WO2012061574A2

WO2012061574A2 - Shopper tracking system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2012061574A2
Application number: PCT/US2011/059105
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christine Diette; Wendy Naughton; Peter Switzer
Original assignee: D.L. Ryan Companies, Ltd.
Priority date: 2010-11-05
Filing date: 2011-11-03
Publication date: 2012-05-10
Also published as: WO2012061574A3; WO2012061574A4

Abstract

An interactive system and method for collecting shopper data as behaviors and attitudes occur along the path to purchase, without delays, as well as analyzing and presenting the data for the purpose of producing marketing insights and improving marketing strategies. Software having a visual or non-visual user interface is provided to a panel of shoppers for use on either a mobile device, personal computer, or both. The user interface facilitates real-time data collection from the panel of shoppers by asking questions and prompting responses to track virtually every aspect of the consumer experience, permitting truly comprehensive analysis of shoppers' behavior. In another aspect, the system and method also provide for the analysis and presentation of the collected data.

Description

Shopper Tracking System and Method

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system and method for collecting consumer data without delays or relying on post- activity recall, as well as analyzing the consumer data for the purpose of better understanding consumer shopping behavior, producing marketing insights and designing or improving marketing strategies.

Background of Invention

With the advent of computer technology, an increasing number of consumer transactions are prompted, facilitated and consummated via the internet. The internet and mobile networks have made it easier than ever for consumers and retailers to communicate. Many businesses use customer surveys and product or service reviews to gauge and improve the effectiveness of their marketing models. However, the various models and techniques currently in use for analyzing consumer trends narrowly focus on a single shopping occasion, product or venue. These conventional models collect information on very limited dimensions of the shopping experience, and tend to rely on behavioral recall rather than actual response at the time the attitude and/or behavior occurs. For example, they collect information on what was purchased and why, but do not solicit data regarding when, where, how and with whom the purchase occurred at the critical time point of consideration. Consequently, numerous factors that influence the buying habits of consumers are not measured or accounted for in as comprehensive a manner possible to best inform the development of optimal marketing strategies.

To reliably anticipate consumer behavior and future consumer needs, an evaluation system must be capable of identifying and quantifying the rational, emotional and situational variables that influence the shopping occasion from need identification through consumption in real time; as the decisions and behaviors occur, versus relying on post-shopping recall alone. Additionally, it is advantageous to collect data for a large number of purchases by a shopper or group of shoppers, thereby allowing the market researcher to study trends and seasonal changes, as well as identify and track the emergence of new behaviors and attitudes. Accordingly, there is a need for evaluation of the overall consumer experience for numerous shopping occasions in real time, as it occurs, without the delays normally associated with collecting and analyzing data . Summary of Invention

The present invention overcomes the failings of the prior systems by providing an integrated system and method for collecting a comprehensive set of behavioral data as events occur. The system accomplishes this result over the course of numerous complete shopping experiences. The invention uses interactive questionnaires to collect consumers' input regarding need identification, factors that influence decisions in the home, factors that influence decisions outside of the home, factors that influence the actual shopping process, and satisfaction with the retail interaction and the purchase itself. Consumers may provide their input in the form of preferred answer choices, and/or in the form of natural language responses .

The invention may be embodied in part by a personal computer interface, a mobile device, or combination of computer and mobile device. These components may be used to implement an interactive software program. The program may include a digital avatar that prompts the consumer with shopping reminders, poses interactively determined questions and organizes shoppers' written or spoken responses. The system and method also provide means and opportunities for the consumer to collect and submit audiovisual data along the path to purchase. As shoppers provide information on their shopping experiences, the data collected by the interactive program are transmitted to a central server or servers via the internet or a cellular network for storage, tabulation and future analysis. In this way, the present invention tracks virtually every aspect of each consumer shopping experience, permitting truly comprehensive analysis of shoppers' behavior.

In another aspect, the invention develops the comprehensive analysis into implementation-ready strategies for use by businesses and retailers, referred to as survey contractors. The invention may be practiced to study anything that is bought, including both services and products, and ranging across disparate fields such as household items, healthcare, clothing, vehicles, etc. The comprehensive data collection and analysis provided by the present system and method is new and inventive.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 depicts an overall closed integrated system and method according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a flow chart outlining a data-gathering embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 depicts typical screen shots illustrating the visual presentation of survey data. Detailed Description of the Invention

The present invention encompasses both a method of collecting consumer data and a system used to implement this method. An overall, integrated system and method for collecting and analyzing consumer data is shown in FIG. 1. The method of FIG. 1 includes recruitment of a shopper panel 100, provision of interactive software programs for a personal computer and a mobile device 104 and 106, provision of interactive software programs to the recruited shopper panel 108, collection of data 110, data analysis and presentation 112.

