SYSTEMS, APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING GREETINGS WITHIN INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

摘要

Methods for conveying greetings through interactive communications networks include enabling at least one sender to create a greeting, transmitting the greeting to at least one recipient through the network, providing the recipient(s) with eligibility to win at least one reward that was not previously identified by the sender(s), and providing the sender(s) with separate eligibility to win at least one reward that was also not previously identified by the sender(s). The reward system incentivizes the creation of greetings by the sender(s) utilize the methods through a web site, and in a preferred embodiment, the methods also include maintaining a database of registered users of the web site, enabling senders and recipients to become registered users, and making only registered users eligible to win the reward(s). The invention also encompasses methods for encouraging and fostering use of the web site by registered as well as non-registered users, and methods for encouraging registering users to supply demographic, psychographic and behavioral information about themselves to the web site operator, as well as methods for encouraging the establishment of relationships between the web site operator and other businesses for marketing purposes. Systems, apparatus, computer program products, computer executable software code, digital data retention media on which the software code is stored and user interfaces, all for carrying out the methods of the invention, are also disclosed.