System and method for targeting users for content delivery

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for targeting users for content provision. In one method, the method receives at a server, one or more content objects and one or more ZIP+4 codes as targeting parameters for the one or more content objects. The method retrieves personal information of a plurality of users. The method then identifies one or more of the plurality of users located in geographic areas corresponding to the one or more ZIP+4 codes based, at least in part, on the personal information. Subsequently, the method targets a content object of the one or more content objects to the one or more of the plurality of users based on the identified geographic areas of the users and the ZIP+4 codes associated with corresponding ones of the one or more content objects.

1 . A system comprising:
 a network addressable content targeting module;   a user information database in communication with the module; and   a network interface in communication with the module, providing access to a network;   wherein the module is configured to:
 receive one or more content objects; 
 receive one or more targeting criteria; 
 send the one or more targeting criteria to an information furnisher via the network interface; 
 responsive to sending the one or more targeting criteria, receive via the network interface one or more ZIP+4 codes corresponding to the targeting criteria; 
 retrieve, from the user information database, personal information of a plurality of users; 
 identify one or more of the plurality of users located in geographic areas corresponding to the one or more ZIP+4 codes based, at least in part, on the personal information; 
 compile a target user list using the personal information and based on the one or more ZIP+4 codes; wherein the target user list comprises user identifiers of the one or more users; and 
 associate the target user list with the one or more content objects by mapping the content objects to the user identifiers of the one or more users. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user identifier is one of an email address, a username, a screen name, a user identity (ID) an open ID Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and an alias name. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the content object is one of an image, text, a video, a sound clip, an animated graphics interchange format (GIF) object, a flash object, a web page and a URL. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network addressable content targeting module is further configured to present the one or more content objects to the users comprised in the target user list based on the association of the target user list with the one or more content objects. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more ZIP+4 codes comprise at least a minimum number of individuals satisfying the one or more targeting criteria. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the network addressable content targeting module is further configured to:
 receive an indication of the minimum number of individuals required to satisfy the one or more targeting criteria in each of the one or more ZIP+4 codes; and   send the indication to the information furnisher.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the targeting criteria is one or more of demographic criteria, psychographic criteria, behavioral criteria and geographic criteria. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a network addressable content targeting module, one or more content objects and one or more targeting criteria;   sending the one or more targeting criteria to an information furnisher via a network interface;   receiving, via the network interface, responsive to sending the one or more targeting criteria, one or more ZIP+4 codes corresponding to the targeting criteria;   retrieving, from a user information database, personal information of a plurality of users;   identifying one or more of the plurality of users located in geographic areas corresponding to the one or more ZIP+4 codes based, at least in part, on the personal information;   compiling a target user list using the personal information and based on the one or more ZIP+4 codes; wherein the target user list comprises user identifiers of the one or more users; and   associating the target user list with the one or more content objects by mapping the content objects to the user identifiers of the one or more users.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the user identifier is one of an email address, a username, a screen name, a user identity (ID), an open ID Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and an alias name. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the content object is one of an image, text, a video, a sound clip, an animated graphics interchange format (GIF) object, a flash object, a web page and a URL. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising presenting the one or more content objects to the users comprised in the target user list based on the association of the target user list with the one or more content objects. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each of the one or more ZIP+4 codes comprise at least a minimum number of individuals satisfying the one or more targeting criteria. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 receiving, at the network addressable content targeting module, an indication of the minimum number of individuals required to satisfy the one or more targeting criteria in each of the one or more ZIP+4 codes; and 
 sending the indication to the information furnisher. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the targeting criteria is one or more of demographic criteria, psychographic criteria, behavioral criteria and geographic criteria. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein mapping the content objects to the user identifiers of the one or more users is based on a commonality between the one or more ZIP+4 codes as targeting parameters and one or more ZIP+4 codes associated with the geographic areas of users. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising selecting the content objects based on a context of the content objects indicated by metadata associated with the content objects and context of a web page requested by the user. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:
 receive one or more content objects;   receive one or more targeting criteria;   send the one or more targeting criteria to an information furnisher;   responsive to sending the one or more targeting criteria, receive one or more ZIP+4 codes corresponding to the targeting criteria;   retrieve, from a database, personal information of a plurality of users;   identify one or more of the plurality of users located in geographic areas corresponding to the one or more ZIP+4 codes based, at least in part, on the personal information;   compile a target user list using the personal information and based on the one or more ZIP+4 codes; wherein the target user list comprises user identifiers of the one or more users; and   associate the target user list with the one or more content objects by mapping the content objects to the user identifiers of the one or more users.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the user identifier is one of an email address, a username, a screen name, a user identity (ID), an open ID Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and an alias name. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the content object is one of an image, text, a video, a sound clip, an animated graphics interchange format (GIF) object, a flash object, a web page and a URL. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17  further comprising computer-executable instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to present the one or more content objects to the users comprised in the target user list based on the association of the target user list with the one or more content objects.