The system also depicted in FIG. 1 includes a mobile device, such as a smartphone or personal digital assistant, upon which the mobile avatar software is installed or used 110a and a personal computer (Windows and Mac compatible "PC") upon which the personal computer program, optionally featuring a digital avatar, is installed or used 110b. The system also includes a server 112s, to which the collected data are transmitted for storage and analysis. The server 112s may be any appropriately configured computing device or group of devices capable of receiving data transmissions and storing data. Optionally, the server 112s may also include a component capable of running readily available data management, data analysis and data presentation programs. The analyzed data is organized by survey contractor, and is further categorized by the particular survey project completed or in-process for a given survey contractor. This organization is executed by a computer program or programs capable of administrative data management and data presentation. The administrative and data presentation program additionally provides a user interface intended for the survey contractor, so that authorized agents of the survey contractor may log in to their survey contractor accounts to view the data collected from shopper panels regarding their products and services, as well as the associated demographic information of the relevant shopper panels. As shown in FIG. 3, screen shot graphics FIGS. 3a - Si- illustrate the visual presentation of survey data. Graphics FIG. 3a and 32? relate to the creation of a new survey, while graphics FIG. 3c through 3h relate to an exemplary in-progress survey of a toothpaste product. In particular, graphics FIG. 3e through 3h illustrate a stepwise data report creation function according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

The embodiments set forth in the detailed description and the accompanying figures are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. However, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments that differ from the pictured and described embodiments may be practiced or utilized without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, an embodiment may include a plurality of mobile devices, PCs or servers, or may include the use of either a mobile device or a PC as the sole user interface .

Recruiting Shoppers

The information to be gathered and analyzed by the present method and system is provided by a group of selected shoppers. This group, the shopper panel, may be large or small in number, depending upon the marketing objective. In one embodiment of the invention, the shopper panel includes approximately 1000 participants. Given the known demographics of purchasers of household and fashion items, it may be advantageous to select female household heads to make up a large portion of the shopper panel. Single female and male household heads should also form a portion of the shopper panel.

Depending on the marketing objective, the shopper panel will also be carefully balanced for the criteria of age, income, geography, household size and ethnicity, among others. For example, where the marketing objective is to understand shopping behaviors and activities of the Hispanic market in the U.S., a predominant proportion of the shopper panel would be chosen from Hispanic-American households. Panel participants must have access to a personal computer and/or mobile device, and be sufficiently technology literate to effectively use the same. Members of a shopper panel would also be required to contractually agree to a predetermined period for participation, and in certain embodiments of the invention, to confidentiality as well. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the period for participation is one year. All participants would be fairly compensated, for example in the form of a monthly participation fee, or by the provision of promotional items or events from select vendors.

Recruitment of the shopper panel 100 as described above may be accomplished by any appropriate means. Internet and broadcast advertizing may be used; consumers may be recruited by e-mail; in-store through retailers; or a syndicated panel may be purchased from a bona fide national market research firm specializing in shopper panel design, recruitment and maintenance. After a panel is selected, a detailed dossier may be created for each shopper 102. In one aspect, a shopper will create a participant profile on-line by providing information about themselves and their household. Completion of this step will facilitate the matching of an appropriate avatar with the shopper, or enabling the shopper to design her/his own avatar, to enhance the depth and completeness of the final market research result. Completion of this step will also facilitate selection of acceptable participants by survey contractors according to a survey contractor's custom criteria. According to one embodiment, the administrative and data presentation program provides an administrative tool that enables survey contractors to filter survey participants at their option.

Providing Interactive Avatar Software

The information provided by members of the shopping panel may be collected and organized by a software program. The user interface of the program includes an avatar, a person-like software manifestation that mediates between a user' s inputs or requests and a program's actions. The avatar may take any pleasing form, including, but not limited to an alter ego of the user or a stock figure identifiable to the practitioner of the method. The survey contractor or shopper may also have the option of selecting a non-visual avatar. Using the non-visual avatar involves dismissing the avatar animation, such that the avatar interacts with the shopper only through audio or textual communications, but is not observable as a visual animation. The visual or non-visual avatar serves as a shopping partner to the user, and maximizes the ease of data collection.

The interactive avatar software may be written using any appropriate computer language, and it may be configured or configurable according to the marketing objective and the constitution of the shopper panel. The mobile device avatar software 104 is in the form of an application for download onto mobile devices, and/or a non-downloadable application for a website formatted for ease of viewing on mobile devices. The personal computer avatar software 106 is a downloadable application for readily available PC operating systems, and/or a non-downloadable application for a dedicated website. Access to downloadable and non-downloadable avatar programs is provided to panel members 108 according to their profile or participation level .

