AU2013100341A4

AU2013100341A4 - Content delivery method and system

Info

Publication number: AU2013100341A4
Application number: AU2013100341A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Dean Joseph Hindman; Vincent Claude Kelly
Original assignee: BOXT CODE Pty Ltd
Current assignee: BOXT CODE Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2012-03-20
Filing date: 2013-03-20
Publication date: 2013-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 2021-03-20

Abstract

CONTENT DELIVERY METHOD AND SYSTEM Abstract The present disclosure provides a content delivery method and system based on a promotional code and a geographical location of a computing device associated with a user. The content delivery method presents a promotional code associated with a marketing campaign, wherein the promotional code is of a limited plurality of characters selected from a predefined character set. The promotional code may b epresented in association with a promotional logo. In the method, a user enters the promotional code into a promotional application executing on a computing device, in response to said marketing campaign. The method determines a geographical position of the computing device and delivers content to the computing device, based on the entered promotional code and the geographical position. 0 U) I- 0 U,) .0 , 0 No o 0 C 0~ tin 0 4/ 0 ) w CL 0 E xo o L /1 \ 0 No / - -fl~rl > 4 N :

Description

Innovation Patent Specification Title: CONTENT DELIVERY METHOD AND SYSTEM Applicant(s): BOXT CODE PTY LIMITED Inventor(s): Dean Joseph Hindman Vincent Claude Kelly Agent: OTTERS Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys The following is a full description of the invention which sets forth the best method known to the applicant of performing it.

-2 CONTENT DELIVERY METHOD AND SYSTEM Related Application This application is related to United States Patent Application Serial No. 61/613,030 entitled 5 "Content delivery method and system", filed on 20 March 2012 in the names of Dean Joseph Hindman and Vincent Claude Kelly, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a content delivery method and system and, in particular, to 10 a content delivery method and system that utilises a geographical location of a user. Background Marketing relates to processes and techniques used to promote, sell, and distribute goods and services. The promotion, sale, and distribution of goods and services can relate to retail products, but may also include the delivery of information to a community or a target 15 demographic in relation to social service announcements, safety announcements, traffic information, government information, charity promotions, and the like. Merchants utilise various marketing techniques to engage and interact with customers and potential customers in an effort to attract and retain those customers. A marketing campaign can be utilised to attract the attention of potential customers and interact with those customers 20 through the delivery of content associated with the marketing campaign. Marketing may utilise one or more media, including but not limited to print media, radio broadcasts, television broadcasts, internet sites, social media, emails, Short Message Service (SMS) messages, billboards, and sky-writing. Print media includes, for example, newspaper advertisements, advertorials, magazine advertisements, sponsored articles, brochures, 25 banners, advertising hoardings, and mobile advertisements on vehicles. Merchants utilise different promotional activities to promote their range of goods and services. Hereinafter in this specification, a product may refer to a good or service or a combination thereof. Promotional activities may be directly associated with a product and include, for example, giveaways, competitions, discounted introductory sale prices, bonus 30 offers, two-for-one offers, and sales associated with holidays or other events. Promotional -3 activities may be indirectly associated with a product, such as sponsorship of events, celebrities and athletes. These indirect promotional activities seek to build the status of the brand, in the expectation that products associated with the sponsored events, celebrities, and athletes will be desirable and result in increased brand recognition and sales. s In order to attract the attention of customers, marketing often targets people's emotions by using colours, sounds, and themes. Marketing is also known to utilise shocking and controversial subject matter to attract attention and publicity. Successful marketing depends not only on attracting the attention of a potential customer, but converting that attraction to a sale of the marketed product. As a customer may only 10 catch a glimpse of a billboard or hear a portion of a radio advertisement, it is important for an advertisement to communicate essential information about the product in a short period of time. The information associated with an advertisement may include a telephone number or website. However, telephone numbers are typically 8 to 12 digits in length, which are difficult for people to remember. Further, telephone numbers can be of different lengths, 15 depending on whether the telephone number is a fixed line local number, a fixed line regional number, or a cellular (mobile) telephone number. Websites are also difficult to remember, as forgetting the exact content and syntax of the website name can direct a customer to an unrelated website or an invalid address. In order to improve the chance that a customer will remember an advertised telephone 20 number, phonewords have been used. A typical telephone handset includes a keypad with numerals 0 - 9, wherein each letter of the alphabet is mapped to one of those numerals. A common arrangement maps the letters ABC to '2', DEF to '3', GHI to '4', JKL to '5', MNO to '6', PQRS to '7', TUV to '8', WXYZ to '9'. A phoneword is made by substituting appropriate letters for the numerals in a telephone number. For example, the telephone number 25 1300 7586237 may be represented as 1300 PLUMBER, as the letter P maps to 7, L maps to 5, U maps to 8, M maps to 6, B maps to 2, E maps to 3, and R maps to 7. This phoneword is easier for a customer to remember than an 11 digit telephone number. The customer can enter the phoneword using the keypad of a telephone handset to establish a call with the proprietor of the phoneword. The call may be handled by a call centre, interactive voice 30 response (IVR) system, dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) menus, or an employee of the proprietor.

-4 Phonewords can be used across different media, including print media, television, and radio. Phonewords can be used from a distance, such as on a billboard, or on moving advertisements, such as on the side of a vehicle. However, phonewords still require a relatively large number of characters and are restricted to a locality because of the different 5 telephone numbering plans enacted by different jurisdictions. Matrix barcodes, such as Quick Response (QR) codes, have been used in an attempt to improve the interaction between a customer and an advertisement. A merchant can publish a QR code within an advertisement, which allows a customer to utilise a camera on a telephone handset to photograph the QR code. The handset interprets the QR code and 10 links the customer to a telephone number, Internet site, or application executing on the telephone handset. Matrix codes are only useful in close proximity to a customer, and are thus limited to certain forms of print media. Matrix codes are not easily usable on television or billboards, and cannot be used on radio broadcasts. Further, it is not easy to use matrix barcodes, as they require a user to have a camera available and a steady hand to focus the 15 camera on the QR code. QR codes are becoming increasingly unsafe for users, as user can be linked deceptively to any website or a copy website that can defraud the user. SMS based offers utilise an identifier in combination with a telephone number, wherein both the identifier and the telephone number appear together in an advertisement for a particular promotion. A user wanting to pursue the offer sends an SMS text message containing the 20 identifier to the advertised telephone number. For example, if the promotion relates to a competition and the identifier is "Enter" and the associated telephone number is 1300 123456, the user sends a text message with "Enter" to 1300 123456. Such a text message can be used to vote in a competition, for requesting information, for entry into a lottery, and the like. 25 SMS message based offers require a customer to remember both the identifier and the associated telephone number. Further, the identifier may be used by different merchants in relation to completely different products or promotions. Each merchant is entitled to select any identifier for use in association with their telephone number. The associated telephone numbers are governed by the telephone numbering plan of the location in which the offer is 30 being promoted. Interaction with the customer is restricted to an SMS text reply. Weblinks are able to be displayed on outdoor advertising media, radio broadcasts, and television broadcasts. Weblinks provide a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to link a user to a -5 promotional offer. For example, a weblink relating to a Summer campaign for ACME Pty Ltd might be www.acme.com/summer. Weblinks are lengthy and difficult for people to remember, and do not provide easy interaction with advertising campaigns. Linking to websites through mobile devices does not enable customised delivery of content to the user 5 based on the location of the user. Augmented Reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound, video, graphics, or Global Positioning System (GPS) data. For example, augmented reality can be utilised to display the price of local houses for sale, overlayed on a display 10 screen of a telephone handset pointing at a house associated with the augmented reality functionality. The augmented reality functionality could tailor an advertisement based on the location of the telephone handset or pre-loaded recognition attributes. Augmented reality does not work for radio or television broadcasting and it is difficult to interact with any moving or mobile signage. Additionally, AR requires the associated application to be 15 executing on the telephone and for a camera of the telephone to be pointed and held at the targeted location. There is no unique physical code used to identify the offer. Thus, a need exists to provide an improved content delivery method and system. Summary The present disclosure relates to a content delivery method and system that utilises a 20 promotional code of limited length in conjunction with a geographical location of a computing device accessed by a user. In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a content delivery method, comprising the steps of: presenting, in association with a promotional logo, a promotional code associated with 25 a marketing campaign, the promotional code being of a limited plurality of characters selected from a predefined character set; receiving the promotional code in a promotional application executing on a computing device, in response to the marketing campaign, wherein the promotional application is associated with the promotional logo; 30 determining a geographical position of the computing device; and delivering content to the computing device, based on the received promotional code and the geographical position.

