Methods and apparatus to collect distributed user information for media impressions
A disclosed example includes an identifier extractor to: extract a first identifier from mobile device communications at a merchant location; and store the first identifier in a database associated with the merchant location; a communications interface to: monitor for the mobile device communications, the identifier extractor to extract the first identifier in response to the communications interface identifying the mobile device communications during the monitoring; receive a request including the first identifier from an audience measurement entity; and when the first identifier is present in the database, send an association between the first identifier and the merchant location to the audience measurement entity; and a collection interface to determine whether the first identifier is present in the database.
1. An apparatus comprising:
an identifier extractor to:
extract a first identifier from a mobile device communication received at a first server of a merchant location; and
store the first identifier in a database associated with the merchant location;
a communications interface to:
monitor for the mobile device communication, the identifier extractor to extract the first identifier in response to the communications interface identifying the mobile device communication during the monitoring;
receive a second communication at the first server of the merchant location from a second server of an audience measurement entity, the second communication including the first identifier; and
when the first identifier is present in the database, send an association between the first identifier and the merchant location from the first server of the merchant location to the second server of the audience measurement entity; and
a collection interface to determine whether the first identifier is present in the database.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collection interface is to obtain a second identifier from the audience measurement entity in association with the first identifier, wherein the collection interface to send to the audience measurement entity an association between the second identifier and at least one of the first identifier or the merchant location.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collection interface is to send to the audience measurement entity at least one of a timestamp, a location code, proximity information, or a keyword.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the identifier extractor is to store a media identifier of media being displayed at a time of extraction of the first identifier.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the collection interface is to send media impression information to the audience measurement entity in association with the first identifier, the media impression information including the media identifier.
6. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a first server to at least:
monitor for a mobile device communication at a merchant location;
extract a first identifier from the mobile device communication in response to identifying the mobile device communication during the monitoring;
store the first identifier in a database associated with the merchant location;
in response to receiving the first identifier in a second communication at the merchant location from a second server of an audience measurement entity, determine whether the first identifier is present in the database; and
when the first identifier is present in the database, send an association between the first identifier and the merchant location to the second server of the audience measurement entity.
7. The computer readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the first identifier includes a media access control address of a mobile device or a user identifier transmitted by the mobile device.
8. The computer readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the first server to encrypt the association between the first identifier and the merchant location prior to sending the association to the audience measurement entity.
9. The computer readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the first server to store a media identifier of media being displayed at a time of extraction of the first identifier.
10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the first server to send the media identifier in association with the first identifier.
11. The computer readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the first server to decrypt the identifier obtained from the audience measurement entity.
12. The computer readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the first server to access a second identifier received from the audience measurement entity in association with the first identifier, wherein sending the association further includes sending an association between the second identifier and at least one of the first identifier or the merchant location.
13. The computer readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the first server to send at least one of a timestamp, a location code, proximity information, or a keyword.
14. A method comprising:
monitoring, by executing an instruction with a first server, for a mobile device communication at a merchant location;
extracting, by executing an instruction with the first server, a first identifier from the mobile device communication in response to identifying the mobile device communication during the monitoring;
storing, by executing an instruction with the first server, the first identifier in a database associated with the merchant location;
in response to receiving the first identifier in a second communication at the merchant location from a second server of an audience measurement entity, determining, by executing an instruction with the first server, whether the first identifier is present in the database; and
when the first identifier is present in the database, sending, by executing an instruction with the first server, an association between the first identifier and the merchant location to the second server of the audience measurement entity.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first identifier includes a media access control address of a mobile device or a user identifier transmitted by a mobile device.
16. The method of claim 14 , further including encrypting the association between the first identifier and the merchant location prior to sending the association to the audience measurement entity.
17. The method of claim 14 , further including storing a media identifier of media being displayed at a time of extraction of the first identifier.
18. The method of claim 17 , further including sending the media identifier in association with the first identifier.
19. The method of claim 14 , further including decrypting the identifier obtained from the audience measurement entity.
20. The method of claim 14 , further including obtaining a second identifier from the audience measurement entity in association with the first identifier, wherein sending the association further includes sending an association between the second identifier and at least one of the first identifier or the merchant location.
21. The method of claim 14 , further including sending at least one of a timestamp, a location code, proximity information, or a keyword.