Information processing system, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

This invention provides an information processing system, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can motivate a customer to introduce a product to a secondary customer, thereby increasing product sales. [Solution] Information on the history of products purchased by the customer Purchase A customer identification means for identifying one or more secondary customers who have a direct or indirect relationship with a certain customer based on purchase history information, and an incentive granting means for granting an incentive to the certain customer when any of the one or more secondary customers purchase a certain product. An information providing means capable of providing correlation information that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and one or more secondary customers, Equipped with Furthermore, the customer identification means identifies a person who has received product information about a certain product from a certain customer as the secondary customer, associates the purchase history information of the identified secondary customer with the identification information of the certain customer, and the information providing means can refer to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of the certain customer and provide as correlation information that the relationship between the certain customer and the secondary customer is that of a provider and recipient of the product information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and an information processing program capable of visualizing the correlation between a customer and a secondary customer.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been proposed a success-based reward mediation system including a performance determination means for determining whether or not a storage unit stores past purchase information of the same customer as the customer of the purchase information obtained periodically, or whether or not the storage unit stores information (specific access information) indicating access to a product sales site through a specific link, etc.; a performance storage means for storing, as the performance of a sales partner, when the storage unit of a predetermined terminal stores the past purchase information or specific access information; and a reward calculation and granting means for granting a reward to the sales partner based on the partner performance (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of a conventional success-based reward mediation system is to grant a reward to a sales partner when a customer who has viewed the product introduction site of the sales partner makes a purchase or the like. Although the relationship between the customer and the sales partner can be known, the correlation between the customer and the secondary customer cannot be grasped.

[0005] In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an information processing system, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can motivate a customer to introduce a product to a secondary customer, thereby increasing product sales. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing system according to the present invention includes a storage means capable of storing purchase history information, which is information about the history of products purchased by a customer; a customer identification means for identifying one or more secondary customers that have a direct or indirect relationship with a certain customer based on the purchase history information; and an incentive granting means for granting an incentive to a certain customer when any of the one or more secondary customers purchase a certain product. An information providing means capable of providing correlation information that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and one or more secondary customers, Equipped with The customer identification means refers to the purchase history information of a certain customer and identifies a person who has received product information about a certain product from the certain customer based on the information contained in the purchase history information as the secondary customer, associates the purchase history information of the identified secondary customer with the identification information of the certain customer, and the information providing means refers to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of the certain customer and can provide the correlation information that the relationship between the certain customer and the secondary customer is a relationship between a provider and a recipient of the product information, and the information providing means further refers to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of the certain customer and can obtain and provide purchase behavior information representing the purchase behavior pattern of the secondary customer from the purchase history information, and the purchase behavior pattern of the secondary customer includes a pattern in which the customer views the product information obtained from the certain customer and purchases the certain product, a pattern in which the customer views the product information but does not purchase the certain product, and a pattern in which the customer obtains the product information but does not view the product information. This is an information processing system characterized by the following:

[0007] The information processing method according to the present invention is a storage means capable of storing purchase history information, which is information about the history of products purchased by a customer. The computer executes using Information processing method, The aforementioned computer, A customer identification step that identifies one or more secondary customers who have a direct or indirect relationship with a certain customer based on the purchase history information, and an incentive granting step that grants an incentive to the certain customer when any of the one or more secondary customers purchase a certain product. An information provision step that can provide correlation information that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and one or more secondary customers, of The customer identification step is at least feasible, and the customer identification step refers to the purchase history information of a certain customer, identifies a person who has received product information about a certain product from the certain customer based on the information contained in the purchase history information as the secondary customer, associates the identified secondary customer's purchase history information with the identification information of the certain customer, and the information provision step refers to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of the certain customer, and provides as correlation information that the relationship between the certain customer and the secondary customer is a relationship between a provider and a recipient of the product information, and the information provision step further refers to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of the certain customer, and obtains and provides purchase behavior information representing the secondary customer's purchase behavior pattern from the purchase history information, the secondary customer's purchase behavior pattern includes a pattern in which the customer views the product information obtained from the certain customer and purchases the certain product, a pattern in which the customer views the product information but does not purchase the certain product, and a pattern in which the customer obtains the product information but does not view the product information. This is an information processing method characterized by the following features.

