Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for collecting consumer information. A first message is received from a portable communication device having a device identifier. The first message includes an item code that identifies a promotional item. It is verified whether the device identifier is registered for a promotional service corresponding to the item code. If the device identifier is not registered for the promotional service, a second message is sent to the portable communication device, where the second message requests an address for delivering the promotional item.
BACKGROUND(1) The present invention relates to advertising commercial products and services and, in particular, to collecting consumer information.(2) Commercial products and services are advertised in many different communication media. Traditionally, advertisements are placed in newspapers, displayed in public places or on billboards, broadcasted through television or radio, or mailed directly to the potential consumers. Recently, more and more advertisements are delivered in electronic media, such as the Internet. For example, advertisements are displayed at different web sites or transmitted in electronic messages, such as e-mails.(3) Advertisements are often combined with promotions. These promotions can include a reduced price for the advertised product or service; or a promotional item can be offered free of charge or at a reduced price if the consumer buys or orders the advertised product or service. The promotional item may or may not be related to the advertised product or service. The related promotional item can include an item that the consumer will likely use if he or she purchases the advertised product or service; the unrelated promotional item can include a small present that may be desirable to consumers in general.(4) A known method of advertisement is direct response marketing. Direct response marketing uses advertisements that ask the consumers to respond directly to the advertisers. For example, the direct response advertisement can include an addressed
1. A method for collecting consumer information using a promotional service provider system including data processing apparatus and a system storage, the method comprising: receiving a first message in the promotional service provider system from a portable communication device having a device identifier associated with a first consumer, the first message including the device identifier and a promotional item image having a promotional item code that identifies a promotional item offered to consumers as part of a promotional service that is advertising one or more products or services, wherein the portable communication device includes a mobile phone capable of providing a text messaging service; analyzing the promotional item image received from the portable communication device to obtain the promotional item code; based on information stored in the system storage, determining that the device identifier in the first message is not registered for the promotional service corresponding to the promotional item code; from the promotional service provider system, sending a second message to the portable communication device through the text messaging service of the mobile phone in response to the first message, the second message requesting the first consumer to provide a delivery address of the first consumer for delivering the promotional item; in response to the second message, receiving a third message from the first consumer through the text messaging service of the mobile phone, the third message including a consumer-composed text message describing the delivery address of the first consumer; parsing the consumer-composed text message in the third message to determine the delivery address of the first consumer; storing the determined delivery address in association with the device identifier in the system storage and registering the first consumer and the device identifier for future services; and updating the determined delivery address of the first consumer, wherein updating occurs after a predetermined time has passed since the registering of the first consumer or a successful delivery of the promotional item.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions configured to cause data processing apparatus in a promotional service provider system to perform operations comprising: receiving a first message in the promotional service provider system from a portable communication device having a device identifier associated with a first consumer, the first message including the device identifier and a promotional item image having a promotional item code that identifies a promotional item offered to consumers as part of a promotional service that is advertising one or more products or services, wherein the portable communication device includes a mobile phone capable of providing a text messaging service; analyzing the promotional item image received from the portable communication device to obtain the promotional item code; determining that the device identifier in the first message is not registered for the promotional service corresponding to the promotional item code; from the promotional service provider system, sending a second message to the portable communication device through the text messaging service of the mobile phone in response to the first message, the second message requesting the first consumer to provide a delivery address of the first consumer for delivering the promotional item; in response to the second message, receiving a third message from the first consumer through the text messaging service of the mobile phone, the third message including a consumer-composed text message describing the delivery address of the first consumer; parsing the consumer-composed text message in the third message to determine the delivery address of the first consumer; storing the determined delivery address in association with the device identifier in the system storage and registering the first consumer and the device identifier for future services; and updating the determined delivery address of the first consumer, wherein updating occurs after a predetermined time has passed since the registering of the first consumer or a successful delivery of the promotional item.
19. A portable communication device having a device identifier associated with a first consumer, the device comprising: an information capturing module including circuitry configured to capture information including a promotional item image having a promotional item code that identifies a promotional item offered to consumers as part of a promotional service by a promotional service provider that is advertising one or more products or services; an information analyzing module including circuitry configured to analyze the promotional item image received from the information capturing module to obtain the promotional item code; an information processing module including circuitry configured to identify from the captured information the promotional item code, and to identify the promotional service provider based on the promotional item code; and a communication module including a mobile phone capable of providing a text messaging service, the communication module configured to: transmit the device identifier and the promotional item code to the promotional service provider; receive a message from the promotional service provider through the text messaging service of the mobile phone in response to the transmitted promotional item code, the received message requesting the first consumer to provide a delivery address of the first consumer for delivering the promotional item; in response to the request, receive user input to compose and send a text message describing the delivery address of the first consumer to the promotional service provider through the text messaging service of the mobile phone; receive an update message from the promotional service provider through the text messaging service of the mobile phone requesting the first consumer to update the delivery address of the first consumer; and in response to the request, receive user input to compose and send a text message describing the delivery address of the first consumer to the promotional service provider through the text messaging service of the mobile phone.