Information providing system, information providing method, and information providing program

Abstract

An information providing system that allows a business operator, who provides a first commodity and a second commodity designed on the basis of the first commodity, to provide information to an information terminal of a consumer who consumes at least the first commodity, the information providing system being able to realize: a question transmission function (#13) for transmitting question information, including a question for the consumer, to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal based on an identifier attached to the first commodity; an answer storage function (#15) for receiving an answer of the consumer to the question from the information terminal, and storing the answer in a storage device in association with consumer identification information that identifies the consumer; and a comparison information transmission function (#25) for transmitting to the information terminal, in response to communication from the information terminal based on the consumer identification information, comparison information for comparing information about the second commodity with the answer of the consumer identified by the consumer identification information.

Description

Information provision system, information provision method, and information provision program

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing system, an information providing method, and an information providing program.

[0002] Systems that provide various information to businesses, consumers, etc. for purposes such as sales promotion are widely used. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2023-218 (Patent Document 1) discloses a providing device that can provide a radar chart that specifies relative relationships with multiple attributes. Furthermore, Japanese Patent No. 7350139 (Patent Document 2) discloses an invention that successfully presents evaluation results and areas for improvement in an assessment system that evaluates an evaluation target based on responses to a questionnaire in an easier-to-understand manner.

[0003] JP 2023-218 A, Patent No. 7350139 (or WO 2024 / 070375)

[0004] The inventions disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 were able to improve convenience for businesses that provide services, etc. However, these inventions did not sufficiently consider the possibility of providing information that would provide a new experience to an unspecified number of consumers.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to realize an information provision system, an information provision method, and an information provision program that can provide information that provides a new experience to an unspecified number of consumers.

[0006] The information provision system of the present invention is an information provision system comprising a computing device and a memory device, in which a business providing a first product and a second product designed based on the first product provides information to at least the information terminal of a consumer who consumes the first product, and is characterized in that the computing device is capable of realizing a question sending function in which the computing device sends question information including a question for the consumer to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal based on an identifier attached to the first product, an answer storage function in which the computing device receives the consumer's answer to the question from the information terminal and stores the answer in the memory device in association with consumer identification information that identifies the consumer, and a comparison information sending function in which the computing device sends to the information terminal comparison information that compares information related to the second product that at least partially corresponds to the question with the answer of the consumer identified by the consumer identification information that has been stored in the memory device in the answer storage function in response to communication from the information terminal based on the consumer identification information.

[0007] The information provision method of the present invention is an information provision method in which a business operator who provides a first product and a second product designed based on the first product uses a computing device and a storage device to provide information to at least an information terminal of a consumer who consumes the first product, and is characterized by including: a question sending step in which the computing device sends question information including a question for the consumer to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal based on an identifier attached to the first product; an answer storage step in which the computing device receives the consumer's answer to the question from the information terminal and stores the answer in the storage device in association with consumer identification information that identifies the consumer; and a comparison information sending step in which the computing device sends to the information terminal comparison information that compares information related to the second product that at least partially corresponds to the question with the answer of the consumer identified by the consumer identification information that was stored in the storage device in the answer storage step in response to communication from the information terminal based on the consumer identification information.

[0008] The information provision program of the present invention is an information provision program that allows a business operator that provides a first product and a second product designed based on the first product to provide information to at least an information terminal of a consumer who consumes the first product, and when executed on a computer including a calculation device and a storage device, the program realizes the following: a question sending function in which the calculation device sends question information including a question for the consumer to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal based on an identifier attached to the first product; an answer storage function in which the calculation device receives the consumer's answer to the question from the information terminal and stores the answer in the storage device in association with consumer identification information that identifies the consumer; and a comparison information sending function in which the calculation device sends to the information terminal comparison information that compares information related to the second product that at least partially corresponds to the question with the answer of the consumer identified by the consumer identification information that has been stored in the storage device in the answer storage function in response to communication from the information terminal based on the consumer identification information.

[0009] With these configurations, consumers who answer questions provided through communication originating from an identifier attached to a first product can be provided with comparative information that compares their answer with information about a second product designed based on the first product. This makes it possible to involve consumers in the commercial development of two mutually related products, and to provide information that provides a new experience to an unspecified number of consumers.

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described below.

[0011] As one aspect, the information provision system of the present invention is preferably further capable of realizing an information transmission function of transmitting information about others, including answers of other consumers to the question, to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal.

