Campaign management in multiple communication channels

A system for managing a marketing campaign, the system comprising:

• program instructions comprising a communication module stored in computer-readable medium that, when executed by a processor, is capable of executing a first campaign step of a first marketing campaign, the first campaign step being directed at a plurality of customers, the communication module being capable of handling a response to the first campaign step from a first customer of the plurality of customers received through any of a plurality of communication channels, the plurality of communication channels including at least mail, a public computer network, fax and email, wherein an identifier is determined for the first marketing campaign, the identifier applying to the first marketing campaign with regard to each of the plurality of customers, the identifier for the first marketing campaign encoded in an order number to be included in the first campaign step, the order number included in the first campaign step such that the identifier can be detected in the response by the first customer of the plurality of customers to the first campaign step, in which response the first customer places an order corresponding to the order number, the order number being unique to the first customer of the plurality of customers that is targeted by the first campaign step, the response including the order number encoded with the identifier for the first marketing campaign, the order number indicating that the response is received from the first customer and that the response pertains to the first marketing campaign, and wherein from the received response the identifier encoded in the order number is detected in the order number that is included in the first customer's response and the detected identifier is used in matching the response with the first marketing campaign;
• program instructions comprising an object generation module stored in computer-readable medium that, when executed by a processor, is capable of generating and storing in a memory a first object that represents the first customer's order in response to the first campaign step and contains information from the first customer's response to the first campaign step;
• and
• program instructions comprising a campaign management module stored in computer-readable medium that, when executed by a processor, instructs the communication module to execute the first step of the marketing campaign, wherein the communication module instructs the object generation module to generate and store in the memory the first object that represents the first customer's response to the first campaign step, wherein the object generation module uses the information in the first object to match the first object with the first marketing campaign and wherein the campaign management module receives the first object from the object generation module
• wherein the system services the first customer's order using the order number.

Computer-readable medium with program instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor perform the following functions for managing a marketing campaign:

• determines an identifier for a first marketing campaign;
• performs a first campaign step of the first marketing campaign, the first campaign step being directed at a plurality of customers, the identifier applying to the first marketing campaign with regard to each of the plurality of customers;
• encodes the identifier for the first marketing campaign in an order number to be included in the first campaign step, the order number being unique to a first customer of the plurality of customers that is targeted by the first campaign step;
• includes the order number in the first campaign step such that the identifier can be detected in a response by the first customer to the first campaign step, in which response the first customer places an order corresponding to the order number;
• provides that the response to the first campaign step from the first customer can be received through any of a plurality of communication channels, the plurality of communication channels including at least, mail, a public computer network, fax and electronic mail;
• receives the response to the first campaign step from the first customer through one of the communication channels, wherein the response includes the order number encoded with the identifier for the first marketing campaign, the order number indicating that the response is received from the first customer and that the response pertains to the first marketing campaign;
• detects from the received response the identifier encoded in the order number that is included in the first customer's response;
• uses the detected identifier in matching the response with the first marketing campaign;
• generates and stores in a computer memory a first object that represents the first customer's order in response to the first campaign step and contains information from the response;
• services the first customer's order using the order number;
• and
• uses the information in the first object to match the first object with the first marketing campaign.