WO2001099004A2

WO2001099004A2 - Method and system for targeted marketing promotions

Info

Publication number: WO2001099004A2
Application number: PCT/US2001/019358
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jim Roche
Original assignee: Carabunga.Com, Inc.
Priority date: 2000-06-16
Filing date: 2001-06-14
Publication date: 2001-12-27
Also published as: AU2001268501A1

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TARGETED MARKETING PROMOTIONS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to advertising and marketing methods, and more specifically to an on-line system for creating targeted marketing promotions.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

The U.S. automotive industry is a $1.4 trillion per year market, which breaks down into the following categories: $670 billion in new/used car sales; $440 billion in financing; $158 billion in parts & service; and $138 billion in insurance. 1999 was a record sales volume year in North America with 17 million new cars and light truck sales. According to National Automotive Dealer

Association (NADA) there are approximately 22,000 or so automotive dealerships in America. Between 1978 and 1998 spending on new vehicle advertising by those dealers increased from $4 Billion to $5.5 Billion annually. This translates into an increase in the average advertising cost per new car sold of $60 (in 1978) to $340 (in 1998) over that same time frame. Until 1998, when productivity changes began taking place, NADA claims that the majority of new car sales departments were barely operating at a break-even point. The dealers' fixed operations, servicing and parts typically generate 60-85% gross profit margins and in many cases are responsible for 100- that those dealers were able to reduce advertising spending by 4%, but still spent $326 to sell a new car through traditional advertising.

Advertising in the automotive retail industry has relied on traditional media techniques such as newspaper, radio, and television advertising. Such advertising is generally performed by direct marketing agencies, dealer management systems, and automotive OEMs. Direct marketing agencies follow the traditional model of buying geographic and demographic lists, being creative with advertisement copy and placement of newspaper advertising. The traditional advertising outlets of TV, radio, and newspapers still represent the majority of the automotive dealers' spending. Historically, the automotive dealer industry has long been prevalently a family enterprise. Dealerships often are handed down from generation to generation. Frequently, the management of those dealerships lack significant formal training (such as formal business education or MBAs) . Decisions regarding method of advertising or media choice have tended towards the status quo of traditional local media solutions available in their local markets.

Automotive dealerships, along with the manufacturers that they represent, are seriously threatened by antiquated marketing techniques and severe margin erosion. The franchised dealership system is under siege due to the automotive sales process undergoing significant change. The new industry players have significant capital, marketing resources, and technology that can create a difficult competitive environment for the typical or traditional dealerships . Preservation of the status quo, overall survival, and profitability are the predominant concerns. The impact of these changes and intense competition has the dealers focused on protecting themselves from margin erosion. With this new environment, traditional dealers must seek non-traditional ways of maintaining and increasing profitability in order to survive.

The automotive retail industry demands a modernization of its marketing methods in order to survive. Dealerships must change the economics of their existing business model if they are to survive. In order to be successful, dealerships must capitalize on the lifetime value of customer relationships as well as acquire new customers using more cost effective and revolutionary marketing techniques.

Thus, there is a need for a method and/or system for marketing and advertising which overcomes these and other disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention advantageously addresses the needs above as well as other needs by providing a method of creating targeted marketing promotions. The method includes the steps of : sending a first set of one or more communications through a computer network to a client computer, the first set of one or more- communications including a request for customer targeting information; receiving a first set of one or more responses to the first set of one or more communications from the client computer through the computer network; analyzing data in a database based on the first set of one or more responses to develop a list of prospects; sending a second set of one or more communications through the computer network to the client computer, the second set of one or more communications including a request for advertisement information; receiving a second set of one or more responses to the second set of one or more communications from the client computer through the computer network; and generating a design for an advertisement based on the second set of one or more responses .

The present invention also provides a system for creating targeted marketing promotions. The system includes a database configured to store information for targeting potential customers, means for providing a connection to a computer network, and a processing system. The processing system is configured to send a first set of one or more communications through the computer network to a client computer with the first set of one or more communications including a request for customer targeting information, receive a first set of one or more responses to the first set of one or more communications from the client computer through the computer network, analyze data in the database based on the first set of one or more responses to develop a list of prospects, send a second set of one or more communications through the computer network to the client computer with the second set of one or more communications including a request for advertisement information, receive a second set of one or more responses to the second set of one or more communications from the client computer through the computer network, and generate a design for an advertisement based on the second set of one or more responses .

A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the invention and accompanying drawings which set forth an illustrative embodiment in which the principles of the invention are utilized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects featured and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof presented in conjunction with the following drawings herein;

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system made in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary version of the system shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a site map illustrating an exemplary version of the network site shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary registration process that may be performed by the system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for implementing the promotions tool in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are several screen shots illustrating an exemplary implementation of a portion of the promotions tool process shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for implementing the portion of the promotions tool process shown in FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary implementation of a portion of the promotions tool process shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 10 is several screen shots illustrating an exemplary implementation of the place order portion of the promotions web pages shown in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture for the system shown in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39 are screen shots illustrating exemplary web pages that may be used for implementing the promotions tool process shown in FIG. 5.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout several views of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.

The present invention revolutionizes the $5.8 billion per year automotive marketing economy by providing an e-commerce solution that combines sophisticated data warehousing with state of the art fulfillment technology. The present invention empowers users, such as for example automobile dealers, to deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time, using the right medium. In one •embodiment of the present invention, an

Internet web site serves as a web "vortal" . This "vortal" (vertical market portal) can serve as a business-to-business marketing e-commerce portal for the 22,000 new automobile dealers in the U.S. and their 250,000 employees. A preferred embodiment of the present invention can accommodate data analysis and marketing needs of automotive dealerships (new cars) nationwide by offering advertising/promotional solutions that provide the dealers a one-to-one marketing capability to their end customers . Such a system can also be expanded with additional features, other marketing information, and industry links that will provide a complete "one stop" marketing resource for the automotive industry. Embodiments of the present invention can also be used to support the used vehicle market and finance and insurance (F&I) needs of the automotive marketplace.

