Patent Publication Number: US-2012041823-A1

Title: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/374,243, filed Aug. 16, 2010; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The subject matter described herein relates to providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device. More specifically, the subject matter relates to methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     As mobile device technology has evolved, the mobile device has taken on an ever more prominent role in people&#39;s lives. In the consumption context, in particular, modern mobile devices have become a focal point for consumers, enabling them to explore products and services, compare prices, conduct financial transactions, and place and track orders. As a focal point for consumers, mobile devices are an ideal platform for merchants and service providers to communicate marketing information in the form of electronic advertisements. 
     Existing technologies for providing electronic advertisements to mobile devices, however, have failed to fully appreciate and exploit the advantages offered by the mobile device platform. Many existing technologies for providing electronic advertisements to mobile devices center around algorithms that provide the user with electronic advertisements that are based on a mobile device&#39;s web browsing history, prior searches, and geographic location. Such technologies often inundate a mobile device&#39;s user with unwanted electronic advertisements that are not related to the user&#39;s purchase intent. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device. The method includes receiving, at an advertisement management server and from a mobile device, a request message for an electronic offer certificate associated with a touch point, the request message including an offer identifier associated with the touch point and a subscriber identifier associated with the mobile device, wherein the offer identifier was obtained by interfacing the mobile device with the touch point. The method also includes identifying, based on the offer identifier, an electronic offer certificate. The method further includes utilizing the subscriber identifier to communicate the identified electronic offer certificate to the mobile device. The method further includes identifying, based on the offer identifier, an electronic advertisement for at least one product or service. The method further includes utilizing the subscriber identifier to communicate the identified electronic advertisement to the mobile device. 
     According to another aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a system for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device. The system includes a communication interface. The system also includes an offer management module. The offer management module is configured to receive, via the communication interface and from a mobile device, a request message for an electronic offer certificate associated with a touch point, the request message including an offer identifier associated with the touch point and a subscriber identifier associated with the mobile device, wherein the offer identifier was obtained by interfacing the mobile device with the touch point. The offer management module is also configured to identify, based on the offer identifier, an electronic offer certificate. The offer management module is further configured to utilize the subscriber identifier to communicate, via the communication interface, the identified electronic offer certificate to the mobile device. The system further includes an advertisement management module. The advertisement management module is configured to identify, based on the offer identifier, an electronic advertisement associated with at least one product or service. The advertisement management module is also configured to utilize the subscriber identifier to communicate, via the communication interface, the identified electronic advertisement to the mobile device. 
     As used herein, the term “module” refers to software in combination with hardware (such as a processor) and/or firmware for implementing features described herein. 
     The subject matter described herein can be implemented in software in combination with hardware and/or firmware. For example, the subject matter described herein may be implemented in software executed by one or more processors. In one exemplary implementation, the subject matter described herein may be implemented using a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps. Exemplary computer readable media suitable for implementing the subject matter described herein include non-transitory computer readable media, such as disk memory devices, chip memory devices, programmable logic devices, and application specific integrated circuits. In addition, a computer readable medium that implements the subject matter described herein may be located on a single device or computing platform or may be distributed across multiple devices or computing platforms. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The subject matter described herein will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary system for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIG. 2  is a message flow diagram illustrating an exemplary message sequence for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are respectively a first and second portion of a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein; and 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary advertisement management server for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device are provided.  FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary system for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein. Referring to  FIG. 1 , system  100  may include one or more touch points  102 ,  104 , and  106  and mobile device  108 . Mobile device  108  may be any device capable of interfacing with a touch point and enabling a user of mobile device  108  to express an interest in an offer associated with the interfaced touch point. For example, mobile device  108  may be any device capable of interfacing with one or more of touch points  102 ,  104 , and  106 , and enabling a user of mobile device  108  to express an interest in an offer respectively associated with one or more of touch points  102 ,  104 , and  106 . A mobile device may include, for example, a tablet computer, a smartphone, or a personal digital assistant. A touch point may be any medium capable of communicating an offer to a user of mobile device  108  and enabling a user of mobile device  108  to express an interest in the communicated offer by interfacing mobile device  108  with the touch point. For example, touch points  102 ,  104 , and  106  may communicate an offer to a user of mobile device  108  and enable the user of mobile device  108  to express an interest in the communicated offer by interfacing mobile device  108  with one or more of touch points  102 ,  104 , and  106 . 