-6 In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a content delivery system comprising: a server for administering a set of promotional codes, wherein each promotional code is of a limited plurality of characters selected from a predefined character set and each promotional code is uniquely associated with a marketing campaign; 5 a communications network coupled to the server; and an advertisement including one of said promotional codes, displayed in association with a promotional logo, said promotional code being a selected one of the set of promotional codes and associated with a marketing campaign of a merchant; and a computing device, the computing device including: 10 a storage device for storing a computer program; a display; and a processor for executing the program, the program comprising code for performing the method steps of: (a) receiving the promotional code included in the advertisement; 15 (b) determining a geographical position of the computing device; (c) retrieving content from at least one of the storage device and the server, based on the received promotional code and the geographical position; and (d) displaying the retrieved content on the display. In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a content delivery method, comprising the 20 steps of: receiving a request for a set of promotional codes to be used in association with a marketing campaign, said marketing campaign having an associated period of time and geographic area; allocating a set of promotional codes to said marketing campaign, each said 25 promotional code being of a limited plurality of characters selected from a predefined character set, wherein each said promotional code corresponds to a marketing asset associated with said marketing campaign; presenting each promotional code in said set of promotional codes in association with said corresponding marketing asset, during said period of time and within said geographic 30 area, wherein each promotional code is presented in association with a promotional logo associated with an administrator of the promotional codes; receiving from a promotional application executing on a computing device at least one of said promotional codes and a corresponding geographic location, in response to said -7 marketing campaign, wherein the promotional application is associated with the administrator; delivering content to said computing device, based on said promotional code and said geographical location; and 5 analysing performance of each said marketing asset, based on said received promotional codes. According to another aspect, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for implementing any one of the aforementioned methods. According to another aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer program product 10 including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for implementing any one of the methods described above. Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed. Brief Description of the Drawings One or more embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of specific 15 examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a content delivery method; Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a system on which one or more embodiments of a content delivery method may be practised; Fig. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating participation of a merchant in a content delivery 20 method; Fig. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating participation of a user in a content delivery method; Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram representation of a system that includes a general purpose computer on which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be practised; and 25 Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram representation of a system that includes a general smartphone on which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be practised; Fig. 7 is a schematic representation of a billboard utilising a promotional code in accordance with a content delivery method and system; -8 Fig. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating functionality of a server associated with an administrator of promotional codes in a content delivery method; Fig. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating participation of a user who receives at a second location a promotional code associated with a first location that the user is currently not in 5 and shows how that user can resultingly access an intended advertisement; Fig. 10 is a schematic block diagram representation of an interface associated with a promotional application; Fig. 11 is a schematic block diagram representation of a campaign interface associated with a promotional application; 10 Fig. 12 is a schematic block diagram representation of a menu screen associated with a promotional application; Fig. 13 is a schematic block diagram representation of a Coupons screen associated with a promotional application; Figs 14A-C illustrate use of a promotional code in association with a promotional logo; 15 Figs 15A-B illustrate use of a promotional code in association with a promotional logo; Fig. 16 illustrates use of a promotional code in association with a promotional logo; Fig. 17 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an advertisement featuring a promotional code; Fig. 18 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an advertisement featuring a 20 promotional code; and Fig. 19 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an advertisement featuring a promotional code.

-9 Detailed Description Method steps or features in the accompanying drawings that have the same reference numerals are to be considered to have the same function(s) or operation(s), unless the contrary intention is expressed or implied. 5 The present disclosure provides a content delivery method and system that utilises a promotional code associated with a marketing campaign. The promotional code is of a limited plurality of characters in length to assist in image retention and recall. In some implementations, the code is limited to 6 characters, 5 characters, 4 characters, or fewer, so as to be more readily recognised and remembered by a customer. As the code is of a 10 limited length, it is suitable for use in any media, including television and radio broadcasts, internet sites, print media, billboards, and signage, and may be readily recognised even at a distance or on moving signage. The characters in the promotional code are selected from a predefined character set. In some implementations, the predefined character set is alphanumeric and includes numerals from 0 to 9 and letters from A to Z. The promotional 15 code may be case sensitive or not, depending on the particular application. In one implementation, the promotional code is not case sensitive. Whilst this reduces the potential number of available codes, it assists in recall of the promotional codes by the customers. In some implementations, the predefined character set includes one or more of the symbols i, @, #, $, %, &, & , <, >, /,\, +, =, -, - (, ), ", and *. It will be appreciated by a person 20 skilled in the relevant art that other symbols and characters may equally be utilised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The promotional code is generated by an administrator. A merchant wanting to run a marketing campaign acquires from the administrator a promotional code to be associated with that marketing campaign and utilises that acquired promotional code in marketing 25 activities associated with that marketing campaign. The merchant utilises the acquired promotional code by presenting the promotional code in association with that marketing campaign. Presenting the promotional code may include, for example, displaying the promotional code in printed materials, announcing the promotional code in a radio or television broadcast or jingle, utilising the promotional code in audio-visual marketing 30 materials, or any other manner. The marketing campaign may be, for example, a traditional advertising campaign, a competition, a voting campaign, a special offer, or other marketing exercise. The marketing campaign may relate to a single advertisement or promotion, a - 10 fixed time period, or may run for an extended period of time across one or more products. Each marketing campaign may have an associated period of time and geographic area for which that marketing campaign is valid. The administrator also makes available to potential customers a promotional application for 5 execution on computing devices of the potential customers. The promotional application may be available for download from a server administered by the administrator, a third party, or other means. Associating the promotional application with the administrator provides a user with a degree of confidence that the promotional code is legitimate and is being used in a secure manner. 10 In some embodiments, the promotional code is displayed in association with a promotional logo associated with the administrator of the promotional codes or associated with a merchant associated with the advertisement. Using the promotional code in association with the promotional logo provides the user with a sense of confidence that the promotional code is from a reputable source and also establishes a link for the user between the promotional 15 code and the promotional application. The promotional logo may be, for example, an image, word, or slogan, and on hearing or seeing the logo the user establishes that the promotional code is associated with and for use in conjunction with the promotional application. In some arrangements, the promotional code is displayed in association with the promotional logo by presenting the promotional code partially or completely within the promotional logo. For 20 example, the promotional code is displayed partially or completely within an icon, slogan, image, or word that is all or part of the promotional logo. Alternatively, the promotional code is presented in a particular font, typeface, colour, or other distinguishing fashion, such as a particular position within an advertisement, that enables the user to associate the promotional code with the promotional application. In one implementation, the promotional 25 application uses an icon that is the same or similar to the promotional logo. Fig. 14A illustrates a promotional logo 1400 for use in association with a promotional code. In this example, the promotional logo is a stylised form of the word "CODE", which is suitable for use in advertising material and may be displayed, for example, on a billboard, on print or video media, and the like. In the example of Fig. 14A, the promotional logo is 30 empty. In one arrangement, the promotional logo "CODE" is associated with an administrator of the promotional codes, is available for use across multiple marketing - 11 campaigns, and may be used across multiple merchants. Alternatively, the promotional logo "CODE" is associated with a single merchant or trading entity. Fig. 14B shows a first promotional code "ANZ1" displayed in association with the promotional logo 1400. In this example, the promotional logo 1400 is adapted to display the first 5 promotional code within the promotional logo. Fig. 14C shows a promotional code "DT3G" " displayed in association with the promotional logo 1400. In this example, the promotional logo 1400 is also adapted to display the first promotional code within the promotional logo. Fig. 15A illustrates an alternative promotional logo 1500 for use in association with a 10 promotional code. In this example, the promotional logo 1500 is a stylised form of the word "BOXT" accompanied by the word "BOXTCODE" in smaller script. In the example of Fig. 15A, the promotional logo 1500 is empty. Fig. 15B shows a promotional code "FANZ" displayed in association with the promotional logo 1500. The promotional code is displayed within a portion of the promotional logo 1500, 15 within the outlines of the letters of the word "BOXT". Fig. 16 illustrates a promotional code "12345" displayed in association with a promotional logo 1600. In this example, the promotional logo 1600 is an icon representative of the letter "B" and the promotional code is partially within the promotional logo 1600. Fig. 17 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an advertisement 1700 featuring a 20 promotional code in accordance with the present disclosure. The advertisement 1700 may be any advertising medium, including television and radio broadcasts, internet sites, print media, billboards, and signage, such as a billboard or bus stand advertisement. The advertisement 1700 includes a content portion 1710, which includes advertising content, and a promotional code 1720. As described above, the promotional code 1720 may be display in 25 association with a promotional logo, to alert a user to access an associated promotional application or website in order to enter the promotional code. In the example of Fig. 17, the promotional code 1720 is displayed in a portion of the advertisement 1700 separate from the content portion 1710.