[0008] The information processing program according to the present invention comprises a computer, a storage means capable of storing purchase history information, which is information about the history of products purchased by a customer; a customer identification means that identifies one or more secondary customers that have a direct or indirect relationship with a certain customer based on the purchase history information; and an incentive granting means that grants an incentive to a certain customer when any of the one or more secondary customers purchase a certain product. an information providing means capable of providing correlation information that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and one or more secondary customers, Make it work The customer identification means refers to the purchase history information of a certain customer and identifies a person who has received product information about a certain product from the certain customer based on the information contained in the purchase history information as the secondary customer, associates the purchase history information of the identified secondary customer with the identification information of the certain customer, and the information providing means refers to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of the certain customer and can provide the correlation information that the relationship between the certain customer and the secondary customer is a relationship between a provider and a recipient of the product information, and the information providing means further refers to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of the certain customer and can obtain and provide purchase behavior information representing the purchase behavior pattern of the secondary customer from the purchase history information, and the purchase behavior pattern of the secondary customer includes a pattern in which the customer views the product information obtained from the certain customer and purchases the certain product, a pattern in which the customer views the product information but does not purchase the certain product, and a pattern in which the customer obtains the product information but does not view the product information. This is an information processing program characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The information processing system, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present invention can provide an incentive for a customer to introduce a product to a secondary customer, thereby achieving the excellent effect of increasing product sales. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This diagram shows an example of correlation information between customers and secondary customers, as well as information on the purchasing behavior of secondary customers. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following describes an information processing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <Overview of the Information Processing System> First, an overview of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment will be described using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0013] The information processing system 10 according to this embodiment is characterized by comprising: a storage means 12a capable of storing purchase history information, which is information about the history of products purchased by a customer; a customer identification means 12b that identifies one or more secondary customers that have a direct or indirect relationship with a certain customer based on the purchase history information; and an information providing means 12c that can provide correlation information that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and one or more secondary customers.

[0014] According to the information processing system of this embodiment, by visualizing the correlation between customers and secondary customers based on purchase history information, it is possible to intuitively grasp how product information is transmitted and spread, and to perform purchase analysis and implement effective sales promotion measures.

[0015] Here, "purchase history information" refers to information about the purchase history of products purchased by a specific individual (customer). Examples of "purchase history information" include: (1) customer information (customer ID, gender, age, membership rank, personal information, etc.), (2) product information (product ID, product name, category, brand, unit price, etc.), (3) purchase information (purchase date, purchase time, purchase quantity, total amount, payment method, etc.), (4) store information (store ID, store name, sales channel (store / EC), etc.), (5) campaign information (coupon usage, point usage, discount rate, etc.), and (6) purchase frequency (number of purchases, average purchase interval, most recent purchase date, etc.).

[0016] A "secondary customer" is a customer who has a direct or indirect relationship with a particular customer. Secondary customers are not limited to those who have a direct relationship with a particular customer (for example, a friend of a particular customer, a relative of a particular customer, a colleague of a particular customer, etc.), but also include those who do not have a direct relationship with a particular customer but have an indirect relationship (for example, a friend of a friend of a particular customer, an acquaintance of a relative of a particular customer, a friend of a colleague of a particular customer, etc.). Furthermore, secondary customers are not limited to customers who have actually purchased a product, but also include prospective customers who have not yet purchased a product.

[0017] Examples of "secondary customers" identified based on purchase history information include, for example, individuals who were introduced to a product or service by a customer (or another secondary customer) (non-referrals), and individuals who received product information about a product (e.g., discount coupons, information on special sales or events, information on new releases or resales) from a customer (or another secondary customer) via email, social media, or other communication methods. These secondary customers can be identified based on customer information (e.g., customer ID or personal information), purchase information (e.g., purchase date or quantity purchased), campaign information (e.g., coupon usage), etc., included in the purchase history information of a particular customer (or another secondary customer).

[0018] "Correlation information" refers to information that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and one or more secondary customers. Examples of "correlation information" include a human relationship diagram that schematizes the relationships between customers, such as that shown in Figure 3, and a graph that visualizes the connections between customers using nodes and edges.