[0012] This configuration makes it possible to provide information that is likely to attract the interest of consumers, which contributes to promoting product sales.

[0013] In one aspect of the information provision system of the present invention, the other person information transmission function preferably accepts communication from the information terminal based on the consumer identification information, and determines the other consumer based on the response of the consumer identified by the consumer identification information.

[0014] According to this configuration, the information about other consumers provided to a particular consumer can be adjusted based on the response of the particular consumer, making it easier to attract the interest of the particular consumer.

[0015] In one aspect of the information providing system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the other person's information transmitting function further transmits aggregated information obtained by aggregating responses from a plurality of other consumers to the information terminal.

[0016] According to this configuration, aggregated information can be provided that allows consumers to know trends as a group, which is more likely to attract consumers' interest.

[0017] In one aspect of the information provision system of the present invention, the first product and the second product are beverages, the question contained in the question information includes a question about the flavor of the first product, and the information about the second product that is compared with the answer in the comparison information transmission function preferably includes information about the flavor of the second product.

[0018] This configuration is ideal for promoting the sale of food, beverages, and other products, as it can link two products with consumers in terms of flavor, which is one of the most interesting aspects of such products.

[0019] In one aspect of the information provision system of the present invention, the comparison information transmission function preferably transmits the comparison information to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal based on the identifier attached to the second product and the consumer identification information.

[0020] According to this configuration, the second product is required to receive the comparison information, which contributes to sales promotion of the second product.

[0021] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which is given with reference to the drawings.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information providing system according to an embodiment; Fig. 2 is a flow diagram showing functions of the information providing system according to an embodiment; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a web page displayed on an information terminal based on question information in the information providing system according to an embodiment; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a web page displayed on an information terminal based on other person information in the information providing system according to an embodiment.

[0023] An information provision system, an information provision method, and an information provision program according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, an example in which the present invention is applied to a beer sales promotion campaign (hereinafter simply referred to as a campaign) will be described.

[0024] [Contents of the Sales Promotion Campaign] First, an overview of the campaign implemented in this embodiment will be described. This campaign has three stages. The first stage is a stage in which a first beer (an example of a first product) is sold and information regarding the ideal beer is collected from consumers. The second stage is a stage in which a second beer (an example of a second product) is designed and manufactured based on the information collected in the first stage. The third stage is a stage in which the second beer is sold and feedback is provided to consumers. Looking at the above campaign flow from the consumer's perspective, by purchasing the first beer, the consumer can obtain the right to express their opinion regarding their ideal beer, and in the third stage, they can receive feedback regarding that expression of opinion.

[0025] [Configuration of Information Providing System] The information providing system 1 according to this embodiment includes a computing device 2, a storage device 3, and a communication device 4 ( FIG. 1 ). An information providing program according to this embodiment is installed in the information providing system 1. The computing device 2, the storage device 3, and the communication device 4 may each be a known device as represented by their respective names. That is, the computing device 2 may be a known computing device such as a CPU, the storage device may be a known storage device such as a hard disk drive or solid state drive, and the communication device may be a communication device such as a communication module compatible with various communication standards.

[0026] In this embodiment, a consumer uses his or her own information terminal 5 (such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer) to access the information provision system 1. The information provision system 1 and the consumer's information terminal 5 can communicate with each other via a network N such as the Internet.

[0027] [Functions of the Information Provision System (Configuration of the Information Provision Method)] Next, the functions of the information provision system 1 according to this embodiment will be described ( FIG. 2 ). Each function described below can be realized by executing an information provision program. Furthermore, the information provision method according to this embodiment is realized through the realization of each function. Below, each function will be described along the flow of the campaign described above. Note that the subject of operations in the following description is the computing device 2 unless otherwise specified.

[0028] (1) Question sending function The question sending function is a function that sends question information including a question for the consumer to the information terminal 5 in response to communication from the information terminal 5 based on the identifier attached to the first beer. The question sending function corresponds to the first stage of the campaign.

[0029] The first beer sold in the first stage of the campaign is affixed with a label announcing the campaign, and the label is affixed with a two-dimensional code. When a consumer of the first beer reads the two-dimensional code using their own information terminal 5, they can access the campaign site (#11). The information read by the information terminal 5 from the two-dimensional code includes an identifier that identifies the individual first beer, and each identifier allows one participation in the campaign. Therefore, each time a consumer purchases one unit of the first beer, they receive one right to participate in the campaign.