There is a significant market opportunity for the present invention. If just 20% of the 22,000 dealerships reallocated only 20% of their promotion budget from traditional advertising to the promotions features of the present invention, that translates into annual market size of $1.8B. In addition to new vehicle sales, there are 210 million cars and light trucks on the roads today. The present invention is not only useful for new car sales but may also be applied to used vehicle sales, marketing extended warranties, accessories and parts and service merchandising.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a system 100 made in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The system 100 offers the user a complete marketing solution. As will be discussed below, an important feature of the system 100 is a promotions tool set. While the system 100 may be used for marketing any type of goods or services, it is ideal for use in the automotive industry. As such, much of the discussion below will focus on use of the system 100 by automobile dealers, but it should be understood that use of the present invention is not limited to the automotive industry.

The system 100, which hosts a network site 102, is ideal for accommodating the data analysis and marketing needs of automotive dealerships nationwide by offering advertising/promotional solutions. The system 100 preferably includes a database 101 and a processing system 103. The network site 102 can be used as the web "vortal" mentioned above and can serve as an interface allowing automobile dealers access to various customer databases, including their own databases, and provide the dealers with the tools necessary to target customers from within those databases. In addition, demographical data overlay functionality can extend the reach of the basic customer information provided by the dealers . The system 100 preferably hosts the network site 102 in a large publicly accessible computer network 104, which by way of example, may comprise the popular networks known as the Internet and/or the World Wide Web, or the network provided by America Online, Inc. of Dulles, Virginia (AOL Network) . It will be assumed for the remainder of the discussion herein that the network 104 comprises the Internet and that the network site 102 hosted by the system 100 comprises a web site. It should be well understood, however, that the network 104 may comprises other types of networks.

Users may access the web site 102 hosted by the system 100 with a client computer 106. The web site 102 is displayed on the display screen 108 of the client computer 106. By way of example, the web site 102 may be displayed on the display screen 108 by using an Internet browser, such as the popular Internet Explorer™ browser available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington, or Netscape Navigator™ available from Netscape Corporation of Mountain View, California. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention the interface of the system 100 may be browser-based.

Several different types of client computers may be used, one of which comprises the illustrated desktop personal computer (PC) . Other types of client computers that may be used in accordance with the present invention include notebook computers and hand-held devices. By way of example, such hand-held devices may include personal digital assistants (PDA), wireless telephones, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, the client computer 106 accesses the network 104 by means of a wired connection. It should be well understood, however, that in the present invention a client computer may access the network 104 by means of wireless communications. For the remainder of the discussion herein, it is assumed that the user interacts with the web site 102 using a client computer, .such as the client computer 106, that communicates with the system 100 through a computer network, such as the network 104 (which may comprise the Internet) .

Once the user has identified the desired customer target, the system 100 provides a full complement of marketing tools to encourage and allow the real-time design, pricing, and execution of custom promotions. The promotions feature set (described below) of the system 100 allows users to target customers for promotional offers and create a customized advertising campaign, selecting from numerous media choices. Users are preferably encouraged to become registered users and the system 100 provides a means by which a user can upload their data to the database 101 in the system 100 and be enabled to use the web-enabled data analysis services that the promotions feature offers. The data provided by the newly registered users is preferably secured in the system 100 's web-accessible databases 101 and made available to the user via the promotions feature. The system 100 preferably tracks user activity on the site and provides a basis for application of the principles of one-to-one marketing. Generic Return On Investment (ROI) information as well as promotion specific ROI information is preferably provided by the system 100 and gives users a basis for making informed decisions. Additional links to partners and affiliates, automotive news and marketing tips are examples of the types of information that may be included on the web site 102 and increase the overall service value that the system 100 can provide to users, such as the automotive community. With the promotions feature, the web site 102 hosted by the system 100 provides users with an intuitive way to create customized or prepackaged promotional letters, coupon mailers, postcards, e-mails and telephone campaigns via the Internet. Historically, automotive dealers have used "shotgun" approaches to advertising with little or no way of measuring effectiveness. Often, a dealer can spend more on advertising per car than they net in profit. The system 100 enables dealers to use a targeted "rifle" approach by making better use of the dealer's customer data, generating targeted promotions, that result in more effective advertising, and produce a dramatic improvement in return on investment (ROI) on advertising spending. Thus, the system 100 provides the dealer's one-to-one marketing vortal . As an optional feature of the present invention, a separate system 110 may be used by the system 100 to coordinate the fulfillment (e.g., printing and mailing) of any direct mail promotions, provide telemarketing services, Internet based services, or telephone follow-up support to assist in making each promotion a success. By way of example, the process of printing and mailing direct mail promotions may be fully automated in the system 110. Other types of fulfillment services, such as telemarketing services, may be performed- by the system 110 using a combination of employees and automation. The system 110 is preferably connected to the system 100 by means of a direct and dedicated connection 112, but it should be understood that the system 100 may communicate with the system 110 via the network 104 as either an alternative or in addition to the direct connection 112. In this way the customized or prepackaged promotional materials (e.g., letters, coupon mailers, postcards, e-mails and telephone campaigns) that a user creates by interacting with the system 100 can be either partially or completely fulfilled by the system 110.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary logical architecture for the system 100. This architecture may be used for implementing the database 101 and the processing system 103. The system 100 is preferably designed from a functionality perspective, assigning each type of function to its own "layer." In one embodiment, the system 100 can utilize many types of industry- strength software, and using a layered approach separates each function.

The first layer is the physical network layer 120. This is where all client requests (HTTP) will enter the system. This layer also deals with security and performance aspects of the network architecture. All requests are preferably load balanced, and all data within the system 100 is preferably protected with varying degrees of security. In one embodiment, the load balancing hardware/software can act as the protection mechanism for the web server and application server layer. Additionally, a firewall may be used to provide a greater degree of protection for the database.

From a logical perspective, the next layer is the HTTP server layer 122. Services within this layer will act as the primary interface for all client requests .

The application server (s) 124 and demographical data services 126 are preferably placed in the next layer. The application server (s) 124 take over computing intense processes so that the front end web servers 122 can stay focused on serving the ongoing web requests, which include fulfillment processes, payment processes, demographical data processes, and personalization processes. The application server (s) 124 preferably also provide for a staging platform to roll out new application releases and distribute them in a seamless way among all front end servers 122, create foundation for catalog based search catalog, and provide central PDC for NT with Backup PDC residing on the second application server. By way of example, the demographical data may be supplied via the Maplnfo Target Pro database available from Maplnfo Corporation of Troy, New York.