[0019] "Correlation" refers to the connection or influence relationship between two or more people. Examples of "correlation" include, for example, the introducer and the introduced person of a certain product, the provider and the recipient of information regarding a certain product, friends or followers on SNS, members of a specific group on SNS, friendship, blood relationship, employment relationship, etc. Further, "visualization" means making information that is invisible to the human eye visible to the human eye in the form of a diagram, graph, etc.

[0020] Note that instead of (or in addition to) the information providing means 12c, incentive providing means for providing an incentive (for example, a coupon, points, cash, advantageous information, etc.) to a certain customer when any one of one or more secondary customers purchases a certain product may be provided.

[0021] With such a configuration, it is possible to give a certain customer the motivation to introduce a product to a secondary customer and increase the sales of the product.

[0022] Further, analysis means for analyzing the purchase behavior pattern of secondary customers may be provided, and the information providing means 12c may be further capable of providing purchase behavior information representing the purchase behavior pattern of secondary customers.

[0023] With such a configuration, in addition to the correlation between the customer and the secondary customer, by visualizing the purchase behavior of the secondary customer, it is possible to intuitively grasp the flow until a certain product is purchased, and perform purchase analysis, effective sales promotion measures, etc.

[0024] Furthermore, examples of "analytical means" for analyzing the purchasing behavior of secondary customers include programs that analyze the purchasing behavior of secondary customers based on customer information (e.g., customer ID, personal information), purchase information (e.g., purchase date and quantity), and campaign information (e.g., coupon usage) contained in the purchase history information of a customer (or the secondary customer themselves) who has a relationship with the secondary customer, or programs that analyze the purchasing behavior of secondary customers using purchasing behavior models (e.g., AIDMA or AIDA).

[0025] "Purchase behavior information" refers to information that represents the purchasing behavior patterns of secondary customers. Examples of "purchase behavior patterns" include patterns where a customer views product information about a certain product obtained from another customer and then purchases that product, patterns where a customer views product information but does not purchase the product, and patterns where a customer obtains product information but does not view it. Furthermore, purchase behavior patterns associated with these patterns include patterns where a customer introduces product information to other secondary customers, and patterns where product information is posted on a website or social media.

[0026] Furthermore, correlation information may also include information that allows for the identification of a particular customer and a secondary customer who were involved in the process leading up to the secondary customer's purchase of a particular product.

[0027] This configuration allows for an intuitive understanding of the purchasing process and interpersonal relationships involved in a particular product, enabling the implementation of purchasing analysis and effective sales promotion strategies.

[0028] Alternatively, the purchase history information of a particular customer (and secondary customers) may be repeatedly provided as training data, and correlation information corresponding to that particular customer may be acquired through machine learning.

[0029] This configuration makes it possible to understand the correlations between individual customers, further enhancing the effectiveness of promotional measures and other strategies.

[0030] Furthermore, the customer identification means 12b may be configured to identify secondary customers who have a direct relationship with a certain customer based on the purchase history information of that customer, and to identify other secondary customers who have a direct relationship with that secondary customer based on the purchase history information of the identified secondary customers.

[0031] With this configuration, it is possible to sequentially identify a particular customer and multiple secondary customers based on purchase history information, thereby improving the overall processing speed of the system and increasing the reliability of the correlation.

[0032] <Example of system configuration> Next, an example of the configuration of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment will be described using Figure 2. Figure 2 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0033] The information processing system 10 can be configured, for example, to include a system terminal 12 that controls the entire system, and a purchasing information terminal 12a and an external terminal 16 that are connected to the system terminal 12 via a network NW so that they can communicate with each other.

[0034] The system terminal 12 is a terminal that controls the entire information processing system 10, and is composed of conventionally known servers, personal computers, etc. In this example, the system terminal 12 is composed of one server, but it may be composed of multiple servers, personal computers, etc. The hardware configuration of the system terminal 12 and the programs that the system terminal 12 executes will be described later.

[0035] The purchase information terminal 12a is a terminal (storage means) used by a retail store (e.g., a drugstore, retail store, convenience store, etc.) to store the customer's purchase history information, and is composed of a POS terminal, a conventionally known server, a personal computer, etc.