- 12 Fig. 18 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an advertisement 1800 featuring a promotional code in accordance with the present disclosure, wherein a promotional code 1820 is displayed within a content portion 1810 of the advertisement 1800. Fig. 19 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an advertisement 1900 featuring a 5 promotional code in accordance with the present disclosure. The advertisement 1900 may be any advertising medium, including television and radio broadcasts, internet sites, print media, billboards, and signage, such as a billboard or bus stand advertisement. The advertisement 1900 includes a content portion 1910, which includes advertising content, and a promotional code 1920. In this example, the promotional code is "FANZ", which is 10 presented in association with a promotional logo 1930 in the form of the words "BOXT" and "BOXTCODE", as described above with reference to Fig. 15A and Fig. 15B. Utilising a promotional code in conjunction with a geographical position of a user enables the same promotional code to be used in different geographical areas for the same or different marketing campaigns and in relation to the same or different merchants. Marketing 15 materials can be tailored to a user, based on the geographical position of that user, as determined by the computing device the user is accessing. As the promotional codes are utilised in conjunction with the geographical position of the user, a merchant can advertise a brand globally at a major international event, such as the Olympic Games or the football World Cup, using a single promotional code. Users who enter 20 that promotional code will receive different content, depending on where they are located. Merchants can purchase a promotional code from the administrator to obtain exclusive rights to that code or alternatively may rent a promotional code for a fixed or variable length of time. If a merchant rents a promotional code for a period of time to be used in association with a marketing campaign, when the marketing campaign ends or the time period expires 25 the promotional code becomes available to be recycled by the administrator and rented or sold to another merchant. A user who is exposed to the marketing campaign and wants to respond to the marketing campaign, such as to purchase a product or enter a competition, enters the promotional code associated with the marketing campaign into an instance of the promotional application 30 executing on a computing device of the user. The user may have installed the promotional application prior to experiencing the marketing campaign or may install the promotional - 13 application in response to experiencing the marketing campaign. The promotional application receives the entered code and obtains the geographical position of the computing device. The promotional application utilises the entered code and the geographical position to deliver tailored content to the user. In one implementation, the application delivers the 5 content directly to the user via a display, speaker, or other output device of the computing device. In other implementations, the application communicates with a server associated with the administrator or the merchant to deliver the content to the user. Once the content has been delivered to the user, the user is able to utilise the computing device to continue an exchange of information between the user and either one or both of 10 the promotional application and the server. The exchange of information may relate to, for example, but is not limited to: entering a competition; playing games; completing questionnaires; obtaining links to further promotions and websites; videos; text; providing a review; reading, watching, or listening to reviews; reading, watching, or listening to product tutorials or product promotions; purchasing or redeeming coupons; or other interactive 15 content. Thus, in response to entering a promotional code a user may receive a single portion of content or may initialise a further exchange of information with the promotional application, the server, or other service or content provider. The promotional application can obtain the geographical position of the computing device by using a GPS locator resident in the computing device, as commonly found in modern cellular 20 phones and smartphones. Such GPS locators use GPS satellites, cellular telephone tower triangulation, or a combination thereof to determine the geographical position of the computing device. It is possible to determine the geographical position of computing devices, such as desktop computers, by using Internet Protocol (IP) address lookup, WiFi, cell telephone tower triangulation, or a combination thereof. One such product for 25 determining the geographical position of a desktop computer is GeosenseTM for Windows. In an alternative implementation, the promotional code is unique to a particular advertisement. In one example, a unique promotional code is assigned to a billboard at a known location. Consequently, when that promotional code is entered into the promotional application, the promotional application is able to identify the geographical location at which 30 the promotional code was seen. The promotional application utilises a stored database of promotional codes associated with advertisements or alternatively queries a database on a server. Similarly, a unique promotional code is assigned to an advertising campaign in a - 14 geographical area, such as print media in Sydney, Australia. The promotional application is able to parse the promotional code entered by a user and identify that the source of the promotional code was print media in Sydney, Australia. Fig. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a content delivery method 100 in accordance with the 5 present disclosure. The content delivery method 100 commences at a Start step 105 and proceeds to step 110, in which an administrator makes a promotional application available for download to users. This allows users to enter promotional codes associated with marketing campaigns and receive content associated with those marketing campaigns. Control passes from step 110 to step 115, in which a merchant wanting to run a marketing 10 campaign acquires from the administrator a promotional code to be associated with that marketing campaign. The promotional code may be associated with a period during which that promotional code is valid for use by that merchant. The period may be a number of hours, days, months, years, or even unlimited. As noted above, a marketing campaign may relate to the promotion, sale, and distribution of retail goods and services, delivery of 15 information to a community or a target demographic in relation to social service announcements, safety announcements, traffic information, government information, charity promotions, and the like. The promotional code is of a limited number of characters in length. In this example, the marketing campaign relates to the launch of a new vehicle and the marketing campaign 20 includes a competition to win a car. In this example, the promotional code is a 5 character alphanumeric string. The promotional code may be allocated randomly by the administrator. Alternatively, the administrator may charge a premium for promotional codes that are related to the merchant or the product. In this example, the administrator may charge a premium for a promotional code with the word "car" embedded in it or for a promotional 25 code similar to or corresponding to the brand or model of the new vehicle. In this example, the administrator allocates the promotional code "GY8P2" to the merchant for the marketing campaign associated with the new vehicle. Promotional codes may be allocated on a regional basis, so that the same code can be utilised in different marketing campaigns in different regions. The regions may be based, for 30 example, on a city, state, province, nation, or continent. Alternatively, promotional codes may be used globally so that a merchant can utilise the same marketing materials worldwide.

- 15 Returning to Fig. 1, at step 120 the merchant launches a marketing campaign for the new vehicle and includes the promotional code "GY8P2" on the advertising materials. Such advertising materials may include, for example, radio and television broadcasts, magazine advertisements, and billboards. The promotional code may be used in conjunction with a 5 promotional logo associated with the administrator. The promotional logo denotes to a user that the promotional code is associated with the promotional application offered by the administrator of the promotional codes. The promotional logo may be, for example, an image, word, or slogan, and on hearing or seeing the logo the user establishes that the promotional code is associated with and for use in conjunction with the promotional 10 application. Alternatively, the promotional code is presented in a particular font, typeface, colour, or other distinguishing fashion, such as a particular position within an advertisement, that enables the user to associate the promotional code with the promotional application. In one implementation, the promotional application uses an icon that is the same or similar to the promotional logo. 15 Fig. 7 is a schematic representation of a billboard 700 that utilises the promotional code "GY8P2" as part of the marketing campaign for the new vehicle described with reference to Fig. 1. The billboard 700 includes advertising content 720 in the form of a picture of the new vehicle that is being promoted. The advertising content 720 for a billboard commonly includes text and images, wherein the text may include the name of a brand or a slogan. 20 The billboard 700 also includes a promotional code 710. In this example, each character in the promotional code 710 is surrounded by square brackets. This presentation may be utilised in all visual marketing materials to make the promotional codes readily identifiable by users. Further, in the example of Fig. 7 the promotional code 710 is presented by displaying the promotional code in association with a promotional logo 730 associated with an 25 administrator of the promotional codes. Using the promotional code 710 in association with the promotional logo 730 provides the user with a sense of confidence that the promotional code 710 is from a reputable source and also establishes a link for the user between the promotional code 710 and the promotional application that is to be used to access tailored content relating to the billboard 700. 30 Returning to Fig. 1, control passes from step 120 to step 125, in which a user experiences the marketing campaign by hearing a radio advertisement, watching a television advertisement, reading a magazine advertisement, or viewing a billboard. In this example, - 16 the user sees a billboard for the new vehicle and is interested in entering the competition to win a new vehicle. In step 130, the user utilises a computing device, such as a smartphone, to access the promotional application derived from the administrator. In this example, the promotional application was already installed on the smartphone. Alternatively, the user 5 downloads the promotional application from the administrator or another party. In step 135, the user enters the promotional code "GY8P2" associated with the marketing campaign into the promotional application. In step 140, the promotional application obtains a geographical position of the computing device, and thus the user. In one implementation, the promotional application utilises a GPS locator built-in to the smartphone to obtain the 10 geographical position. Control passes to step 145, in which the promotional application delivers content to the computing device of the user, wherein the content is tailored to the user based on the entered code and the geographical location of the user. Control passes to step 150 and the method 100 terminates. The content delivery method of the present disclosure may be practised using a computing 15 device, such as a general purpose computer, smartphone, or tablet device. Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a system 500 that includes a general purpose computer 510. The general purpose computer 510 includes a plurality of components, including: a processor 512, a memory 514, a storage medium 516, input/output (I/O) interfaces 520, and input/output (I/O) ports 522. Components of the general purpose computer 510 generally 20 communicate using a bus 548. The memory 514 may include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. The storage medium 516 may be implemented as one or more of a hard disk drive, a solid state "flash" drive, an optical disk drive, or other storage means. The storage medium 516 may be utilised to store one or more computer programs, including an 25 operating system, software applications, and data. In one mode of operation, instructions from one or more computer programs stored in the storage medium 516 are loaded into the memory 514 via the bus 548. Instructions loaded into the memory 514 are then made available via the bus 548 or other means for execution by the processor 512 to effect a mode of operation in accordance with the executed instructions. 30 One or more peripheral devices may be coupled to the general purpose computer 510 via the I/O ports 522. In the example of Fig. 5, the general purpose computer 510 is coupled to each of a speaker 524, a camera 526, a display device 530, an input device 532, a printer - 17 534, and an external storage medium 536. The speaker 524 may include one or more speakers, such as in a stereo or surround sound system. The camera 526 may be a webcam, or other still or video digital camera, and may download and upload information to and from the general purpose computer 510 via the I/O ports s 522, dependent upon the particular implementation. For example, images recorded by the camera 526 may be uploaded to the storage medium 516 of the general purpose computer 510. Similarly, images stored on the storage medium 516 may be downloaded to a memory or storage medium of the camera 526. The camera 526 may include a lens system, a sensor unit, and a recording medium. 10 The display device 530 may be a computer monitor, such as a cathode ray tube screen, plasma screen, or liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. The display 530 may receive information from the computer 510 in a conventional manner, wherein the information is presented on the display device 530 for viewing by a user. The display device 530 may optionally be implemented using a touch screen, such as a capacitive touch screen, to enable 15 a user to provide input to the general purpose computer 510. The input device 532 may be a keyboard, a mouse, or both, for receiving input from a user. The external storage medium may be an external hard disk drive (HDD), an optical drive, a floppy disk drive, or a flash drive. The I/O interfaces 520 facilitate the exchange of information between the general purpose 20 computing device 510 and other computing devices. The I/O interfaces may be implemented using an internal or external modem, an Ethernet connection, or the like, to enable coupling to a transmission medium. In the example of Fig. 5, the I/O interfaces 522 are coupled to a communications network 538 and directly to a computing device 542. The computing device 542 is shown as a personal computer, but may be equally be practised 25 using a smartphone, laptop, or a tablet device. Direct communication between the general purpose computer 510 and the computing device 542 may be effected using a wireless or wired transmission link. The communications network 538 may be implemented using one or more wired or wireless transmission links and may include, for example, a dedicated communications link, a local 30 area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, a telecommunications network, or any combination thereof. A telecommunications network may include, but is not - 18 limited to, a telephony network, such as a Public Switch Telephony Network (PSTN), a mobile telephone cellular network, a short message service (SMS) network, or any combination thereof. The general purpose computer 510 is able to communicate via the communications network 538 to other computing devices connected to the communications 5 network 538, such as the mobile telephone handset 544, the touchscreen smartphone 546, the personal computer 540, and the computing device 542. Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a system 600 on which one or more aspects of a marketing system of the present disclosure may be practised. The system 600 includes a portable computing device in the form of a smartphone 610. The smartphone 610 includes 10 a plurality of components, including: a processor 612, a memory 614, a storage medium 616, a battery 618, an antenna 620, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and receiver 622, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card 624, a speaker 626, an input device 628, a camera 630, a display 632, and a wireless transmitter and receiver 634. Components of the smartphone 610 generally communicate using a bus 648 or other connections therebetween. 15 The smartphone 610 also includes a wired connection 645 for coupling to a power outlet to recharge the battery 618. The wired connection may include one or more connectors and may be adapted to enable uploading and downloading of content from and to the memory 614 and SIM card 624. The smartphone 610 may include many other functional components, such as an audio 20 digital-to-analogue and analogue-to-digital converter and an amplifier, but those components are omitted for the purpose of clarity. However, such components would be readily known and understood by a person skilled in the relevant art. The memory 614 may include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. The storage medium 616 may be implemented as one or more of a 25 solid state "flash" drive, a removable storage medium, such as a Secure Digital (SD) or microSD card, or other storage means. The storage medium 616 may be utilised to store one or more computer programs, including an operating system, software applications, and data. In one mode of operation, instructions from one or more computer programs stored in the storage medium 616 are loaded into the memory 614 via the bus 648. Instructions 30 loaded into the memory 614 are then made available via the bus 648 or other means for execution by the processor 612 to effect a mode of operation in accordance with the executed instructions.