The application servers 124 and demographical data services 126 are preferably placed within one layer for several reasons. First, the application servers 124 will normally have to interact with the demographical data source 126 to fulfill the underlying client requests. This maintains system integrity, as the application layer will know what data requests need to be merged with the internal database .

The final layer in this logical design is the database layer 128. The database server 128 implements the database 101 and normally collects and processes all data-related requests. By way of example, the Microsoft

SQL Server available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, WA, may be used as the relational database server 128 for the system 100. The Microsoft SQL Server is scalable across multiple hardware platforms running the NT operating system, and it supports extended language libraries such as VC++ and Visual Basic. This helps with developing database specific functions that are otherwise difficult to accomplish when pursuing a totally integrated approach. With the 7.0 release of MS SQL Server, data transformation services are now supported internally to various heterogenous data sources .

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, there is illustrated an exemplary architectural structure for the web site 102. It should be understood that this is just one sample architecture and that many different web site architectures may be used for the present invention. Users will preferably have access to the web site 102 via the Internet. The web site 102 includes a home page 140.

The web site 102 may include many different optional features. For example, an information center 142 (or company information page 142) may be included and may include information or links to job openings 146, press releases 148, legal information 152, privacy and security policy information 154, customer service policy information 156, and purchase policy information 158. A "contact us" page 144 may be included in order to display contact information. A search page 174 and search results page 176 may be included for searching the site. A help page 178 may be included that has access to a frequently asked questions database (FAQ's) 179, online support 181, and a help desk 183. The help page 178 may be used to request and receive online help. A site map . 141 may be included to assist with navigation of the web site 102. It should be well understood that the inclusion of these pages and links in the web site 102 is optional .

Additional optional features that may be included in the web site 102 include a partners and friends page 143 (or a partners and affiliates page 143) , which may include links to NADA 145 and other companies 147, 149, 151, as well as a manufacturer relationships page 153. A "check it out" page 155 having information of interest may also be included. Such information of interest may include current manufacturer rebates 157 and links to summary OEM rebate information, success stories 159, return on investment (ROI) data 161, a press room 163, and other interesting information 165. A smart marketing page 167 may be included that includes or has links to marketing basics 169, automotive marketing tips and helpful hints 171, one-to-one marketing information 173, as well as links to automotive marketing news. Again, all of these features are optional.

A products and services page 175 may be included to provide information to users regarding the products and services provided by the system 100. This page may include information or links to new car promotions 177, used car promotions 185, parts related promotions 187, service related promotions 189, finance and insurance (F&I) promotions 191, ordering customer lists 193, and/or ordering market research reports 195. An analysis page 197 may also be included to provide tools to users, such as automotive dealers, for performing database analysis.

The web site 102 may also include a "no obligation test drive" or "sales tour" 160. This page can be used to demonstrate the capabilities of the promotions tool, as well as other services. For example, a build a sample letter page 162 and a view output sample page 164 may be included. A features and benefits page 166 and a pricing page 168 may also be included. These pages give the user an opportunity to sample and preview the services provided by the system 100 by viewing sample promotions. As an optional feature, this test drive or sales tour can end with a link or transfer to the subscribe to service page 200. The web site 102 preferably includes a subscribe to service (or registration) page 200. This is where new users can go to subscribe (or register) to the system 100. Once a user has subscribed, the user logs in to the system 100 using a login page 201. Referring to FIG. 4, there is illustrated an exemplary subscription/registration process 200 that may be used with the system 100. The subscription/registration process 200 is one exemplary process that may be used to add a new user to the system 100. In the illustrated process 200 the users of the system comprise automotive dealerships, but it should be understood that other types of users may register with and use the system 100. In the process 200, some functions are performed automatically by the system 100, some functions are performed by the administrator (s) of the system 100, and some functions are performed by the new user.

Specifically, the process can begin in either step 202 or step 204. If the process starts at step 202, the new user submits dealership registration information to the system 100 in step 206. Preferably, the new user submits this registration information via the web site 102. In step 208, the system administrator contacts the new user and sets up a "superuser" account . A "superuser" account is an account for the primary user in an organization (such as an automotive dealership) . The superuser has the authority to set up other user accounts. This step may also involve uploading data from the new user to the database 101 in the system 100, as well as processing that data. Thus, the database 101 in the system 100 may store some of the user's own data, such as the user's own customer data. The processing of uploaded data may involve cleansing and purification of the data, described below.

In step 210, the system 100 sends an e-mail to the new superuser with login information. In step 212, the superuser activates the account and enters the e-mail addresses and account usernames and passwords for the other users who will have access to the account. In step 214, the other users are notified via e-mail from the system 100 or directly by the superuser of the existence of the account. As indicated in steps 216, 218, if a user is notified of the account by e-mail from the system 100, the user can simply click on a link included in the e-mail that will take the user to the web site 102 where he or she can login using his or her username and password. On the other hand, if a user is notified of the account directly by the superuser, the user can go to the web site 102 and log in using his or her username and password, as indicated in step 220. The process ends in step 222.

If the process starts at step 204, the new user submits individual account information to the system 100 in step 224. In step 226 the system 100 checks whether or not the new user is associated with a dealership that is located in the system 100 ' s database. If so, then in step 228 the system 100 sends an e-mail to the superuser for the dealership with a request for user account creation. In step 230, the superuser grants access for the users listed in the e-mail. If in step 226 the system 100 determines that the new user is not associated with a dealership that is located in the system 100 ' s database, control is transferred to step 206 as indicated by step 232 .

During the registration process the system 100 preferably solicits information about the user themselves. For example, in the automotive dealership scenario, the system 100 could solicit information about the dealership such as: contact information including email address, needs and preference data related to advertising and promotions, promotion budgets and current media distribution. The system 100 may also capture the dealership's computer system modem number, login, password, and preferred purification parameters. This information will provide the administrator of the system 100 with the ability to learn about their dealer customers (develop a "learning relationship") and tailor their offerings based on learned needs and preferences .