[0036] In this example, the purchase information terminal 12a is configured as a single POS terminal, but it may also be configured as multiple POS terminals, or as a server or personal computer. Furthermore, the terminal (storage means) for storing purchase history information may be an internal storage means (for example, the storage device 26 shown in Figure 2) connected to the system terminal 12 via a local network (for example, LAN or P2P).

[0037] The external terminal 16 is a terminal used by users of the information processing system 10 (for example, a seller who sells goods), and consists of a personal computer, tablet, smartphone, etc. The type of external terminal 16 is not particularly limited, but examples include smartphones, personal computers, tablets, etc. used by individuals.

[0038] The network NW is a line that allows the system terminal 12, the purchasing information terminal 12a, and the external terminal 16 to communicate with each other, and is typically composed of a WAN (Wide Area Network), also known as the Internet. The network NW may be wired or wireless, a LAN (Local Area Network), a dedicated line such as a VPN (Virtual Private Network), or a combination of these lines.

[0039] <System Terminal / Hardware Configuration Example> Next, we will describe an example of the hardware configuration of system terminal 12.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the system terminal 12 is configured to include, for example, a CPU 21, and a ROM 22, RAM 23, external storage drive 25, storage device 26, input device 27, display device 28, communication unit 29, etc., all connected to the CPU 21 via a bus.

[0041] The CPU 21 is a control means that controls the entire system terminal 12, and performs processes such as executing application programs and operating systems (OS) stored in ROM 22 and storage devices 26, and storing data and files necessary for program execution in RAM 23 and storage devices 26.

[0042] ROM22 is a storage means for storing basic I / O programs and various data, and is composed of, for example, PROM, flash memory, etc. RAM23 is a storage means for temporarily storing data, and is composed of, for example, SDRAM, DRAM, etc. External storage drive25 is a control means that can read and write data to recording media 24 such as magnetic tape, DVD, etc., and is composed of, for example, magnetic tape storage, DVD drive, etc.

[0043] The storage device 26 is a storage means for storing application programs, the OS, control programs, related programs, various information, etc., and is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SDD), etc. The input device 27 is for inputting commands (instructions), etc., to the system terminal 12, and is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device (mouse, etc.), a touch panel, etc.

[0044] The display device 28 displays commands input by the input device 27, the response output of the system terminal 12 to those commands, and various other displays, and is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, plasma display, organic EL, etc. The communication unit 29 is a control means that controls communication with the purchasing information terminal 12a and external terminals 16, etc. via the network NW, and is composed of, for example, a communication card, etc.

[0045] <System Terminal / Function> Next, we will explain the functions of the system terminal 12.

[0046] The storage device 26 of the system terminal 12 stores a program (information processing program) that enables the system terminal 12 to function as a customer identification means 12b and an information provision means 12c.

[0047] <System terminal / Function / Customer identification method> Next, we will explain the customer identification method 12b.

[0048] The customer identification means 12b is a means for identifying one or more secondary customers who have a direct or indirect relationship with a particular customer based on purchase history information, and in this example, it consists of a program stored in the storage device 26 of the system terminal 12, or the storage device 26, etc.

[0049] As mentioned above, "purchase history information" refers to information about the history of products purchased by a specific individual (customer). Examples of "purchase history information" include: (1) customer information (customer ID, gender, age, membership rank, etc.), (2) product information (product ID, product name, category, brand, unit price, etc.), (3) purchase information (purchase date, purchase time, purchase quantity, total amount, payment method, etc.), (4) store information (store ID, store name, sales channel (store / EC), etc.), (5) campaign information (coupon usage, point usage, discount rate, etc.), and (6) purchase frequency (number of purchases, average purchase interval, most recent purchase date, etc.).