     Exemplary touch points may include a smart poster, such as smart poster  102 . Smart poster  102  may include “smart tag”  110 , for enabling a near field communications (NEC) enabled device to interface with smart poster  102 . For example, mobile device  108  may include NEC module  112  and may utilize NEC module  112  to interface with smart poster  102  via “smart tag”  110  using near field communications. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the subject matter described herein, a user of mobile device  108  may express an interest in an offer displayed by smart poster  102  by utilizing NEC module  112  to interface with smart poster  102  via “smart tag”  110  and may thereby obtain an offer identifier associated with smart poster  102 . Exemplary touch points may also include a bar/quick response (QR) code poster, such as bar/QR code poster  104 . Bar/QR code poster  104  may include bar/QR code  114 , for enabling a device capable of deriving information stored within bar/QR code  114  to interface with bar/QR code poster  104 . For example, mobile device  108  may include bar/QR code module  116  and may utilize bar/QR code module  116  to interface with bar/QR code poster  104  by deriving information stored within bar/QR code  114 . For example, mobile device  108  may include a camera (not illustrated), which may be capable of capturing an image of bar/QR code  114 , and enabling bar/QR code module  116  to derive information stored within the image of bar/QR code  114 . In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the subject matter described herein, a user of mobile device  108  may express an interest in an offer communicated by bar/QR code poster  104  by utilizing bar/QR code module  116  to interface with bar/QR code poster  104  via bar/QR code  114 , for example, by utilizing mobile device  108 &#39;s camera to take a picture of bar/QR code  114  and utilizing bar/QR code module  116  to derive information stored within the picture of bar/QR code  114 , and may thereby obtain an offer identifier associated with bar/QR code poster  104 . 
     Exemplary touch points may further include a short message service (SMS) short code poster, such as SMS short code poster  106 . SMS short code poster  106  may include a caption (not illustrated) informing a viewer of SMS short code poster  106  of an offer code and a telephone number to which the offer code can be sent, whereby sending the offer code to the designated telephone number constitutes interfacing with SMS short code poster  106 . For example, mobile device  108  may be capable of sending SMS messages and a user of mobile device  108  may utilize mobile device  108 &#39;s SMS capability to “text” an offer code included in a caption of SMS short code poster  106  to a telephone number also included in the caption of SMS short code poster  106 , thereby interfacing with SMS short code poster  106 . In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the subject matter described herein, a user of mobile device  108  may express an interest in an offer communicated by SMS short code poster  106  by utilizing mobile device  108 &#39;s SMS capability to “text” such an offer code to such a telephone number and may thereby obtain an offer identifier associated with SMS short code poster  106 . A touch point may take the form of a promotional poster and may be located in a high traffic area suitable for advertisement, such as alongside a point of sale, a parking meter, a shelf tag, or a touch point may be part of a print media or Internet advertisement. The touch point may also include a smart poster located outside a merchant location which may be used by the user of the mobile device to “opt-in” to a merchant product campaign. By expressing interest and opting in to the merchant product campaign, the user of the mobile device may agree to receive electronic coupons and/or promotions from the merchant entity or a service provider (e.g., “pushed” electronic coupons and promotions). In an alternate embodiment, the touch point may include a computer screen displaying a web site that includes a web coupon that may be captured by a mobile device camera. In yet another embodiment, a consumer may use a web site interface to push an electronic coupon to his mobile device. