Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
The Widgetization of Media
Read more at
http://www.mediafuturist.com/widgets
Presentation at @ MIPCOM 2008, Cannes, France
October 16 2008
www.mediafuturist.com
www.endofcontrol.com
gerd@mediafuturist.com

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
So what are Widgets?
• Embeddable web and desktop objects
• Rich media content in ‘mini-browsers’
• Recently: Apple iPhone Applications + Android Apps

Other ways of putting it…
Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
 Web Gadgets
 Modules
 Embedded Objects
 Badges
 Microsites
 Apps

Think Mobile - not Computer
Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Source: Flickr.com Will Lion

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Widget Examples: Random House Book Widget

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
More Examples
Point
Click
Bling

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist

Youtube’s widget power
Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
~50% of traffic via widgets that run on millions of small sites

Widgetization Keywords
Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
• Aggregation (all that good stuff on MyPage)
• Fragmentation (not just in one place)
• Distribute & deliver micro content
• Channels - not sites
• Feed - don’t force
• Remix & Mash-Up
• User engagement
• Low cost viral tool

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Some widget facts: yes, it’s real!
 23% of social network users have installed a widget *
UMWW
 18% of ~150 Million bloggers run widgets on their sites
 81% of web users viewed a widget in Nov 2007 *comscore
 61.3% Facebook users engaged with widgets (Nov 07 *organic
615 million people ~ 65% of the worldwide Internet users, viewed or
engaged with a widget in June 2008
*comscore widget metrix report 2008.

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Yes…some people do get carried away
Source: DeviantArt NPMan5

Widgets are used for…
Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
• Adding value to your own site (blogs in particular)
• Profile enhancements in social media
• Self-expression, customization > coolness increase
• Tracking and analytics
• Personalization (badges)
• Mashups and UGC
My estimate: 1.5 Billion+ widget
users in 2009

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Where next?

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
And yes, on ‘regular’ TV!
Source: Yahoo

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Now, the audience is… everyone
Source: Flickr.com umschauen

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Where’s the $$?
• Sell mobile widgets - see iPhone apps
• Nascent but fast-growing Widget Advertising:
 Double Click + Gigya
 Mediaforge Roll-over widgets
 Google Gadget ads
 Userplane (AOL)
• Widgets are not primarily a sales channel -
more of a narrowcasting ~~ ‘attention tool’

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Next-generation branded content

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Note: widgets change things
 Users decide if and when and where they distribute
 Content owner has little control over edits, remixes…
 More and more ‘free’ content is needed
 Users create tags, ratings, bookmarks…and become
‘meta-content’, themselves - by creating ConText
 Ads can’t be interruptive anymore (period)
 Branding needs to be less aggressive (more implicit)

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
http://flickr.com/photos/will-lion/
Source: Flickr.com Will Lion

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
The mission: new, better toll booths

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Are you ready to ease up on the Control?

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
Authority ?
Ownership ?
Control ?

Gerd Leonhard Media Futurist
About Me
Author (The Future of Music, Music 2.0, The End of Control)
Futurist with focus on Media, Entertainment, Communications,
Telecom, Business, Culture
Clients: Nokia, NSN, SonyBMG, DDB, ITV, BBC, EU Commission…
Blogger at www.MediaFuturist.com
Strategic Advisor
Free music industry book download at www.music20thebook.com