Video: How the Web Strategist should approach Widgets, with Ro Choy of RockYou (4:30)

Categories: Video, Widget StrategyPosted on February 8th, 2008

In my role, I get briefed by companies that I cover in my space (social networks, widgets, and related products). If I feel the speaker is strong, and can deliver a succinct message that’s helpful to my audience, I’ll do a video. Ro Choy of RockYou (warning: auto playing music) clearly meets these requirements.

If you’re not familiar, RockYou is one of the leaders in what I call the widget network category. They create hundreds of widgets that were initially launched on blogs, then moved to Facebook, and will now be deployed on other social networks that allow development (Bebo, MySpace, etc). Between RockYou and their competitor Slide, they account for 8/10 top applications on Facebook (as I learned from Ren last night)

In this video, you’ll learn about his methodology (which I even discussed last night at the panel as a best practice). He discusses how web strategists should approach widget creation.

How the Web Strategist should approach Widgets

Level 1: Branding: Applications, like Microsites
Level 2: Interaction: Include the brand as part of the experience
Level 3: Custom: Build your own application
Pitfalls to watch out for

They’ve an office location that I’m familiar with, in downtown San Mateo across from central park where I used to play as a very young web strategist. (map)

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This entry was posted on Friday, February 8th, 2008 at 5:58 am and is filed under Video, Widget Strategy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Comments

Matthieu Moyse

Great one Jeremiah, 2 categories included in this post : video + Silicon Valley Sightings...

Really interesting to have the widget vendor view of this area (and that looks honest), a client view would be good to watch...

PS: thanks for all that great content you give us Jeremiah !

Melissa Robison

This is an excellent interview, Jeremiah.

As an Account Manager at an interactive firm, I'm constantly fielding questions from clients about widgets. I particularly like the discussion in the interview around pitfalls.

Keep up the good work!

jeremiah_owyang

Matthieu

Thanks for noticing my taxonoy of categories! Wow! you're really paying attention.

I'm reserving Silicon Valley Sightings just for pictures of locations, not interviews.

Ro is really a great interview, we talked out the premise first, he was well prepared. Best of all, he knows how to lead by providing value, rather than pitching like most vendors. He'd be great for panels or speeches.

BTW: Vendors that Push and Pitch NEVER make my video, I also only let them talk about themselves, (unless it's a case study or point) till the end of the video, they must EARN your time. Put the value up front on the video, and solve problems.

jeremiah_owyang

Melissa

Great, it's important we don't just be ra-ra, every tool and strategy has a downside,we should explore all sides, but learn to overcome them.

Thanks for the feedback.

Rebecca Muller

Great interview. Really liked the distinction between building a widget and a microsite as an example. Understanding the different objectives, advantages and even disadvantes behind any tactic is so important and often overlooked.