SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING DNS RECORDS TO PROVIDE TARGETED MARKETING SERVICES
Systems and methods can include collecting addressability information about users accessing a service provider's IP-based network communication services, collecting information sufficient to identify when the user is accessing the service provider's IP-based network communication services, collecting the domain names accessed by the user and using the collected information to associate the user with certain marketing content. The systems and methods can further include sending the marketing content to the user through various distribution channels by using the addressability information. The systems and methods can further include recording the collected information over time to refine the ability or predict the user's receptiveness to certain marketing content so as to improve the effectiveness of TMS.
1 . A method comprising:
receiving, from an internet protocol (IP)-enabled device, a request to resolve a domain name to an associated host computer IP address; and
identifying user receptiveness information based on the domain name received by a domain name resolution module or the associated host computer IP address identified by the domain name resolution module.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the user receptiveness information further comprises filtering the request to resolve the domain name.
3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising associating the request to resolve the domain name with a user.
4 . The method of claim 3 wherein associating the request to resolve the domain name with the user comprises associating the request to resolve the domain name with an identifier associated with the user selected from the group consisting of user identifier (ID), account ID, service-specific user ID, IP access session ID, device ID, IP address and timestamp, and information that uniquely identifies the user's access connection.
5 . The method of claim 3 further comprising associating the user with addressability information.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein associating the user with addressability information does not involve the association of personally identifiable information.
7 . The method of claim 5 further comprising associating the user with a target audience to which marketing content can be sent.
8 . The method of claim 5 further comprising identifying, based on the receptiveness information, marketing content for sending to the user.
9 . The method of claim 8 further comprising sending, based on the addressability information, marketing content to the user through at least one distribution channel.
10 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
combining the receptiveness information based on the domain name or the associated host computer IP address with other receptiveness information previously associated with the user to increase the predictive ability of the receptiveness information associated with the user.
11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising associating the user with addressability information.
12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising identifying, based on the receptiveness information, marketing content for sending to the user.
13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:
sending, based on the addressability information, marketing content associated with at least one marketing campaign to the user through at least one distribution channel; and
measuring the performance of the at least one marketing campaign.
14 . A system comprising:
a domain name resolution module configured to receive, from at least one IP-enabled device being used by at least one user, at least one request to resolve at least one domain name to at least one associated host computer IP address;
an information source module configured to collect and maintain addressability information associated with the at least one user; and
a marketing information processing module configured to identify user receptiveness information based on the at least one domain name or the at least one associated host computer IP address, associate the receptiveness information with the at least one user, identify marketing content from at least one marketing campaign to send to the at least one user on the basis of the identified receptiveness information and associate the at least one user with addressability information maintained in the information source module.
15 . The system of claim 14 further comprising a distribution channel module configured to send the identified marketing content to the user through at least one marketing distribution channel.
16 . The system of claim 15 further comprising a marketing information management module configured to send information to the marketing information processing module for the purpose of controlling the marketing content for sending to the at least one user.
17 . The system of claim 16 further comprising a performance analysis module configured to collect data about and analyze the performance of the at least one marketing campaign.
18 . The system of claim 14 further comprising a database for storing the association between the receptiveness information and the at least one user.
19 . The system of claim 18 wherein the marketing information processing module is further configured to combine new receptiveness information for the at least one user with the receptiveness information for the at least one user stored in the database and replace the receptiveness information for the at least one user stored in the database with the combined receptiveness information for the at least one user.
20 . The system of claim 19 further comprising:
a distribution channel module configured to send the identified marketing content to the at least one user through at least one marketing distribution channel;
a marketing information management module configured to send information to the marketing information processing module for the purpose of controlling the marketing content for sending to the at least one user; and
a performance analysis module configured to collect data about and analyze the performance of the at least one marketing campaign.