Widgets, Finally Make a Name for Themselves
There are many ways to build brand awareness on the web for products or services. Some of these online initiatives include banner ad placement, search engine marketing, blogs, email campaigns, microsites, etc. The online opportunities are becoming endless in today’s digital age. The difficult task for marketers is to not only keep up with the countless interactive trends that unfold everyday but to also determine which ones to implement. Well, here’s another one to consider…Web Widgets.
I recently read an interesting article about the wave of widgets on the web and how more and more advertisers are investing money in this new marketing medium. Web widgets are applications that have some useful purpose, such as giving weather updates, a “to do list” connected to Outlook, stock updates, or the time in China. These widgets are being used as desktop applications that connect via the Internet. The power of the desktop widget is its seamless integration with the desktop interface. You can drag and drop, click, and interact without ever having to launch a browser. If you have visited Google or Yahoo lately, you can find user-generated widgets that are customized and often obscure. For example, you may find a widget for the Texas Lottery.
While most widgets are being developed by the general masses, you can also find plenty that have been created by companies. Marketers have taken advantage of this new craze to brand their product or service on widgets. Widgets give marketers the opportunity to stay in front of consumers in a unique and effective way without having to be too obtrusive. A lot of times people will download a particular widget because they like the interactive features that it provides, regardless of who the advertiser is. The advantage for the advertiser is that as users are downloading and interacting with your widget they are being exposed to your brand at the same time, whether the consumer realizes it or not.
To take it a step further, companies have turned to developing large scale widgets or Branded Desktop Applications, to further reach their audience.
Below are a list of companies that are successfully utilizing this medium to increase brand awareness and interaction with their target audience.
WeatherBug: amongst one of the most popular branded desktop applications, users can download WeatherBug to receive free weather and traffic information. Marketers have the option of placing an ad within WeatherBug so that when consumers look for weather and traffic they are being exposed to your brand at the same time.
Purina: this tiny box alerts pet owners when it is good dog walking weather in your area. Purina is providing useful information while also staying in front of its target audience- pet owners.
Westin Renewal: sponsored by Westin hotels, this widget provides consumers with a daily personal renewal tip. Westin is promoting a healthy lifecycle while strategically promoting their brand at the same time.
Target: this branded desktop application allows you to count down the number of days to a special event, like a holiday or a birthday. Target successfully uses this widget to subtly sell their services by linking out to a gift finder section, Target’s pick of the day, and their weekly ad.
Widgets are just one of many online marketing techniques that exist today. I think the challenge for marketers is going to be to keep up with new trends and, more importantly, decide which ones are the most effective. While a branded desktop application may be the solution for one company, a banner ad may work better for another. Like I said, the opportunities are endless in today’s digital age. There are so many ways to market online; figuring out the best way to be there is the difficult part.
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