How Computers Automatically Target Ads Based on Trending Internet Memes
A system that finds trending internet topics, measures how fast they are spreading, and automatically places relevant advertisements on the web pages where those topics are being discussed.
Original patent title: “Method and system for targeted advertising based on topical memes”
A system that finds trending internet topics, measures how fast they are spreading, and automatically places relevant advertisements on the web pages where those topics are being discussed. Granted to Salesforce com Inc in 2013 with 14 claims and 8 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a system that scans the internet to find content related to specific topics. It extracts 'topical memes'—which the patent defines as specific points of discussion within those topics—and calculates a 'viral dynamics metric' to see how popular or fast-spreading that content is. By adding these metrics together, the system identifies the most active meme and automatically selects an advertisement to display on the web pages where that meme is appearing. It also chooses the best advertising network to deliver the ad based on which network has the widest reach for those specific pages.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover advertising based on static user demographics like age or location.
- Does not cover manual ad placement where a human decides which ad goes on which page.
- Does not cover content analysis that ignores the 'viral dynamics' or speed of spread.
- Does not cover systems that do not use an advertising network to deliver the content.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system treats 'virality' as a quantifiable, aggregate value that can be used as a trigger for automated business decisions, effectively turning the social spread of information into a stock-market-like signal for ad inventory.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Automated ad insertion on news sites during breaking viral events
Social media platform ad-targeting algorithms
Real-time bidding systems for programmatic advertising
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent represents an early attempt to formalize 'trend-jacking' in digital marketing. By turning the chaotic nature of internet virality into a measurable metric, it allowed advertisers to move away from static ad buys toward dynamic, data-driven campaigns that follow the current conversation. It highlights the shift toward algorithmic ad placement that dominates modern social media and news platforms.
Filed
January 20, 2009
Granted
April 23, 2013
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Salesforce, the original assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, continues to integrate advanced data analytics into its Marketing Cloud platform. Major ad-tech players like Google and Meta have built significantly more complex versions of this logic to power their real-time ad auction engines.
Market impact
This patent helped codify the transition from 'contextual advertising' (ads related to the page topic) to 'behavioral/trend-based advertising' (ads related to current social momentum). It contributed to the rise of programmatic advertising, where the decision to show an ad is made by machines in milliseconds based on real-time data.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a system that scans the internet to find content related to specific topics. It extracts 'topical memes'—which the patent defines as specific points of discussion within those topics—and calculates a 'viral dynamics metric' to see how popular or fast-spreading that content is. By adding these metrics together, the system identifies the most active meme and automatically selects an advertisement to display on the web pages where that meme is appearing. It also chooses the best advertising network to deliver the ad based on which network has the widest reach for those specific pages.
The clever bit
The system treats 'virality' as a quantifiable, aggregate value that can be used as a trigger for automated business decisions, effectively turning the social spread of information into a stock-market-like signal for ad inventory.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover advertising based on static user demographics like age or location.
- Does not cover manual ad placement where a human decides which ad goes on which page.
- Does not cover content analysis that ignores the 'viral dynamics' or speed of spread.
- Does not cover systems that do not use an advertising network to deliver the content.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
19/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
9/20
Moderate scope
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$38K – $123K
Midpoint $77K · 2.6 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
14 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Ramsey, C. B., Newton, C. D., & Lebrun, M. A. (2013). How Computers Automatically Target Ads Based on Trending Internet Memes (U.S. Patent No. 8,429,011). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8429011/facebook-ad-targeting
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Computers Automatically Target Ads Based on Trending Internet Memes cover?
A system that finds trending internet topics, measures how fast they are spreading, and automatically places relevant advertisements on the web pages where those topics are being discussed.
Who owns patent US 8429011?
Salesforce com Inc owns this patent, granted in 2013.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on April 23, 2033, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 8429011 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 8 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent represents an early attempt to formalize 'trend-jacking' in digital marketing. By turning the chaotic nature of internet virality into a measurable metric, it allowed advertisers to move away from static ad buys toward dynamic, data-driven campaigns that follow the current conversation. It highlights the shift toward algorithmic ad placement that dominates modern social media and news platforms.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover advertising based on static user demographics like age or location.
Same assignee
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