In fact, the system 100 preferably gathers data about user preferences and then adjusts the system to reflect those preferences in a continuous loop. This makes it prohibitive for a user to go to a competitor system and customize that site to its dealership, customers and preferences.

Once registered, a user preferably has access to their account information, past promotions, and a help desk to assist with any questions or problems that may arise. For example, the web site 102 can include a customized "my page" 180. This personalized homepage can recognize previous users by means of their login and display their name and current date as well as last date of access. This page can also display a message regarding readiness of the user's customer data once that the import and purification steps have been completed. This page may also include information or links regarding updating account information 182, promotions in progress 184, promotion history 186, a message desk 131, news 133, and a logout page 135. A view/edit/cancel orders page may also be included. With these features the system 100 can provide the ability to provide promotion history for the particular user and dealership. The system 100 is preferably customized and personalized. Specifically, the system 100 preferably provides the ability to create user-ID' s along with user and dealership profile information, and to recognize returning visitors by their login or use of cookies . Referring again to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the web site 102 preferably includes a promotions page 300 where users can interact with the promotions tool of the system 100. The promotions tool comprises a web enabled promotion generation engine that provides users (such as automotive dealerships and others) the ability to optimize the use of their own customer data to create targeted marketing promotions.

Specifically, the promotions tool empowers users to create and execute custom promotions, which in the automotive scenario will drive traffic to dealers' showrooms, service bays, or used car lots. The direct benefit to the dealers will be a significantly improved ROI on their advertising investment. Rather than using "shoot in the dark" traditional mass marketing newspaper or television advertisements with little or no way to measure effectiveness, the dealer can use the promotions tool of the present invention to develop very targeted marketing promotions with their customers and prospects. Thus, the system 100 can empower users, which in the examples illustrated herein involves the automotive retail community, to achieve one-to-one marketing excellence. In the automotive scenario, users of the system 100 include, but are not limited to, the automotive dealership community, including dealer

-If principals, general managers, new and used car managers, F&I managers, service, parts & accessories managers, business development staff, dealership advertising agencies, automotive OEMs, and advertising agencies for the automotive world. It should be well understood, however, that the system 100 may be used for marketing in many different industries and not just the automotive industry.

The promotions tool preferably provides detailed database analysis, customer mapping, as well as a number of other dealer-centric marketing tools. The browser-based promotions tool described herein can be used by dealers and others to accomplish the above- described marketing agenda. The promotions tool allows dealers to identify target customers for promotional offers and create customized advertising campaigns.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is illustrated a general, exemplary process 301 that may be used to implement the promotions tool (or feature) of the system 100. Preferably, the process 301 is executed by the system 100 sending communications through the network 104 to the client computer 106 and the user responding by sending communications from the client computer 106 back to the system 100 through the network 104. In step 303, the user may upload his or her own customer data to the database 101. It should be understood that step 303 is an optional step. If step 303 is performed, it is preferably executed during the subscription/registration process 200. Furthermore, a cleanse and purification process is preferably performed on the imported customer data. Namely, the imported customer data is checked to ensure that it is accurate and up to date. This process, which is optional, may be performed in a variety of ways. Specifically, the system 100 may perform the purification step using off the shelf software, or the call center staff may actually talk with customers to find out if they have sold the vehicle, moved away, etc., or a combination of these methods may be used.

In step 305, the system 100 requests customer targeting information from the user for building a promotion. The system 100 receives the customer targeting information from the user in step 307. In step 309, the system 100 analyzes data in the database 101 based on the targeting information. The system 100 develops a list of prospects, i.e., a list of target customers for the promotion, from this analysis.

In step 311 the system 100 requests information regarding the type (or method) of advertisement from the user. Different types of advertisements may include mail, e-mail, telephone campaigns, postcards, coupons, surveys, etc. Thus, as used herein the term "advertisement" is intended to include any of these methods of targeting potential customers. The system 100 receives advertisement design information from the user in step 313. Based on the received advertisement design information, the system 100 generates a design for an advertisement in step 315. In step 317, the user is preferably permitted to review and test the promotion. The promotion is fulfilled in step 319. Specifically, either one or both of the systems 100, 110 generates the advertisements and directs or sends them to the list of prospects. If fulfillment is to be performed by the system 110, the system 100 provides the system 110 with information needed for the fulfillment process.

As indicated by the process 301, the user generally begins the promotion creation, process by using the promotions tool to select a target group for a given promotion, i.e., by performing steps 305, 307, 309 described above . The user may select a target group by using either an instant promotions feature 302, a favorite promotions feature 304, or a custom promotions feature 306, along with a target prospects feature 360. Thus, the instant promotions feature 302, the favorite promotions feature 304, the custom promotions feature 306, and the target prospects feature 360 may be used to implement steps 305, 307, 309. Referring to FIG. 6, there is illustrated an exemplary process that may be used for the instant promotions feature 302 and the favorite promotions feature 304. Specifically, the illustrated process may be used to build a promotion that targets a subset of customers in the dealer's database. The user starts on the homepage 308 and clicks on the promotions link in the global navigation area 310 or featured product area 312. The global navigation area 310 can show the current section and allow access to help utilities and login/logout. The featured product area 312 allows the featuring of new products. If the user has not logged in, the user is taken to a promotions page 314 where he or she can read about the product and login or register. A login feature 316 allows fast access to the users personalized page. A page title 318 indicates the user's current location. A promotions copy 320 allows the system to promote the promotions feature and offer tour/registration to the user.

Once the user is logged in, he or she is taken to the choose a promotions screen 322. A progress bar 324 shows the user's progress through the process. A next button 326 serves as the default navigation for the promotions tool. On the promotions screen 322, the user chooses from the three promotion options: instant promotions, my favorite promotions, and custom promotions. In the present scenario the user selects either instant promotions or my favorite promotions. The instant promotions feature, which may also be referred to as a promotion wizard, provides the user with easy-to-use "instant" promotions designed by the administrators of the system 100. In other words, these are "canned" promotions that are pre-designed methods to target prospects. The favorite promotions feature includes promotions that the user has previously run, i.e., the user's favorite methods for targeting prospects. After selecting one of these, the user is taken to a list of predefined ways in which he or she can target prospects on a target prospects screen 328. The user chooses a prospecting method from the list and that analysis is performed on his or her dealership's data. As will be discussed below, the user may also choose to have the analysis performed on outside data as well. A current promotion box 330 shows current options selected for this promotion.

