The present disclosure is directed toward systems, methods, and computer readable media for training and utilizing an item-level importance sampling model to evaluate and execute digital content selection policies. For example, systems described herein include training and utilizing an item-level importance sampling model that accurately and efficiently predicts a performance value that indicates a probability that a target user will interact with ranked lists of digital content items provided in accordance with a target digital content selection policy. Specifically, systems described herein can perform an offline evaluation of a target policy in light of historical user interactions corresponding to a training digital content selection policy to determine item-level importance weights that account for differences in digital content item distributions between the training policy and the target policy. In addition, the systems described herein can apply the item-level importance weights to training data to train item-level importance sampling model.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for broadcasting audio. In one aspect, the method includes receiving, from a server by a smart broadcasting device associated with a service client, an audio broadcast instruction; in response to receiving the audio broadcast instruction, downloading an audio file corresponding to the audio broadcast instruction, wherein the audio file comprises a marketing content related to services provided by the server to the service client associated with the smart broadcasting device; and broadcasting, by the smart broadcasting device, the audio file by using a speaker of the smart broadcasting device.

A method and system for conducting an online payment transaction through a point of sale device. The method includes receiving input from a user selecting an item for purchase through the point of sale device; calculating a total purchase amount for the item in response to a request from the user to purchase the item; and sending payment authorization for the total purchase amount from the point of sale device to a payment entity, in which the payment authorization is sent to the payment entity via a mobile communication device of the user. The method further includes receiving a result of the payment authorization from the payment entity through the mobile communication device; and completing the payment transaction based on the result of the payment authorization.

A distributed media outlet can include both a traffic and billing system, and a media delivery system that employ separate broadcast logs, or playlists. An enterprise hub can transmit broadcast instructions to the media outlet via an integrated services layer (ISL), which acts as a multidirectional gateway between the enterprise hub and the media outlet. The ISL can synchronize the separate playlists used by the traffic and billing system and the media delivery system by simultaneously injecting the broadcast instructions into both systems included in the media outlet. The media delivery system and traffic and billing system can continually re-synchronize their playlists by, at least in part, relaying information to one another via the integrated services layer.

A computer-implemented method and system for improving recipient response rates to content presented via a data communications network to a plurality of recipients based upon recipient response data, wherein the content comprises a plurality of content factors. Each content factor is selected from one or more corresponding content levels. A data structure is provided for containing recipient response data associated with content comprising combinations of content levels. A plurality of content samples is generated by forming combinations of content levels for a plurality of content factors in accordance with respective combination weightings derived from recipient response data contained within the data structure. The plurality of content samples is presented to a corresponding plurality of recipients via the data communications network. The recipient responses to the content samples are received via the data communications network. The recipient responses are analysed to identify one or more combinations of content levels resulting in high recipient response rates relative to other combinations in accordance with predetermined statistical criteria. The recipient response data associated with combinations of content levels resulting in high recipient response rates is stored within the data structure.

A system and method for the presentation of advertisements is present. According to one embodiment, a number of impressions of an advertisement message are presented over a computer network such as the Internet to a variety of viewer computers. Depending on the actions taken by the viewers (e.g., whether the Viewer selects the advertising message and accesses a web-link to the advertiser's web-site), bonus exposure (e.g., an additional number of impressions provided to the viewers) of the advertising message is given.

Methods and systems for presenting online content elements based on information known to a service provider. One of the methods is a method for presenting online content at a communication apparatus, the communication apparatus being assigned an identifier. The method comprises: obtaining information that pertains to a profile associated with the identifier and provided by a service provider involved in assigning the identifier to the communication apparatus; determining an online content element to be presented at the communication apparatus based on the information; and causing the communication apparatus to present the online content element. Another one of the methods is a method for facilitating determination of online content to be presented at a communication apparatus. Servers for implementing the methods are also provided.

A method and system for conducting an online payment transaction through a point of sale device. The method includes receiving input from a user selecting an item for purchase through the point of sale device; calculating a total purchase amount for the item in response to a request from the user to purchase the item; and sending payment authorization for the total purchase amount from the point of sale device to a payment entity, in which the payment authorization is sent to the payment entity via a mobile communication device of the user. The method further includes receiving a result of the payment authorization from the payment entity through the mobile communication device; and completing the payment transaction based on the result of the payment authorization.

Examples described herein relate to a system consistent with the disclosure. For instance, the system may comprise a data lake including information relating to an in-store activity of a customer and an online activity of the customer, a processing resource, and a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by the processing resource to identify the in-store activity and the online activity of the customer, aggregate and store the in-store activity and the online activity of the customer in the data lake, reduce an amount of products in a product portfolio, compare purchases including in-store purchases and online purchases, and recommend a product of the plurality of products based on the comparison.

An online system aggregates content item from third party systems for presentation to users of the online system. To do so, the online system accesses the web pages of third party systems to trigger tracking pixels that have been previously placed by the third party systems. A triggered tracking pixel sends a server call to the online system that includes tracking pixel data such as information about the content item that was available on the web page. Based on the information gathered through various tracking pixels, the online system generates a catalog of the content item that can then be presented to a user of the online system such that the user can browse content items of the third party system while accessing the online system.