[0050] A "secondary customer" is a customer who has a direct or indirect relationship with a particular customer, and is not limited to customers who have actually purchased a product, but also includes prospective customers who have not yet purchased a product. Furthermore, it is not limited to those who have a direct relationship with a particular customer (for example, a friend of

[0051] "Secondary customers" identified based on purchase history information include, for example, individuals who were introduced to a product or service by a customer (or secondary customer) (non-referrals), and individuals who received product information about a product (e.g., discount coupons, information on special sales or events, information on new releases or resales) from a customer (or secondary customer) via email, social media, or other communication methods. These secondary customers can be identified based on customer information (e.g., customer ID or personal information), purchase information (e.g., purchase date or quantity purchased), campaign information (e.g., coupon usage), etc., included in a customer's purchase history information.

[0052] When identifying a secondary customer of a particular customer, the customer identification means 12b refers to the purchase history information stored in the purchase information terminal 12a based on customer identification information such as the customer ID and name of the particular customer, obtains information on secondary customers who have a direct or indirect relationship with the particular customer from the purchase history information, and stores the obtained information in the storage device 26 in association with the customer ID of the particular customer.

[0053] If secondary customer information cannot be obtained from purchase history information, secondary customer information may be obtained based on other information included in the purchase history information (for example, personal information such as social media accounts).

[0054] Figure 3 shows an example of correlation information between customers and secondary customers, as well as secondary customer purchasing behavior.

[0055] In this example, the customer identification means 12b acquires the purchase history information of secondary customers B to E who obtained product information (e.g., discount coupons) related to a certain product from customer A, based on the purchase history information of a certain customer A stored in the purchase information terminal 12a; the purchase history information of secondary customer F who obtained product information (e.g., discount coupons) related to a certain product from secondary customer B, based on the purchase history information of secondary customer B; and the purchase history information of secondary customer G who obtained product information (e.g., discount coupons) related to a certain product from secondary customer D, based on the purchase history information of secondary customer D. The acquired purchase history information is then associated with the customer ID of the certain customer A and stored in the storage device 26. This identifies a certain customer A and secondary customers B to G who have a direct or indirect relationship with that customer A.

[0056] <System terminal / Function / Information provision method> Next, we will explain the information provision means 12c.

[0057] The information provision means 12c is a means capable of providing correlation information that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and one or more secondary customers. In this example, it consists of a program stored in the storage device 26 of the system terminal 12, and the storage device 26, etc.

[0058] As mentioned above, "correlation information" refers to information that visualizes the correlation between a particular customer and one or more secondary customers. Examples of "correlation information" include relationship diagrams that illustrate the relationships (correlation) between customers, and graphs that visualize the connections (correlation) between customers using nodes and edges.

[0059] "Correlation" refers to the connection or influence between two or more people. Examples of correlations include the relationship between someone who introduces a product and the person who introduces it, the relationship between someone who provides information about a product and the person who provides that information, friends and followers on social media, members of a specific social media group, friendships, kinship, and employment relationships. "Visualization," on the other hand, is the process of making invisible information visible to the human eye by creating diagrams, graphs, etc.

[0060] In this example, the information provision means 12c searches for the customer ID of a certain customer A stored in the storage device 26 in order to generate correlation information for a certain customer A, refers to the purchase history information of secondary customers B to G stored in association with the customer ID of that certain customer A, and generates a relationship diagram that illustrates the relationship between a certain customer A and secondary customers B to G.

[0061] Figure 3 shows that customer A sent discount coupons to secondary customers B through E, secondary customer B sent a discount coupon to secondary customer F, and secondary customer D sent a discount coupon to secondary customer G.

[0062] As this example shows, by visualizing the correlation between customers and secondary customers based on purchase history information, it is possible to intuitively understand how product information is transmitted and spread, enabling the implementation of purchase analysis and effective sales promotion measures.

[0063] Furthermore, correlation information allows us to identify a particular customer (e.g., customer A) and secondary customers (e.g., secondary customers D and G) involved in the process leading up to a purchase of a product by a secondary customer (e.g., secondary customer G). This allows us to intuitively understand the flow of events and relationships involved in the purchase of a product, enabling us to conduct purchasing analysis and implement effective sales promotion measures.

[0064] Furthermore, this example includes an analysis means for analyzing the purchasing behavior patterns of secondary customers, and the information provision means 12c can further provide purchasing behavior information representing the purchasing behavior patterns of secondary customers.