- 19 The smartphone 610 also includes an application programming interface (API) module 636, which enables programmers to write software applications to execute on the processor 612. Such applications include a plurality of instructions that may be pre-installed in the memory 614 or downloaded to the memory 614 from an external source, via the RF 5 transmitter and receiver 622 operating in association with the antenna 620. The smartphone 610 further includes a GPS location module 638. The GPS location module 638is used to determine a geographical position of the smartphone 610, based on GPS satellites, cellular telephone tower triangulation, or a combination thereof. The determined geographical position may then be made available to one or more programs or applications 10 running on the processor 612. The wireless transmitter and receiver 634 may be utilised to communicate wirelessly with external peripheral devices via Bluetooth, infrared, or other wireless protocol. In the example of Fig. 6, the smartphone 610 is coupled to each of a printer 640, an external storage medium 644, and a computing device 642. The computing device 642 may be 15 implemented, for example, using the general purpose computer 510 of Fig. 5. The camera 626 may include one or more still or video digital cameras adapted to capture and record to the memory 614 or the SIM card 624 still images or video images, or a combination thereof. The camera 626 may include a lens system, a sensor unit, and a recording medium. A user of the smartphone 610 may upload the recorded images to 20 another computer device or peripheral device using the wireless transmitter and receiver 634, the RF transmitter and receiver 622, or the wired connection 645. In one example, the display device 632 is implemented using a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. The display 632 is used to display content to a user of the smartphone 610. The display 632 may optionally be implemented using a touch screen, such as a capacitive touch 25 screen, to enable a user to provide input to the smartphone 610. The input device 628 may be a keyboard, a stylus, or microphone, for example, for receiving input from a user. The SIM card 624 is utilised to store an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and a related key used to identify and authenticate the user on a cellular network to which the 30 user has subscribed. The SIM card 624 is generally a removable card that can be used interchangeably on different smartphone or cellular telephone devices. The SIM card 624 - 20 can be used to store contacts associated with the user, including names and telephone numbers. The SIM card 624 can also provide storage for pictures and videos. Alternatively, contacts can be stored on the memory 614. The RF transmitter and receiver 622, in association with the antenna 620, enable the 5 exchange of information between the smartphone 610 and other computing devices via a communications network 638. In the example of Fig. 6, RF transmitter and receiver 622 enable the smartphone 610 to communicate via the communications network 638 with a cellular telephone handset 650, a smartphone or tablet device 652, a computing device 654 and the computing device 642. The computing devices 654 and 642 are shown as personal 10 computers, but each may be equally be practised using a smartphone, laptop, or a tablet device. The communications network 638 may be implemented using one or more wired or wireless transmission links and may include, for example, a cellular telephony network, a dedicated communications link, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, 15 a telecommunications network, or any combination thereof. A telecommunications network may include, but is not limited to, a telephony network, such as a Public Switch Telephony Network (PSTN), a cellular (mobile) telephone cellular network, a short message service (SMS) network, or any combination thereof. Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram representation of a system 200 for hosting a marketing 20 campaign in accordance with the present disclosure. The system 200 includes a server 270 associated with an administrator of promotional codes for use in marketing campaigns. The server 270 may be implemented using one or more general purpose computing devices 510 and includes a global campaign database 245, a campaign analytics module 250, and an advertiser management system 255. The advertiser management system 255 is used to 25 manage accounts and content management systems (CMSs) of merchants who utilise promotional codes administered by the administrator. Accordingly, in one implementation the advertiser management system 255 includes forms and templates to be completed by the merchant. Data from the completed forms and templates are then passed to the global campaign database 245. Campaign analytics and performance are stored on the analytics 30 database 250. A merchant wanting to utilise a promotional code with a marketing campaign utilises a computing device 260 to access the server 270 via a communications network 235. The - 21 communications network may include, for example, one or more wired or wireless connections, including a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN), cellular telephony network, the Internet, or any combination thereof. The merchant utilises the computing device 260 to register with the administrator and 5 acquire a promotional code to be used in a marketing campaign. Registration details associated with the merchant are stored in a memory of the advertiser management system 255. Such registration details may include, for example, the name of the merchant, address, billing details, and brands associated with that merchant. The server 270 generates a unique promotional code "G8TY "to be used by the merchant 10 and transmits the generated promotional code to the computing device 260 via the communications network 235. The administrator may offer a range of premium promotional codes at additional cost. Such premium promotional codes may include codes that spell words or relate to particular dates, for example. In one implementation, a program executing on a processor of the server searches a database of available promotional codes 15 and locks an allocated promotional code for the relevant dates and geographical locations requested by the merchant. The merchant utilises the promotional code "G8TY" in marketing materials associated with a marketing campaign. Such marketing materials may include, for example, radio broadcasts 222, television broadcasts 224, outdoor signage 226, and internet or social media 20 advertising 228. In one implementation, merchants utilising promotional codes derived from the administrator of the server 270 utilise the promotional codes in association with a promotional logo. The promotional logo denotes to a user that the promotional code is associated with the promotional application offered by the administrator of the server 270. The promotional logo may be, for example, an image, word, or slogan, and on hearing or 25 seeing the logo the user establishes that the promotional code is associated with and for use in conjunction with the promotional application. Alternatively, the promotional code is presented in a particular font, colour, or other distinguishing fashion that enables the user to associate the promotional code with the promotional application. The system 200 includes a user 205 with a computing device 210. In this example, the 30 computing device 210 is a portable computing device in the form of a smartphone, such as the smartphone 610. However, other computing devices may equally be utilised, including a personal computer, a cellular telephone, a laptop, or a tablet device. The computing - 22 device 210 includes a memory 614 and a processor 612, wherein a promotional application associated with a promotional code is stored in the memory 614 and is executed by the processor 612. In the example of Fig. 2, the user experiences one or more of the advertising materials 222, s 224, 226, 228 and notes the promotional code "G8TY" 290 associated with the marketing campaign. The user utilises the smartphone 210 to access the promotional application and enter the promotional code "G8TY" 290, by utilising the touchscreen 632, camera 630, or input device 628. The smartphone 210 includes a GPS location module 638, which utilises GPS satellites 215, 10 cellular telephone tower triangulation 220, or a combination thereof, to determine a geographical position of the smartphone 210. The promotional application utilises the entered promotional code 290 and the geographical position of the smartphone 210 to deliver tailored content to the user 205. The promotional application may be able to deliver the content immediately, such as from content stored in 15 memory 614, or the promotional application may need to request the information from the server 270, via the communications network 235, or a combination thereof. In this example, the smartphone 210 sends a request via the communications network 235 to the server 270 for tailored content based on the entered promotional code 290 and the geographical position of the smartphone 210. The global campaign database 245 of the server 270 20 receives the request and identifies which campaign is associated with the promotional code "G8TY" 290 and the geographical position of the smartphone 210. The global campaign database 245 sends a reply via the communications network 235 to the smartphone 210 to deliver location based marketing materials. In this example, the marketing materials include information about the new vehicle being offered in the location 25 of the user 205, including any legal terms and conditions that might be relevant to that location. Further, the marketing materials can reflect any variations in model naming and specifications that might be relevant to the geographical position of the user 205. The marketing materials may include text, audio, or video, for example. The advertiser management system 255 contains account and client data. This advertiser 30 management system 255 provides the workflow for the merchant to log in, acquire new - 23 promotional codes, manage existing promotional codes allocated to the merchant, and search availability of new promotional codes based on times and geographical locations. Once a code has been allocated and advertising content has been uploaded by the merchant onto the advertiser management system 255, the system 255 generates advertising views in 5 the relevant platforms, such as, for example, Apple iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows SE, and the like, and saves these advertising views to the global campaign database 245 with relationships to the relevant location. This enables any smartphone request for an advertisement reference, based on a promotional code, to determine the most relevant advertising content, and to provide via global campaign database 245 the advertising 10 content in the required format (e.g., Apple iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows SE, and the like). As the promotional code is utilised within the application, the date, time, and type of action is stored in the campaign analytics module 250 in relation to the user and the campaign. Merchants can access the performance information through a communications network, such 15 as an Internet access login 260 to the advertiser management system 255, which displays the campaign performance in graphs and maps by using the campaign analytics data 250. The campaign analytics 250 can correlate a received promotional code with the geographic location of the computing device from which the promotional code was received to identify the effectiveness of marketing materials in a particular location. 20 In one example, a unique promotional code is allocated for each advertising medium utilised by a merchant in a marketing campaign. Accordingly, the same marketing campaign uses a different promotional code for marketing materials used in radio broadcasts, television broadcasts, outdoor signage, print media, SMS texts messages, and internet and social media. The different promotional codes may include one or more characters common to all 25 the media or alternatively there may be no correlation among the different promotional codes. Utilising different promotional codes for different media allows a merchant to identify which media are most successful in reaching customers and which media are less successful in reaching customers. The campaign analytics module 250 can readily identify how many hits have been generated for each promotional code and thus which corresponding medium. 30 In a further example, each individual marketing asset is allocated a unique promotional code for a marketing campaign, wherein a marketing asset is a billboard, magazine in which an advertisement is run, newspaper in which an advertisement is run, radio station or radio - 24 program on which an advertisement is broadcast, television station or television show on which an advertisement is broadcast, bus sign, street signage, etc. Allocating a unique promotional code to each individual asset allows a merchant to confirm that marketing assets have, in fact, been installed and deployed, as receiving zero hits with the promotional 5 code allocated to an asset indicates that that particular asset is not functioning. This may occur, for example, if a billboard at a particular location has not been installed or has been defaced. Further, allocating a unique promotional code to each asset allows a merchant to monitor how successful each particular asset is in respect to a marketing campaign. Thus, a merchant can identify not only which bus route with signage is effective, but which particular 10 bus. Similarly, a merchant can monitor the performance of television or radio stations or individual shows. In one example, a merchant acquires a set of promotional codes to use in a marketing campaign, wherein all promotional codes in the set are of 4 characters in length and utilise a stem of "PJ". All print media are then allocated a third character of "P", all television 15 broadcasts are allocated a third character of "T", all radio broadcasts are allocated a third character of "R", all billboards are allocated a third character of "B", and all bus advertisements are allocated a third character of "U". So, a first billboard is allocated the promotional code "PJB1", a second billboard is allocated the promotional code "PJB2", and so on. Similarly, a first print advertisement in magazine A is allocated the promotional code 20 "PJP1", a second print advertisement in newspaper B is allocated the promotional code "PJP2", a third print advertisement in magazine C is allocated the promotional code "PJP3", and so on. The campaign analytics database 250 analyses the number of hits and timing of the hits during and after the campaign, which allows the merchant to make informed decisions about an advertising budget. 25 In one implementation, the content delivery method and system provides a user registration system, wherein a user registers with the server 270 and establishes a profile. The profile includes one or more attributes, including a username and password. The profile may include further information, such as age, address, and interests. In such an implementation, the campaign analytics 250 can correlate the number of hits and timing of the hits relating to 30 a particular promotional code with information derived from registered users to identify the success of the marketing across different demographics in different geographic locations.

