Patent Publication Number: US-2012035991-A1

Title: Beverage container cross-promotion

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/371,761, entitled “Beverage Container and Method For Marketing Same,” and filed Aug. 9, 2010. All of the related applications are hereby incorporated by reference into the present application in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to methods and systems for providing cross-promotional marketing, using one type of product, such as a beverage container, to promote another type of product, such as patronage of a gambling facility. In particular the invention relates to a beverage container that removably retains a promotional token that may be used in the promotion and/or marketing of commercial goods and/or services. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The combination of promotional material and a consumer good is known. For example, promotional material may be concealed under the pull tab of a can, such that it is revealed by opening the can. Synergistic benefits of cross-promotion are known to marketing professionals. 
     SUMMARY 
     One aspect of the invention relates to a beverage container for an alcoholic beverage, such as a bottle. The beverage container may be configured to removably retain a token, such as a promotional token. The promotional token may have the shape and/or appearance of a casino chip, a medallion, a coin, and/or another physical object that is detachable from the beverage container. The promotional token may be redeemable by a customer (herein referred to as a “user”) for credit at one or more gambling facilities and/or businesses affiliated with one or more gambling facilities. Redemption of the promotional token by the user may be conditional to an exchange. For example, the user may agree to share personal information of the user, or commit to purchase a service and/or good, e.g. from a gambling facility, in return for redemption of the promotional token. 
     One aspect of the invention relates to a system for providing cross-promotional marketing. The system may include a “promotional server”. The promotional server may include (access to) electronic storage, an electronic connection to one or more servers and/or computer networks, one or more executable computer program modules, and/or other components. The electronic connection may provide access to private networks, public networks, networks that are partially private and partially public, networks for which parts alternate between being private and public, and/or other networks including any combination of heretofore-mentioned networks or the Internet. Interaction with the promotional server may be performed through one or more client computing platforms, which may provide access to one or more of the afore-mentioned networks. The promotional server may include executable computer program modules for managing user accounts and user access. The promotional server may authenticate and redeem promotional tokens, e.g. via executable computer program modules. Note that the functionality performed by or attributed to the promotional server may be provided by a plurality of servers and/or entities. The entities administering and/or controlling the server(s) performing the recited functions may include one or more of an alcohol vendor/distributor, an alcohol retailer, a casino, and/or other entities. 
     These and other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front elevation view of a beverage container configured in accordance with the disclosure herein. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a side elevation view of a beverage container configured in accordance with the disclosure herein. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a system configured to provide cross-promotional marketing. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a method to provide cross-promotional marketing. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a front elevation view of a beverage container  10  configured in accordance with the disclosure herein. Beverage container  10  may be a bottle, a can, a keg, and/or another beverage container. Beverage container  10  may contain an alcoholic beverage, including beer, wine, rum, vodka, whiskey, tequila, and/or other alcoholic beverages. In some implementations, the shape of beverage container  10  may be similar to the shape of a slot machine or “one-armed bandit,” as shown, e.g., in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . Beverage container  10  may include a bottle body  12 , a neck  14 , a screw top  16 , a token  18 , a label  20 , and/or other components. 
     Beverage container  10  may be configured to removably retain token  18 , such as a promotional token. Token  18  may have the shape and/or appearance of a casino chip, a medallion, a coin, and/or another physical object that is detachable from the beverage container. Token  18  may be attached to beverage container  10  in a prominently visible location. Token  18  may be attached in a manner so that it may be intentionally removed by the purchaser after purchase. For example, token  18  may be affixed to beverage container  10  with adhesive, or placed beneath a transparent seal, or in any other manner consistent with being removably retained by beverage container  10 . Label  20  may include product identifying information and/or regulatory (required) information, and/or instructions for registration and redemption of token  18 . 
     Token  18  may be redeemable by a customer and/or purchaser (herein referred to as a “user”) for credit at one or more gambling facilities. The one or more gambling facilities may include one or more casinos, hotels, and/or other business affiliated and/or associated with one or more casinos and/or hotels. Redemption of token  18  by the user may be conditional to an exchange. For example, the user may agree to share personal information of the user, or commit to purchase a service and/or good, e.g. from a gambling facility, in return for redemption of token  18 . 