After selecting a predefined prospecting method, the user is taken to a review results screen 332. A target other customers features 334 allows the user to return to targeting customers. A back button 336 serves as simple navigation means to move backwards through the promotions process. From the review results screen 332 the user can return to the list of prospecting methods or continue to the choose advertising screen 338 (discussed below) . Referring to FIG. 7, there is illustrated an exemplary process that may be used for the custom promotions feature 306. Specifically, the illustrated process may be used to build a custom promotion that targets a subset of customers in the dealer's database. Similar to above, the user starts on the homepage 308 and clicks on the promotions link in the global navigation area 310 or featured product area 312. If the user has not logged in, the user is taken to the promotions page 314 where he or she can read about the product and login or register. Once the user is logged in, he or she is taken to the choose a promotions screen 322 where the user chooses from the three promotion options: promotion wizard, my favorite promotions, and build a custom promotion. In the present scenario the user selects the build a custom promotion option. This option allows the user to build his or her own promotions. This option may be beneficial to advanced users.

After selecting the custom promotions option, the user is taken to a select criteria screen 340 (or target prospects screen 340) that includes a list of criteria that can be used to analyze the user's customer database. The list of criteria is included in a set of criteria links 342 that allow the user to add criteria to the promotion. By way of example, the list of criteria may include one or more of the following criteria: customer information including age, zip code, city, income, number of dependents, auto club membership, county, state, area code, telephone number prefix, income level, etc., and vehicle information including make, model, year, date of last service, mileage, value, etc. When the user clicks on a link to one of these criteria (i.e., one of the criteria links 342), he or she is taken to a criteria entry page 344 on which he or she enters values for the selected criteria. In the illustrated example the selected criteria is zip code.

The list of criteria may include many different types of parameters. For example, the select criteria feature may allow the user to perform summary level analysis on his or her customer database to isolate parameters such as automobile year, make and mileage, pending lease terminations, and warranty expiration date. An automobile dealer can profile potential new or used vehicle purchase prospects, upcoming vehicle service candidates, F&I prospects, and even parts and accessories customers. Using a specific set of these parameters, the user can create a targeted direct marketing promotion with increased likelihood of an improved response rate from those customers.

The criteria entry page 344 includes a cancel link 346 and a save link 348. The cancel and save links 346, 348 return the user to the select criteria screen 340 (target prospects screen) after canceling or saving the results. In other words, when the user clicks on the save link 348, he or she is taken back to the select criteria screen 340. The user can then add additional criteria as he or she desires.

When the user has finished adding criteria using screens 340, 344, he or she clicks on the save button 348 and is taken to a review results screen 350. A target other customers link 352 allows the user to return to targeting customers. A back button 354 serves as a simple navigation tool to move backwards through the promotions process. From the review results screen 350, the user can return to the list of prospecting methods or continue to the choose advertising screen 338.

Data analysis is then performed on data in the database 101 using the selected criteria. The database 101 can include the user's own customer data, and the analysis can be limited to the user's own customer data if the user chooses. The existing customer records in the database 101 may be complemented with demographical data attributes. Additional customer lists by dealership may also be imported for use in the data analysis. This analysis searches the database 101 to identify potential customers that meet the specified criteria. The potential customers that the system 100 determines meet the specified criteria form a list of prospects (or a list of target customers) .

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary process flow for implementing the instant promotions feature 302, the favorite promotions feature 304, the custom promotions feature 306, and the data analysis or target prospects function 360. The process begins in step 321. In step 323 the user decides whether or not he or she wants to build a custom promotion. If so, then the system 100 receives the user's selection of search criteria in step 325 and the user provided values for the selected criteria in step 327. If the user does not want to build a custom promotion, then in step 329 the user decides whether or not he or she wants to use the promotion wizard (or instant promotions feature) . If so, then the system 100 proceeds to "instant promotions" and receives the user's selection of an "instant" (or "canned") promotion in step 331. The "instant" promotions include predefined search criteria and values. If the user does not want to use the promotion wizard, then the system 100 proceeds to "my favorite promotions" and receives the user' s selection of a previously run promotion in step 333. The previously run promotions also include predefined search criteria and values.

All three promotions options lead to step 335 where the user is given the opportunity to decide whether or not he or she wants to have one or more third-party lists overlaid onto the database 101. If so, then the system obtains the one or more third-party lists and overlays them onto the database 101 in step 337. In step 339 the system 100 performs the data analysis (or target prospects function 360) by searching the database 101, as well as any overlaid third-party lists, to identify people and/or vehicles that meet the values for the search criteria. The values for the search criteria includes the values specified by the user in step 327 for the custom promotions option, or the values that are predefined by the "instant" promotion for the promotion wizard option, or the values that were used by the previously run promotion in the "my favorite promotions" option. The resulting people and/or vehicles that meet the values for the search criteria form the list of prospects. For example, if the search criteria consists of zip code and age, and the specified value for the zip code is 92130 and for the age is 30 and over, the generated lists of prospects will include all names of people in the database 101 (and any overlaid third-party lists) who live in zip code 92130 and are age 30 and over. In this way, a user (such as an automotive dealer) is able to use the data analysis feature to "slice and dice" the data in the database 101 and any overlaid third-party demographic lists. As mentioned elsewhere herein, the database 101 may include the user's own previously uploaded customer data. The data analysis feature may be limited to this data if the user so chooses .

