Systems and methods for controlling online advertising campaigns

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling an online advertising campaign. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for controlling an online advertising campaign includes receiving a feedback signal reflecting delivery of the online advertising campaign, and comparing the feedback signal to a delivery reference to generate a campaign level control signal. The method further includes receiving a maximum impression bid price for an inventory unit of the online advertising campaign, the maximum bid price for the at least one inventory unit being set by a user, and calculating, using at least one processor, at least a final bid price based on the maximum bid price, on the campaign level control signal, and on an optimization objective for the online advertising campaign, the optimization objective being set by the user. The method also includes submitting, to an electronic market and based on the calculated final bid price, a bid on an impression from the inventory unit.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A control system for controlling an online campaign, the control system comprising:
 at least one first processor configured to:
 provide a feedback signal reflecting at least one real-time delivery metric associated with a delivery goal for a current sampling period regarding one or more impressions of the online campaign at a plurality of inventory units; and 
 generate a delivery reference signal particular to each of the plurality of inventory units based on the feedback signal and configuration information for the online campaign; 
   at least one second processor, associated with an inventory unit of the plurality of inventory units, configured to generate a campaign level control signal for the corresponding inventory unit based at least on the feedback signal and the corresponding delivery reference signal; and   at least one third processor, associated with the corresponding inventory unit of the plurality of inventory units, configured to:
 receive, from a user via a graphical user interface, a selection of an optimization objective for the online campaign; 
 calculate, for the corresponding inventory unit, at least a final bid price based on the campaign level control signal and the optimization objective selected by the user via the graphical user interface; and 
 submit, to an electronic market and based on the calculated final bid price, a bid on an impression at the corresponding inventory unit. 
   
     
     
         27 . The control system of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one third processor is further configured to:
 calculate, for the corresponding inventory unit, a bid allocation based on the optimization objective, on a maximum allowed cost per impression for the corresponding inventory unit, and on the campaign level control signal; and   submit the bid based further on the calculated bid allocation.   
     
     
         28 . The control system of  claim 26 , wherein the optimization objective is measured over a course of the online campaign, the optimization objective being selected from at least one of: an effective cost per thousand impressions (eCPM), a reduced average cost per click, a reduced average cost per conversion, or a revenue smoothness objective. 
     
     
         29 . The control system of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one real-time delivery metric includes one or more ad events associated with the plurality of inventory units. 
     
     
         30 . The control system of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more ad events include at least one of an ad click event or an ad conversion event. 
     
     
         31 . The control system of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one third processor is configured to calculate, for the corresponding inventory unit, a performance value by multiplying an ad event rate and a received target cost-per-ad event set by the user. 
     
     
         32 . The control system of  claim 31 , wherein to calculate the final bid price, the at least one third processor is further configured to:
 determine which is less between a maximum allowed cost per impression for the corresponding inventory unit and the performance value for the corresponding inventory unit; and   calculate the final bid price based on a lesser of the maximum allowed cost per impression for the corresponding inventory unit and the performance value for the corresponding inventory unit.   
     
     
         33 . The control system of  claim 31 , wherein the graphical user interface allows the user to specify a maximum impression bid price for the online campaign. 
     
     
         34 . The control system of  claim 26 , wherein the graphical user interface displays to the user, cost information associated with the campaign, wherein the cost information includes at least one of: an agency commission fee, an external data fee, a management fee, or an internal data fee associated with bidding on impressions at the plurality of inventory units. 
     
     
         35 . The control system of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one second processor is further configured to:
 compensate the feedback signal based on a day of a week and time of the day according to a moving sum of the feedback signal over a predetermined time interval;   normalize the compensated feedback signal and the delivery reference signal based on an estimated gain value of a corresponding inventory unit and a control signal from a prior sampling period; and   compare the normalized compensated feedback signal to the normalized delivery reference signal for the corresponding inventory unit.   
     