     The process of redeeming token  18  may include the steps of obtaining authorization to access a user-specific user account, obtaining a token identifier of token  18 , authenticating the token based on the token identifier, increasing an amount of credit associated with the user account by the amount of credit included in the token, exchanging, in return for the redemption, one or both of an agreement to share personal information of the user, and/or a commitment by the user to purchase a service and/or good from one or more gambling facilities (or a business associated therewith), and/or other steps. These steps may be performed by and/or in conjunction with a promotional server. The personal information may include the user&#39;s name, address, email address, financial information, purchasing habits, purchasing history, demographic information, answers to a survey, and/or other personal information. In some implementations, the commitment may pertain to a voucher redeemable for a future service, such as a future stay at a hotel. 
     The token identifier of token  18  may be conveyed by a marker that is carried by token  18 . The marker may include a machine-readable marker, including one or more of an RF tag, a barcode, a QR code, and/or another machine-readable marker. Alternatively, and/or simultaneously, the marker may include concealed information, including one or more of a scratch-off code, a magnetic strip, an authorization code, and/or other concealed information. A user may use a client computing device, e.g. a smartphone such as an iPhone®, to process the marker. For example, the user may use an iPhone® application to “read” and/or process the (machine-readable) marker and connect, on behalf of the user, to a promotional server to redeem token  18 . The application may obtain the marker and/or the concealed information, once revealed, e.g. through a captured image on the smart phone and/or through manual entry by the user, and transmit the formerly concealed information to a promotional server to redeem token  18 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a side elevation view of beverage container  10  configured in accordance with the disclosure herein. As illustrated by the angle of neck  14 , beverage container  10  may intentionally be shaped to resemble the shape of a slot machine or “one-armed bandit”. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a system  10  configured to provide cross-promotional marketing. System  10  may include one or more promotional server(s)  12 , one or more external resource(s)  16 , one or more client computing platform(s)  14 , and/or other components. 
     External resources  16  may include sources of information, servers, hosts and/or providers of virtual environments, external entities participating with system  10 , external vendors, and/or other resources. In some implementations, some or all of the functionality attributed herein to external resources  16  may be provided by resources included in system  10 . 
     Client computing platform(s)  14  may include one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules. The computer program modules may be configured to enable an expert or user associated with a given client computing platform  14  to interact with system  10 , external resources  16 , and/or provide other functionality attributed herein to client computing platforms  14 . By way of non-limiting example, the given client computing platform  14  may include one or more of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a NetBook, a Smartphone, a tablet, a gaming console, and/or other computing platforms. 
     Promotional server  12  may include (access to) electronic storage  18 , an electronic connection  11  to one or more servers and/or computer networks, one or more processor(s)  20 , and/or other components. Note that the functionality of the promotional server, including any actions attributed to the promotional server, may be provided by a plurality of servers and/or entities. Promotional server  12  may be configured to communicate with client computing platforms  14  according to a client/server architecture. The users may access system  10  via client computing platforms  14 . 
     It will be appreciated that discussion herein of “the connection” between promotional server  12  and client computing platform  14  is not limited to a single communication pathway, protocol, or set of protocols. For example, “the connection” may refer to an RF communication connection (e.g., CDMA, 3G, and/or other RF communication connections) and/or a WiFi connection that may be used alternatively to each other by the same client computing platform  14  and promotional server  12  to communicate. 
     Electronic storage  18  of promotional server  12  may comprise electronic storage media that electronically stores information. The electronic storage media of electronic storage  18  may include one or both of system storage that is provided integrally (i.e., substantially non-removable) with promotional server  12  and/or removable storage that is removably connectable to promotional server  12  via, for example, a port (e.g., a USB port, a firewire port, etc.) or a drive (e.g., a disk drive, etc.). Electronic storage  18  may include one or more of optically readable storage media (e.g., optical disks, etc.), magnetically readable storage media (e.g., magnetic tape, magnetic hard drive, floppy drive, etc.), electrical charge-based storage media (e.g., EEPROM, RAM, etc.), solid-state storage media (e.g., flash drive, etc.), and/or other electronically readable storage media. The electronic storage  18  may include one or more virtual storage resources (e.g., cloud storage, a virtual private network, and/or other virtual storage resources). Electronic storage  18  may store software algorithms, information determined by processor  20 , and/or other information. 