[0065] The analysis method in this example consists of a program that analyzes the purchasing behavior of secondary customers based on customer information (e.g., customer ID, personal information), purchase information (e.g., purchase date and quantity), campaign information (e.g., coupon usage), etc., contained in the purchase history information of a customer (or the secondary customer itself) that has a relationship with the secondary customer.

[0066] As mentioned above, "purchase behavior information" refers to information that represents the purchasing behavior patterns of secondary customers. Examples of "purchase behavior patterns" include patterns where a customer views product information about a certain product obtained from another customer and then purchases that product, patterns where a customer views product information but does not purchase the product, and patterns where a customer obtains product information but does not view that information.

[0067] The information provision means 12c generates a relationship diagram illustrating the relationship between a certain customer A and secondary customers B to G, and also refers to the purchase history information of secondary customers B to G stored in the storage device 26 to generate purchase behavior information representing the purchasing behavior patterns of the secondary customers, and adds the generated purchase behavior information to the relationship diagram.

[0068] Figure 3 shows that secondary customers B and C viewed product information about a certain product obtained from a certain customer A and purchased that product; secondary customer D viewed product information obtained from a certain customer A but did not purchase that product; secondary customer E obtained product information obtained from a certain customer A but did not view that product information; secondary customer F obtained product information obtained from secondary customer B but did not view that product information; and secondary customer G viewed product information about a certain product obtained from secondary customer D and purchased that product.

[0069] Finally, the information provision means 12c transmits the generated correlation information and purchasing behavior information (data including the relationship diagram shown in Figure 3) to the external terminal 16 used by the user of the information processing system 10, in response to the user's request. As a result, the user of the information processing system 10 can obtain the correlation information and purchasing behavior information (data including the relationship diagram shown in Figure 3).

[0070] As this example shows, by visualizing the purchasing behavior of secondary customers in addition to the correlation between customers and secondary customers, it is possible to intuitively understand the flow of how a product is purchased, enabling the implementation of purchasing analysis and effective sales promotion measures.

[0071] Furthermore, the information provision means 12c may be one in which a customer's purchase history information is repeatedly provided as training data, and correlation information corresponding to that customer is acquired by machine learning.

[0072] With this configuration, it becomes possible to accumulate and understand correlations tailored to each individual customer, further enhancing the effectiveness of sales promotion measures and other strategies.

[0073] Furthermore, the customer identification means 12b may be configured to identify a secondary customer (e.g., a certain customer B) that has a direct relationship with a certain customer (e.g., a certain customer A) based on the purchase history information of that customer, and to identify another secondary customer (e.g., a certain customer F) that has a direct relationship with that secondary customer based on the purchase history information of the identified secondary customer.

[0074] With this configuration, it is possible to sequentially identify a particular customer and multiple secondary customers based on purchase history information, thereby improving the overall processing speed of the system and increasing the reliability of the correlation.

[0075] <Information Processing Systems / Summary> As described above, the information processing system according to this embodiment (for example, the information processing system 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2) is characterized by comprising: storage means (for example, storage means 12a shown in Figure 1, purchase information terminal 12a shown in Figure 2) capable of storing purchase history information, which is information about the history of products purchased by a customer; customer identification means (for example, customer identification means 12b shown in Figures 1 and 2) capable of identifying one or more secondary customers that have a direct or indirect relationship with a certain customer based on the purchase history information; and information providing means (for example, information providing means 12c shown in Figures 1 and 2) capable of providing correlation information (for example, a human relationship diagram illustrating the relationships between customers shown in Figure 3) that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and the one or more secondary customers.

[0076] Furthermore, the information processing method according to this embodiment (for example, the method executed by the information processing system 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2) is an information processing method that uses storage means (for example, storage means 12a shown in Figure 1, purchase information terminal 12a shown in Figure 2) capable of storing purchase history information, which is information about the history of products purchased by a customer, and comprises: a customer identification step (for example, a process executed by the customer identification means 12b shown in Figures 1 and 2) that identifies one or more secondary customers that have a direct or indirect relationship with a certain customer based on the purchase history information; and an information provision step (for example, a process executed by the information provision means 12c shown in Figures 1 and 2) that can provide correlation information (for example, a human relationship diagram illustrating the relationships between customers shown in Figure 3) that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and the one or more secondary customers.