Therefore, by using the promotion wizard 302, the favorite promotions feature 304, and/or the build a custom promotion feature 306, along with the target prospects function 360, the user can perform data analysis to develop target profiles to identify customer opportunities within their customer/vehicle database based on specifying criteria. As an optional feature, the user may be given a chance to modify the promotions in a modify promotion page.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the target profiles are developed based on data stored in the database 101 of the system 100. The database 101 may include some of the user's own data. Specifically, during the registration process the user has the option of uploading his or her customer databases to the system 100 to be stored in the database 101. It should be understood, however, that other databases may be utilized by the system 100 in addition to the database 101. For example, as mentioned above, third-party demographic lists may be overlaid onto the database 101 to add value to the user's database, or the user's customer names may be cross-referenced with others in the geography based on third-party lists. In this way the user's customer data may be augmented with outside data which gives the user a larger customer base with which the user can do segmentation. By way of example, such third party lists may be obtained from PrecisionLists.com of San Diego, California (www.precisionlists.com) and/or Experian

Information Solutions, Inc. of Orange, California. It should be understood, however, that such third party lists may be obtained from many different sources.

By way of example, all or part of the database 101 may comprise a database of the type maintained by Newgen Results Corporation of San Diego, California. Newgen is the leading provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that combines expertise in database marketing and customer retention with an in- depth knowledge of dealership operations to deliver highly targeted and customized solutions to the automotive community. Newgen currently maintains a database of 55 million vehicles and consumer profiles on behalf of 5,500 automotive dealerships nationwide and maintains relationships with leading automotive companies .

After creating a target profile the user is taken to the choose (or create or select) advertising page 338. Here the user can choose the type of advertising to use for the promotion, i.e., perform steps 311, 313, 315. The different types of advertising may include, but are not limited to, surveys, coupons, e- mails, telemarketing campaigns, letters, etc. Thus, as part of the choose advertisement method page 338, the web site 102 may include a survey page(s) , a coupon design page(s), an e-mail design page(s), a telemarketing design page(s), and/or a letter design page(s).

Referring to FIG. 9, there is illustrated an exemplary advertisement creation/selection process 400 in accordance with the present invention. The process 400 is one exemplary process that can be used to implement steps 311, 313, 315 described above, as well as the choose advertisement method feature 338 and the customize feature 362. Furthermore, the process 400 may be used to implement an e-mail design page, a telemarketing design page, and a letter design page. The process 400 can be used to create and select promotional layout and content. The process 400 begins in step 402. In steps 404, 406, 408 determinations are made as to the type of advertisement, i.e., whether the user wishes to target customers via mail, e-mail, or telephone, respectively. While mail, e-mail, and telephone are the only advertising options shown in the process 400, it should be well understood that the present invention is not limited to these types of advertisements. Additional types of advertisements may also be included in the process 400.

If the user wishes to target customers via mail, the system 100 assists the user in creating a mailer beginning in step 410. The user has several options for creating a mailer. By way of the example, the mailer can be either a letter, postcard, flyer, or coupons. The user can have the system 100 automatically create a mailer in step 412. The user can either accept the automatically created mailer and go on to step 406, or the user can proceed to step 414 to edit or modify the automatically created mailer. Alternatively, the user can proceed directly to step 414 to create his or her own mailer. In step 414 the user can select and/or edit layouts for the mailer, in step 416 the user can select and/or edit copy for the mailer, and in step 418 the user can select and/or edit text for the mailer. This allows the user to define the text to be used for the promotion.

Similarly, if the user wishes to target customers via e-mail, the system 100 assists the user in creating an e-mail beginning in step 420. By way of example, the e-mail can be either a letter style e-mail, postcard style e-mail, or coupon style e-mail. The user can have the system 100 automatically create an e-mail message in step 422. The user can either accept the automatically created e-mail message or edit or modify it in step 424. Alternatively, the user can proceed directly to step 424 to create his or her own e-mail by selecting and/or editing copy for the e-mail.

Finally, if the user wishes to target customers via telephone, the system 100 assists the user in creating a telemarketing campaign beginning in step 426. The user can have the system 100 automatically create a telemarketing script in step 428. The user can either accept the automatically created telemarketing script or edit or modify it in step 430. Alternatively, the user can proceed directly to step 430 to create his or her own telemarketing script by selecting and/or editing script. Thus, the user can even design and initiate a telemarketing campaign using the system 100. The process 400 ends in step 432. With respect to steps 412, 422, 428 where the system 100 automatically creates a mailer, an e-mail, and a telemarketing script, respectively, the system 100 preferably includes a pre-established library of standard promotion and advertisement prototypes and canned promotion and advertisement examples from which the user can select. The user is preferably given the option to either accept these canned promotions/advertisements or to further customize them.

With respect to steps 414, ^'416, 418, 424, 430 where the user can select and/or edit the advertisements, the system 100 preferably provides graphical templates so the user can create customized promotional mailings such as postcards, letters, e-mails, coupons, and/or surveys to be sent to the targeted customer list. The user is preferably able to access and use a "clip-art" library in the system 100 including OEM logos as part of the creative design process, as well as select the promotion media for executing the campaign from letters, coupons, postcards, e-mails, surveys, brochures and/or outbound calls. Furthermore, the system 100 preferably allows the user to design the layout, narrative and graphics online for any media promotions and to design the outbound telemarketing scripts for a telephone promotion. If surveys are provided as one type of promotion, they may be designed in cooperation with a company specializing in surveys, but this is optional and is not required. By way of example, one such company specializing in surveys is Zoomerang . Com of Sausalito, California (www.zoomerang.com). The survey option normally uses a data exchange regarding the customer target group information with the survey company. The system 100 can give the survey company access to managing any survey based e-mail promotions similar to the manner in which the system 100 coordinates with the system/facility 110.

Once the user creates a promotion, the promotion can be stored in the system 100 so that the user can select from his or her own library of previously created promotions. Furthermore, the promotions tool can also incorporate any user provided artwork or previous promotions .