[0030] In response to communication (#12) from the information terminal 5 that read the two-dimensional code, the computing device 2 transmits question information including a question for the consumer to the information terminal 5 (#13). The question information may be, for example, information for displaying on the information terminal 5 a web page including a question for the consumer and an input field in which the consumer can enter an answer to the question. The consumer inputs their answer according to the display on the screen. The input answer is transmitted from the information terminal 5 to the information provision system 1 (#14).

[0031] The questions included in the questionnaire information are information that businesses refer to in order to design and produce an ideal beer (second beer). Some of the questions are about the flavor of the first beer, and, for example, ask the respondent (consumer) about their ideal barley flavor, flavor strength, aroma strength, etc., based on the flavor of the first beer. Figure 3 shows web page 6, an example of a web page displayed on information terminal 5 based on the questionnaire information. Web page 6 includes answer fields 61-63 with radio buttons for responding on a seven-point scale to the respondent's ideal barley flavor, flavor strength, and aroma strength. The respondent uses the radio buttons to input their ideal. Another part of the questions (not shown) asks about the ideal beer, unrelated to the first beer. For example, they ask about the situation in which the respondent would like to drink their ideal beer, the name of their ideal beer, etc.

[0032] In the second phase of the campaign, the company designs and produces a second beer based on the information collected in the first phase. The second beer is designed and produced by aggregating the information about ideal beers provided by consumers in the first phase, and will reflect the collective ideals of consumers.

[0033] (2) Answer storage function The answer storage function is a function that receives a consumer's answer to a question from the information terminal 5, associates the answer with the consumer identification information that identifies the consumer, and stores the answer in the storage device 3. The answer storage function is a function that is realized so that the information collected in the first stage of the campaign can be reused in the third stage.

[0034] The consumer's answer stored in the answer storage function is the answer entered by the consumer to the question included in the question information sent to the information terminal 5 by the question sending function. For example, when a web page including an answer input field is displayed on the information terminal 5 as described above, the information entered in the input field (such as the result of selecting an option or free-entry text information) is sent from the information terminal 5 to the information provision system 1 (#14).

[0035] The consumer identification information stored in the answer storage function is information acquired at any stage of communication between the information provision system 1 and the information terminal 5 and serves to identify the individual consumer. For example, if question information is transmitted to the information terminal 5 (question information transmission function) using a social networking service, information related to the user account of the social networking service may serve as the consumer identification information. In this case, the user account (consumer identification information) is transmitted to the information provision system 1 when communication between the information provision system 1 and the information terminal 5 is initiated, or when an answer is transmitted from the information terminal 5 to the information provision system 1. As another example, the information provision system 1 itself may issue an account for each consumer. In this case, when communication between the information provision system 1 and the information terminal 5 is initiated, the user logs in with their own account, and the answer is transmitted from the information terminal 5 to the information provision system 1 in that state. FIG. 2 shows, as an example, a mode in which consumer identification information is transmitted and received (#11, #12) when communication between the information provision system 1 and the information terminal 5 is initiated.

[0036] The storage device 3 stores the consumer's answer to the question in association with the consumer identification information of the consumer (#15). The information stored in the storage device 3 may be in the form of a relational database, for example. In this case, the relational database has at least fields for storing the answer to each question and the consumer identification information. Note that the relational database may have other fields, and for example, the date and time when the information provision system 1 received the answer may be stored in association with the consumer identification information.

[0037] (3) Comparison Information Transmission Function The comparison information transmission function is a function that responds to communication from the information terminal 5 based on the consumer identification information and transmits comparison information that compares information about the second beer with the response of the consumer identified by the consumer identification information to the information terminal 5. The comparison information transmission function corresponds to the third stage of the campaign.

[0038] When sales of the second beer begin, information about the flavor of the second beer is stored in storage device 3 (#21). This information includes information corresponding to the flavor-related portions of the questions included in the question information. For example, if the question information includes questions asking about the respondent's ideal barley flavor, flavor strength, and aroma intensity, the information about the flavor of the second beer includes at least information about the barley flavor, flavor strength, and aroma intensity of the second beer. The information about the flavor of the second beer is information about the ideal beer flavor designed and manufactured by the business operator by aggregating information about the ideal beer answered by consumers in the first stage of the campaign, and is directly comparable to the consumer's answers to the questions included in the question information.