     
         36 . A computer-implemented method for controlling an online campaign, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 providing, by at least one first processor, a feedback signal reflecting at least one real-time delivery metric associated with a delivery goal for a current sampling period regarding one or more impressions of the online campaign at a plurality of inventory units;   generating, by the at least one first processor, a delivery reference signal particular to each of the plurality of inventory units based on the feedback signal and configuration information for the online campaign;   generating, by at least one second processor associated with a corresponding inventory unit of a plurality of inventory units, a campaign level control signal for the corresponding inventory unit based at least on the feedback signal and the corresponding delivery reference signal;   receiving, by at least one third processor associated with the corresponding inventory unit of the plurality of inventory, from a user via a graphical user interface, a selection of an optimization objective for the online campaign;   calculating, by the at least one third processor, for the corresponding inventory unit, at least a final bid price based on the campaign level control signal and the optimization objective selected by the user via the graphical user interface; and   submitting, by the at least one third processor, to an electronic market and based on the calculated final bid price, a bid on an impression at the corresponding inventory unit.   
     
     
         37 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 calculating, by the at least one third processor, for the corresponding inventory unit, a bid allocation based on the optimization objective, on a maximum allowed cost per impression for the corresponding inventory unit, and on the campaign level control signal; and   submitting, by the at least one third processor, the bid based further on the calculated bid allocation.   
     
     
         38 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 36 , wherein the optimization objective is measured over a course of the online campaign, the optimization objective being selected from at least one of: an effective cost per thousand impressions (eCPM), a reduced average cost per click, a reduced average cost per conversion, or a revenue smoothness objective. 
     
     
         39 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one real-time delivery metric includes one or more ad events associated with the plurality of inventory units, the one or more ad events including at least one of an ad click event or an ad conversion event. 
     
     
         40 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 calculating, by the at least one third processor, for the corresponding inventory unit, a performance value by multiplying an ad event rate and a received target cost-per-ad event set by a user.   
     
     
         41 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40 , wherein calculating, by the at least one third processor, for the corresponding inventory unit, the performance value, further comprises:
 determining which is less between a maximum allowed cost per impression for the corresponding inventory unit and the performance value for the corresponding inventory unit; and   calculating the final bid price based on a lesser of the maximum allowed cost per impression for the corresponding inventory unit and the performance value for the corresponding inventory unit.   
     
     
         42 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40 , wherein the graphical user interface allows the user to specify a maximum impression bid price for the online campaign. 
     
     
         43 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 36 , wherein the graphical user interface displays to the user, cost information associated with the online campaign, wherein the cost information includes at least one of: an agency commission fee, an external data fee, a management fee, or an internal data fee associated with bidding on impressions at the plurality of inventory units. 
     
     
         44 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 compensating, by the least one second processor, the feedback signal based on a day of a week and time of the day according to a moving sum of the feedback signal over a predetermined time interval;   normalizing, by the least one second processor, the compensated feedback signal and the delivery reference signal based on an estimated gain value of a corresponding inventory unit and a control signal from a prior sampling period; and   comparing, by the least one second processor, the normalized compensated feedback signal to the normalized delivery reference signal for the corresponding inventory unit.   
     
     
         45 . A computer-implemented method for controlling an online campaign, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by at least one first processor associated with a corresponding inventory unit of a plurality of inventory units, a feedback signal reflecting at least one real-time delivery metric associated with a delivery goal for a current sampling period regarding one or more impressions of the online campaign at a plurality of inventory units;   receiving, by the at least one first processor, a delivery reference signal particular to each of the plurality of inventory units;   receiving, by at least one second processor associated with the corresponding inventory unit of the plurality of inventory units, from a user via a graphical user interface, (i) a selection of an optimization objective for the online campaign and (ii) a maximum allowed cost per impression for the corresponding inventory unit;   calculating, by the at least one second processor, for the corresponding inventory unit, at least a final bid price based on the optimization objective selected by the user via the graphical user interface and the maximum allowed cost per impression; and   submitting, by the at least one second processor, to an electronic market and based on the calculated final bid price, a bid on an impression at the corresponding inventory unit.