IP Library Granted Patent US 8,543,446
Granted Patent B2
US 8,543,446 · App. 13/405,856 · Granted Sep 24, 2013

Methods and apparatus to predict new product performance metrics

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,543,446
App. No.
13/405,856
Granted
Sep 24, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to predict new product performance metrics. An example disclosed method includes selecting a product hierarchy tree based on a distribution measure for a new product, identifying a segment location of the product hierarchy tree for the new product, retrieving a relationship matrix associated with the segment location of the product hierarchy tree, the relationship matrix comprising available product performance coefficients and attribute information, identifying a spatial location for the new product in the relationship matrix based on the attribute information, calculating, using a programmed processor, an impact parameter based on the spatial location within the relationship matrix, and calculating the performance metric for the new product based on the impact parameter and a channel sales value.

Claims (35)

1. A method to predict performance metrics of a new product, comprising:

identifying, with a programmed processor, a segment location of a product hierarchy tree based on a projected distribution measure for the new product;

retrieving, with the programmed processor, a relationship matrix associated with the segment location of the product hierarchy tree, the relationship matrix comprising available product performance coefficients and attribute information;

calculating, using the programmed processor, an impact parameter based on a spatial location within the relationship matrix, the spatial location based on the attribute information;

calculating the performance metrics for the new product for first and second assortments of related products on a store shelf, the first and second assortments associated with first and second proportional volume shifting effects, respectively, the performance metric calculated based on the impact parameter and a sum of (a) a ratio of category sales in a target geography and overall category sales in a sales channel associated with the new product, and (b) a ratio of channel sales in the target geography and overall channel sales in the sales channel associated with the new product; and

selecting a candidate product to de-list based on sales effects with the first and second assortment of products on the store shelf.

2. A method as described in claim 1 , further comprising identifying a plurality of product hierarchy trees related to at least one of a market channel or a market category associated with the new product.

3. A method as described in claim 1 , further comprising retrieving a second relationship matrix associated with the projected distribution measure.

4. A method as described in claim 3 , wherein the projected distribution measure includes a geographic indicator of at least one of a category or a channel associated with the new product.

5. A method as described in claim 4 , further comprising identifying products in the relationship matrix that match sibling products in the product hierarchy tree.

6. A method as described in claim 5 , further comprising adding a row and column associated with the new product to the relationship matrix adjacent to the matched sibling products.

7. A method as described in claim 6 , further comprising calculating cell coefficient values for a plurality of cells in the row and column associated with the new product based on the matched sibling products.

8. A method as described in claim 1 , further comprising tailoring the relationship matrix based on geographic attributes associated with a geography of interest.

9. A method as described in claim 1 , further comprising de-listing the candidate related product when overall category sales for a store decrease and sales of the candidate related product decrease.

10. A method as described in claim 1 , further comprising refraining from de-listing the candidate related product when sales of the candidate related product decrease while overall category sales for a store increase.

11. An apparatus to predict performance metrics of a new product, comprising:

a tree manager to select a product hierarchy tree based on a distribution measure for a new product, and to identify a segment location of the product hierarchy tree based on the distribution measure for the new product;

a matrix modifier to retrieve a relationship matrix associated with the segment location of the product hierarchy tree, the relationship matrix comprising available product performance coefficients and attribute information, the matrix modifier to identify a spatial location for the new product in the relationship matrix based on the attribute information; and

a proximity weighting engine to calculate an impact parameter based on the spatial location within the relationship matrix, and to calculate the performance metric for the new product for a first and second assortment of related products on a store shelf, the first and second assortments to be associated with first and second proportional volume shifting effects, respectively, the performance metric calculated based on the impact parameter and a sum of (a) a ratio of category sales in a target geography and overall category sales in a sales channel associated with the new product, and (b) a ratio of channel sales in the target geography and overall channel sales in the sales channel associated with the new product; and

a new product manager to select a candidate product to de-list based on a sales effect with the first and second assortment of products on the store shelf; and wherein the tree manager, the matrix modifier, the proximity weighting engine and the new product manager comprising a logic circuit.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 11 , wherein the tree manager is to select the distribution measure based on a channel and a category.

13. A tangible machine readable storage device or storage disk comprising machine-accessible instructions, that, when executed, cause a machine to, at least:

identify a segment location of a product hierarchy tree based on a projected distribution measure for the new product;

retrieve a relationship matrix associated with the segment location of the product hierarchy tree, the relationship matrix comprising available product performance coefficients and attribute information;

calculate an impact parameter based on a spatial location within the relationship matrix, the spatial location based on the attribute information;

calculate performance metrics for the new product for a first and second assortment of related products on a store shelf, the first and second assortments associated with first and second proportional volume shifting effects, respectively, the performance metrics calculated based on the impact parameter and a sum of (a) a ratio of category sales in a target geography and overall category sales in a sales channel associated with the new product, and (b) a ratio of channel sales in the target geography and overall channel sales in the sales channel associated with the new product; and

select a candidate product to de-list based on sales effects with the first and second assortment of products on the store shelf.

14. A tangible storage device or storage disk as described in claim 13 , wherein the machine-accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify the projected distribution measure is indicative of a channel and a category.

15. A tangible storage device or storage disk as described in claim 13 , wherein the machine-accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to receive a candidate segment location in response to identifying the segment location of the product hierarchy tree.

16. A tangible storage device or storage disk as described in claim 15 , wherein the machine-accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to select the candidate segment location based on a product similarity input from a user.

17. A tangible storage device or storage disk as described in claim 13 , wherein the machine-accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to retrieve a second relationship matrix associated with the projected distribution measure.

18. A tangible storage device or storage disk as described in claim 17 , wherein the machine-accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify at least one of a category or a channel associated with the new product.

19. A tangible storage device or storage disk as described in claim 18 , wherein the machine-accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify products in the relationship matrix that match sibling products in the product hierarchy tree.

20. A tangible storage device or storage disk as described in claim 19 , wherein the machine-accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to add a row and column associated with the new product to the relationship matrix adjacent to the matched sibling products.

21. A tangible storage device or storage disk as described in claim 20 , wherein the machine-accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to calculate cell coefficient values for a plurality of cells in the row and column associated with the new product based on the matched sibling products.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE (REEL 054066 / FRAME 0064) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063605/0001 →
RELEASE (REEL 053473 / FRAME 0001) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063603/0001 →
RELEASE (REEL 037172 / FRAME 0415) Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 061750/0221 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2021
From: NIELSEN CONSUMER LLC; BYZZER INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055742/0719 →
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2021
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER LLC
Reel/Frame 055557/0949 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2021
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: NIELSEN CONSUMER LLC
Reel/Frame 055325/0353 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENTS LISTED ON SCHEDULE 1 RECORDED ON 6-9-2020 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 053473 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 7, 2020
From: A.C. NIELSEN (ARGENTINA) S.A.; A.C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A
Reel/Frame 054066/0064 →
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 9, 2020
From: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NIELSEN UK FINANCE I, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053473/0001 →
SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 30, 2015
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY ((US), LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT FOR THE FIRST LIEN SECURED PARTIES
Reel/Frame 037172/0415 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2012
From: RICHARDSON, BRUCE C.; QUINN, MARTIN; LONG, JEFFREY S.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC., A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 028820/0129 →