     Processor(s)  20  may be configured to provide information processing capabilities in system  10  and/or promotional server  12 . As such, processor  20  may include one or more of a digital processor, an analog processor, a digital circuit designed to process information, an analog circuit designed to process information, a state machine, and/or other mechanisms for electronically processing information. Although processor  20  is shown in  FIG. 3  as a single entity, this is for illustrative purposes only. In some implementations, processor  20  may include a plurality of processing units. These processing units may be physically located within the same device, or processor  20  may represent processing functionality of a plurality of devices operating in coordination. 
     Processor(s)  20  may be configured to execute one or more executable computer program modules, including a user account module  22 , a user access module  24 , a token reception module  26 , a token redemption module  28 , and/or other modules. Processor(s)  20  may be configured to execute modules via software, hardware, firmware, some combination thereof, and/or through other processor configuration mechanisms. 
     It should be appreciated that although modules  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and  28  are illustrated in  FIG. 3  as being co-located within a single processing unit, in implementations in which processor  20  includes multiple processing units, one or more of modules  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and/or  28  may be located remotely from the other modules. The description of the functionality provided by the different modules  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and/or  28  described below is for illustrative purposes, and is not intended to be limiting, as any of modules  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and/or  28  may provide more or less functionality than is described. For example, one or more of modules  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and/or  28  may be eliminated, and some or all of their functionality may be provided by other ones of modules  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and/or  28 . As another example, processor  20  may be configured to execute one or more additional modules that may perform some or all of the functionality attributed below to one of modules  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and/or  28 . In some implementations, one or more functionalities attributed herein to promotional server(s)  12  and/or any of its constituent components may be provided by one or more of the client computing platforms  14 . Promotional server(s)  12  may be implemented by a cloud of computing platforms operating together. 
     User account module  22  may be configured to manage (storage for and/or access to) user accounts, account information, and/or a user profile of a user. User accounts may be user-specific. User accounts may correspond to one user, or more users. User account module  22  may be configured to provide account registration of new user accounts. User account module  22  may be configured to generate a user interface for presentation to users through which entry and/or selection of the required registration information may be received. This user interface may be presented to the users, for example, through client computing platforms  14 . 
     Account information and/or a user profile related to a user account may include information stored by promotional server  12 , information stored by one or more client computing platforms  14 , information stored by one or more of external resources  16 , and/or other storage locations. Account information for a specific user may be included within a user profile associated with the specific user. Account information may include information identifying a user (e.g. a name, a username or handle, a number, an identifier, and/or other identifying information), user information, address information, subscription information, (virtual) currency information (e.g., related to currency held in credit for a user, such as an amount of credit at one or more gambling facilities), relationship information (e.g. regarding other users that are in some way related), usage information, demographic information, settings, preferences, customizations, information related to past interactions, achievements, evaluations, purchases pertaining to a user, information derived by analysis, provided information of a user, stated information, account history of a user, browsing history of a user, a client computing platform identification associated with a user, a phone number associated with a user, and/or other account information. 
     User access module  24  in  FIG. 3  may be configured to manage user access to promotional server  12 , and/or to account information and/or a user profile of a user. User access may comprise receipt of an account access authorization. Access to promotional server  12  may be granted pursuant to setup and/or registration of a user account for system  10 , such as described above in relation to the operation of user account module  22 . Access to system  10  may require one or more of a user account, a user name and/or user identifier, security login information (e.g. an access code and/or password), and/or other information. Other functionalities attributed herein to modules of promotional server  12  may be unavailable to a user until access to system  10  has been authorized through user access module  24 . User access module  24  may be configured to generate a user interface for presentation to users through which entry and/or selection of the required authentication information may be received. This user interface may be presented to the users, for example, through client computing platforms  14 . 