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein, a user of mobile device  108  may express an interest in an offer communicated by one or more of touch points  102 ,  104 , and  106  and may thereby obtain an offer identifier associated with the interfaced touch point. For example, smart poster  102  may promote an offer for a 10% discount on a soft drink to a user of mobile device  108 . The user of mobile device  108  may be interested in the soft drink discount promoted by smart poster  102  and may express an interest in the soft drink discount promoted by smart poster  102  by interfacing mobile device  108  with smart poster  102  and may thereby obtain an offer identifier associated with the soft drink discount. In response to interfacing with one or more of touch points  102 ,  104 , and  106 , mobile device  108  may generate a request message for an electronic offer certificate associated with the interfaced touch point. For example, mobile device  108  may generate a request message for an electronic offer certificate for the promoted soft drink discount. The electronic offer certificate request message may further include a subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108 . For example, the request message may include one or more of an international mobile station identifier (IMSI) associated with mobile device  108 , a mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (MSISDN) associated with mobile device  108 , an Internet protocol (IP) address associated with mobile device  108 , and a telephone number associated with mobile device  108 . Mobile device  108  may communicate such an electronic offer certificate request message to advertisement management server (AMS)  118 . For example, mobile device  108  may be associated with a trigger management server (TMS), such as TMS  120 , and may communicate the electronic offer certificate request message containing the offer identifier and the subscriber identifier to TMS  120 . TMS  120  may serve as a central contact point for electronic offer certificate request messages from mobile devices with which it is associated. For example, TMS  120  may serve as a central contact point for electronic offer certificate request messages from mobile device  108 . In response to receiving the electronic offer certificate request message, TMS  120  may identify an AMS associated with the offer identifier contained in the electronic offer certificate request message and may forward the electronic offer certificate request message to the identified AMS. For example, TMS  120  may identify AMS  118  as being associated with the offer identifier contained in the electronic offer certificate request message generated by mobile device  108  (e.g., the soft drink discount promotion) and may forward the electronic offer certificate request message to AMS  118 . 
     AMS  118  may include offer management module  122 . Offer management module  122  may be configured to receive the electronic offer certificate request message from mobile device  108  and identify, based on the offer identifier contained in the electronic offer certificate request message, an electronic offer certificate (e.g., an electronic offer certificate for obtaining the promoted soft drink discount). Offer management module  122  may further be configured to utilize the subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108  and contained in the electronic offer certificate request message to communicate the identified electronic offer certificate to mobile device  108 . For example, system  100  may include over-the-air (OTA) provisioning server  124 . In one embodiment, offer management module  122  may communicate the electronic offer certificate to OTA provisioning server  124 . OTA provisioning server  124  may then provision a module associated with mobile device  108  with the identified electronic offer certificate. For example, mobile device  108  may be associated with “wallet” module  126 . “Wallet” module  126  may be configured to store various electronic offer certificates for subsequent redemption by a user of mobile device  108 . In accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein, OTA provisioning server  124  may provision “wallet” module  126  with the identified electronic offer certificate for subsequent redemption by a user of mobile device  108 . For example, OTA provisioning server  124  may provision “wallet” module  126  with an electronic offer certificate for the promoted soft drink discount, which a user of mobile device  108  may subsequently redeem, for example, when purchasing the promoted soft drink. In lieu of or in addition to OTA provisioning server  124 , system  100  may include SMS gateway  128 . In one embodiment, offer management module  122  may communicate the electronic offer certificate to SMS gateway  128 . SMS gateway  128  may then provision a module associated with mobile device  108  with the identified electronic offer certificate by sending an encoded SMS message to mobile device  108 . For example, in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein, SMS gateway  128  may provision “wallet” module  126  with the identified electronic offer certificate for subsequent redemption by a user of mobile device  108 . 
