Widget Marketing

Reported in Brandweek, and based on findings from a new eMarketer report, here are some stats on the future of brandable widgets ("mini-Web applications that are downloaded and installed for use on personal computers, Web pages, blogs or social-network profiles"):

• 100,000 developers worldwide are currently working on widget programs.
• Facebook began allowing widgets on its site last May.  Since then, 13,000 widgets have been created for the site alone.
• Social networking sites are a big destination for widget placement.  In 2007, 13.6 million Web surfers between the ages of 12-17 were social network users.  That number will be 15.3 million this year and 17.7 million by 2011.
• Asked whether they thought mobile marketing or widgets would play a larger role in advertising strategies for 2008, 58% of marketers sided with widgets.

"Marketers spent $15 million creating, promoting and distributing widgets in 2007.  That number is expected to grow to $40 million in 2008."Is your brand represented in the widget world?