# US 8,788,335 B2 · Content distribution system including cost-per-engagement based advertising

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- Number: US 8,788,335 B2
- Document ID: US8788335B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/893,766
- Filed: 2007-08-17
- Published: 2008-12-18
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2007-06-15
- Assignees: Social Mecca, Inc.
- Applicants: Robert Rose; Nichole Goodyear; Brian Douglas Derfer; Gina Paoni
- Inventors: Robert Rose; Nichole Goodyear; Brian Douglas Derfer; Gina Paoni
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788335B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- G06Q 30/0273: Determination of fees for advertising
- G06Q 30/0277: {Online advertisement}
- G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing
- G06Q 40/12: Accounting
- G07C 13/00: Voting apparatus
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

Content distribution systems that support Cost-Per-Engagement (CPE) based advertising are disclosed. One embodiment includes a server connected to a network and a plurality of user computers connected to the network. In addition, the server is configured to host an interactive web site that enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution of pieces of uploaded content, each user computer is configured to interact with the web site, the server is configured to track the number of pieces of content uploaded to the website in response to the online marketing campaign, the number of pieces of uploaded content distributed to user computers and the number of other interactions between the user computers and the website, and the server is configured to determine a cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign based upon at least the number of pieces of content uploaded to the website in response to the online marketing campaign, the number of pieces of uploaded content distributed to user computers and the number of other interactions between the user computers and the website.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An online content distribution system that hosts an online marketing campaign, comprising:
a server connected to a network; and
a plurality of use devices connected to the network;
wherein the server is configured to host an interactive web site that provides access to at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign;
wherein the interactive web site enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution of pieces of uploaded content;
wherein that at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is a piece of uploaded content;
wherein each user device is configured to interact with the interactive web site;
wherein the server is configured to track the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of other interactions that user devices have with the interactive web site;
wherein the number of other interactions that user devices have with the web site are selected from the group consisting of uploading a piece of content, voting for a piece of content, commenting on a piece of content, reviewing a piece of content, sharing a piece of content with a user device, and propagating a piece of content to a second web site distinct from the interactive web site; and
wherein the server is configured to determine a cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign based upon at least the number of times that at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of other interactions that user devices have with the web site;
the web site enables a user device to automatically propagate a piece of content to another web site; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is propagated to another web site.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the web site enables user devices to vote for a piece of content; and the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of votes cast from user devices with respect to the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the web site enables user devices to post comments with respect to a piece of content; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of comments posted from user devices with respect to the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein,
the website enables a first user device to be used to recommend a piece of content to a second device; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is recommended.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the user devices are configured to interact with pieces of content that have been automatically propagated to other websites;
the service is configured to track interactions between user devices and propagated pieces of content.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the web site includes a web page that enables a user device to mouse over a region of the web page to obtain additional information concerning a piece of content; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that additional information is obtained concerning the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the web site includes web pages that enable a user device to click on a region of the web page to access a piece of content.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the web site includes a web page that enables to user device to click on multiple regions of the web page to access a piece of content; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that each of the regions is clicked on to access the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the web site includes web pages that enable it user device to click on a region of the web page to play a piece of content; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is played.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is text posted in the form of a blog.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is audio posted in the form of a podcast.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is an image.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is a video.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the video is a mashup.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the server is configured to track a plurality of different types of interactions that user devices have with the web site; and
the server is configured to determine the cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign by taking a weighted sum of the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of at least one of the different types of tracked interaction.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to automatically bill an entity associated with the online campaign for the determined cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign.