     AMS  118  may also include advertisement management module  130 . Advertisement management module  130  may be configured to identify, based on the offer identifier contained in the electronic offer certificate request message, an electronic advertisement. In one embodiment, an electronic advertisement may provide information pertaining to a good, product, or service. For example, in addition to the soft drink discount promotion, smart poster  102  may include promotional material for a new sports utility vehicle (SUV). In interfacing mobile device  108  with smart poster  102 , mobile device  108 &#39;s user may have consented to receiving electronic advertisements (i.e., in addition to promoting one or more products or services a touch point may be used to induce or compel a mobile device user to provide identifying information that can be used to communicate electronic advertisements and/or to consent to receiving such electronic advertisements). The electronic advertisement identified by advertisement management module  130  may be related to the offer identifier, for example, the electronic advertisement may be related to the discounted soft drink product line or the co-promoted SUV, or the identified electronic advertisement may be unrelated to the offer identifier, for example, the identified electronic advertisement may be for another product or service which advertisement management module  130  is able to determine might interest a user of mobile device  108 . For example, advertisement management module  130  may be able to identify products or services that might interest a user of mobile device  108  by reviewing the electronic offer history of mobile device  108 , determining the current geographic location of mobile device  108 , and/or reviewing past offer redemptions and/or purchases made using mobile device  108  and/or wallet module  126 . The identified electronic advertisement may be provided by one or more partner systems  132 . For example, partner systems  132  may include one or more product manufacturers, service providers, wholesalers, retailers, marketing agencies, promotion firms, advertisement aggregators, and/or coupon aggregators. In one embodiment, the electronic advertisement may be identified based on a location of the interfaced touch point from which the offer identifier was obtained. For example, smart poster  102  may be located in a particular geographic location, the offer identifier associated with smart poster  102  may be associated with the geographic location in which smart poster  102  is located, and advertisement management module  130  may identify an electronic advertisement that is particularly relevant to that geographic location, for example, a car dealership which sells the promoted SUV in the geographic region. Utilizing such geographic information may be particularly advantageous because it is known, from mobile device  108 &#39;s interfacing with smart poster  102 , that a user of mobile device  108  is contemporaneously located in the geographic region associated with smart poster  102 . 
     In one embodiment, the identified electronic advertisement may include a second offer certificate associated with the electronic advertisement. For example, if the first offer certificate is for a discounted soft drink, the electronic advertisement may be for another food or beverage product produced by the soft drink manufacturer and may include a second electronic offer certificate that can be redeemed by a user of mobile device  108  when purchasing the discounted soft drink. Similarly, the identified electronic advertisement may include a second offer identifier. For example, if the first offer is for a discounted soft drink, the electronic advertisement may be for another food or beverage product produced by the soft drink manufacturer and may include a second offer identifier that becomes available to mobile device  108 &#39;s user when the first electronic offer certificate is redeemed, providing an opportunity for mobile device  108 &#39;s user to obtain a second electronic offer certificate to be redeemed as part of a subsequent purchase. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein, advertisement management module  130  may query an advertisement policy database (not illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) to obtain an advertisement policy associated with the offer identifier contained in the electronic offer certificate request message and may identify the electronic advertisement based on the obtained advertisement policy. For example, advertisement module  130  may query an advertisement policy database to obtain an advertisement policy associated with the offer identifier obtained by mobile device  108  in interfacing with smart poster  102 . The obtained advertisement policy may specify how the electronic advertisement should be displayed. For example, the obtained advertisement policy may specify whether the electronic advertisement is to be provided to mobile device  108  immediately, based on a user of mobile device  108 &#39;s preference for viewing electronic advertisements, or based on a user associated with mobile device  108 &#39;s interaction with the obtained electronic offer certificate (e.g., the electronic advertisement is to be displayed when a user of mobile device  108  redeems the electronic offer certificate). In one embodiment, the obtained advertisement policy may specify multiple possible electronic advertisements and may identify an electronic advertisement from among the possible electronic advertisements by conducting an auction amongst the providers of the electronic advertisements. For example, the obtained advertisement policy may specify multiple electronic advertisements for various car dealerships selling the promoted SUV and may conduct an auction amongst the car dealerships to identify an electronic advertisement for delivery to mobile device  108 , the identified electronic advertisement corresponding to the highest bid in the auction. 