Data Collection and Analysis

Shopper panel members interact with the avatar program on a behaviorally-motivated as well as proj ect/survey-driven basis. For instance, members may interact with the avatar program on a daily, weekly, or per-purchase basis. Additionally, the software provided by the instant invention generates scheduled e-mails and calendar reminders regarding planned purchases and planned interactions with the avatar shopping partner. During interactions between members of the shopper panel and the avatar, the avatar facilitates data collection 110. The details of this interaction are provided in the discussion of FIG. 2 below. Data collected by the avatar is transmitted 112 to a server 112s to be stored for tabulation, analysis and dissemination to participating clients/paying interested parties . The method of FIG. 2 is an exemplary data-gathering embodiment of the invention. Of course, the method could be in use at all times of the day and any day of the week. The detailed process corresponds to the more generalized steps 110 and 112 shown in FIG. 1. The invention provides an avatar shopping partner that interacts with members of the shopper panel via their interface or interfaces of choice throughout the planning, shopping and consuming phases of the shopping occasion .

Phase 1 : Planning

The first phase of the consumer experience is the planning phase. During this phase the consumer is deciding what he or she wants, as well as when and where he or she plans to purchase the desired good or service. During this phase the avatar may provide daily shopping trip and product consumption reminders 200.

The avatar poses queries 202 designed to elicit what the shopper is feeling, how the shopper is feeling, when they need to make a purchase, whether they need to make a particular purchase, how much money is available to the shopper to make the purchase, and other relevant data about the shopper's condition. The avatar will also pose queries 202 designed to identify the internal and external influences that drive consumption behaviors, such as advertisements, social media, recommendations, personal experiences, etc. The avatar is programmed to ask questions and follow probes based on key participant response cues. For example, if a shopper indicates that she wishes to buy a new book, the avatar may solicit information on the shopper's reading and bookseller preferences.

The shopper responds to the avatar' s questions and prompts 204. This may be accomplished either by speaking into a microphone or headset with or without camera if the user interface device is equipped with one, or by selecting, texting or typing a written response. The avatar collects and stores the shopper's responses 206.

Phase 2 : Shopping

The second phase of the experience is the shopping phase. This may occur in the home if the shopper is shopping on-line or via a television marketing network. This phase may also occur outside the home, along the path to purchase, as well as if the shopper is visiting stores. During this phase the shopper is considering available brand, product and incentive information as well as reviewing merchandise or service options and finally making purchases. During this phase the avatar prompts the shopper to submit audiovisual data 208. For example, the avatar may prompt the shopper to take photographs or a video recording with sound during a visit to a particular store. The avatar poses queries 210 to gather information about what purchases are being considered throughout the shopping trip, what purchases are actually consummated and what purchases are not consummated. These queries are designed to discover what factors are influencing the shopper's considerations. Factors may include the level of information the shopper has about the products, whether more information is desired, whether the product is new to the shopper or familiar and whether someone is accompanying the shopper to the store. The avatar also poses queries 210 regarding the signage, displays, product packaging, pricing and other media or promotions that may be affecting the shopper's consumer experience. The avatar is programmed to ask questions and follow probes based on key participant response cues. For example, if a shopper indicates that he is hungry, the avatar might probe the cause, and inquire into whether the shopper's hunger condition may affect/actually affected the length and "quality" of the shopping trip, items purchased, etc. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the questions and prompts provided by the avatar are interactively and intelligently provided, and may vary widely depending on the shopper and the shopping occasion.

The shopper responds to the avatar' s questions and prompts 212. This may be accomplished either by speaking into a microphone or headset with or without camera if the user interface device is equipped with one, or by selecting, texting or typing a written response. The avatar collects and stores the shopper's responses 214.

Phase 3 : Consuming

The third phase of the experience is the consuming phase. During this phase the shopper evaluates the shopping experience and the purchase itself. Depending on the nature of the good or service that was purchased, this phase may continue for an extended period. During this phase the avatar poses follow-up questions 216 to determine the shopper's satisfaction level. For example, the avatar may ask questions about whether the shopper would repeat the shopping trip and make a repeat purchase, and if so, why. The avatar also elicits information about how the shopper feels that the purchase reflects upon him or herself. For example, the avatar may ask if the shopper posted any comments about the product or vendor on a social network or a product recommendation website.

The shopper responds to the avatar' s questions and prompts 218. This may be accomplished either by speaking into a microphone if the user interface device is equipped with one, or by selecting, texting or typing a written response. The avatar collects and stores the shopper's responses 220. Data Collection and Analysis

After data is collected by the avatar, both during and after each shopping occasion for the duration of a shopper panel participation period, the avatar sends the collected shopper responses to a server for storage, analysis 222 and eventual delivery of information to the survey contractor 226. Shopper data are analyzed 224 using readily available data analysis software. Subsequently, the collected data and analyzed data are categorized by survey contractor, and further categorized by survey project using a data presentation program. The data presentation program provides a user interface whereby a survey contractor or its agents may log in to their survey contractor account to view collected data, analyzed data and panel information relating to a selected survey project or projects 226.

