Product marketing system and method

Abstract

Computer-implemented systems and method for generating personalized email communications soliciting orders of custom products. Product reorder candidates are identified from customer records and a personalized email order solicitation is sent to the customer. The email is adapted to display an image of the customer's previously designed custom product either exactly as originally designed or, if appropriate, as automatically updated prior to displaying to the user.

1 . A personalized electronic mail message addressed to an email address associated with a customer account from which one or more previously ordered customized products personalized with at least some customer information associated with the customer account were ordered, the personalized electronic mail message comprising:
 a unique product design identifier identifying a previously ordered customized product corresponding to the customer account associated with email address, such that upon receipt of the electronic mail message at an email capable device and opening of the electronic mail message by an email recipient operating the email capable device, the unique product design identifier is identified to a remote server such that the server identifies and returns an image of a personalized custom product personalized with at least some customer information associated with the customer account and the returned image is displayed on a display of the email capable device;   a promotional message soliciting a new order for the product; and   at least one link adapted to allow a user of the email capable device to indicate interest in placing an order.   
     
     
         2 . The personalized electronic mail message of  claim 1 , wherein the returned image comprises an image of a previously prepared personalized custom product retained by the server and associated with the customer account corresponding to the email address. 
     
     
         3 . The personalized electronic mail message of  claim 1 , wherein the previously prepared personalized custom product was previously ordered by a customer associated with the customer account corresponding to the email address. 
     
     
         4 . The personalized electronic mail message of  claim 1 , wherein the personalized electronic mail message comprises a placeholder image that is replaced by the returned image only if the personalized electronic mail message is opened. 
     
     
         5 . The personalized electronic mail message of  claim 1 , wherein the returned image comprises an image of a modified version of a previously prepared personalized custom product retained by, and modified by, the server and associated with the customer account corresponding to the email address. 
     
     
         6 . The personalized electronic mail message of  claim 5 , wherein the modified version comprises substitute image content replacing obsolete image content in the previously prepared personalized custom product. 
     
     
         7 . The personalized electronic mail message of  claim 5 , wherein the obsolete image content comprises time-sensitive image content. 
     
     
         8 . The personalized electronic mail message of  claim 1 , wherein the returned image comprises an image of a previously prepared personalized custom product, the image generated by the server upon identification by the server of the unique product design identifier, the unique product design identifier identifying component images, text, and customer information used in the generation of the returned image. 
     
     
         9 . The personalized electronic mail message of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one edit link which, when activated by a user, allows the user to edit a design associated with the returned image.   
     
     
         10 . The personalized electronic mail message of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 at least one order link which, when activated by a user, allows the user to place an order for one or more products implementing the edited design.   
     
     
         11 . The personalized electronic mail message of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one order link which, when activated by a user, allows the user to place an order for one or more products pictured in the returned image.   
     
     
         12 . One or more computers implementing a system for soliciting a new order for a product previously ordered by a customer, the system comprising
 computer readable memory retaining customer account information associated with the customer and comprising at least an email address associated with the customer, and a design of a product previously ordered by the customer, the retained design being associated with the customer account of the customer, and   one or more processors which, without customer request, sends an email to the email address associated with the customer account associated with the retained design, the email being adapted to display at least an image of a personalized custom product personalized with at least some customer information, a promotional message soliciting a new order for the product, and at least one link adapted to allow the recipient of the email to indicate interest in placing an order.   
     
     
         13 . The one or more computers of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the image of the personalized custom product comprises an image of a previously ordered custom product.   
     
     
         14 . The one or more computers of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the image of the personalized custom product is sent to the customer's computer only after the email has been opened.   
     
     
         15 . The one or more computers of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the one or more processors, without customer request, modify the design of the previously ordered product by replacing at least a portion of the product content with different content to create a modified version of a design of the previously ordered product and to generate the image of the personalized custom product.   
     
     
         16 . The one or more computers of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the design of the previously ordered product is modified only after the email has been opened.   
     
     
         17 . The one or more computers of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the email comprises a link which, when activated by a user, initiates an ordering process allowing the customer to order the product as displayed, and   the one or more processors responsive to user activation of the link to effect the ordering process and to receive an order for the product from the customer.   
     
     
         18 . The one or more computers of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the email comprises a link which, when activated by a user, initiates an edit process allowing the customer to edit the design of the product as displayed, and   the one or more processors responsive to user activation of the link to effect the edit process.   
     
     
         19 . The one or more computers of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the one or more processors estimate a time period when the customer will be interested in placing a new order for a previously ordered product and sending the email during that time period.   
     
     
         20 . The one or more computers of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the customer account includes information related to the previously ordered product and wherein the estimated time period is based on at least some information in the customer account.   
     
     
         21 . The one or more computers of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the computer readable memory retains individual customer account information for a plurality of customers, the individual customer account information associated with each respective customer comprising the customer account information specific to the respective customer; and   the one or more processors search the customer account information of at least a portion of the plurality of customers to identify one or more previously ordered products for which a new order will be solicited, and for each identified product from the one or more previously ordered products, sends an email to the email address associated with the customer account associated with the identified product, the email displaying at least an image of the identified product, a promotional message soliciting a new order for the identified product, and at least one link adapted to allow the customer to indicate interest in placing an order.   
     
     
         22 . The one or more computers of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the image of the personalized custom product is sent to the customer's computer only after the email has been opened.   
     
     
         23 . The one or more computers of  claim 21 , wherein:
 The one or more processors, without customer request, modify the design of the one or more identified products by replacing at least a portion of the product content with different content to create a modified version of the previously ordered product design to generate the image of the identified product.   
     
     
         24 . The one or more computers of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the design of the previously ordered product is modified only after the email has been opened.   
     
     
         25 . A computer-implemented method of soliciting a new order for a product previously ordered by a customer, the method comprising
 retaining customer account information associated with the customer, the account information including at least an email address associated with the customer,   retaining in electronic form a design of a product previously ordered by the customer, the retained design being associated with the customer account of the customer,   receiving from a remote client a unique product design identifier identifying a previously ordered customized product corresponding to a customer account associated with an email address,   identifying the previously ordered customized product based on the unique product design identifier,   obtaining an image of a personalized custom product personalized with at least some customer information associated with the customer account, and   sending the image to the remote client for display at the client.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , the unique product design identifier sent from the remote client only after the email has been opened at the client, and the image sent to the client displayed in the email at the client. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 upon identifying the previously ordered customized product, identifying any content in the design of the previously ordered customized product needs updating;   updating the identified content with substitute updated content to generate an updated custom product design; and   generating an image of the updated custom product design to generate the image of the personalized custom product.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , the unique product design identifier sent from the remote client only after the email has been opened at the client, and the image of the updated custom product design sent to the client displayed in the email at the client.