Promotion Using Geopositioning Technology

Abstract

Promotional items can be geocached at desired locations as part of a geocaching promotion in which geocachers attempt to locate the promotional items using clues, solving puzzles, or otherwise obtaining GPS coordinates and other information used to determine the geolocation of the geocached promotional items. Some or all of the information needed to identify the geolocation can be encoded into an electronic format and delivered directly to mobile devices including GPS receivers via radio broadcasts or the Internet. GPS coordinates can also be pre-loaded into mobile devices awarded to particular geocachers. Additionally, tracking devices can be attached to the promotional items to permit evaluation of the marketing effort.

1 . A method comprising:
 placing a promotional good in a geocache at a geolocation;   broadcasting information associated with the geolocation of the geocache via a radio station; and   determining an effectiveness of a marketing campaign based on information related to movement of the promotional good after the promotional good has been removed from the geocache.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 attaching tracking devices to a plurality of promotional goods;   geocaching the plurality of promotional goods, at least one of the plurality of promotional goods being geocached at the geolocation; and   tracking movements of the promotional goods using the tracking devices.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 at least one of the tracking devices is an RFID transmitter, and tracking movements comprises obtaining information from an RFID reader indicating that one or more promotional goods have passed within range of the RFID reader.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving computer readable information transferred from at least one of the tracking devices via a communication network.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting a geolocation at which to geocache the promotional items based on anticipated sales of a product offered for sale at the selected geolocation.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining an effectiveness further comprises:
 determining a number of promotional goods that travel back to a store after being removed from the geocache.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 limiting an area in which the information is broadcast by utilizing circle of influence information to match a geocacher's location with a general area of the marketing campaign.   
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 broadcasting, over a radio broadcast station, information related to at least one geolocation of a plurality of promotional items placed in at least one geocache;   collecting, in a database, information related to movement of promotional items removed from the geocache;   determining, using a processor coupled to the database, an effectiveness of a marketing campaign based on the information related to movement of the plurality of promotional items removed from the geocache.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 attaching tracking devices to the plurality of promotional items; and   tracking movements of the promotional goods using the tracking devices.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 at least one of the tracking devices is an RFID transmitter, and   tracking movements comprises obtaining information from an RFID reader indicating that one or more promotional items have passed within range of the RFID reader.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving computer readable information transferred from at least one of the tracking devices via a communication network.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 selecting a geolocation at which to geocache the promotional items based on anticipated sales of a product offered for sale at the selected geolocation.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the determining comprises:
 generating an estimate, based on the information related to movement of promotional items removed from the geocache, a number of geocachers within a geographic area associated with a sponsor who listen to the radio broadcast station.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the broadcasting is limited based on circle of influence information associated with at least one geocacher. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a processor;   memory operably associated with the processor;   a program of instructions configured to be stored in the memory and executed by the processor, the program of instructions comprising:   at least one instruction to collect information related to movement of promotional items removed from a geocache, the promotional items having been previously placed in the geocache as part of a marketing campaign, and information related to a geolocation of the geocache has been broadcast; and   at least one instruction to determine an effectiveness of the marketing campaign based on the information related to movement of the plurality of promotional items removed from the geocache.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 at least one instruction to track movements of the promotional goods using tracking devices attached to the promotional items.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein:
 at least one of the tracking devices is an RFID transmitter, and   the at least one instruction to track movements comprises at least one instruction to obtain information from an RFID, the information from the RFID reader indicating that one or more promotional items have passed within range of the RFID reader.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 at least one instruction to receive computer readable information transferred from at least one of the tracking devices via a communication network.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the geolocation at which the promotional items are geocached is selected based on anticipated sales of a product offered for sale at the selected geolocation. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one instruction to determine comprises:
 at least one instruction to generate an estimate of a number of geocachers within a geographic area associated with a sponsor who listen to the radio broadcast station, wherein the estimate is based on the information related to movement of promotional items removed from the geocache,