After the user creates a specific promotion and designs the materials, but prior to proceeding with the promotion, the system 100 preferably allows the user to review the completed advertisement. If the user wishes to edit a portion of the advertisement, the user can return to layout or text editing for the revisions. The system 100 also preferably allows the user to test the promotion scenario's execution costs and make adjustments to the targeted customer parameter or to the promotional materials to insure the costs meet budget constraints. More specifically, the system 100 preferably allows the user to preview a campaign's performance online and generate learning from past promotions. Furthermore, the system 100 preferably allows the user to dynamically view the number of target prospects, price per piece, and promotion total price throughout the campaign development process . Referring again to FIGS. 3A and 3B, after the user creates a promotion and designs the advertisement, the user preferably enters a place order page 374. Here the user can place the order for the promotion and arrange for payment (if any) and a receipt. Pricing, if any, for use of the system 100 may be based on a combination of subscriptions and/or payment for services rendered. By way of example, such a subscription fee for the system 100 vortal may be on the order of $199 per month per dealer location, but this just an example and is certainly not a requirement. This could provide the dealer with unlimited use of the promotions tool set and allow them to test an unlimited number of promotional approaches to their customers. Payment for fulfillment services may be based on the type of document (letter, glossy, coupon, survey, email) and the way the fulfillment is completed (US mail or other carrier, email, or telephone) . By way of further example, there may be no fee for general access to the system 100 's website . Such free access may provide marketing training materials & examples, links to industry information and partners, and other information appropriate to present the system 100 as the industry's source of one-to-one marketing. Referring to FIG. 10, there is illustrated exemplary web pages that may be used to implement the place order page 374 and to arrange for payment and a receipt, as well as implement step 317 described above. Specifically, the illustrated pages may be used to submit billing information for the order and view the receipt. The user starts on a payment page 372 where his or her payment information is preferably automatically pre- populated in a payment form 378. The user may pay for the campaigns through secure credit card ^• transactions or post receivable to an account held by the administrators of the system 100. After making any necessary changes, the user clicks on the next button and is taken to the place order page 374. This page allows the user one last opportunity to back out of the process before placing an order. An order confirmation 380 (or recap) is display. After clicking on the place order button, the order is sent to the appropriate destination for fulfillment. The user sees the receipt page 376 from which he or she can create another promotion, go to my page 180, or logout by clicking on one of the links 382. The system 100 preferably includes a feature whereby the user can confirm order receipt and track promotion status.

After the place order process 374 the system 100 performs the order fulfillment process, which is indicated by step 319 described above. As mentioned above, a separate system 110 may be used by the system 100 to coordinate the fulfillment (e.g., printing and mailing) of any direct mail promotions, provide telemarketing services, Internet based services, or telephone follow-up support to assist in making each promotion a success. By way of example, the separate system 110 may be maintained by a strategic partner of the administrators of the system 100. This way, the strategic partner can fulfill the promotion and track its success .

The system 100 can also be used to implement an "agency" for its users. For example, in the automotive dealer scenario, this agency approach may involve the creation of popular promotions for new car sales and leasing, used car sales, F&I, accessories, parts and service conquest. The system 100 can be used to send these pre-configured promotions to the dealer via e-mail. The system 100 can then send follow-up e-mails and coordinate phone calls to confirm that the appropriate dealer contact has received the promotion, realizes the value of the promotion, and authorizes the fulfillment of the promotion. The system 100 can be used to fulfill the promotion and monitor the results and report those results back to the dealership over, for example, a 14 to 60 day period.

The system 100 preferably also provides Return On Investment (ROI) information. This gives users a basis for making informed decisions regarding marketing.

The pages indicated by designator 137 in FIG. 3A are preferably a secured area of the web site 102 that require login. Specifically, a user must preferably subscribe to the system 100 prior to being permitted access to my page 180 and associated pages 182, 184, 186, 131, 133, 135, the promotions tool 300 and associated pages 302, 304, 306, 360, 338, 362, 374, and the analysis page 197 and associated page 199. All other pages in the web site 102 preferably do not require login. This security scheme, however, is not required.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary architecture for the system 100. This architecture includes a database, processing system, and means for connecting to a computer network (e.g., the Internet) that may be used to implement the present invention. It should be well understood that this is simply one example of an architecture and hardware that may be used to implement the system 100 and that many other types of architectures, hardware devices and processing systems may be used in accordance with the present invention.

The indication herein of specific hardware devices that can be used to practice the invention are merely examples for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. The illustrated architecture provides a very scalable and reliable platform on which the system 100 can grow. The architecture provides high availability and no single points of failure. In general, the architecture is modular in nature and accounts for redundancy in every part of the system to provide for uninterrupted service. Functional layers have been separated where possible. For example, the web servers reside in a network 500 that is separate from the network 502 having the application servers and database. This keeps network traffic to a minimum, while maximizing throughput and availability.

A firewall 508 is preferably placed at the connection to the web hosting facilities. By way of example, the firewall 508 may comprise a Cisco PIX

Cluster available from Cisco Systems, Inc. of San Jose, California. A set of switches 506 are preferably used to define a separate network for a set of load balancers 510. By way of example, the switches 506 may comprise Clustered Cisco Catalyst 2924XL Switches and the load balancers 510 may comprise F5 BIG/ip HA Cluster.

The network 500 may be defined by a set of switches 512, which by way of example may comprise Clustered Cisco Catalyst 2924XL Switches. The network 500 includes the web server hardware 504. With respect to the web server hardware 504, multiple Compaq DL380 and/or DL360 servers may be used for this layer. By way of example, Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0 (IIS) or later in conjunction with Microsoft Transaction Server 2.0 (MTS) or later may be used for all web servers in this architecture. IIS is a very stable, high- performance web server that has been deployed multiple times with the other software components in this architecture. IIS has also been proven to integrate and function extremely well when combined with the Windows Load Balancing Services (WLBS) . Windows NT 4.0 Enterprise Edition may be used as the primary software platform for the web servers. NT can be quickly configured to accept other software items and is proven as a stable platform for web servers. Preferably, the architecture includes a minimum of two web servers, one on each physical server, which ensures redundancy and increases the load that can be efficiently processed and maintained.