     Token reception module  26  in  FIG. 3  may be configured to receive and/or obtain a token identifier of token  18 . The token identifier may authenticate token  18 . Authentication may include a way to distinguish real, valid, and/or as-of-yet unredeemed tokens from counterfeit tokens. Authentication may be required to prevent fraud. The token identifier may be conveyed by a marker carried by the token, as described previously in relation to  FIG. 1 . Token  18  may have a token value that includes an amount of credit at one or more gambling facilities once redeemed. Token reception module  26  may be configured to generate a user interface for presentation to users through which entry and/or selection of the token identifier information may be received. This user interface may be presented to the users, for example, through client computing platforms  14 . 
     Token redemption module  28  in  FIG. 3  may be configured to redeem token  18 . Operation of token redemption module  28  may be responsive to one or both of receipt of the account access authorization, and/or authentication of the token based on the token identifier, e.g. by user access module  24  and token reception module  26 , respectively. Redemption of token  18  on behalf of a user may include increasing the amount of credit associated with the user&#39;s user account by the amount of credit included in the token value of token  18 . Alternatively, and/or simultaneously, redemption of token  18  may include presenting the user with the amount of credit included in the token value of token  18  in another way, e.g. by personally handing the user a pre-loaded and/or pre-paid credit and/or debit card. Redemption of token  18  may occur in exchange for one or more of an agreement by the user to share personal information of the user, or a commitment by the user. This commitment may comprise a purchase by the user of a service and/or good from one or more gambling facilities. This purchase may pertain a hotel stay, a voucher redeemable for a future service, and/or another service and/or good from one or more gambling facilities and/or businesses affiliated with one or more gambling facilities. Affiliated businesses and/or entities may include an alcohol vendor/distributor, an alcohol retailer, and/or other entities. The personal information may include a name and/or an email address of the user. The agreement to share personal information may include an agreement to add the user to a mailing list and/or an emailing list, either of which may be used for promotional activities directed to the user. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a method  400  of providing cross-promotional marketing. The operations of method  400  presented below are intended to be illustrative. In some embodiments, method  400  may be accomplished with one or more additional operations not described, and/or without one or more of the operations discussed. Additionally, the order in which the operations of method  400  are illustrated in  FIG. 4  and described below is not intended to be limiting. 
     In some embodiments, method  400  may be implemented in one or more processing devices (e.g., a digital processor, an analog processor, a digital circuit designed to process information, an analog circuit designed to process information, a state machine, and/or other mechanisms for electronically processing information). The one or more processing devices may include one or more devices executing some or all of the operations of method  400  in response to instructions stored electronically on an electronic storage medium. The one or more processing devices may include one or more devices configured through hardware, firmware, and/or software to be specifically designed for execution of one or more of the operations of method  400 . 
     At an operation  402 , account access authorization is received that is associated with a user account that includes a first amount of credit at a gambling facility. In some implementations, operation  402  may be performed by a user access module similar to or the same as user access module  24  (shown in  FIG. 3  and described herein). 
     At an operation  404 , a token identifier of a token is received, wherein the token includes a second mount of credit at a gambling facility. In some implementations, operation  404  may be performed by a token reception module similar to or the same as token reception module  26  (shown in  FIG. 3  and described herein). 
     At an operation  406 , the token is authenticated based on the token identifier. In some implementations, operation  406  may be performed by a token reception module similar to or the same as token reception module  26  (shown in  FIG. 3  and described herein). 
     At an operation  408 , the token is redeemed such that the first amount of credit is increased by the second amount of credit. In some implementations, operation  408  may be performed by a token redemption module similar to or the same as token redemption module  28  (shown in  FIG. 3  and described herein). 
     At an operation  410 , personal information and/or a commitment is exchanged in return for the redemption of the token. The commitment may be to purchase a service and/or good from a gambling facility. In some implementations, operation  410  may be performed by a token redemption module similar to or the same as token redemption module  28  (shown in  FIG. 3  and described herein). 
     Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.