Using the data presentation program of the data collection system, survey contractors may obtain comprehensive consumer marketing insights based on the data analysis to be used for basic reports, marketing strategy development and implementation, assessment of in-field marketing programs, etc. 226. For example, where certain factors are determined to have a cumulative negative influence on purchasing frequency of a particular good, the practitioner will develop a strategy that obviates the negative influence. Thus, there has been shown and described a method and system for collecting consumer data throughout the entire shopping event process. The method and system are not limited to any particular hardware or software configuration. The many variations, modifications and alternative applications of the invention that would be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that do not depart from the scope of the invention, are deemed to be covered by the invention.

Claims

Claims We claim:

1. A system for collecting and analyzing consumer information comprising :

at least one central server configured to store and analyze

consumer experience information, and

a plurality of computing devices, wherein each computing device is configured to execute a program providing a user interface and enabling the device to

solicit information from a user regarding a contemporaneous consumer experience,

collect and save the information regarding a

contemporaneous consumer experience as it is provided by the user, and

transmit the saved information to said at least one central server .

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing devices are further configured to

collect and organize a user's detailed personal information in order to create a participant profile, and transmit the detailed personal information to said at least one central server for later analysis.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding a contemporaneous consumer experience is in the form of text.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding a contemporaneous consumer experience is audiovisual data taking the form of video recordings, audio recordings or still photographs .

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a personal computer enabled to transmit information over a network .

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile device enabled to transmit information over a cellular network .

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface of the computing device includes an avatar shopping partner.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface includes an animated avatar shopping partner selected according to the participant profile.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the avatar shopping partner is an alter ego of the user or a stock figure.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the executable program enables the user to interact with the avatar shopping partner by audio or textual communications.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the program is a downloadable application .

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is enabled to generate scheduled reminders regarding consumer experiences .

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface of the computing device is enabled to pose queries to elicit consumer experience information including

what the user is perceiving regarding the consumer experience, what internal factors are influencing the consumer experience, what external factors are influencing the consumer experience, what potential purchases are being considered during the consumer experience,

what potential purchases are consummated during the consumer experience ,

what potential purchases are not consummated during the

consumer experience,

whether the user is satisfied with a consummated purchase, and how the user perceives that a consummated purchase reflects upon the user.

14. A method for collecting and analyzing consumer information comprising the steps of:

providing a panel of shoppers meeting demographic criteria, providing a system for collecting and analyzing consumer

information including

providing a plurality of computing devices, wherein each computing device is configured to execute an information collection program, the program providing a user interface, and

providing at least one central server configured to store and analyze collected consumer information; and

providing each member of the panel with at least one computing device, the device performing the steps of soliciting information from a panel member regarding a consumer experience,

collecting information regarding the consumer experience provided by the panel member, and

transmitting the collected information to said at least one central server; and

analyzing the collected information.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of

providing a panel of shoppers meeting demographic criteria includes recruiting shoppers according to the criteria of age, sex, income, household location, household size and ethnicity.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of

providing a panel of shoppers includes forming an agreement with each shopper such that the shopper is committed to participating in the panel for a predetermined period.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of

providing a panel of shoppers includes forming an agreement with each shopper to compensate the shopper for their participation by a periodic payment or by the provision of promotional products .

18. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of compiling detailed dossiers of shoppers in the shopper panel using personal information provided by the shoppers.

19. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of

providing a plurality of computing devices includes providing an executable software program.

20. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of

soliciting information includes posing queries to elicit

consumer experience information including

what the user is perceiving regarding the consumer experience, what internal factors are influencing the consumer experience, what external factors are influencing the consumer experience, what potential purchases are being considered during the

consumer experience,

what potential purchases are consummated during the consumer experience ,

what potential purchases are not consummated during the

consumer experience,

whether the user is satisfied with a consummated purchase, or how the user perceives that a consummated purchase reflects upon the user.

21. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of collecting information includes collecting textual, audio, or responses from the shopper.

22. A method according to claim 14, wherein the device provided to each shopper is a networked personal computer or a cellular mobile device.

23. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of

providing a visual presentation of the collected information, analyzed information and/or the demographic criteria of the shopper panel.

24. A method according to claim 14, wherein the user interface includes an avatar shopping partner.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the program is downloadable application, and wherein the user is enabled to interact with the avatar shopping partner through audio or textual communications.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the avatar shopping partner is programmed to ask questions based on user responses.

27. A method according to claim 23, wherein the consumer information specifically relates to a product or service offered by a survey contractor, and wherein the visual presentation is topically organized by a survey project completed or in-process for the survey contractor.