Advertising System and Method

Abstract

An advertising and content provision system is provided. The advertising system automatically matches brand clients, content, and consumers based on certain parameters. The system enables a user to select a brand client and corresponding advertising prior to being provided with the matched content. A brand database includes brand clients having brand parameters, which when associated with content, allows the brand client to convey their brand personality through the associated content. Content is associated with a genre, a mood, a style, or a theme, such as fun, cheerful, humorous, gentle, comforting, and relaxing.

1 . A computer implemented advertising system including
 at least one consumer database electronically stored on a data storage device containing a plurality of consumer profiles with consumer preference identifying data,   at least one brand database electronically stored on a data storage device containing details of brand clients, each having one or more branding parameters,   at least one content database electronically stored on a data storage device containing a plurality of pieces of content provided by at least one content provider with each piece of content having one or more content profile identifiers,   a content matching engine operating on a network of computers with access to the at least one electronically stored consumer, brand and content databases and which performs:
 matching one or more of the branding parameters of the brand clients with one or more of pieces of content, 
 matching one or more the branding parameters of the brand clients with one or more of the consumer preference identifying data, and 
 matching the one or more of the consumer preference identifying data with the one or more pieces of content;
 wherein results of the matching are included on a results list in a results interface, which is presented to at least one consumer in response to a search for content from the at least one consumer; 
 wherein the results list includes a matched piece of content based on the search, and the matched piece of content is identified on the results list as associated with two or more different brand clients; 
 wherein the results interface prompts the at least one consumer to select a selected brand client from among the two or more different brand clients in the results list; and 
 wherein the content matching engine provides to the consumer, based on a selection of the selected brand client received from the consumer, the matched piece of content, wherein the matched piece of content is provided with corresponding advertising that is associated with the selected brand client. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . An advertising system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the branding parameters define one or more of a brand personality or brand positioning strategy for a brand client. 
     
     
         3 . An advertising system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein one or more content profile identifiers include one or more tags identifying a type for each piece of content. 
     
     
         4 . An advertising system as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the one or more tags include genre tags, mood tags, style tags, or theme tags. 
     
     
         5 . An advertising system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein a brand personality or brand positioning strategy for a brand client is defined by the branding parameters, and the content matching engine performing the step of matching includes correlating the branding parameters of the brand client to the one or more content profile identifiers comprising one or more tags, including genre tags, mood tags, style tags, or theme tags. 
     
     
         6 . An advertising system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each consumer profile contains information of two basic types namely, generic identifying information and consumer preference identifying data. 
     
     
         7 . An advertising system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each piece of content has one or more content profile identifiers to identify the profile of the content, and ownership information to identify who owns the content in order to recompense the content provider. 
     
     
         8 . An advertising system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein multiple results are provided in the results list which returns the matches to the search and identifies the matches by associating a brand with each match, wherein the same piece of content is associated with different brand clients. 
     
     
         9 . A computer implemented method of providing brand-matched content to a consumer, the method including the steps of:
 creating and maintaining at least one consumer database electronically stored on a data storage device containing a plurality of customer profiles with consumer preference identifying data;   creating and maintaining at least one brand database electronically stored on a data storage device containing details of brand clients, each brand client having one or more associated branding parameters;   creating and maintaining at least one content database electronically stored on a data storage device containing a plurality of pieces of content provided by at least one content provider, with each piece of content having one or more content profile identifiers;   performing matching, by a content matching engine operating on a network of computers with access to the at least one electronically stored consumer, brand and content databases, wherein the performing matching includes:   matching one or more of the branding parameters of the brand clients with one or more of pieces of content,   matching one or more the branding parameters of the brand clients with one or more of the consumer preference identifying data, and   matching the one or more of the consumer preference identifying data with the one or more pieces of content;
 wherein results of the matching are included on a results list in a results interface, which is presented to at least one consumer in response to a search for content from the at least one consumer; 
 wherein the results list includes a matched piece of content based on the search, and the matched piece of content is identified on the results list as associated with two or more different brand clients; 
 wherein the results interface prompts the at least one consumer to select a selected brand client from among the two or more different brand clients in the results list; and 
 wherein the content matching engine provides to the consumer, based on a selection of the selected brand client received from the consumer, the matched piece of content, wherein the matched piece of content is provided with corresponding advertising that is associated with the selected brand client. 
   
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the branding parameters define one or more of a brand personality or brand positioning strategy for a brand client. 
     
     
         11 . A method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein one or more content profile identifiers include one or more tags identifying a type for each piece of content. 
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the one or more tags include genre tags, mood tags, style tags, or theme tags. 
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein a brand personality or brand positioning strategy for a brand client is defined by the branding parameters, and the content matching engine performing the step of matching includes correlating the branding parameters of the brand client to the one or more content profile identifiers comprising one or more tags, including genre tags, mood tags, style tags, or theme tags. 
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein each consumer profile contains information of two basic types namely, generic identifying information and consumer preference identifying data. 
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein each piece of content has one or more content profile identifiers to identify the profile of the content, and ownership information to identify who owns the content in order to recompense the content provider. 
     
     
         16 . A method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein multiple results are provided in the results list which returns the matches to the search and identifies the matches by associating a brand with each match, wherein the same piece of content is associated with different brand clients. 
     
     
         17 . A method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the content engine matching engine does not provide the matched piece of content and the corresponding advertising that is associated with the selected brand client until the results interface receives the selection of brand client from the at least one consumer. 
     
     
         18 . An advertising system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the content engine matching engine does not provide the matched piece of content and the corresponding advertising that is associated with the selected brand client until the results interface receives the selection of brand client from the at least one consumer.