Using user segments for targeted content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016358206-A1
Application number	US-201514728354-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Jun 2, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for providing content to a computing device of a user are described. For example, a platform hosts a plurality of tools includes an analytics tool and a content tool. Input of a customer of the platform is received and specifies user segments and content to be provided accordingly. The tools are updated based on the customer input. User interactions of the user are also received and analyzed by, for example, the analytics tool. The analytics tool outputs an indication that the user is associated with a user segment based on the analysis. The output identifies the user segment and the user based on a format usable by the other tools. In turn, the content tool automatically receives and uses the output as an input to determine the content and the target of the content. Accordingly, the content tool provides the content to the computing device of the user.

First claim

1 . In a computing platform having an analytics tool configured to analyze interactions of users with published content and a separate content tool configured to provide targeted content to the users, a computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by the analytics tool, information identifying one or more user interactions of a user using a computing device to interact with the published content; automatically triggering, based on receiving the information identifying the one or more user interactions, the analytics tool to associate the user with a user segment based on analyzing the information identifying the one or more user interactions; and automatically triggering, based on associating the user with the user segment, the analytics tool to provide information identifying that the user is associated with the user segment to the content tool, wherein the content tool is configured to provide targeted content to the computing device of the user based on receiving the information identifying that the user is associated with the user segment.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the analytics tool and the content tool to use a common identifier of the user segment, wherein the information identifying that the user is associated with the user segment comprises the common identifier.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the analytics tool and the content tool are configured to use a common identifier of the user segment and a common identifier of the user, and wherein the information identifying that the user is associated with the user segment comprises the common identifier of the user segment and the common identifier of the user.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the published content is available from a web site that embeds a beacon for tracking the user interactions, wherein the targeted content comprises an advertisement to be inserted in another web site accessed by the computing device of the user.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the platform comprises a cloud-based service for hosting a plurality of tools comprising the analytics tool and the content tool.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the platform comprises an internal communication bus configured to interconnect the analytics tool and the content tool, and wherein the information identifying that the user is associated with the user is published from the analytics tool to the content tool over the internal communication bus.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the information identifying that the user is associated with the user is published from the analytics tool to the content tool over an internal communication bus, and further comprising:
generating metadata based on an input of a customer of the platform, wherein the metadata comprises a common identifier of user segment, parameters for associating the user with the user segments based on the user interactions, and a definition of an action to be performed to determine the targeted content; and providing the metadata to the analytics tool and the content tool based on respective application programming interfaces of the analytics tool and the content tool, wherein the respective application programming interfaces are separate from the internal communication bus.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the analytics tool and the content tool are configured to use a cookie uniquely assigned to the computing device of the user, and wherein the information identifying that the user is associated with the user segment comprises the cookie.

9 . A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed on a computing system associated with a platform hosting an analytics tool and a content tool to a customer, cause the computing system to at least:
receive input of the customer defining a user segment for the analytics tool and defining an action for the content tool to perform based on the user segment; receive information identifying user interactions of a user using a computing device to interact with the published content; cause the analytics tool to analyze the information identifying the user interactions based on the input of the customer defining the user segment and to associate the user with the user segment based on the analyzing; and cause, based on associating the user with the user segment, the analytics tool to provide information identifying that the user is associated with the user segment to the content tool, wherein the content tool is configured to automatically perform the action based on receiving the information identifying that the user is associated with the user segment.

10 . The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed on the computing system, further configure the computing system to provide an interface configured to receive the input of the customer from a computing device of the customer.

11 . The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the user segment indicates an interest common to a plurality of users, and wherein performing the action comprises selecting and providing an advertisement based on the interest to the computing device of the user.

12 . The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the analytics tool and the content tool comprise respective application programming interfaces configured to receive metadata associated with the input of the customer, wherein the metadata comprises a common identifier of the user segment and causes the analytics tool and the content tool to be updated to the use the common identifier to identify the user segment.

13 . The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the platform comprises an internal communication bus configured to interconnect the analytics tool and the content tool, and wherein the information identifying that the user is associated with the user segment is exchanged between the analytics tool and the content tool over the internal communication bus.

14 . The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed on the computing system, further configure the computing system to:
associate the user interactions with an identifier of the computing device of the user; and store the user interactions and the identifier in a data store of the platform, wherein the analytics tool and the content tool have access to the data store.

15 . A system associated with a platform hosting an analytics tool and a content tool, the computing system comprising:
one or more processors; one or more computer-readable media communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and bearing instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, cause the system to at least:
provide an interface to a computing device of a customer, wherein the interface is configured to facilitate customer input specifying a user segment for the analytics tool and indicating content for the content tool based on the user segment;
receive information identifying user interactions of a user using a computing device to interact with the published content;
trigger the analytics tool to analyze the information identifying user interactions based on the input of the customer specifying the user segment and to associate the user with the user segment based on the analyzing; and
trigger, based on associating the user with the user segment, the analytics tool to provide information identifying that the user is associated with the user segment to the content tool,
wherei

Assignees

• Adobe Systems Inc

Inventors

• Sachdev Anil
• Greger Thomas
• Pack Brandon

Classifications

• G06Q30/0255

  based on user history · CPC title

• G06Q30/0277

  Online advertisement · CPC title

• G06Q30/0245 Primary

  Surveys · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title