Advertising system and method

A computer implemented advertising system including

• at least one consumer database electronically stored on a data storage device containing a plurality of consumer profiles with consumer preference identifying data,
• at least one brand database electronically stored on a data storage device containing details of brand clients, each having one or more branding parameters,
• at least one content database electronically stored on a data storage device containing a plurality of pieces of content provided by at least one content provider with each piece of content having one or more content profile identifiers,
• a content matching engine operating on a network of computers with access to the at least one electronically stored consumer, brand and content databases and which matches the branding parameters of the brand clients with one or more of pieces of content and with one or more of the consumer preference identifying data and provides the one or more pieces of content to one or more consumers upon a consumer request, with corresponding advertising from at least one brand client identifying the brand client to the consumer, based on at least the matching at no cost to the consumer whilst charging an advertising fee to the brand client and paying a content provision fee to the content provider, the brand client charged the advertising fee each time the at least one consumer selects content associated with the brand client, a portion of the advertising fee is paid to the content provider as a license fee for the content;
• wherein results of the matching are included on a results list presented to the at least one consumer in response to a search for content;
• wherein the results list includes a matched piece of content, and the matched piece of content is identified on the results list as associated with two or more different brand clients;
• wherein the content matching engine produces a results interface for presenting the results list to the at least one consumer;
• wherein the results interface prompts the consumer to select a selected brand client from the two or more different brand clients in the results list;
• and
• wherein the content matching engine provides to the consumer, based on a selection of the selected brand client received from the consumer, the matched piece of content that is identified as associated with the selected brand client;
• a communications system associated with one or more communications pathways to receive inbound requests from consumers and distribute content in electronic form to the consumer in response to a request.