3A, as shown in Fig. 1. Also, the first presentation unit 14A presents the first support information with the number of presentations, presentation time, etc., in accordance with the first presentation conditions.

[0109] Next, the third storage unit 18 stores the presentation record of the first support information in step S3 (step S4). In step S4, the third storage unit 18 can store the number of times and the time that the first presentation unit 14A actually presented the first support information, or the effective number of times and the time of presentation.

[0110] Next, the calculation unit 12 calculates a first evaluation value, which is a value that evaluates the effect of sending customers to the first store 2A, based on the results of the first support information being presented to the first user 3A (step S5). In step S5, the calculation unit 12 can calculate the first evaluation value based on the results of the first support information being presented in accordance with first presentation conditions, which are conditions for presenting the first support information. For example, the calculation unit 12 can set the first evaluation value to "10 presentations" of the first support information.

[0111] Next, the acquisition unit 10 acquires second information related to at least one of the products and services handled by the second store 2B from the second storage unit 17 (step S6). Subsequently, the generation unit 11 generates second support information for supporting sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the second store 2B to the second user 3B based on the second information acquired in step S6 (step S7). For example, second support information "B STORE Newly Released Zero Carbohydrate Prepared Food" consisting of an image and text can be generated as shown in FIG. 1.

[0112] Next, the determination unit 13 determines, based on the first evaluation value calculated for the first store 2A in step S5, second presentation conditions, which are conditions for presenting second support information that supports sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the second store 2B, so as to balance the past effect of sending customers to the first store 2A and the future effect of sending customers to the second store 2B (step S8). For example, if the first evaluation value is "10 presentations," the second presentation condition for the second support information can be the same "10 presentations."

[0113] Next, the second presentation unit 14B presents the second support information generated in step S7 to the second user 3B in accordance with the second presentation conditions determined in step S8 (step S9). In step S9, the second presentation unit 14B displays the second support information "B STORE New Release of Zero Carbohydrate Side Dishes" consisting of images and text on the display device 107 of the digital signage installed in the first store 2A, as shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, the second presentation unit 14B can display the second support information on the display screen of the display device 107 provided in the user terminal carried by the second user 3B, as shown in FIG.

[0114] Next, the third storage unit 18 stores the presentation record of the second support information in step S9 (step S10). In step S10, the second presentation unit 14B can store the number of times and the time for which the second support information was actually presented, or the number of effective presentations and the time for which the second presentation unit 14B presented the second support information. Next, the calculation unit 12 calculates a second evaluation value that evaluates the effectiveness of sending customers to the second store 2B based on the performance of presenting the second support information in accordance with the second presentation conditions (step S12). In step S10, the calculation unit 12 can calculate, for example, the number of times the second support information was presented as the second evaluation value, or the effective number of times the second user 3B actually viewed the second support information as the second evaluation value. In addition, the calculation unit 12 can calculate the second evaluation value based on tracking data of the behavior of the second user 3B from the presentation of the second support information to the actual realization of sending customers.

[0115] Next, the determination unit 13 determines a first presentation condition for the first support information, which is information that supports sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the first store 2A, so as to balance the past effect of sending customers to the second store 2B and the future effect of sending customers to the first store 2A based on the second evaluation value calculated in step S12 (step S13). For example, if the second evaluation value is "7 times," which is the effective number of times that the second user 3B actually viewed the second support information, the first presentation condition can be determined as "7 times."

[0116] Next, the first presentation unit 14A presents the first support information to the first user 3A in accordance with the first presentation condition determined in step S13 (step S14). Next, the third storage unit 18 stores the presentation record of the first support information in step S14 (step S15). Next, the determination unit 15 determines that the first user 3A has been referred to the first store 2A from the second store 2B based on the presentation record of the first support information stored in step S15 (step S16). Also, in step S16, it determines that the second user 3B has been referred to the second store 2B from the first store 2A based on the presentation record of the second support information stored in step S11.

[0117] Specifically, after the second support information is presented to the second user 3B in accordance with the second presentation conditions, if membership information, purchase history, etc. indicating that the second user 3B has become a customer of the second store 2B are registered as second user information in the first memory unit 16, the judgment unit 15 judges that the second user 3B has been referred from the first store 2A to the second store 2B.

[0118] Next, if the set termination condition is not met (step S17: NO), the calculation unit 12 further adjusts the second evaluation value based on the determination result, obtained in step S16, of whether the first user 3A was sent from the second store 2B to the first store 2A (step S18). Similarly, if the termination condition is not met (step S17: NO), the calculation unit 12 further adjusts the first evaluation value based on the determination result, obtained in step S16, of whether the second user 3B was sent from the first store 2A to the second store 2B (step S19).