     In one embodiment, advertisement management module  130  may query an advertisement policy database to obtain an advertisement policy associated with the subscriber identifier contained in the electronic offer certificate request message and may identify the electronic advertisement based on the obtained advertisement policy. For example, advertisement module  130  may query an advertisement policy database to obtain an advertisement policy associated with the subscriber identifier contained in the electronic offer certificate request message. The obtained advertisement policy may specify that the electronic advertisement should be identified based on an electronic offer history associated with the subscriber identifier and/or an electronic offer certificate history associated with the subscriber identifier. For example, the obtained advertisement policy may specify that the electronic advertisement should be identified based on an electronic offer history associated with a subscriber identifier that is associated with mobile device  108  and/or an electronic offer certificate history associated with a subscriber identifier that is associated with mobile device  108 . In one embodiment, the electronic offer certificate history may also include location information of touch points previously interfaced by a subscriber&#39;s mobile device. Utilizing the subscriber identifier in identifying an electronic advertisement increases the probability that the identified electronic advertisement will correspond to a product or service that will interest a user associated with the subscriber identifier and/or the mobile device. For example, if an electronic offer history associated with the subscriber identifier indicates that there is a substantial history of electronic offers for soft drink discounts, advertisement management module  130  may identify an electronic advertisement associated with soft drinks (e.g., an advertisement to obtain a new soft drink discount in the future or an advertisement for a product or service that is often desired by people who purchase soft drinks). Similarly, if an electronic offer certificate history associated with the subscriber identifier indicates that there is a substantial history of electronic offer certificates for soft drinks, advertisement management module  130  may identify an electronic advertisement associated with soft drinks. It should be appreciated that as the historical record associated with a subscriber identifier increases the electronic advertisement(s) identified by advertisement management module  130  have an increasingly greater chance of interesting a user of mobile device  108 . Thus, by utilizing the historical record associated with a subscriber identifier, advertisement management module  130  may be configured to provide an advertisement that is customized or targeted to the associated subscriber user. 
     In one embodiment, the electronic advertisement policy may specify that an electronic offer history associated with a subscriber identifier should be compared against an electronic offer certificate history associated with the subscriber identifier to calculate a yield metric for a particular electronic advertisement category. In such an embodiment, advertisement management module  130  may be configured to identify the electronic advertisement based on the yield metric. For example, advertisement management module  130  may compare an electronic offer history associated with a subscriber identifier against an electronic offer certificate history associated with the subscriber identifier and determine that a user associated with mobile device  108  frequently requests electronic offer certificates for electronic offers related to a particular product category (e.g., soft drinks). Such a “high yield” determination may indicate that the user is likely to be interested in future offers related to that same product category (e.g., soft drinks) or to a product category that other users who are interested in that product category have expressed an interest in (e.g., potato chips). Conversely, a “low yield” determination for a product or service category (i.e., a comparison between an electronic offer history and an electronic offer certificate history that indicates that a user rarely obtains electronic offer certificates related to the product or service category) may indicate that future electronic advertisements should not be directed to advertisements associated with the product or service category. 
     Having identified an electronic advertisement, advertisement management module  130  may utilize the subscriber identifier contained in the electronic offer certificate request message to communicate the identified electronic advertisement to mobile device  108 . It should be appreciated that the subject matter described herein creates a new paradigm for providing electronic advertisements to a mobile device. From the perspective of a user of mobile device  108 , the subject matter described herein provides electronic advertisements that are relevant to the user&#39;s interests, namely purchase intent, and presents the user with electronic advertisements that are a product of the user&#39;s action (e.g., interfacing mobile device  108  with smart poster  102 ), mitigating the overwhelming effect created by traditional approaches to providing electronic advertisements to a mobile device that often inundate the user with unwanted information. From the perspective of advertisers, providing electronic advertisements to a mobile device, such as mobile device  108 , in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein increases return on investment. Moreover, from the perspective of promoters, the subject matter described herein creates a new opportunity for revenue. For example, promoters can utilize touch points that promote coupons and or offers to entice mobile device users to interface with the touch points and thereby consent to future electronic advertisements. Promoters, in turn, may benefit from various compensation agreements with the providers of the electronic advertisements. 
