Inferred Demographic Targeting via Media Preference Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Providers of digital content face challenges in targeting advertisements to users with anonymous or semi-anonymous access, as there is limited demographic information available to tailor ads effectively.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method that monitors and deconstructs media preferences to infer missing demographic information from musicological features, using baseline user data to select and deliver targeted advertisements to users with partial profiles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If anonymous or semi-anonymous access is provided to users, then user privacy is protected and ease of access is improved, but the ability to target advertisements effectively deteriorates due to limited demographic information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of accessVSAvoiddemographic information

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of media preferences and infers demographic information before advertisement selection occurs. By pre-processing user behavior data and creating inferred profiles in advance, the system prepares targeting information without requiring users to provide personal data upfront, thus maintaining ease of access while enabling future ad personalization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces media preference analysis as an intermediary between anonymous user access and advertisement targeting. Instead of directly using personal demographic information, the system uses media consumption patterns as a mediator to infer demographic characteristics, thereby bridging the gap between privacy protection and effective ad targeting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If demographic information is collected from users, then advertisement targeting accuracy is improved, but user privacy protection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvead targeting accuracyVSAvoidprivacy risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses media preference data as an intermediary to indirectly infer demographic information without directly collecting sensitive personal data. This intermediary approach allows the system to achieve demographic inference for advertising purposes while maintaining user privacy, as the actual demographic data is never collected or stored

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces the traditional mechanical approach of directly collecting and storing demographic information with an analytical approach that infers demographics from media consumption patterns. This substitution eliminates the need for direct data collection while achieving the same targeting objective, thereby reducing privacy risks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9729910B2Advertisement selection based on demographic information inferred from media item preferences

Publication Date: 2017.08.08 PANDORA MEDIA LLC

AI summary

A content server monitors media preferences of a user associated with a partial user profile specifying partial demographic information about the user. The content server deconstructs the monitored media preferences to identify preferences of the user for musicological features of the media items. The content server infers profile information missing from the partial user profile responsive to the preferences of the user for musicological features of the media items, the inferring using baseline information associating profile information of a plurality of baseline users with preferences for musicological features of media items. The content server selects an advertisement using the inferred profile information, and provides the selected advertisement to a client device used by the user.