### Claim 17

A system for conducting an online marketing campaign, comprising:
a server connected to a network; and
a plurality of user devices connected to the network;
wherein the server is configured to host an interactive web site that enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution or pieces of uploaded content;
wherein each user device is configured to interact with the interactive web site;
wherein the server is configured to track the number of pieces of content uploaded to the interactive web site in response to the online marketing campaign, the number of pieces of uploaded content distributed to user devices and the number of other interactions between the user devices and the interactive web site;
wherein the number of other interactions that user devices have with the web site are selected from the group consisting of uploading a piece of content, voting for a piece of content, commenting on a piece of content, reviewing a piece of content, sharing a piece of content with a user device, and propagating a piece of content to a second web site distinct from the interactive web site; and
wherein the server is configured to determine a cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign based upon at least the number of pieces of content uploaded to the interactive web site in response to the online marketing campaign, the number of pieces of uploaded content distributed to user devices and the number of other interactions between the user devices and the website;
wherein the web site enables a user device to automatically propagate a piece of content to another web site; and
wherein the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is propagated to another web site.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein:
the web site enables user devices to vote for a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of votes cast from user devices with respect to pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein:
the web site enables user devices to post comments with respect to pieces of content uploaded at response to the marketing campaign; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of comments posted from user devices with respect to pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The system Of claim 17, wherein:
the web site enables a first user computer to be used to recommend a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign to a second user device; and
the interactions tracked be the server include tracking the number of times pieces at content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign are recommended.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein:
the user devices are configured to interact with pieces of content that have been automatically propagated to other websites; and
the server is configured to track interactions between user devices and propagated pieces of content.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein:
the web site includes a web page that enables a user device to mouse over a region of the web page to obtain additional information concerning a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that additional information is obtained concerning pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign.

### Claim 23 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the web site includes web pages that enable a user device to click on a region of the web page to access a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign.

### Claim 24 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein:
the web site includes a web page that enables a user device to click on multiple regions of the web page to access a piece of content uploaded, in response to the marketing campaign; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that each of the regions is clicked on to access a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign.

### Claim 25 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein:
the web site includes web pages that enable a user device to click on a region of the web page to play a piece of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times that pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign are played.

### Claim 26 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign include text posted in the form of a blog.

### Claim 27 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign include audio posted in the form of a podcast.

### Claim 28 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign include an image.

### Claim 29 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the pieces of content uploaded in response to the marketing campaign include video.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The system of claim 29, wherein the video is a mashup.

### Claim 31 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein:
the server is configured to track a plurality of different types of interactions that user devices have with the web site; and
the server is configured to determine the cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign by taking a weighted sum of the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of at least one of the different types of tracked interactions.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The system of claim 31, wherein the server is configured to measure the time a user device spends interacting with the web site.

### Claim 33 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the server is configured to automatically bill an entity associated with the online campaign for the determined cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign.

### Claim 34

A method of determining the cost of conducting an online marketing campaign, comprising:
providing an interactive website that enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution of pieces of uploaded content using a server system;
uploading content to the interactive website using a user device;
tracking a plurality of categories of user interactions with the interactive website and the uploaded content using the server system where the number of other interactions that use devices have with the interactive website are selected from the group consisting of uploading a piece of content, voting for a niece of content, commenting on a piece of content, reviewing a piece of content, sharing a piece of content with a user device, and propagating a piece of content to a second website distinct from the interactive website; and
calculating a cost for conducting the online marketing campaign based upon the different categories of tracked interactions using the server system;
the web site enables a user device to automatically propagate a piece of content to another web site; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is propagated to another web site.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, further comprising automatically billing an entity associated with the online marketing campaign for the cost of conducting the online marketing campaign using the server system.

### Claim 36

An online content distribution system that hosts an online marketing campaign, comprising:
a serve; connected to a network; and
a plurality of user devices connected to the network;
wherein the server is configured to host an interactive web site that provides access to at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign;
wherein the interactive web site enables the uploading of pieces of content in response to the online marketing campaign and the distribution of pieces of uploaded content;
wherein that at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is a piece of uploaded content;
wherein each user device is configured to interact with the interactive web site;
wherein the server is configured to track the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of other interactions that user devices have with the interactive web site;
wherein the number of other interactions that user devices have with the web site are selected from the group consisting of uploading a piece of content, voting for a piece of content, commenting on a piece of content, reviewing a piece of content, sharing a piece of content with a user device, viewing a shared piece of content, and propagating a piece of content to a second web site distinct from the interactive web site;
wherein the server is configured to determine a cost to charge for hosting the marketing campaign based upon at least the number of times that at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is accessed and the number of other interactions that user devices have with the web site;
the web site enables a user device to automatically propagate a piece of content to another web site; and
the interactions tracked by the server include tracking the number of times the at least one piece of content that forms part of the marketing campaign is propagated to another web site.