[0119] Thereafter, based on the second evaluation value further adjusted in step S18, the determination unit 13 determines a first presentation condition (step S13), and the first presentation unit 14A presents the first support information in accordance with the first presentation condition (step S14). Similarly, based on the first evaluation value further adjusted in step S19, the determination unit 13 determines a second presentation condition (step S8), and the first presentation unit 14A presents the first support information in accordance with the first presentation condition (step S9). In this way, by adjusting the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value based on the determination result in step S16, it is possible to further balance the customer sending effects between the first store 2A and the second store 2B.

[0120] The order of the steps is merely an example, and the present embodiment is not limited to this order, and various modifications such as switching or skipping steps are also permitted.

[0121] As described above, the information provision system according to the first embodiment calculates a first evaluation value, which is an evaluation value of the customer referral effect, based on the presentation record of the first support information. Then, based on the first evaluation value, second presentation conditions are determined to balance the past customer referral effect to the first store 2A and the future customer referral effect to the second store 2B. The second support information is presented to the second user 3B in accordance with the second presentation conditions. This allows for more effective mutual customer referral. Furthermore, as a result, it is possible to suppress imbalances in the effects of mutual customer referral, such as sales, between the stores, and improve motivation for efforts to mutually refer customers between the stores.

[0122] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0123] In the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 10 acquires, as the first information and the second information, at least one of specific products and services from among the products and services handled by the first store 2A and the second store 2B, which are pre-stored in the second storage unit 17. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the acquisition unit 10 acquires the first information and the second information related to products and services that are more customized for the user 3 to whom customers are to be sent, thereby achieving more efficient mutual customer sending.

[0124] [Function block of information providing device] 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information providing system including an information providing device 1A according to the second embodiment. The information providing device 1A includes an acquisition unit 10, a generation unit 11, a calculation unit 12, a determination unit 13, a first presentation unit 14A, a second presentation unit 14B, a determination unit 15, a first storage unit 16, a second storage unit 17, a third storage unit 18, a fourth storage unit 19, and an identification unit 20. The information providing device 1A differs from the information providing device 1 according to the first embodiment in that it further includes the identification unit 20. The following description will focus on the configuration that differs from the first embodiment.

[0125] The second storage unit 17 stores first information about at least one of the products and services handled by the first store 2A, in association with feature elements indicating the needs of user 3 that are associated with the first information. The second storage unit 17 also stores second information about at least one of the products and services handled by the second store 2B, in association with feature elements indicating the needs of user 3 that are associated with the second information. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a table 170A constituting the second storage unit 17 according to this embodiment. Table 170A has a structure in which store names, product IDs, service IDs, and feature elements associated with the products and services related to the product IDs and service IDs are associated with each other.

[0126] For example, if "Service 2" offered at the first store 2A "A FITNESS" is Pilates lessons, the feature element "health maintenance" is associated with the needs and interests of user 3 that are evoked. Similarly, if "Product 3" offered at the second store 2B "B STORE" is salad, the feature element "health maintenance" is associated with the needs and interests of user 3 that are evoked. In this case, "Service 2" offered at the first store 2A "A FITNESS" and "Product 3" offered at the second store 2B "B STORE" share a common feature element. The feature elements stored in the second storage unit 17 may be predefined feature elements for products and services. Furthermore, feature elements can be identified by building and using a machine learning model that outputs feature elements for products and services from, for example, product names, categories, sales records, attribute information of purchasing users, etc.

[0127] The identification unit 20 identifies a first characteristic element indicating the needs of the first user 3A, which is evoked from the first user information stored in the first storage unit 16. The identification unit 20 also identifies a second characteristic element indicating the needs of the second user 3B, which is evoked from the second user information stored in the first storage unit 16.

[0128] The identification unit 20 extracts features indicating the needs and interests of the user 3 with respect to product and service categories or characteristics (price range, brand, etc.) from the user 3's membership information at the store 2, the usage history of the store 2, the product and service purchase history at the store 2, or the behavior history at the store 2, which are indicated in the first user information and the second user information. Furthermore, for example, a machine learning model that outputs feature elements regarding the needs and interests of the user 3 can be constructed from the behavioral patterns and purchase patterns of the user 3, and the feature elements of the user 3 can be identified. Furthermore, for each of the feature elements identified by the identification unit 20, an element category that is the same as or similar to the feature elements stored in the second storage unit 17 is used.