[0077] Furthermore, the information processing program according to this embodiment (for example, a program executed by the information processing system 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2) is an information processing program characterized in that it causes a computer (for example, a system terminal 12 shown in Figures 1 and 2) to function as a storage means (for example, a storage means 12a shown in Figure 1, a purchase information terminal 12a shown in Figure 2) capable of storing purchase history information, which is information about the history of products purchased by a customer; a customer identification means (for example, a customer identification means 12b shown in Figures 1 and 2) capable of identifying one or more secondary customers that have a direct or indirect relationship with a certain customer based on the purchase history information; and an information providing means (for example, an information providing means 12c shown in Figures 1 and 2) capable of providing correlation information (for example, a human relationship diagram illustrating the relationships between customers shown in Figure 3) that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and the one or more secondary customers.

[0078] According to the information processing system, information processing method, and information processing program of this embodiment, by visualizing the correlation between customers and secondary customers based on purchase history information, it is possible to intuitively grasp how product information is transmitted and spread, and to perform purchase analysis and implement effective sales promotion measures.

[0079] In addition to the aforementioned information provision means, an incentive provision means may be provided to give an incentive (e.g., coupons, points, cash, special offers, etc.) to a customer when one or more secondary customers purchase a certain product.

[0080] This structure can motivate a customer to introduce the product to a secondary customer, thereby increasing product sales.

[0081] Furthermore, the system may include analytical means for analyzing the purchasing behavior patterns of secondary customers, and the information providing means may further provide purchasing behavior information representing the purchasing behavior patterns of secondary customers.

[0082] With this configuration, in addition to the correlation between customers and secondary customers, the purchasing behavior of secondary customers can be visualized, allowing for an intuitive understanding of the process leading up to the purchase of a particular product. This enables the implementation of purchase analysis and effective sales promotion measures.

[0083] Furthermore, the purchasing behavior patterns may include patterns in which a customer views product information about a certain product obtained from a certain customer and then purchases the product; patterns in which the customer views the product information but does not purchase the product; and patterns in which the customer obtains the product information but does not view it.

[0084] Furthermore, the correlation information may be information that makes it possible to identify the customer and the secondary customer involved in the process leading up to the purchase of a certain product by the secondary customer.

[0085] This configuration allows for an intuitive understanding of the purchasing process and interpersonal relationships involved in a particular product, enabling the implementation of purchasing analysis and effective sales promotion strategies.

[0086] Furthermore, the system may be configured to repeatedly provide the purchase history information of a particular customer as training data, and to acquire the correlation information corresponding to that customer through machine learning.

[0087] This configuration makes it possible to understand the correlations between individual customers, further enhancing the effectiveness of promotional measures and other strategies.

[0088] Furthermore, the customer identification means may be configured to identify secondary customers who have a direct relationship with a certain customer based on the purchase history information of that customer, and to identify other secondary customers who have a direct relationship with that secondary customer based on the purchase history information of the identified secondary customers.

[0089] With this configuration, it is possible to sequentially identify a particular customer and multiple secondary customers based on purchase history information, thereby improving the overall processing speed of the system and increasing the reliability of the correlation.

[0090] It should be noted that the information processing system, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0091] Therefore, for example, instead of, or in addition to, the information provision means 12c may be provided with an incentive provision means that provides an incentive to a customer when one or more secondary customers purchase a certain product.

[0092] Furthermore, the information provision means 12c is not limited to means of providing purchasing behavior information, but may also be means of providing only correlation information. Also, although an example of sending a discount coupon from one customer to a secondary customer has been shown, the means of connecting one customer and a secondary customer are not limited to this, and for example, one customer may send information other than coupons (for example, information on campaigns or events) to a secondary customer. In addition, information about products may be conveyed from one customer to a secondary customer by telephone or flyers, or by oral communication. [Industrial applicability]

[0093] The information processing system, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present invention can be widely applied to fields such as manufacturing, service industries, and retail industries. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0094] 10. Information Processing Systems 12 System Terminals 12a Storage means 12b Customer identification means 12c Means of providing information 16 External terminals 21 CPU 22 ROM 23 RAM 24 Recording media 25 External storage drives 26 Storage device 27 Input devices 28 Display device 29 Communications Department

