Geo-location Parameter for Online-to-Offline Sales Impact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Companies face challenges in accurately measuring the impact of online marketing efforts on offline sales, as traditional methods struggle to track the influence of online activities on in-store purchases, making it difficult to optimize marketing strategies and justify spending.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that determine a smallest geo-location parameter statistically significant for estimating the impact of online behavior on offline sales by capturing and correlating online and offline data, using reverse IP lookup and MROI modeling to adjust business practices based on region-specific data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional online tracking methods are used to measure online marketing efforts, then online sales data can be captured, but the impact on offline sales cannot be accurately measured

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement of online marketing impactVSAvoidoffline sales impact information
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines online behavior data with offline sales data by integrating data from multiple sources (website analytics, mobile app data, point-of-sale systems, and geographic information systems) into a unified analysis framework. This merging enables the tracking of customer journeys that span both online and offline channels, allowing accurate attribution of offline sales to specific online marketing exposures through geo-location matching and temporal correlation analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Measurement precision

If online and offline data are integrated to track customer behavior, then accurate impact measurement is achieved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimpact estimation accuracyVSAvoiddata integration system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the data integration process into distinct modular components: online behavior collection module, geo-location parameter determination module, offline sales data collection module, and impact estimation module. Each module handles specific data types and processing tasks independently, then integrates results through standardized interfaces. This segmentation reduces system complexity by allowing independent development, testing, and maintenance of each component while achieving comprehensive multi-channel tracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces geo-location parameters as an intermediary element that bridges online and offline data. By determining geographic location from online behavior (IP address, device location) and matching it with store location data, the system creates a common reference frame that enables correlation without requiring direct integration of all online and offline systems. This intermediary approach simplifies the integration architecture while maintaining measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If detailed geo-location data is collected to identify region-specific trends, then targeted marketing optimization is enabled, but data privacy concerns increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveregion-specific marketing capabilityVSAvoiddata privacy risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by analyzing and reporting marketing performance at the regional level rather than requiring identification of individual customers. Geo-location data is aggregated to determine performance metrics for specific geographic regions (cities, states, or custom regions), enabling targeted marketing strategies for each region without storing or processing personally identifiable information. This approach maintains the ability to optimize marketing by region while minimizing privacy risks through aggregation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8429013B2Dynamic geo-location parameter for determining an impact of online behavior on offline sales
Publication Date: 2013.04.23 ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LTD
  • US8429013B2 patent drawing
  • US8429013B2 patent drawing
  • US8429013B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Online behavior of users related to a product is captured. Also, offline sales for the product is also captured. Geo-location parameters are also determined for the captured online and offline data. Using the geo-location parameters and captured data for the product, a smallest geo-location parameter of statistical significance for estimating an impact of the online behavior on offline sales is determined.