The network 502 may be defined by a set of switches 526, which by way of example may comprise Clustered Cisco Catalyst 2924XL Switches. The network 502 includes the application server hardware 520 and the database hardware 514, 516. By way of example, the application server hardware 520 may comprise two Compaq 640OR servers and the following components may be used for enabling the application server layer. Specifically, Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) is a standards-based, scalable, high-performance application engine that provides the system developer and application developer with all the benefits of a component -based transaction processing system for developing, deploying, and managing high-performing, scalable, and robust enterprise, Internet, and intranet server applications. Microsoft

SiteServer may be also used and includes the features of application staging and automated release and deployment features including rollback option for undesired releases, catalog based search functionality, a fully integrated payment pipeline to execute online payments, and a powerful rule-driven personalization platform that uses business rules to target specific content to a particular user or group of users. Microsoft Exchange can be used to enable e-mail fulfillment processes. By way of example, CyberCash may be used to facilitate the online payment authorization process. Finally, Windows NT 4.0 Enterprise Edition may be used as the primary software platform for the application servers. The application layer services preferably do not run on the same physical servers as the web servers, but in other embodiments of the present invention the application layer services may be run on the same physical servers as the web servers . By way of example, two Compaq Proliant 8500

Servers 514 may be used as the platform for the database server, and the primary storage mechanism 516 for the database may be an attached Compaq ESA 12000 disk array. It should be understood, however, that the various databases described herein may be stored in one storage device or distributed across several storage devices. The database server preferably acts as the primary storage mechanism for all data-related features in the system 100. As mentioned above, Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 RDBMS may be used for the database for this architecture. Whenever possible, data is preferably stored in SQL Server. Also, data processing functions like sorting, indexing, calculations, etc., are preferably processed at the database layer. In addition, the database server preferably stores any of the logo and promotion document files.

As discussed above, the fulfillment of direct mail promotions may be handled by a separate system 110. It is preferable to use a dedicated link, preferably a Tl connection, between the system 100 and the separate system 110. This approach is recommended over using standard Internet connection access in order to maintain tight integration to ensure a seamless fulfillment process once an order has been placed on the system 100 's web site 102.

The acceptance of payment through the web site 102 is preferably performed with a direct link with the acting merchant account bank. The setup could be a simple 56kb dedicated modem link, for example. FIGS. 12-39 are screen shots of exemplary web pages that may be used for implementing the above- described features of the promotions tool.

Specifically, FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the choose a promotion function. For example, the user can run the custom promotions feature 306 by checking "custom promotions" . FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the select a category feature for a promotion. FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the select a data source feature for a promotion. FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate exemplary web pages that may be used for implementing the define the prospect (or search) criteria feature for the custom promotions feature 306. FIG. 17 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the gather criteria values feature for the custom promotions feature 306.

FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the review prospects feature of a promotion (i.e., review search results and list of prospects) . FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the choose advertising method (or type of advertising) feature for a promotion. F-IG. 20 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the select letter layout feature for a promotion. FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the select letter content feature for a promotion. FIG. 22 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the preview letter feature for a promotion. FIG. 23 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the choose campaign options feature (method of delivery) for a promotion. FIG. 24 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the arrange payment or billing feature for a promotion. FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the place order feature for a promotion. FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the instant promotions feature 302. FIG. 27 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the favorite promotions feature 304. FIGS. 28, 29, and 30 illustrate alternative exemplary web pages that may be used for implementing the custom promotion function 306 (or build a custom promotion function) .

FIG. 31 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the create/select advertisement function. FIG. 32 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the direct- mail options in the create/select advertisement function. FIG. 33 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the e-mail options in the create/select advertisement function. FIG. 34 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing both the direct-mail layout options in the create/select advertisement function and the e-mail layout options in the create/select advertisement function. FIG. 35 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the direct-mail text options in the create/select advertisement function. FIG. 36 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the direct-mail review options in the create/select advertisement function. FIG. 37 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the e-mail text (script) options in the create/select advertisement function (the web page in FIG. 34 may be used for implementing the e-mail layout options) . FIG. 38 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the e-mail review options in the create/select advertisement function. FIG. 39 illustrates an exemplary web page that may be used for implementing the telephone text (script) options in the create/select advertisement function.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by the specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method of creating targeted marketing promotions, comprising the steps of: sending a first set of one or more communications through a computer network to a client computer, the first set of one or more communications including a request for customer targeting information; receiving a first set of one or more responses to the first set of one or more communications from the client computer through the computer network; analyzing data in a database based on the first set of one or more responses to develop a list of prospects; sending a second set of one or more communications through the computer network to the client computer, the second set of one or more communications including a request for advertisement information; receiving a second set of one or more responses to the second set of one or more communications from the client computer through the computer network; and generating a design for an advertisement based on the second set of one or more responses.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of: sending instructions to a system configured to generate advertisements having the design and to direct the advertisements to the list of prospects.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of: generating advertisements having the design; and directing the advertisements to the list of prospects .

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the request for customer targeting information comprises a request to select a pre-defined customer targeting method.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the request for customer targeting information comprises: a request to select customer targeting criteria.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the request for customer targeting information comprises: a request to input customer targeting criteria.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the request for advertisement information comprises: a request to select a type of advertisement.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the request for advertisement information comprises: a request to indicate a type of layout for an advertisement .

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the request for advertisement information comprises: a request to indicate text for an advertisement .

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of: uploading customer information to the database through the computer network.

11. A system for creating targeted marketing promotions, comprising: a database configured to store information for targeting potential customers; means for providing a connection to a computer network; and a processing system configured to send a first set of one or more communications through the computer network to a client computer with the first set of one or more communications including a request for customer targeting information, receive a first set of one or more responses to the first set of one or more communications from the client computer through the computer network, analyze data in the database based on the first set of one or more responses to develop a list of prospects, send a second set of one or more communications through the computer network to the client computer with the second set of one or more communications including a request for advertisement information, receive a second set of one or more responses to the second set of one or more communications from the client computer through the computer network, and generate a design for an advertisement based on the second set of one or more responses .

12. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the processing system is further configured to send instructions to a system configured to generate advertisements having the design and to direct the advertisements to the list of prospects.

13. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the processing system is further configured to generate advertisements having the design and direct the advertisements to the list of prospects.

14. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the request for customer targeting information comprises a request to select a pre-defined customer targeting method.

15. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the request for customer targeting information comprises a request to select customer targeting criteria.

16. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the request for customer targeting information comprises a request to input customer targeting criteria.

17. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the request for advertisement information comprises a request to select a type of advertisement.

18. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the request for advertisement information comprises a request to indicate a type of layout for an advertisement .

19. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the request for advertisement information comprises a request to indicate text for an advertisement.

20. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the processing system is further configured to upload customer information to the database through the computer network.