       FIG. 2  is a message flow diagram illustrating an exemplary message sequence for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein. Referring to  FIG. 2 , at step  1 , a user of mobile device  108  may express an interest in an offer promoted by smart poster  102  by interfacing mobile device  108  with smart poster  102 , thereby obtaining an offer identifier associated with smart poster  102 . For example, smart poster  102  may promote a new SUV and may contain an offer identifier for a soft drink discount. A user of mobile device  108  may interface mobile device  108  with smart poster  102 , thereby obtaining the offer identifier for the soft drink discount. At step  2 , mobile device  108  may generate, and communicate to TMS  120 , an electronic offer certificate request message containing the offer identifier associated with smart poster  102  and a subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108 . For example, mobile device  108  may generate, and communicate to TMS  120 , an electronic offer certificate request message for the soft drink discount which may contain the offer identifier for the soft drink discount and a subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108 . At step  3 , TMS  120  may receive the electronic offer certificate request message, may identify AMS  118  as being associated with the offer identifier contained within the electronic offer certificate request message, and may forward the electronic offer certificate request message to AMS  118 . For example, TMS  120  may receive the electronic offer certificate request message for the soft drink discount, may identify AMS  118  as being associated with the offer identifier for the soft drink discount, and may forward the electronic offer certificate request message to AMS  118 . At step  4 , AMS  118  may identify, based on the offer identifier contained within the electronic offer certificate request message, an electronic offer certificate. For example, AMS  118  may identify, based on the offer identifier for the soft drink discount, an electronic offer certificate for the soft drink discount. At step  5 , AMS  118  may utilize the subscriber identifier contained within the electronic offer certificate request message to communicate the identified electronic offer certificate to an OTA provisioning server associated with mobile device  108 , such as OTA provisioning server  124 . For example, AMS  118  may utilize the subscriber identifier contained within the electronic offer certificate request message for the soft drink discount to communicate the identified electronic offer certificate request message to OTA provisioning server  124 . At step  6 , OTA provisioning server  124  may provision mobile device  108  with the identified electronic offer certificate. For example, OTA provisioning server  124  may provision “wallet” module  126  of mobile device  108  with the soft drink discount electronic offer certificate. At step  7 , AMS  118  may identify an electronic advertisement associated with the offer identifier contained within the electronic offer certificate request message. For example, AMS  118  may identify an electronic advertisement for the promoted SUV that is associated with the offer identifier contained within the electronic offer certificate request message for the soft drink discount. At step  8 , AMS  118  may utilize the subscriber identifier contained within the electronic offer certificate request message to communicate the identified electronic advertisement to mobile device  108 . For example, AMS  118  may utilize the subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108  and contained within the electronic offer certificate request message for the soft drink discount to communicate the SUV electronic advertisement to mobile device  108 . In an alternative embodiment (not illustrated), AMS  118  may utilize the subscriber identifier contained within the electronic offer certificate request message to communicate the identified electronic advertisement to mobile device  108  via OTA provisioning server  124 . For example, AMS  118  may utilize the subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108  and contained within the electronic offer certificate request message for the soft drink discount to communicate the SUV electronic advertisement to OTA provisioning server  124 , which may forward the SUV electronic advertisement to mobile device  108 . It is appreciated that the above described steps are only exemplary and that the steps may be performed in various orders or combined. For example, AMS  118  may identify the electronic advertisement before identifying the electronic offer certificate, or contemporaneous with identifying the electronic offer certificate. Similarly, the identified electronic advertisement may be communicated before the identified electronic offer certificate or contemporaneous with the electronic offer certificate. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  are respectively a first and second portion of a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein. Referring to  FIG. 3A , in step  300 , a request message for an electronic offer certificate associated with a touch point is received at an advertisement management server and from a mobile device, the request message including an offer identifier associated with the touch point and a subscriber identifier associated with the mobile device, wherein the offer identifier was obtained by interfacing the mobile device with the touch point. For example, a request message for the soft drink discount electronic offer certificate associated with smart poster  102  may be received at AMS  118  from mobile device  108 , the request message may include the soft drink discount offer identifier associated with smart poster  102  and a subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108 , and the soft drink discount may have been obtained by interfacing mobile device  108  with smart poster  102 . In step  302 , an electronic offer certificate is identified based on the offer identifier. For example, AMS  118  may identify the soft drink discount electronic offer certificate based on the soft drink discount offer identifier. In step  304 , the subscriber identifier is utilized to communicate the identified electronic offer certificate to the mobile device. For example, AMS  118  may utilize the subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108  to communicate the soft drink discount electronic offer certificate to mobile device  108 . Referring to  FIG. 3B , in step  306 , an electronic advertisement is identified based on the offer identifier. For example, AMS  118  may identify the SUV electronic advertisement based on the soft drink discount offer identifier. In step  308 , the subscriber identifier is utilized to communicate the identified electronic advertisement to the mobile device. For example, AMS  118  may utilize the subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108  to communicate the SUV electronic advertisement to mobile device  108 . 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary advertisement management server for providing an electronic advertisement to a mobile device in accordance with embodiments of the subject matter described herein. Referring to  FIG. 4 , AMS  118  may include communication interface  400 . Communication interface  400  may be any communication interface suitable for sending to and receiving messages from a mobile device, such as mobile device  108 . For example, communication interface  400  may be an Ethernet card. AMS  118  may also include offer management module  122 . Offer management module  122  may be configured to receive, via communication interface  400  and from a mobile device, a request message for an electronic offer certificate associated with a touch point, the request message including an offer identifier associated with the touch point and a subscriber identifier associated with the mobile device, wherein the offer identifier was obtained by interfacing the mobile device with the touch point. For example, offer management module  122  may be configured to receive, via communication interface  400  and from mobile device  108 , the soft drink discount electronic offer certificate request message for the soft drink discount offer certificate associated with smart poster  102 , the soft drink discount electronic offer certificate request message may include the soft drink discount offer identifier associated with smart poster  102  and a subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108 , and the soft drink discount offer identifier may have been obtained by interfacing mobile device  108  with smart poster  102 . Offer management module  122  may also be configured to identify, based on the offer identifier, an electronic offer certificate. For example, offer management module  122  may be configured to identify, based on the soft drink discount offer identifier, the soft drink discount electronic offer certificate. Offer management module  122  may further be configured to utilize the subscriber identifier to communicate, via communication interface  400 , the identified electronic offer certificate to the mobile device. For example, offer management module  122  may be configured to utilize the subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108  to communicate, via communication interface  400 , the soft drink discount electronic offer certificate to mobile device  108 . AMS  118  may also include advertisement management module  130 . Advertisement management module  130  may be configured to identify, based on the offer identifier, an electronic advertisement. For example, advertisement management module  130  may be configured to identify, based on the soft drink discount offer identifier, the SUV electronic advertisement. In one embodiment, AMS  118  may include advertisement policy database  402 , and advertisement management module  130  may be operative to communicate with advertisement policy database  402 . Advertisement policy database  402  may include an advertisement policy associated with the offer identifier, and advertisement management module  130  may be configured to identify the electronic advertisement based on the advertisement policy associated with the offer identifier. For example, advertisement policy database  402  may include an advertisement policy associated with the soft drink discount offer identifier that may specify that the identified electronic advertisement (e.g., the SUV electronic advertisement) should be displayed when the soft drink discount electronic offer certificate is redeemed by a user of mobile device  108 . Advertisement management module  130  may also be configured to utilize the subscriber identifier to communicate, via communication interface  400 , the identified electronic advertisement to the mobile device. For example, advertisement management module  130  may be configured to utilize the subscriber identifier associated with mobile device  108  to communicate, via communication interface  400 , the SUV electronic advertisement to mobile device  108 . 
     It will be understood that various details of the subject matter described herein may be changed without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose of limitation, as the subject matter described herein is defined by the claims as set forth hereinafter.