Method and system for dynamic textual ad distribution via email

Abstract

A system and method for providing dynamic pay-for-placement advertisements via graphics-enabled email that generates a display of advertisements when the email newsletter is opened so the advertisements displayed are based on rankings at the time the email is opened instead of when the email was generated and transmitted. In one embodiment, a graphical-content email having one or more embedded advertisement image references is provided to one or more email recipients. The advertisement image reference, in one embodiment, may include query string parameters indicating the context of the image reference and/or portion of the image reference (i.e., identifying the image reference as being part of a particular newsletter email), a position of the image reference in the email display, and the like. A URL reference also may be included with each advertisement image reference (.e.g., one URL for each advertisement portion of the image to be retrieved by the advertising image reference).

1 - 62 . (canceled) 
     
     
         63 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 generating, by one or more processors, an electronic message for sending to a user account, the electronic message including a network-based locator and computer instructions executed upon access of the electronic message by a client device associated with the user account, causing the client device to:
 automatically send to a content provider server a request for content including the network-based locator, 
 receive, from the content provider server, a content item responsive to the request for content, the content item identified by the content provider server based on the network-based locator at a time of receipt of the request for content, and 
 display the identified content item at a location in the electronic message specified by the computer code instructions; and 
   transmitting, by the one or more processors, the generated electronic message to the user account.   
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the network-based locator includes parameters indicative of a size and location of the content item. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the computer instructions of the electronic message remains unchanged after the electronic message is sent to the user account. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the content item is identified by the content provider server from a dynamically changing set of candidate content items at a time of receipt of the request for content. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the content provider server is configured to:
 maintain a dynamic ranking of the set of candidate content items; and   identify the one or more content items based on a raking of the set of candidate content items at the time of receipt of the request for content, maintaining a dynamic ranking of the set of candidate content items includes updating the dynamic ranking of the set of candidate content items responsive to updates to selection data used to rank the content items.   
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the content provider server is further configured to:
 identify, for the content item, a uniform resource locator (URL) of a landing page; and   upon the client device interacting with the content item, redirecting the client device to the landing page.   
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein the URL is identified from a dynamically changing set of URLs. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein the content provider server is further configured to:
 store a data structure indicative of an association between the content and the URL; and   provide the client device with an indication of the association, the indication of the association is sent by the client device to the content server upon the client device interacting with the content item.   
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the computer instructions of the electronic message define a layout for displaying a plurality of content items in the electronic message. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the request for content includes an indication of a context of the electronic message or a context of content requested via the request for content. 
     
     
         73 . A system comprising:
 a computer and a storage device storing instructions that are operable, when executed by a computers, to cause the computer to:
 generate an electronic message for sending to a user account, the electronic message including a network-based locator and computer instructions executed upon access of the electronic message by a client device associated with the user account causing the client device to:
 automatically send, to a content provider server, a request for content for presenting in the electronic message, the request for content including the network-based locator; 
 receive, from the content provider server, a content item responsive to the request for content, the content item identified by the content provider server based on the network-based locator at a time of receipt of the request for content, and 
 display the identified content items at a location in the electronic message specified by the computer code instruction; and 
 
   transmit the electronic message to the user account.   
     
     
         74 . The system of  claim 73 , wherein the network-based locator includes parameters indicative of a size and location of the content item. 
     
     
         75 . The system of  claim 73 , wherein the computer instructions of the electronic message remains unchanged after the electronic message is sent to the user account. 
     
     
         76 . The system of  claim 73 , wherein the content item is identified by the content provider server from a dynamically changing set of candidate content items at a time of receipt of the request for content. 
     
     
         77 . The system of  claim 76 , wherein the content provider server is configured to:
 maintain a dynamic ranking of the set of candidate content items; and   identify the one or more content items based on a raking of the set of candidate content items at the time of receipt of the request for content,   maintaining the dynamic ranking of the set of candidate content items includes updating the dynamic ranking of the set of candidate content items responsive to updates to selection data used to rank the content items.   
     
     
         78 . The system of  claim 73 , wherein the content provider server is further configured to:
 identify, for the content item, a uniform resource locator (URL) of a landing page; and   upon the client device interacting with the content item, redirect the client device to the landing page.   
     
     
         79 . The system of  claim 78 , wherein the URL is identified from a dynamically changing set of URLs. 
     
     
         80 . The system of  claim 78 , wherein the content provider server is further configured to:
 store a data structure indicative of an association between the content item and the URL; and   provide the client device with an indication of the association, the indication of the association is sent by the client device to the content server upon the client device interacting with the content item.   
     
     
         81 . The system of  claim 73 , wherein the computer instructions of the electronic message define a layout for displaying a plurality of content items in the electronic message. 
     
     
         82 . The system of  claim 73 , wherein the request for content includes an indication of a context of the electronic message or a context of content requested via the request for content.