- 25 Fig. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 300 for a merchant to participate in a content delivery method as practised on the system 200 of Fig. 2. The method 300 begins at a Start step 305 and proceeds to step 310, in which the merchant who wants to use a promotional code in a marketing campaign utilises a computing device 260, such as the general purpose 5 computer 510, to log in to a content management system (CMS) forming part of a server 270 run by an administrator. In optional step 315, the merchant provides or updates account and payment details. Control passes from step 315 to decision step 320, which determines whether the merchant is logging in to the server 270 in respect of an existing marketing campaign or a new 10 marketing campaign. If there is an existing campaign, Yes, control passes to step 348, in which the merchant enters the relevant promotional code or selects a relevant promotional code from an open list of campaigns associated with that merchant. In one example, the merchant uses a keyboard or other input device on the computing device 260 to enter the promotional code. In another example, the merchant selects a promotional code from a 15 dropdown list of campaigns displayed on a display of the computing device 260. Control then passes from step 348 to step 350, in which the campaign is run. However, if at step 320 the merchant is not logging in to the server 270 in respect of an existing campaign, No, then control passes to step 325, in which the merchant creates a new campaign. For new campaigns, the merchant is guided by a menu system or "wizard" through the account detail 20 setup and various options that are available. For a new campaign, the merchant selects a method and a geographic spread for the marketing campaign, along with start and end time. For example, the merchant selects from auto generate code, request specific code, specific location code, national campaign code, and multi country code. 25 The merchant defines the location for which that merchant wants to have geographical access to a particular promotional code. For example, the merchant may want to have exclusive use to the code internationally, nationally, on a State or provincial basis, or only for a relevant city. Geographical locations associated with promotional codes may even be on a smaller scale, such as a sporting stadium, conference venue, gallery, park, or the like. 30 Once a request from a merchant detailing the geographical range and exclusivity has been entered, the merchant can obtain a code randomly allocated by the administrator of the promotional codes or alternatively the merchant can request a specific promotional code and - 26 search a database of promotional codes to view availability of certain promotional codes. If a code is randomly allocated by the administrator, the system randomly provides the merchant with a code selected from a list of promotional codes that are available for the specified period. For a specific promotional code, the system searches a database of 5 promotional codes for a set of promotional codes that are available in the required date range. The merchant provides a set of standard data that is stored in the global campaign database 245. The set of standard data may include, for example, a title, a video or slide image, and a description of the campaign. In one implementation, the global campaign database 245 10 verifies that any content uploaded by the merchant to the server 270 is in a format that can be used directly or is able to be converted by the server 270 for propagation on various platforms to be used in the campaign. For example, such platforms may include the iOS operating system for use on Apple Inc. manufactured devices or Android operating system from Google. 15 Optional elements will depend on the particular campaign, geographical region and application, but may include, for example: Hyperlink action (go to website or Pay now link to payment website), Coupon Actions (Get Coupon), Competition (win something by entering now), Questionnaire option (Complete these questions and enter the draw), and align with a loyalty programme (points earned on rewards notification to users for viewing marketing 20 materials). Management of coupons, competitions, and questionnaires may be administered by the merchant, or by the administrator of the server 270, or a combination thereof. In this regard, the server 270 may include one or more payment gateways to facilitate the purchase of a product or coupon in association with a marketing campaign administered by the server 270. 25 Control passes to step 330, in which the merchant acquires from the administrator of the server 270 a promotional code for the marketing campaign created in step 325. In the example of Fig. 2, the administrator allocates the promotional code "G8TY" to the merchant for use in this marketing campaign. Control passes from step 330 to step 335, in which the merchant sets up the core campaign data. Typical core campaign data may include, for 30 example: title, description, terms and conditions, video, and date validity. Further data may include, for example, a link to an associated website, sending an enquiry by completing fields in a template, a questionnaire, and competition entry and management. Control - 27 passes from step 335 to step 340, in which the merchant selects campaign options. Campaign options may include the period of time for which the allocated promotional code is valid for that merchant, the geographic location or region in which the allocated promotional code is valid for that merchant and other related details. 5 Control passes from step 340 to step 345, in which the merchant optionally requests the server 270 to generate a QR code to be used in conjunction with the promotional code "G8TY" in the marketing campaign. The QR code can be used by the advertiser for download and use in print media. For competitions, the advertiser sets a draw date and 2 email addresses, confirms terms and conditions have been appropriately displayed, can 10 insert a logo defining who is auditing the draw process and sets the frequency of communication of status to the email addresses. For coupons, the relevant barcode is uploaded to the server 270 of the administrator, for distribution to the user when a coupon is requested. The barcode can then be utilised by the user when redeeming the coupon. Control passes from step 345 to step 350, in which the merchant runs the marketing 15 campaign. As described with reference to Fig. 2, the marketing campaign may include advertising materials presented on radio broadcasts 222, television broadcasts 224, outdoor signage 226, internet/social media 228, or any combination thereof. Control passes to step 355, in which the merchant reviews the campaign and analytics while the campaign is running. The merchant does this by utilising a computing device 260 to log 20 in to the server 270 at any time during the campaign. The campaign analytics module 250 can be programmed to generate periodic reports, such as daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. When the campaign is live, the merchant can log into the server 270 and review the performance of the campaign and obtain certain relevant analytics. The merchant can also edit or alter the advertising materials for update to the on-line 25 advertisements. For competitions, the system 270 sends updates on entries when draws occur, at milestone ticket sales, or at other predetermined times. For coupons, the merchant can review statistics and lists of coupons issued and coupons redeemed. This functionality continues to operate and collate after the duration of the campaign and until the period of coupon validity expires. Competition wins are required to be logged in by two separate 30 predetermined advertiser or auditor logins, with the same winner reference being confirmed, thus enabling the system to communicate the win to the winner and close the competition.

