Generating a score for a coupon campaign

Abstract

Techniques are provided for generating, by a coupon distributor, a score that represents a quality of a coupon campaign that a coupon provider offers to the coupon distributor. The score may be generated based on the brand of the product, the product category to which the product belongs, the coupon value, and the percentage discount reflected by the coupon. One or more of these factors may be based on historical data that indicates the success (or failure) of previous coupon campaigns (e.g., of the same product, brand, and/or product category, and/or similar coupon value). The coupon distributor uses the score to, e.g., determine whether to accept a proposed coupon campaign, project the number of prints/redemptions of the coupon campaign, determine how to present the coupon, determine an amount to charge for running the coupon campaign, and/or determine products or product categories of coupons to which the coupon distributor should seek.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 obtaining, by a computer, a plurality of attributes associated with a coupon campaign that has been offered to a coupon distributor by a coupon provider that is different than the coupon distributor and that provides a product or service to which a coupon of the coupon campaign pertains;   determining a plurality of values that correspond to the plurality of attributes; and   generating, by the coupon distributor, using the computer and based on the plurality of values, a score that represents a quality of the coupon campaign;   based on the score, determining at least one of:
 an amount for the coupon distributor to charge the coupon provider for running the coupon campaign, 
 an estimate of the number of prints or redemptions that might occur if the coupon distributor runs the coupon campaign, 
 how often to or how to present, to potential customers, the coupon of the coupon campaign, or 
 whether to distribute the coupon campaign to a second coupon distributor that is different than the coupon distributor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include one or more of a coupon value, a percentage discount represented by the coupon value, a brand of a product of the coupon campaign, or a product category to which the product belongs. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more prior coupon campaigns are:
 (a) for the same product as the product of the coupon campaign, or   (b) for one or more products that are different than the product for the coupon campaign and
 (1) belong to a particular product category to which the product for the coupon campaign also belongs, or 
 (2) that are of the same brand as a brand of the product for the coupon campaign. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining, determining, and generating are performed prior to the coupon distributor accepting the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising determining, by the coupon distributor, based on the score, whether to accept the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising, prior to accepting the coupon campaign:
 determining, based on the score, to modify one or more terms of the coupon campaign;   generating one or more modified values based on one or more values, of the plurality of values, that correspond to the one or more terms;   sending, to the coupon provider, the one or more modified values.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising, receiving, from the coupon provider, response data that indicates whether the coupon provider accepts the coupon distributor running the coupon campaign based on the one or more modified values. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising determining, based on the score, an amount for the coupon distributor to charge the coupon provider for running the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the amount to charge is a price per print, by a potential customer, of a coupon of the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on the score, an estimate of a number of prints or redemptions that might occur if the coupon distributor runs the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on the score, how often to or how to present, to potential customers, a coupon of the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on a plurality of scores, each of which is associated with a different coupon campaign of a plurality of coupon campaigns, which coupons to display on a web page. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, based on a plurality of scores, each of which is associated with a different coupon campaign of a plurality of coupon campaigns, one or more product categories;   identifying one or more coupon providers that provide coupons for one or more products that belong to the one or more product categories.   
     
     
         14 . One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
 obtaining a plurality of attributes associated with a coupon campaign that has been offered to a coupon distributor by a coupon provider that is different than the coupon distributor and that provides a product or service to which a coupon of the coupon campaign pertains;   determining a plurality of values that correspond to the plurality of attributes; and   generating, by the coupon distributor, based on the plurality of values, a score that represents a quality of the coupon campaign;   based on the score, determining at least one of:
 an amount for the coupon distributor to charge the coupon provider for running the coupon campaign, 
 an estimate of the number of prints or redemptions that might occur if the coupon distributor runs the coupon campaign, 
 how often to or how to present, to potential customers, the coupon of the coupon campaign, or 
 whether to distribute the coupon campaign to a second coupon distributor that is different than the coupon distributor. 
   
     
     
         15 . The one or more storage media of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of attributes of the coupon campaign include one or more of a coupon value, a percentage discount represented by the coupon value, a brand of a product of the coupon campaign, or a product category to which the product belongs. 
     
     
         16 . The one or more storage media of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more prior coupon campaigns are:
 (a) for the same product as the product of the coupon campaign, or   (b) for one or more products that are different than the product for the coupon campaign and
 (1) belong to a particular product category to which the product for the coupon campaign also belongs, or 
 (2) that are of the same brand as a brand of the product for the coupon campaign. 
   
     
     
         17 . The one or more storage media of  claim 14 , wherein the obtaining, determining, and generating are performed prior to the coupon distributor accepting the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more storage media of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause determining, by the coupon distributor, based on the score, whether to accept the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more storage media of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause, prior to accepting the coupon campaign:
 determining, based on the score, to modify one or more terms of the coupon campaign;   generating one or more modified values based on one or more values, of the plurality of values, that correspond to the one or more terms;   sending, to the coupon provider, the one or more modified values.   
     
     
         20 . The one or more storage media of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause, receiving, from the coupon provider, response data that indicates whether the coupon provider accepts the coupon distributor running the coupon campaign based on the one or more modified values. 
     
     
         21 . The one or more storage media of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause determining, based on the score, an amount for the coupon distributor to charge the coupon provider for running the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         22 . The one or more storage media of  claim 21 , wherein the amount to charge is a price per print, by a potential customer, of a coupon of the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         23 . The one or more storage media of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause determining, based on the score, an estimate of a number of prints or redemptions that might occur if the coupon distributor runs the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         24 . The one or more storage media of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause determining, based on the score, how often to or how to present, to potential customers, a coupon of the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         25 . The one or more storage media of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause determining, based on a plurality of scores, each of which is associated with a different coupon campaign of a plurality of coupon campaigns, which coupons to display on a web page. 
     
     
         26 . The one or more storage media of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause:
 determining, based on a plurality of scores, each of which is associated with a different coupon campaign of a plurality of coupon campaigns, one or more product categories;   identifying one or more coupon providers that provide coupons for one or more products that belong to the one or more product categories.   
     
     
         27 . A system comprising:
 a campaign data receiving unit that is configured to obtain a plurality of attributes associated with a coupon campaign that has been offered to a coupon distributor by a coupon provider that is different than the coupon distributor and that provides a product or service to which a coupon of the coupon campaign pertains;   wherein the campaign data receiving unit is further configured to determine a plurality of values that correspond to the plurality of attributes; and   an offer quality score (OQS) generation unit that is configured to generate, based on the plurality of values, a score that represents a quality of the coupon campaign;   logic that is configured to determine, based on the score, at least one of:
 an amount for the coupon distributor to charge the coupon provider for running the coupon campaign, 
 an estimate of the number of prints or redemptions that might occur if the coupon distributor runs the coupon campaign, 
 how often to or how to present, to potential customers, the coupon of the coupon campaign, or 
 whether to distribute the coupon campaign to a second coupon distributor that is different than the coupon distributor. 
   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the logic is configured to determine, based on the score, the amount for the coupon distributor to charge the coupon provider for running the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the logic is configured to determine, based on the score, the estimate of the number of prints or redemptions that might occur if the coupon distributor runs the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the logic is configured to determine, based on the score, how often to or how to present, to potential customers, the coupon of the coupon campaign. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the logic is configured to determine, based on the score, whether to distribute the coupon campaign to the second coupon distributor that is different than the coupon distributor.