[0039] The consumer's answer identified by the consumer identification information is stored in the storage device 3 in the answer storage function. When communication between the information provision system 1 and the information terminal 5 related to the comparison information transmission function is initiated, user authentication is performed using the consumer identification information, and the consumer accessing the information provision system 1 is identified (#22, #23). Access restrictions may be implemented using passwords or biometric authentication, as necessary. In either case, communication based on the consumer identification information is performed between the information provision system 1 and the information terminal 5. If user authentication is successful, the answer associated with the consumer identification information is read from the relational database in the storage device 3 (#24). If there are multiple answers associated with the same consumer identification information, all of the answers may be included in the comparison information, or one or more answers selected automatically or at the consumer's discretion may be included in the comparison information.

[0040] Comparison information comparing the information about the second beer with the consumer's response identified by the consumer identification information is transmitted to information terminal 5 (#25). For example, the comparison information may be information for displaying a web page on information terminal 5 that displays the information about the second beer alongside the consumer's response. By viewing a display based on the comparison information, consumers can compare their ideal beer (the response they previously submitted) with the ideal beer that was actually designed and produced (the second beer). This consumer experience can give consumers the feeling that they participated in the product development of their ideal beer.

[0041] The communication from the information terminal 5 that triggers the computing device 2 to realize the comparison information transmission function may be based on an identifier attached to the second beer. For example, a two-dimensional code attached to the second beer may contain information indicating a connection destination to a campaign site where comparison information can be obtained, and only information terminals 5 that read the two-dimensional code may be permitted to access the campaign site. In other words, the comparison information transmission function may transmit comparison information to the information terminal 5 in response to a communication from the information terminal 5 based on the identifier attached to the second beer and consumer identification information (dashed line in Figure 2). This configuration requires consumers who wish to obtain comparison information to purchase the second beer, which contributes to sales promotion for the business operator.

[0042] (4) Other person's information transmission function The other person's information transmission function is a function that transmits other person's information, including other consumers' answers to the questions included in the question information, to the information terminal 5 in response to communication from the information terminal 5. The other person's information transmission function corresponds to the first and third stages of the campaign. For the sake of distinction, a consumer who uses the information terminal 5 to receive other person's information will be referred to as an accessor.

[0043] As mentioned above, the answer storage function associates each consumer's answer with the consumer identification information and stores it in the storage device 3. Here, by providing the accessor with an answer associated with the consumer identification information of another consumer under predetermined conditions, it is expected that the accessor's interest in the campaign target products (the first beer and the second beer) will be strengthened.

[0044] In a first example of the other person information transmission function, other person information including the celebrity's answer is transmitted to the accessor's information terminal 5. In this case, the celebrity's answer to the question is displayed on the accessor's information terminal 5. The accessor can view the answer of any celebrity and compare their own answer with the celebrity's answer.

[0045] In a second example of the other person's information transmission function, other person information including answers of other consumers selected based on the accessor's answers is transmitted to the accessor's information terminal 5. Here, the accessor's consumer identification information is also used. For example, if the other person information includes answers of celebrities whose answers tend to be similar to those associated with the accessor's consumer identification information, the accessor can learn about celebrities whose beer flavor preferences are similar to his or her own.

[0046] In a third example of the function for transmitting information about other people, aggregated information obtained by aggregating the responses of multiple other consumers is transmitted to the accessor's information terminal 5. As described above, the second beer is designed and produced by aggregating information about the ideal beer provided by consumers in the first stage. Therefore, the group of responses from multiple consumers is the information that forms the basis for designing and producing the second beer. Being able to view this aggregated information is expected to help increase the accessor's interest in the second beer. The responses may also be aggregated by respondent attributes (e.g., age, gender, country, region, etc.).

[0047] The information on other people in the first, second, and third examples described above, as well as information on other people in other forms, may be transmitted to the information terminal 5 alone or in combination. FIG. 4 shows web page 7, an example of a web page displayed on the information terminal 5 based on the information on other people. Web page 7 has an upper area 71 displaying the user's icon and user name, a central area 72 displaying the user's answers and those of other consumers in the form of a radar chart, and a lower area 73 for selecting the information on other people to display in the central area 72. The radar chart in the central area 72 displays the user's own answers 72a, answers 72b of celebrities, characters, etc. selected in the lower area 73, and a summary 72c of the answers of users in the country selected in the lower area 73. By viewing this radar chart, the user can compare their own answers with those of celebrities, etc., and the summary results for each country.

[0048] The other person information transmission function can be realized at any time after the question transmission function and answer storage function are realized. For example, the other person information transmission function can be realized in order to provide a reward to consumers who input answers in the first stage of a campaign, or in order to promote sales of the second beer in the third stage of a campaign.