- 28 Control passes from step 355 to decision step 358, which determines whether the campaign has ended. If the campaign has not ended, No, control returns to step 350. However, if at step 358 the campaign has ended, Yes, control passes to step 360 to perform post campaign analysis of the marketing campaign. The analysis may include, for example, a review of the 5 number of times the promotional code "G8TY" is entered from each region or geographical position and when the promotional code was entered. This allows the merchant to identify which advertising medium 222, 224, 226, 228 was most effective. The analytics of the campaign may include take-up, geographic plotting, levels of interaction by action type, results and information relating to questionnaires. Control passes from step 360 to 10 End step 365 and the method 300 terminates. Fig. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 400 for the user 205 to participate in a content delivery method and system as practised on the system 200 of Fig. 2. The method 400 begins at a Start step 405 and proceeds to step 410, in which the user 205 downloads a promotional application made available by an administrator of a marketing system to a 15 computing device 210 associated with the user 205. In the example of Fig. 2, the computing device 205 is a smartphone, such as the smartphone 610 of Fig. 6, but other computing devices, including laptop computers, notebook computers, personal computers (PCs), and tablet computers may equally be utilised. The promotional application may be made available for download from the server 270 associated with the administrator or from a third 20 party, such as from iTunes run by Apple Inc. Alternatively, the promotional application may be preinstalled on the computing device 210. Control passes from step 410 to step 420, in which the user experiences a marketing campaign that utilises a promotional code acquired from the administrator of the server 270. As described with reference to Figs 2 and 3, in this example the promotional code "G8TY" is 25 being used by a merchant in respect of a new vehicle and advertising materials relating to the new vehicle use the promotional code "G8TY". The user sees or hears the promotional code "G8TY" in an advertisement for the new vehicle. The promotional code of a limited plurality of characters, such as 4, 5, or 6 characters, is short and easy to remember and is optionally displayed in a recognisable format that is unique and represents a digital link to 30 the offer. In step 425, the user utilises the smartphone 205 to run the promotional application 425 downloaded in step 410. Alternatively, the user may utilise a link to the promotional - 29 application from an Internet website, such as a social media site. Such websites and social media sites include, for example, email, facebook, and twitter. Control passes from step 425 to decision step 428, which determines whether the user wants to enter a promotional code. If the user does not want to enter a promotional code, 5 No, control passes to step 445, in which the user is able to view the status of any coupons, the status of competitions, and any messages that may have been received from merchants. However, if at step 428 the user does want to enter the promotional code associated with the marketing campaign experienced in step 420, Yes, control passes to step 430. In step 430, the user enters the promotional code 290 into the promotional application 10 running on the smartphone 210. The user may enter the promotional code using an input device associated with the smartphone, such as a keypad, microphone, or stylus. Alternatively, the user may utilise a camera 630 of the smartphone 210 to record an image of a portion of an advertisement containing the promotional code and upload the image to the promotional application. The promotional application utilises image processing 15 techniques to identify the promotional code captured in the uploaded image. In another implementation, the user activates a hyperlink associated with a displayed promotional code in advertising material to activate the promotional application. In such an implementation, the promotional code is embedded within the hyperlink and the user does not have to explicitly enter the promotional code. The smartphone 210 utilises the entered promotional 20 code 290 in conjunction with the geographical position of the user 205 to deliver tailored content to the user 205. In step 435, the user views the geographically relevant tailored content, which includes marketing materials relating to the promotional code 290 entered by the user in step 430. The promotional application executes on a processor 612 of the smartphone and allows the 25 user to manage their account, including the ability to view previously entered codes, review previously obtained coupons and competition entries. The promotional application may also provide search capabilities to enable a user to search for a code based on, for example, a code, a country, a brand, a state, a region, or type. The promotional application may also enable the user to view saved codes and associated 30 campaigns. In one example, the user views an associated campaign and confirms that the offer corresponds to what the user was expecting. If there is a difference, the user can - 30 indicate that an incorrect offer has been delivered and search for the correct promotional code and corresponding offer. As described with reference to Fig. 2, in this example the user wants to enter a competition to win a new vehicle. The materials viewed by the user 205 in step 435 may include audio, 5 text, video, or graphics relating to the new vehicle or the merchant selling the new vehicle. The materials may require the user 205 to enter personal details in order to enter the competition or present a game that the user 205 must play as part of the competition entry process. Depending on the particular marketing campaign, many different forms of marketing materials may be presented to the user 205 in response to the entered 10 promotional code 290 and the geographical position of the user 205. Such materials may include games, contests, brochures, videos, statistics, redemption of coupons, entry to a payment gateway, links to websites for the product or merchant, links to retailers, customer reviews, submission of enquiry, and the like. In a simple example, the marketing materials may include a form for the user to request contact from a representative of the merchant. 15 Control passes from step 435 to step 440, in which the user interacts with the marketing campaign through actions defined by the merchant associated with that marketing campaign. The actions may include, for example, the delivery of content to a computing device of the user. Such content may include, for example, displaying a video, providing a link to a website, delivering a coupon, entering a competition, presenting a questionnaire for 20 completion by the user. The user interaction in step 440 may also include, for example, an option to share the promotional code via SMS text messages, email, social media, and the like. Control passes from step 440 to step 445, in which the user is able to view the status of any coupons, the status of competitions, and any messages that may have been received from 25 merchants. Control passes from step 445 to an End step 450 and the method 400 terminates. Fig. 8 is a flow diagram 800 illustrating functionality of the server 270 associated with an administrator of promotional codes in a content delivery method. The method 800 begins at a Start step 805 and proceeds to step 810, in which the server 270 receives a promotional 30 code and a geographic location from a computing device 210 associated with a user 205. As described above with reference to Fig. 4, the user 205 may have experienced a marketing campaign that utilised the promotional code and then entered the promotional code into a - 31 promotional application executing on the computing device 210. The computing device 210 transmits the entered promotional code and the geographic location of the computing device via a communications network 235 to the server 270. In step 820, the server utilises the received promotional code and geographic location to 5 identify relevant advertising content from the global campaign database 245. Control passes to step 830, in which the server 270 delivers the identified advertising content via the communications network 235 to the computing device 210 associated with the user 205. In step 840, the user receives the delivered content and triggers one or more actions custom to the delivered advertising content. The actions depend on the delivered content and may 10 include, for example, watching a video, completing a survey, questionnaire, or competition entry, purchasing a coupon, purchasing a product, reading product reviews, or sharing the promotional code. Control passes from step 840 to step 850, in which the server 270 performs further actions in response to the user actions of step 840 and based on the received promotional code and geographic location. Such further actions may include, for 15 example, delivering further content relating to the marketing campaign associated with the received promotional code and geographic location, forwarding the promotional code to other users, processing completed surveys, questionnaires, and competition entries, validating coupons, and the like. Control passes from step 850 to an End step 860 and the method 800 terminates. 20 As described herein, a promotional code is used in conjunction with a geographical position of a computing device accessed by a user to deliver tailored content to the user. The user is able to forward the code to a second user in the same geographical region and have the same content delivered to the second user. Thus, in the example of Figs 1 and 2, the user seeing the billboard for the new vehicle can forward the promotional code "GY8P2" to a 25 friend so that the friend can also enter the competition to win the new car. The friend accesses the promotional application on a computing device and enters the promotional code. The promotional application determines the geographical position of the computing device associated with the friend and delivers content to the friend on the basis of the promotional code and the geographical position of the computing device associated with the 30 friend. If the friend is in the same geographical location as the original user or if the promotional code is valid for the geographical location of the user and the geographical location of the - 32 friend, then the friend will be able to enter the competition. Alternatively, if the geographical position of the user is different from the geographical position of the friend, the content delivered to the user may be different from the content delivered to the friend, the promotional code may not be valid in the geographical region in which the friend is located, 5 or the promotional code may be associated with a different merchant in the geographical region in which the friend is located. If the promotional code is being used in a global marketing campaign, the content delivered to the friend may differ from the content delivered to the user, but still be content associated with the merchant promoting the new vehicle. 10 As promotional codes may be valid for restricted geographical areas, this enables merchants to run targeted offers or promotions on a regional basis. This is particularly useful in facilitating promotions run by franchisees in a local environment. In some circumstances, a promotional code will be only valid within a specific geographic location, such as a sporting stadium, city, or country. Where a promotional code is not 15 restricted by geographical location, a promotional code can be shared to users outside the geographic location. A particular example is shown in Fig. 9, which illustrates how a user in a second location receives a promotional code in relation to a first location. If the promotional code is shared electronically through the promotional application, the geographic content associated with 20 the promotional code is transferred with the promotional code. Where a promotional code is shared conversationally or in plain text, the user may receive the wrong offer if there is a promotion or advertisement using the same promotional code closer to their location. In this situation, the user can change their geographic location to search and obtain the desired promotion or advertisement. 25 Fig. 9 is a flow diagram 900 illustrating participation of a user who at a second location enters a promotional code relevant to a first location that the user is currently not in. Such a scenario may arise, for example, when a person in the first location learns of the promotional code and informs the user in the second location of the promotional code. The method 900 begins at a Start step 905 and proceeds to step 910, in which the user at the second location 30 receives a promotional code associated with a first location.

