Boycott Matching Platform Using ML to Filter Customer Preferences

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Solution Overview

Problem

Boycotts often fail due to inadequate communication to customers, leading to resource wastage for both customers and merchants, as customers join unsuccessful boycotts, and merchants continue producing and promoting boycotted products/services unaware of the boycott.

Innovation Solution

A boycott platform utilizing machine learning and transaction data to identify boycotts of interest to customers by processing third-party boycott data and customer preference data, allowing customers to join relevant boycotts and restricting transactions with boycotted merchants, thereby conserving resources and informing merchants of boycott impacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If customers join boycotts without adequate communication and filtering, then more customers participate in boycotts, but resources are wasted on unsuccessful boycotts and merchants continue producing boycotted products unaware of the boycott

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveboycott effectivenessVSAvoidresource wastage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-filtering and pre-communicating boycott information to customers before they join. The platform proactively identifies relevant boycotts based on customer preferences and merchant data, then communicates this information in advance, allowing customers to make informed decisions about which boycotts to join, thereby preventing resource wastage on unsuccessful boycotts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring boycott success metrics and customer participation data. This feedback loop allows the platform to adjust its communication strategies and boycott selection algorithms in real-time, improving the reliability of boycott matching and reducing resource wastage based on actual boycott performance data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If merchants continue producing and promoting boycotted products unaware of the boycott, then product supply is maintained, but resources are wasted on products that will not be purchased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct productionVSAvoidmanufacturing resource wastage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The platform serves as an intermediary between customers and merchants, providing real-time information about active boycotts to merchants. This intermediary function allows merchants to understand boycott status without direct customer communication, enabling them to adjust production and marketing strategies accordingly, thereby reducing manufacturing resource wastage on boycotted products.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by notifying merchants of active boycotts before they continue producing boycotted products. By providing advance warning to merchants about ongoing boycotts, the platform enables merchants to proactively adjust their production schedules and marketing campaigns, preventing waste of manufacturing resources on products that will not be purchased.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If customers are not informed of boycott impacts, then customer awareness is low, but joining unsuccessful boycotts wastes customer time and resources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomer awarenessVSAvoidcustomer time investment

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by providing customers with real-time information about boycott status, success metrics, and impact data. This continuous feedback loop keeps customers informed about whether the boycotts they are considering joining are likely to be successful, allowing them to make time-efficient decisions about their participation without wasting time on unsuccessful boycotts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The platform performs preliminary actions by providing customers with advance information about boycott status and predicted success before they invest time in joining. By pre-communicating boycott impacts and success metrics, the system enables customers to make informed decisions about their time investment, preventing wasted time on unsuccessful boycotts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11734738B2Method, device, and medium for utilizing machine learning and transaction data to match boycotts of merchants to customers

Publication Date: 2023.08.22 CAPITAL ONE SERVICES LLC

AI summary

A device receives third-party boycott data associated with a merchant, and receives customer preference data associated with a customer of the merchant. The device processes the third-party boycott data and the customer preference data, with a machine learning model, to identify a boycott of the merchant that is predicted to be of interest to the customer. The device provides, to a user device of the customer, information identifying the boycott of the merchant and information that solicits the customer to indicate whether the customer desires to join the boycott, and receives, from the user device, information indicating that the customer desires to join the boycott. The device causes a transaction account associated with the customer to be restricted from a transaction with the merchant when the information indicates that the customer desires to join the boycott.