[0049] [Other Embodiments] Finally, other embodiments of the information provision system, information provision method, and information provision program according to the present invention will be described. Note that the configurations disclosed in the following embodiments can be applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction occurs.

[0050] In the above embodiment, a configuration capable of realizing the function of transmitting information about another person has been described as an example, but in the present invention, whether or not the function of transmitting information about another person can be realized is optional. Also, in the above embodiment, three modes of the function of transmitting information about another person have been exemplified, but when the function of transmitting information about another person can be realized in the present invention, the mode is not limited to the above examples.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the first product is a first beer, and the second product is a second beer designed and manufactured based on answers to questions about the first beer. However, in the present invention, the first product and the second product are not limited and may be any product, such as beverages (soft drinks, carbonated drinks, tea, alcoholic beverages, etc.), food, electrical appliances, or household goods. Furthermore, the second product may be designed based on the first product, and does not necessarily have to reflect answers to questions, as in the above embodiment.

[0052] Regarding other configurations, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed in this specification are illustrative in all respects and that the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby. Those skilled in the art will easily understand that appropriate modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, other embodiments modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention are naturally included in the scope of the present invention.

[0053] The present invention can be used for product sales promotion campaigns, etc.

[0054] 1: Information providing system 2: Computing device 3: Storage device 4: Communication device 5: Information terminal N: Network

Claims

1. An information provision system comprising a computing device and a storage device, in which a business providing a first product and a second product designed based on the first product provides information to at least the information terminal of a consumer who consumes the first product, wherein the information provision system is capable of realizing the following: a question sending function in which the computing device sends question information including a question for the consumer to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal based on an identifier attached to the first product; an answer storage function in which the computing device receives the consumer's answer to the question from the information terminal and stores the answer in the storage device in association with consumer identification information that identifies the consumer; and a comparison information sending function in which the computing device sends to the information terminal comparison information that compares information related to the second product that at least partially corresponds to the question with the answer of the consumer identified by the consumer identification information that has been stored in the storage device in the answer storage function in response to communication from the information terminal based on the consumer identification information.

2. The information providing system according to claim 1, further capable of realizing an other person information transmission function that transmits other person information including other consumers' answers to the question to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal.

3. An information provision system as described in claim 2, wherein the function of transmitting information about others accepts communication from the information terminal based on the consumer identification information, and the other consumer is determined based on the response of the consumer identified by the consumer identification information.

4. The information providing system according to claim 2, wherein the function of transmitting information about other consumers further transmits aggregated information obtained by aggregating the responses of a plurality of other consumers to the information terminal.

5. An information provision system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first product and the second product are beverages, the question included in the question information includes a question about the flavor of the first product, and the information about the second product that is compared with the answer in the comparison information transmission function includes information about the flavor of the second product.

6. An information provision system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the comparison information transmission function transmits the comparison information to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal based on the identifier attached to the second product and the consumer identification information.

7. A method of providing information in which a business providing a first product and a second product designed based on the first product uses a computing device and a storage device to provide information to at least an information terminal of a consumer who consumes the first product, the method comprising: a question sending step in which the computing device sends question information including a question for the consumer to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal based on an identifier attached to the first product; a response storage step in which the computing device receives the consumer's response to the question from the information terminal and stores the response in the storage device in association with consumer identification information that identifies the consumer; and a comparison information sending step in which the computing device sends to the information terminal comparison information that compares information related to the second product that at least partially corresponds to the question with the response of the consumer identified by the consumer identification information that was stored in the storage device in the response storage step in response to communication from the information terminal based on the consumer identification information.

8. An information provision program that enables a business operator that provides a first product and a second product designed based on the first product to provide information to at least the information terminal of a consumer who consumes the first product, which, when executed on a computer including a calculation device and a storage device, realizes the following: a question sending function in which the calculation device sends question information including a question for the consumer to the information terminal in response to communication from the information terminal based on an identifier attached to the first product; an answer storage function in which the calculation device receives the consumer's answer to the question from the information terminal and stores the answer in the storage device in association with consumer identification information that identifies the consumer; and a comparison information sending function in which the calculation device sends to the information terminal comparison information that compares information related to the second product that at least partially corresponds to the question with the answer of the consumer identified by the consumer identification information that has been stored in the storage device in the answer storage function in response to communication from the information terminal based on the consumer identification information.

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