Methods and apparatus to associate transactions with media impressions

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to associate transactions with media impressions are disclosed. An example method includes transmitting a request for commercial transaction information to a database proprietor, the request including an identifier corresponding to a media impression associated with media presented via a computing device; receiving the commercial transaction information in response to the request, the commercial transaction information comprising data associated with a commercial transaction conducted using an account accessed by the computing device; and associating the media impression with the commercial transaction.

1 . A method comprising:
 transmitting a request for commercial transaction information to a database proprietor, the request including an identifier corresponding to a media impression associated with media presented via a computing device;   receiving the commercial transaction information in response to the request, the commercial transaction information comprising data associated with a commercial transaction conducted using an account accessed by the computing device; and   associating, using a processor, the media impression with the commercial transaction.   
     
     
         2 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a unique identifier of the computing device or a user identifier of a user associated with the account. 
     
     
         3 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising identifying a product represented in the media corresponding to the media impression, the request further comprising a product identifier of the product. 
     
     
         4 . A method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the media is an advertisement for the product or media content including an intentional product placement of the product in the media content. 
     
     
         5 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein associating the media impression with the commercial transaction comprises:
 determining that the identifier corresponding to the media impression matches an account identifier associated with the account used to perform the commercial transaction;   determining that the commercial transaction involved a product or service represented in the media corresponding to the media impression; and   determining that the media impression occurred prior to the commercial transaction.   
     
     
         6 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the commercial transaction information comprises a product identifier of a product purchased in the commercial transaction and a date of the commercial transaction. 
     
     
         7 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising calculating a media effectiveness metric for the media by:
 grouping first device identifiers in a control set, the first device identifiers being associated with computing devices not receiving the media, the media corresponding to the media impression and representing a product;   grouping second device identifiers in an exposed set, the second device identifiers being associated with computing devices on which impressions of the media representing the product occurred, and the first and second device identifiers being recognizable by a merchant of the product;   determining a difference between sales corresponding to the first device identifiers and sales corresponding to the second device identifiers; and   calculating the media effectiveness metric based on the sales difference.   
     
     
         8 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising calculating a publisher effectiveness metric by:
 grouping first device identifiers corresponding to impressions occurring via a first publisher;   grouping second device identifiers corresponding to impressions occurring via a second publisher, the first device identifiers and the second device identifiers being associated with computing devices on which impressions of the media representing a product occurred, and the first device identifiers and the second device identifiers being recognizable by a merchant of the product;   determining a first sales lift for the first publisher based on sales corresponding to the first device identifiers;   determining a second sales lift for the second publisher based on sales corresponding to the second device identifiers;   determining a sales lift difference between the first sales lift and the second sales lift; and   calculating the publisher effectiveness metric for at least one of the first publisher or the second publisher based on the sales lift difference.   
     
     
         9 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the commercial transaction information is received from a proprietor of an application executed on the computing device. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a transaction requester to request commercial transaction information associated with a device identifier, the device identifier corresponding to a media impression occurring at a computing device; and   a matcher to associate the media impression with a commercial transaction conducted using an account accessed by the computing device, the matcher to associate the media impression with the commercial transaction based on the commercial transaction information received in response to the request, at least one of the transaction requester or the matcher being implemented by a logic circuit.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the matcher is to associate the media impression with the commercial transaction by:
 determining that the device identifier corresponding to the media impression matches a stored device identifier associated with the account used to perform the commercial transaction;   determining that the commercial transaction is associated with a product represented in media corresponding to the media impression; and   determining that the media impression occurred prior to the commercial transaction.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , further comprising a product checker to identify a product represented in media corresponding to the media impression, the request further comprising a product identifier of the product. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the media is an advertisement for the product or media content including an intentional product placement of the product in the media content. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a group identifier to identify first device identifiers as a control set and to identify second device identifiers as an exposed set, the first device identifiers being collected from computing devices not receiving media representing a product, the second device identifiers being collected from computing devices on which impressions of the media representing the product occurred, and the first and second device identifiers being recognizable by a merchant of the product;   a transaction aggregator to determine a difference between sales corresponding to the control set and sales corresponding to the exposed set; and   an effectiveness calculator to calculate a media effectiveness metric based on the sales difference.   
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a group identifier to identify first device identifiers associated with media presented on first computing devices via a first publisher and to identify second device identifiers associated with media presented on second computing devices via a second publisher, the media representing a product, and the first device identifiers and the second device identifiers being recognizable by a merchant of the product;   a transaction aggregator to determine a first sales lift based on sales corresponding to the first device identifiers and to determine a second sales lift based on sales corresponding to the second device identifiers; and   an effectiveness calculator to determine a sales lift difference between the first sales lift and the second sales lift and to calculate a publisher effectiveness metric for at least one of the first publisher or the second publisher based on the sales lift difference.   
     
     
         16 . A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a logic circuit to at least:
 transmit a request for commercial transaction information to a database proprietor, the request including an identifier corresponding to a media impression associated with media presented via a computing device;   access the commercial transaction information in response to the request, the commercial transaction information comprising data associated with a commercial transaction conducted using an account accessed by the computing device; and   associate the media impression with the commercial transaction.   
     
     
         17 . A storage medium as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a unique identifier of the computing device or a user identifier of a user associated with the account. 
     
     
         18 . A storage medium as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic circuit to identify a product represented in the media corresponding to the media impression, the request further comprising a product identifier of the product. 
     
     
         19 . A storage medium as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are to cause the logic circuit to associate the media impression with the commercial transaction by:
 determining that the identifier corresponding to the media impression matches an account identifier associated with the account used to perform the commercial transaction;   determining that the commercial transaction involved a product or service represented in the media corresponding to the media impression; and   determining that the media impression occurred prior to the commercial transaction.   
     
     
         20 . A storage medium as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the commercial transaction information comprises a product identifier of a product purchased in the commercial transaction and a date of the commercial transaction. 
     
     
         21 . A storage medium as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic circuit to calculate a media effectiveness metric for media corresponding to the media impression by:
 grouping first device identifiers in a control set, the first device identifiers being associated with computing devices not receiving the media, the media corresponding to the media impression and representing a product;   grouping second device identifiers in an exposed set, the second device identifiers being associated with computing devices on which impressions of the media representing the product occurred, and the first and second device identifiers being recognizable by a merchant of the product;   determining a difference between sales corresponding to the first device identifiers and sales corresponding to the second device identifiers; and   calculating the media effectiveness metric based on the sales difference.   
     
     
         22 . A storage medium as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic circuit to calculate a publisher effectiveness metric by:
 grouping first device identifiers corresponding to impressions occurring via a first publisher;   grouping second device identifiers corresponding to impressions occurring via a second publisher, the first device identifiers and the second device identifiers being associated with computing devices on which impressions of the media representing a product occurred, and the first device identifiers and the second device identifiers being recognizable by a merchant of the product;   determining a first sales lift for the first publisher based on sales corresponding to the first device identifiers;   determining a second sales lift for the second publisher based on sales corresponding to the second device identifiers;   determining a sales lift difference between the first sales lift and the second sales lift; and   calculating a publisher effectiveness metric for at least one of the first publisher or the second publisher based on the sales lift difference.   
     
     
         23 - 42 . (canceled)