Claims

1. A storage means capable of storing purchase history information, which is information about the history of products purchased by a customer, A customer identification means for identifying one or more secondary customers who have a direct or indirect relationship with a particular customer based on the aforementioned purchase history information, An incentive provision means for providing an incentive to a certain customer when any of the aforementioned one or more secondary customers purchase a certain product, The system includes an information providing means capable of providing correlation information that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and one or more secondary customers, The customer identification means refers to the purchase history information of a certain customer, identifies a person who has received product information regarding a certain product from the certain customer based on the information contained in the purchase history information as the secondary customer, and associates the purchase history information of the identified secondary customer with the identification information of the certain customer. The information providing means can refer to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of a certain customer, and provide as correlation information that the relationship between the certain customer and the secondary customer is a relationship between a provider and a recipient of the product information. The information providing means can further refer to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of a certain customer, and obtain and provide purchase behavior information representing the purchase behavior pattern of the secondary customer from the purchase history information. The purchasing behavior patterns of the secondary customer include patterns in which the customer views the product information obtained from the aforementioned customer and purchases the product, patterns in which the customer views the product information but does not purchase the product, and patterns in which the customer obtains the product information but does not view it. An information processing system characterized by the following:

2. In the information processing system described in claim 1, The correlation information is information that makes it possible to identify the customer and the secondary customer who were involved in the process leading up to the purchase of a certain product by the secondary customer. An information processing system characterized by the following:

3. An information processing method performed by a computer using a storage means capable of storing purchase history information, which is information about the history of products purchased by a customer, The aforementioned computer, A customer identification step that identifies one or more secondary customers who have a direct or indirect relationship with a particular customer based on the aforementioned purchase history information, An incentive granting step in which an incentive is given to a customer when any of the one or more secondary customers purchase a certain product, The system is capable of providing information that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and one or more secondary customers, and at least the information provision step is to perform the following: The customer identification step involves referring to the purchase history information of a certain customer, identifying a person who has received product information regarding a certain product from that customer based on the information contained in the purchase history information as a secondary customer, and associating the purchase history information of the identified secondary customer with the identification information of the certain customer. The information provision step can refer to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of a certain customer, and provide as correlation information that the relationship between the certain customer and the secondary customer is a relationship between a provider and recipient of the product information. The information provision step may further refer to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of a certain customer, and obtain and provide purchase behavior information representing the purchase behavior pattern of the secondary customer from the purchase history information. The purchasing behavior patterns of the secondary customer include patterns in which the customer views the product information obtained from the aforementioned customer and purchases the product, patterns in which the customer views the product information but does not purchase the product, and patterns in which the customer obtains the product information but does not view it. An information processing method characterized by the following:

4. Computers, A storage means capable of storing purchase history information, which is information about the history of products purchased by a customer, A customer identification means for identifying one or more secondary customers who have a direct or indirect relationship with a particular customer based on the aforementioned purchase history information, An incentive provision means for providing an incentive to a certain customer when any of the aforementioned one or more secondary customers purchase a certain product, This information provision means is designed to provide correlation information that visualizes the correlation between a certain customer and one or more secondary customers. The customer identification means refers to the purchase history information of a certain customer, identifies a person who has received product information regarding a certain product from the certain customer based on the information contained in the purchase history information as the secondary customer, and associates the purchase history information of the identified secondary customer with the identification information of the certain customer. The information providing means can refer to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of a certain customer, and provide as correlation information that the relationship between the certain customer and the secondary customer is a relationship between a provider and a recipient of the product information. The information providing means can further refer to the purchase history information of the secondary customer associated with the identification information of a certain customer, and obtain and provide purchase behavior information representing the purchase behavior pattern of the secondary customer from the purchase history information. The purchasing behavior patterns of the secondary customer include patterns in which the customer views the product information obtained from the aforementioned customer and purchases the product, patterns in which the customer views the product information but does not purchase the product, and patterns in which the customer obtains the product information but does not view it. An information processing program characterized by the following features.

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