[0129] The acquisition unit 10 acquires, as first information, information on at least one of products and services handled by the first store 2A that are associated with a first characteristic element indicating the needs of the first user 3A from the second storage unit 17. The acquisition unit 10 also acquires, as second information, information on at least one of products and services handled by the second store 2B that are associated with a second characteristic element indicating the needs of the second user 3B from the second storage unit 17.

[0130] [Operation of the information provision system] Next, the operation of the information provision system having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 7. First, the identification unit 20 identifies a first characteristic element indicating the needs of the first user 3A that is recalled from the first user information stored in the first storage unit 16 (step S100). For example, if the first user 3A is a member of the second store 2B "B STORE" and often purchases salads, it is possible to identify the first characteristic element "health maintenance" that indicates the needs and interests of the first user 3A from the first user information.

[0131] Next, the acquisition unit 10 acquires, as first information, information on at least one of the products and services offered by the first store 2A "A FITNESS" that are associated with the first characteristic element "health maintenance" acquired in step S100 (step S1). For example, the acquisition unit 10 acquires, as first information, Pilates lessons for "Service 2" that are linked to the same characteristic element "health maintenance" as the first characteristic element "health maintenance" from among the services offered by the first store 2A "A FITNESS" stored in table 170A, and other information added to "Service 2."

[0132] Thereafter, the information providing device 1A performs the processes from step S2 to step S5. Next, the identification unit 20 identifies a second characteristic element indicating the needs of the second user 3B that is recalled from the second user information stored in the first storage unit 16 (step S101). For example, if the second user 3B is a member of the first store 2A "A FITNESS" and takes Pilates lessons, the second characteristic element "maintaining health" that indicates the needs or interests of the second user 3B can be identified from the second user information.

[0133] Next, the acquisition unit 10 acquires, as second information, information on at least one of the products and services handled by the second store 2B "B STORE" that are associated with the second characteristic element "health maintenance" acquired in step S101 (step S1). For example, the acquisition unit 10 acquires, as second information, a salad for "product 3" that is linked to the common characteristic element "health maintenance" and other information added to "product 3". Thereafter, the information providing device 1A performs processes from step S6 to step S19.

[0134] As described above, the information provision system according to the second embodiment identifies the interests and needs of user 3 based on the behavioral history of user 3, and generates support information that promotes sales of products and services that match the identified interests and needs. This makes it possible to direct customers to users 3 who are expected to be effective in directing customers through a more efficient and appropriate approach. As a result, this leads to improved cost-effectiveness of customer directing measures.

[0135] [Variations] Next, modified examples of the first and second embodiments will be described. In the first and second embodiments, the calculation unit 12 calculates an evaluation value for evaluating the customer referral effect based on predefined indices, statistical methods, etc. The determination unit 13 determines the conditions for presenting support information based on predefined indices, statistical methods, etc. In contrast, in this modified example, the calculation unit 12 uses machine learning to calculate, as an evaluation value, a customer referral effect prediction score based on the probability of visiting store 2, the predicted purchase amount at store 2, and a time period coefficient related to the time of visit to store 2. The determination unit 13 determines the conditions for presenting support information using the customer referral effect prediction score obtained based on the inference result of the machine learning model using machine learning.

[0136] The calculation unit 12 uses, for example, a machine learning model that predicts a customer referral effect prediction score as an evaluation value, using past customer referral performance data resulting from the presentation of support information to the user 3 as learning data. Static features and dynamic features are used as input features, i.e., input data, for the machine learning model. The static features include, for example, the basic attributes of the user 3 (age, gender, residential area, etc.), membership status (membership rank, membership history, etc.), total past purchase amount, purchase frequency, frequently purchased product categories, and regular store visit patterns.

[0137] On the other hand, the dynamic features include, for example, the number of times the user 3 has visited the store in the last 30 days, the latest purchase amount trend, seasonality (month, season, temperature), day of the week, time period, weather information, and event information (sales, campaigns, etc.). Each piece of information used as input data is acquired from separately collected tracking data and information stored in the first storage unit 16 and the fourth storage unit 19.

[0138] The machine learning model architecture uses a model that combines multiple machine learning models. Specifically, in the first stage, a machine learning model is built that predicts customer referral probability. In this first stage, the probability of store visit is predicted using a Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT), and the purchase amount is predicted using a deep neural network. In the second stage, learning is performed that takes time series into account. For example, time series patterns can be learned using LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) and important features can be weighted using an attention mechanism. Machine learning models are not limited to these, and various learning models can be used and combined.

