Affiliate Network Tracking for Multi-Channel Offer Redemption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional affiliate-network systems are ill-equipped to handle the distribution and tracking of offers that can be redeemed both online and offline, particularly in-store, and across multiple devices and accounts, leading to complexity in compensating publishers and providing analytics and controls across multiple channels.
Innovation Solution
An affiliate-network system that distributes and tracks offers using a single uniform resource identifier (URI) for multi-channel access, hosts offer content to facilitate tracking across different devices and accounts, and provides analytics to aggregate consumer interactions, allowing for dynamic adjustment of offer terms based on feedback from various channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional affiliate-network systems are used to distribute and track offers, then offers can be distributed to publishers and consumers, but the systems cannot properly track offers across multiple channels (online and offline) and devices, leading to inability to compensate publishers accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal tracking system that functions across multiple channels (online and offline) and devices. The system uses a single URI that can be accessed from any device or channel, and employs cross-device tracking mechanisms including device fingerprinting and account-based tracking to maintain consistent offer attribution regardless of where or how the offer is redeemed. This multi-functional approach allows the same tracking infrastructure to handle web, mobile, print, and in-store redemptions uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary tracking layer between the offer distribution and redemption processes. This intermediary system captures offer interactions across all channels through a common URI structure, uses device fingerprinting algorithms as mediators to identify users across devices, and employs account-based tracking as an intermediary mechanism to bridge offline and online activities. The intermediary layer translates diverse channel-specific interactions into unified tracking data that can be processed centrally for accurate publisher compensation.
2Area of stationary object
If merchants work with thousands of publishers to distribute offers widely, then offer distribution reach increases, but managing contractual relationships and tracking compensation becomes expensive and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tracking and compensation management functions into a single centralized system. Instead of requiring separate tracking infrastructure for each publisher-merchant relationship, the system combines all offer interactions through a common URI structure and centralized tracking database. This consolidation allows merchants to manage thousands of publishers through a single interface, automatically attributing redemptions and calculating compensation without manual intervention for each individual relationship.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of offer tracking by using a universal URI structure that encodes offer, publisher, and device information in a standardized format. This parameter transformation allows diverse offer interactions across thousands of publishers to be processed through consistent rules and algorithms. The system automatically adjusts tracking parameters based on the interaction type (click, redemption, cross-device activity) and applies uniform compensation calculations, eliminating the need for complex individual contractual tracking for each publisher.
3Ease of operation
If publishers present offers through multiple channels and devices, then offer accessibility improves, but tracking which publisher should be credited becomes difficult and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary tracking actions by capturing device fingerprints and account information at the moment of offer interaction, before the redemption occurs. The system proactively records the publisher attribution data, device identifiers, and account associations when the user first encounters the offer through any channel. This preliminary capture of attribution information ensures that even if the redemption occurs on a different device or through a different channel, the original publisher credit is preserved and can be accurately attributed later.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms that continuously update and verify publisher attribution information across devices and channels. The system uses account-based tracking to provide feedback loops where user actions on one device inform tracking on other devices. When an offer is redeemed offline or on a different device, the system feeds back the redemption information to the central tracking database, which then verifies and confirms the original publisher attribution. This feedback mechanism ensures that publisher credit information is maintained and updated accurately throughout the entire offer lifecycle across all channels.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a process, including: obtaining a coupon issued by a merchant, the coupon being redeemable in-store, at a physical location of the merchant; obtaining one or more merchant location identifiers, the coupon only being redeemable at one or more merchant locations identified by the one or more merchant location identifiers; sending the coupon and the merchant location identifiers to publishers for presentation to consumers by the publishers on user devices of the consumers; and receiving indications from the user devices of the consumers that the consumers interacted with the coupon, the indications indicating a consumer selection of an in-store redemption option.