- 33 In one example, the person in the first location is at a sporting stadium in a first city and during a sports event a marketing campaign includes an advertisement that utilises a promotional code that is only valid for the geographic location corresponding to that sports stadium. Restricting a promotional code to a specific location, such as a sporting stadium, 5 allows the merchant utilising the promotional code to target a specific demographic, as it may be assumed that people attending the sporting stadium have an interest in the sporting event being conducted at that sporting stadium at that time. The person attending the sports event at the sports stadium thinks that the user at a second location, in a second city, would be interested in the offer associated with the promotional code and informs the 10 second user of the promotional code. Control passes from step 910 to decision step 915, which determines whether the user at the second location received the promotional code via "Share" functionality of a promotional application associated with the promotional code. "Share" functionality may be a software module of the promotional application executing on the computing device of the person 15 wanting to forward the promotional code to another user. Alternatively, "Share" functionality may be a software module executing on the server 270 of a system for delivering content in association with the promotional codes. In one example, the person at the first location accesses the promotional application executing on a computing device, such as a smartphone, and utilises "Share" functionality to 20 inform the user at the second location of the promotional code. The "Share" functionality forwards to the user at the second location the promotional code and the relevant geographic location that is associated with that promotional code. The "Share" functionality may be used in conjunction with SMS text messages, emails, and social media websites. In some implementations, a merchant may elect for a promotional code not to be available to 25 the "Share" functionality. For example, a merchant may want the promotional code to be available only to those people attending the sporting stadium on a particular date and does not want the promotional code to be available to people at a geographic location outside the sporting stadium. In such a situation, the "Share" functionality advises that the promotional code cannot be forwarded to another user. 30 If at step 915 the user at the second location did receive the promotional code via "Share" functionality of the promotional application, Yes, control passes to step 945 in which the "Share" functionality passes the relevant details to the user at the second location. Control - 34 passes from step 945 to step 940, in which the correct advertising content associated with the promotional code and the first geographic location is delivered to a computing device of the user at the second location. Returning to step 915, if the user at the second location did not receive the promotional 5 code via "Share" functionality of the promotional application, No, control passes to step 920. This may arise, for example, when the person at the sporting stadium forwards the promotional code to the user at the second location by voice, SMS text message, email, or other mode of communication outside the promotional application. In step 920, the user at the second location enters the received promotional code into the promotional application 10 executing on a computing device associated with the second user. Control passes to decision step 925, which determines whether there is a marketing campaign associated with the entered promotional code and the geographic location of the user. If there is not a marketing campaign associated with the entered promotional code and the geographic location of the user, No, control passes to step 940, which delivers the correct 15 advertising content to the user at the second location, based on the entered promotional code. If at step 925 there is a marketing campaign associated with the entered promotional code and the geographic location of the user, being different from the geographic location of the person at the first location, Yes, control passes to step 930. In step 930, the server delivers advertising content to the user at the second location, based 20 on the entered promotional code and the geographic location of the user. However, this advertising content is associated with a different marketing campaign from the marketing campaign associated with the promotional code and the first location at the sporting stadium, so the user at the second location does not receive the intended advertising content. In step 935, the user selects a "Wrong advertising content" button on the 25 promotional application and enters search parameters relating to the desired marketing campaign. In step 940, the server delivers the correct advertising content to the user at the second location, based on the search parameters entered in step 935. Control passes from step 940 to an End step 950 and the method 900 terminates. In an alternative embodiment not illustrated, if the desired content is restricted to the first geographic location, such as the 30 sporting stadium referred to in the example above, the user at a second location is unable to access that marketing campaign and control passes from step 935 to step 950 and the process terminates.

- 35 Fig. 10 is a schematic block diagram representation of an interface 1000 associated with a promotional application. The promotional application executes on a computing device accessed by a user and presents the interface 1000 on a display of the computing device. The interface 1000 includes a Menu button 1010 that allows a user to access different menu 5 items via a Menu screen. The interface 1000 also includes an optional promotional logo 1010 associated with an administrator of promotional codes, similar to the promotional logo 730 of Fig. 7. The interface 1000 further includes a code entry area 1015 in which the user can enter a promotional code associated with a marketing campaign. In this example, the promotional code is of a fixed length of 4 characters selected from the numbers 0 - 9, the 10 alphabet a-z, and a predefined set of symbols readily entered using a keyboard or other input device of the computing device. The user can enter the promotional code utilising any input device associated with the computing device, including, for example, a keyboard, touchscreen, stylus, microphone, mouse, and the like. The interface 1000 optionally provides a scan button 1020, which enables a user to scan a 15 promotional code from printed advertising material or from an image captured by a camera of the computing device. The interface 1000 further optionally provides a voice recognition button 1025 that utilises a microphone of the computing device to capture a spoken input corresponding to the promotional code to be entered. Thus, a user presses the voice recognition button 1025 and then speaks the promotional code into the microphone. The 20 computing device utilises speech recognition technology to interpret the spoken promotional code and translate that spoken promotional code into data to be utilised by the promotional application. Fig. 11 is a schematic block diagram representation of a campaign interface 1100 of a promotional application. The campaign interface includes a marketing campaign heading 25 1102 that identifies the marketing campaign that is being accessed. The interface 1100 also includes a Back button 1105 to return to a previous screen of the promotional application and a Menu button 1110 to access other menu options. The interface 1100 further includes a display portion 1130 for displaying content relating to a particular marketing campaign that is being accessed through entry of an associated 30 promotional code, such as may have been entered using the code entry area 1015 of Fig. 10. The interface 1100 further includes an optional Read More button 1135 to deliver further content to the display portion 1130.