[0139] Regarding the training and updating of machine learning models, for example, regular model updates are performed through daily batch processing, parameters are adjusted immediately through online learning, and accuracy is continuously verified through A / B testing.

[0140] The calculation unit 12 provides values ​​such as the basic attributes and purchase history of user 3 as unknown input data to the trained machine learning model, and calculates the probability of visiting store 2, the predicted purchase amount at store 2, and the time period coefficient related to the time of visit to store 2. Furthermore, the calculation unit 12 calculates the customer transfer effect prediction score based on the following equation (3). Customer referral effect prediction score = store visit probability × predicted purchase amount × time period coefficient (3)

[0141] The determination unit 13 can determine the presentation conditions for the support information based on the customer transfer effect prediction score calculated by the calculation unit 12. Specifically, the determination unit 13 can adjust the number of times the support information is presented depending on the value of the customer transfer effect prediction score. For example, the determination unit 13 can classify the customer transfer effect prediction score as a high score (0.8 or more), a medium score (0.5 to 0.8), and a low score (less than 0.5), and adjust the standard number of times the support information is presented for each score value as follows. Note that the standard number of times the support information is presented refers to, for example, the number of times the second support information is presented when the number of times the first support information is presented is the same as the number of times the first support information is presented. High score (0.8 or higher): Reference number of presentations x 0.8 Medium score (0.5-0.8): Reference number of presentations x 1.0 Low score (less than 0.5): Reference number of presentations x 1.2

[0142] As explained above, according to this modified example, the customer transfer effect prediction score is used as a value equivalent to the evaluation value of the customer transfer effect calculated based on the performance of presenting support information, so that the performance of presenting support information can be grasped more multifacetedly and accurately, and the balance of the customer transfer effect can be further improved.

[0143] In the embodiment described above, each functional block of the information providing system is configured in one device, but each functional block may be distributed across multiple devices.

[0144] The above describes embodiments of the information provision system and information provision method of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and various modifications that a person skilled in the art can imagine are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 1...information providing device, 2A...first store, 2B...second store, 3A...first user, 3B...second user, 10...acquisition unit, 11...generation unit, 12...calculation unit, 13...determination unit, 14A...first presentation unit, 14B...second presentation unit, 15...judgment unit, 16...first memory unit, 17...second memory unit, 18...third memory unit, 19...fourth memory unit, 20...identification unit, 101...bus, 102...processor, 103...main memory unit, 104...communication interface, 105...auxiliary memory unit, 106...input / output I / O, 107...display unit, 108...speaker.

Claims

1. a generating unit configured to generate information for supporting sales promotion of at least one of products and services handled by each store for users; a presentation unit configured to present the generated sales promotion support information to the user; a calculation unit configured to calculate an evaluation value that is a value that evaluates the effect of sending customers to each of the stores based on the performance of the information supporting the sales promotion of each of the stores being presented to the user; a determination unit configured to determine, based on a first evaluation value that is the evaluation value calculated for one store, a second presentation condition that is a condition for presenting second support information that is information that supports the sales promotion of at least one of products and services handled by the other store, so as to balance a past effect of sending customers to the one store and a future effect of sending customers to the other store; Equipped with the presentation unit presents the second support information to the user in accordance with the second presentation condition; the calculation unit calculates a second evaluation value that evaluates an effect of sending customers to the other store based on a performance record of the second support information being presented in accordance with the second presentation condition; The determination unit further determines, based on the second evaluation value, a first presentation condition that is a condition for presenting first support information that is information that supports the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the one store, so as to balance the past effect of sending customers to the other store and the future effect of sending customers to the one store; The presentation unit further presents the first support information to the user in accordance with the determined first presentation condition; The determination unit determines the first presentation condition in consideration of a difference in customer referral effect due to at least one of the presentation content of the first support information and the second support information and the presentation timing of the first support information and the second support information. An information providing system characterized by:

2. 2. The information providing system according to claim 1, The calculation unit calculates the evaluation value based on at least one of the number of times the sales promotion support information is presented and the time for which the information is presented. An information providing system characterized by:

3. 2. The information providing system according to claim 1, the presentation unit displays the information supporting the sales promotion on a display screen; The calculation unit calculates the evaluation value based on an evaluation of visibility according to the arrangement and geometric characteristics of the information supporting the sales promotion displayed on the display screen. An information providing system characterized by:

4. 2. The information providing system according to claim 1, The calculation unit calculates the evaluation value based on a set value of an incentive that is set in the sales promotion support information and that promotes the purchasing power of the user. An information providing system characterized by:

5. 2. The information providing system according to claim 1, the users include a first user and a second user different from the first user; The system further includes a first storage unit configured to store first user information indicating at least one of a behavior history of the first user related to the other store and an attribute of the first user related to the other store. An information providing system characterized by:

6. 6. The information providing system according to claim 5, The first storage unit further stores second user information indicating at least one of a behavior history of the second user related to the one store and an attribute of the second user related to the one store. An information providing system characterized by:

7. 7. The information providing system according to claim 6, Further, a second storage unit configured to store first information relating to at least one of the products and services handled at the one store and second information relating to at least one of the products and services handled at the other store, the generation unit generates, based on the first information stored in the second storage unit, the first support information for supporting sales promotion for the first user of at least one of the products and services handled at the one store, and generates, based on the second information stored in the second storage unit, the second support information for supporting sales promotion for the second user of at least one of the products and services handled at the other store, The presentation unit further a first presentation unit configured to present the first support information to the first user in accordance with the first presentation condition; a second presentation unit configured to present the second support information to the second user in accordance with the second presentation condition; Equipped with An information providing system characterized by:

8. 8. The information providing system according to claim 7, Further, an identification unit configured to identify a first feature element indicating a need of the first user that is recalled from the first user information, The second storage unit further stores the first information in association with a feature element indicating a user need having a correlation with the first information; and an acquisition unit configured to acquire, from the second storage unit, information on at least one of a product and a service handled by the one store that are associated with the first characteristic element, as the first information, The generation unit generates the first support information based on the first information acquired by the acquisition unit. An information providing system characterized by:

9. 9. The information providing system according to claim 8, The identification unit further identifies a second feature element indicating a need of the second user that is evoked from the second user information, and The second storage unit further stores the second information in association with a feature element indicating a user need having a correlation with the second information; The acquisition unit further acquires, from the second storage unit, information on at least one of products and services handled by the other store that are associated with the second characteristic element, as the second information; The generation unit generates the second support information based on the second information acquired by the acquisition unit. An information providing system characterized by:

10. 10. The information providing system according to claim 9, The first storage unit further updates and stores the first user information indicating at least one of a behavior history of the first user related to the one store and an attribute of the first user related to the one store; a third storage unit configured to store a record of when the first support information has been presented to the first user; a determination unit configured to determine that the first user has been referred from the other store based on the results of the first support information being presented and the updated first user information; An information providing system comprising:

11. The information providing system according to claim 10, The first storage unit further updates and stores the second user information indicating at least one of a behavior history of the second user related to the other store and an attribute of the second user related to the other store; the third storage unit stores a record of when the second support information has been presented to the second user; The determination unit determines that the second user has been referred from the one store based on the results of the second support information being presented and the updated second user information. An information providing system characterized by:

12. The information providing system according to claim 11, The calculation unit further adjusts the evaluation value based on the determination result by the determination unit. An information providing system characterized by:

13. 2. The information providing system according to claim 1, The presentation unit presents the information supporting the sales promotion by audio, image, video, text, or a combination thereof. An information providing system characterized by:

14. A computer-implemented information provision method, comprising: a generating step of generating information for supporting sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by each store for the user; a presentation step of presenting the generated sales promotion supporting information to the user; a calculation step of calculating an evaluation value that is a value that evaluates the effect of sending customers to each store based on the performance of the information supporting the sales promotion of each store being presented to the user; a determining step of determining second presentation conditions, which are conditions for presenting second support information, which is information for supporting the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the other stores, based on a first evaluation value, which is the evaluation value calculated for the one store, so as to balance the past effect of sending customers to the one store and the future effect of sending customers to the other stores; Equipped with the presenting step presents the second support information to the user in accordance with the second presentation condition; the calculation step calculates a second evaluation value that evaluates an effect of sending customers to the other store based on a performance record of the second support information being presented in accordance with the second presentation condition; The determining step further includes determining a first presentation condition, which is a condition for presenting first support information, which is information for supporting the sales promotion of at least one of the products and services handled by the one store, so as to balance the past effect of sending customers to the other store and the future effect of sending customers to the one store, based on the second evaluation value; The presenting step further includes presenting the first support information to the user in accordance with the determined first presentation condition; The determining step determines the first presentation condition in consideration of a difference in customer attraction effect due to at least one of the contents of the first support information and the second support information and the timing of presentation of the first support information and the second support information.

1. An information providing method comprising:

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