• RT @flipdoogans: Hollywood Reporter: Twitter users buy more music. http://mblx.us/twitmusic #music #twitter #
• Atlantic Records and Social Media Marketing. http://mblx.us/atlantic #music #
• Platform Gold Rush Guide: Why You Probably Don’t Want to Build an iPhone App. http://mblx.us/iphone #iphone #startups #
• Twitter spammers (@HabitatUK) sometimes get caught – publically. http://tinyurl.com/ldnoh4 #spam #twitter #

Recently the company iWidget changed their name to Transpond but what I liked best is the very politically correct closing:

Transpond isn’t putting a new coat of paint on an unused product. Rather, it has had legit customers for much of its existence.

But the reason for the change, I think become quickly apparent in the next couple of lines:

Transpond raised a $4.1 million Series A round from Opus Capital and University Venture Fund in February.

Many entrepreneurs who cut their teeth in Silicon Valley, will probably soon remember a similar situation in their past. In general, venture funded companies very quickly get “encouraged” by the investors to address the “competitive landscape” (read: Gigya and Clearspring) to “broaden their market focus”. A lot of this market “hand wringing” is unfortunately usually precipitated by press and analyst reports as opposed to real customer needs. Name changes are nice but customer needs are better.

But the name change does bring up a good question: What is the Widget Space? (and where is it?).

Understanding the “Widget Space”
The “Widget Space” has become a complex and confusing space, but here is what everyone needs to understand about widgets:

• A “widget” is just a way of packaging an application
  First the lines between widgets and application are being blurred and the terms sometimes are  used interchangeably.
• A “widget” allow you to package your brand or site and take it to places where people actually “hang out” online 
  Widgets were not simply created for widget sake, instead they are a way you can package your website or brand “in a box” and take it to places where your customers “live”
• Marketers who wish to use widgets need to solve 3 big problems: Creation, Management and Distribution
  First you have to create a compelling widget. A video in a box is not compelling and you are probably not going to building it with a simple Do It Yourself (DIY) wizard. Once you build it, you’ll need to manage it, especially if you know what you are doing and have a lot of widgets. Lastly you’ll need to distribute your widgets, so people can see them and respond to them (hopefully by buying your product or service). This is all part of the widget lifecycle.
• Less import problems include the underlying infrastructure that goes into tracking widgets, the mechanics of sharing widgets, and ways of monitizing widget traffic (if your widget is a “utility widget” as opposed to a “marketing widget”)

Key Widget Concepts:

Why and How do Companies and Individuals Use Widgets?

• As a form of online marketing that allows companies to package their brand or content in small package (“widget”) and encourage customers or potentially customers to post it on their social networks or webs with the hope of achieving some sort of viral distribution.
• As a way of creating demand for a product or service (by promoting it) and fullfilling that demand (allow users to purchase product or service through the widget) as the same time (key focus on the Widgetmatic platform).
• Distributing entertaining or interesting content (funny video or game) or providing utility (useful tool) with the hopes of getting virally generated traffic that can be monitize through advertising (in-widget ad network) or drive back to your site (where you hopefully convert them to customers)

What are the Different Types of Widgets?

• Marketing Widgets: Primary purpose is to create awareness around a brand, product or service, and potentially fullfill it at the same time.
• Utility Widgets: Primary purpose is to provide useful functionality in the form of a tool or information. Widget “transportablity” allows you to access information or utilitity from another site within the widget.

What Type of Problems are Companies in the “Widget Space” Trying to Solve?

• Creation: Helping companies build compelling widgets quickly and easily (Widgetmatic, Sprout, Transpond)
• Management: Allowing companies to manage their “widget portfolios” or networks effectively (Widgetmatic)
• Tracking: Allowing companies to track and monitor the performance of their widgets (Gigya, Clearspring)
• Distribution – Sharing: Making it easy for people to share widgets with each other (making them more viral) or helping them post widgets on their social neworking pages (Gigya, Clearspring)
• Distribution – Directories: Helping people search for and find widgets, helping developers and marketers distribute their widgets to consumers (WidgetBox, Snipperoo)
• Distribution – Ad Networks: Helping marketers and developers distribute your widgets by promoting them within their networks (RockYou,Slide)
• Monitization – Ad Networks: Enable marketers and developers to place, track and monitize traffic using in-widget ads. (Gigya, Clearspring, RockYou)

How Have Companies Make Money So Far in the “Widget Space”?

• Designing and developing custom widgets
• Selling tools or services for widget creation
• Selling tools or services for widget mangement
• Sellling advertising
• In-widget Advertising revenue
• Advertising revenue on their websites
• Selling products or services through widgets

Where Do “Widgets” Live?

• Any webpage or blog
• Social Networks (Facebook, MySpace)
• Your TV Set (Yahoo TV Widgets)
• Your Computer Desktop (Windows Vista, Yahoo!, MacOS)
• Your Picture Frame (FrameMedia, Chumby)
• Your Mobile Phone

Why is the “Widget Space” Confusing?

• Too many companies using marketing language that doesn’t communicate exactly what problem they are solving
• Companies solving less important (or secondary problems) but positioning them as primary problems
• Companies trying to solve ALL the problems poorly

Other Resources:

• Widget Platforms
• Social Ad Submit: Widget Monetization
• Widgets and Monitiziation
• MetaBlog: Widget Examples
• SexyWidget
• Widget Labs: Reviews