- 36 The interface 1100 further includes a Coupon button 1135, a Competition button 1140, a Questionnaire button 1150, an Enquiry Button 1155, and a Call Now button 1160. A user may press any one of the buttons 1135, 1140, 1150, 1155, or 1160 to interact with a merchant associated with the marketing campaign associated with the entered promotional 5 code. In a further implementation, the interface 1100 includes a Buy Now button, not shown, which a user presses to purchase a product relating to the marketing campaign associated with the promotional code. The Buy Now button may be implemented in conjunction with a payment gateway and may utilise one or more of PayPal, e-wallets, credit card transfers, and the like. It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the relevant art that 10 whilst the interface 1100 utilises buttons, other devices may equally be practised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Such devices may include, for example, check boxes, drop-down lists, radio buttons, and the like. In one implementation, a user of the promotional application has a registered profile associated with the promotional application, wherein the registered profile includes a name, 15 password, and one or more predefined payment options. The profile may include other attributes, such as address, avatar, hobbies, favourite products, interests, history of recently accessed promotional codes, and list of friends. The promotional application can utilise one or more attributes of the profile to display promotional codes and other marketing material to the computing device being accessed by the logged-in user. Each predefined payment 20 option may authorise a vendor to automatically debit funds in response to a purchase effected using the promotional application. For example, a user utilises a computing device to log in to the promotional application. The user enters a promotional code associated with an offer to purchase a product. The user then presses the Buy Now button and can then manually select a method of funds transfer or can alternatively configure the promotional 25 application to utilise automatically a predefined payment option, such as a PayPal account or e-wallet. A payment gateway module executing on the server 270 then handles the transaction to effect the transfer of funds from the predefined payment option of the user to the vendor. Fig. 12 is a schematic block diagram representation of a menu screen 1200 of an interface of 30 a promotional application, as may be accessed from the Menu buttons 1010 and 1110 of Figs 10 and 11, respectively. The menu screen 1200 includes a title bar 1205, a Coupons button 1210, a Competitions button 1215, a Saved Promotional Codes button 1220, a History button 1225, a Friends button 1230, and a Settings button 1235. A user viewing the menu - 37 screen 1200 of a promotional application executing on a computing device can access various functionality of the promotional application by selecting one of the buttons 1210, 1215, 1220, 1225, 1230, and 1235. Depending on the implementation, other buttons may also be present in the menu screen 1200. For example, one implementation may utilise a 5 Messages button (not shown) to access messages delivered from merchants relating to promotional codes entered by the user. Such messages may relate to competition results, further promotions, special offers, and the like. A user wanting to check the status of existing coupons or obtain a coupon in relation to a presently entered promotional code presses the Coupons button 1210. A user wanting to 10 check a status of a competition or enter a competition in relation to a presently entered promotional code presses the Competition button 1215. A user wanting to view previously entered promotional codes or to access content relating to a previously entered promotional code presses the Saved Promotional Codes button 1220. A user wanting to view which promotional codes have been entered and other historical 15 activity in relation to the promotional application presses the History button 1225, which will display a history of activity within the promotional application. A user wanting to view activity of friends within the promotional application or wanting to communicated with a friend presses the Friends button 1230. Depending on the implementation, the Friends button 1230 may activate one or more of SMS text messaging, emails, social media, "Share" 20 functionality, and the like. A user can configure one or more options of the promotional application by pressing the Settings button 1235 and then selecting one or more of the available options. Such options may relate to privacy settings, display parameters, history parameters, and the like. The menu screen 1200 also includes a button 1240 for the user to enter a new promotional code. 25 Fig. 13 is a schematic block diagram representation of a Coupons screen 1300 that is displayed after a user selects the Coupon button 1210 of Fig. 12. The Coupons screen 1300 includes a Back button 1305 to return the user to a previous screen and a Menu button 1310 to return the user to the Menu screen 1200 of Fig. 12. The Coupons screen 1300 also includes a search box 1315 for receiving one or more search parameters from a user to 30 identify a previously stored coupon. The Coupons screen 1300 in the example of Fig. 13 shows a first coupon 1315, a second coupon 1320, and a third coupon 1325, relating to the three most recently accessed - 38 coupons. Each of the first, second, and third coupons 1315, 1320, and 1325 has an associated profile, which stores a coupon sub-title and time remaining for the respective coupon to be valid. Depending on the particular implementation, the user can print the coupons, redeem the coupons electronically or at a point of sale, transfer the coupon to a 5 friend, or otherwise deal with the coupon. The present disclosure also provides a content delivery method and system that are utilised to verify deployment of marketing materials in association with a marketing campaign. A promotional code is allocated to a marketing asset associated with the marketing campaign. The marketing asset may include, for example, but is not limited to: a billboard, street 10 signage, bus signage, taxi signage, print media, a radio broadcast, a television broadcast, a poster, or a point of sale display. In the case of printed materials, the promotional code may be displayed on the marketing asset or may be displayed in the accompany instructions for the installation of that marketing asset. An installer of the marketing asset utilises a computing device to access the promotional 15 application associated with an administrator of the promotional codes. When installing the marketing asset at the required location, the installer enters into the promotional application the promotional code allocated to the marketing asset. The promotional application executing on the computing device determines the geographical position of the computing device and transmits the promotional code and geographical location via a communications 20 network 235 to a server 270 associated with the administrator of the promotional codes. The server 270 records that the marketing asset has been installed at the location identified by the transmitted geographical location. The server 270 then transmits content to the computing device in the form of an installation validation message. This installation validation message can then be utilised by the installer to ensure payment for the installation 25 task. In one example, the promotional code is associated with an installation location that is predefined by a merchant. In such an example, the server 270 verifies that the geographical location transmitted from the computing device corresponds to the installation location associated with the transmitted promotional code. This ensures that the marketing asset is installed in the required location. 30 In a further example, the installer utilises a camera 526, 630 to record an image of the installed marketing asset at the required location and uploads the image via the promotional application. This image can then be utilised to prove to the merchant that the marketing - 39 asset has been installed and deployed in the required location at a given time, based on a timestamp of the image. Images of marketing assets deployed at different locations can be compared to ensure that products are displayed consistently and to identify better and worse performing marketing assets. In such an example, the content delivered to the computing 5 device may include a validation message with a copy of the image and other data relating to the installed marketing asset. The content may also include, for example, information relating to how many marketing assets have been installed by that installer over a predefined period of time, such as a day, week, month, or year. The content may further include, for example, information relating to how many marketing assets have been installed 10 in relation to the same marketing campaign in a predefined area or over a predefined period of time, or a combination thereof. Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

Claims

1. A content delivery method, comprising the steps of: presenting, in association with a promotional logo, a promotional code associated with a marketing campaign, said promotional code being of a limited plurality of characters selected from a predefined character set; receiving said promotional code in a promotional application executing on a computing device, in response to said marketing campaign, wherein said promotional application is associated with said promotional logo; determining a geographical position of said computing device; and delivering content to said computing device, based on said received promotional code and said geographical position.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of: transmitting said promotional code and said geographical position from said computing device to a server; and delivering said content from said server to said computing device, in response to said transmitted promotional code and geographical position, wherein said content is dependent on said transmitted geographical position, and further wherein said content includes at least one of an Internet address, an image, a video, a coupon, a competition entry, a questionnaire, a game, and a payment gateway.

3. The method according to either one of claims 1 and 2, wherein said promotional code is associated with a marketing asset, and further wherein said content relates to validation of installation of said marketing asset.

4. A content delivery system comprising: a server for administering a set of promotional codes, wherein each promotional code is of a limited plurality of characters selected from a predefined character set and each promotional code is uniquely associated with a marketing campaign; a communications network coupled to said server; an advertisement including one of said promotional codes, displayed in association with a promotional logo, said promotional code being a selected one of the set of promotional codes and associated with a marketing campaign of a merchant; and a computing device coupled to said communications network, said computing device including: - 41 a storage device for storing a computer program; a display; and a processor for executing the program, said program comprising code for performing the method steps of: (a) receiving said promotional code included in said advertisement; (b) determining a geographical position of said computing device; (c) retrieving content from at least one of said storage device and said server, based on said received promotional code and said geographical position; (d) displaying said retrieved content on said display.

5. A content delivery method, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for a set of promotional codes to be used in association with a marketing campaign, said marketing campaign having an associated period of time and geographic area; allocating a set of promotional codes to said marketing campaign, each said promotional code being of a limited plurality of characters selected from a predefined character set, wherein each said promotional code corresponds to a marketing asset associated with said marketing campaign; presenting each promotional code in said set of promotional codes in association with said corresponding marketing asset, during said period of time and within said geographic area, wherein each promotional code is presented in association with a promotional logo associated with an administrator of said promotional codes; receiving from a promotional application executing on a computing device at least one of said promotional codes and a corresponding geographic location, in response to said marketing campaign, wherein said promotional application is associated with said administrator; delivering content to said computing device, based on said promotional code and said geographical location; and analysing performance of each said marketing asset, based on said received promotional codes. BOXT CODE PTY LIMITED By Patent Attorneys for the Applicant COTTERSS Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys