Gydget’s
Namesake Viral Promotions Tool Can
Be Embedded Into Social Networking
Web Pages, Allowing Artists, Teams
and Organizations to Keep Fans
Instantly Updated
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Gydget today announced the
debut of gydget.com, a new Web site
that provides a unique social
network marketing solution for the
entertainment industry and others.
At gydget.com, anyone can create fan
widgets, known as gydgets, that keep
fans updated about news, media and
events. Gydgets are designed
specifically for fan use on social
networking sites as well as personal
Web portals such as iGoogle.
Gydgets, built with Adobe Flash
technology, are a specialized kind
of widget—small
viral applications that are easily
plugged into Web pages. Gydgets are
already in use by music companies
such as EMI, Universal, Compadre
Records and Music World
Entertainment for bands such as Korn,
Yellowcard, KT Tunstall, Joss Stone,
Beyoncé
and The Police.
Sports teams and leagues have
also adopted the solution. Examples
include the University of Colorado
Buffs, Cincinnati Bengals, UCLA
Bruins, the National Hockey League
and the Maryland Terrapins, in
addition to many other world-class
acts and organizations such as the
National Resources Defense Council.
“We
believe gydget.com will reshape the
very nature of promotion by making
easily customizable social network
marketing tools available to anyone,”
said Gerardo Capiel, CEO of Gydget.
“Reaching
fans across multiple social networks
is crucial in the entertainment
space. Because of Gydget’s
technology, the latest videos, news,
events and other updates can be
distributed instantly, regardless of
where fans choose to associate
online.”
“Because
today’s
music scene is built on empowered
fan bases, it’s
critical for musical acts to connect
with fans in ways that are both
viral and interactive,”
said Lisa Yvette Linder, Senior
Director of New Media & Digital
Strategy for Universal
Motown/Universal Republic.
“Gydgets
are a perfect solution, which is why
we’re
building gydgets for our complete
roster of artists including The Who,
Ashanti, John Mellencamp, Colbie
Caillat and Fair to Midland.”
No Expertise Needed
Gydgets are easy to create at
www.gydget.com. Because gydgets
are template-based, no coding or
design expertise is necessary;
furthermore, news and events can be
automatically imported from MySpace.
Gydgets can be customized with
artist or team images, colors and
links. Gydgets also support tabs for
events, video and RSS. Once built,
the gydget can be placed on the
organization’s
site for fans to see, grab, and
share with their friends. There is
no fee to use gydget.com.
New Way to Conduct Commerce
Given their viral reach across
fan bases and social networking
sites, gydgets are an attractive
commerce vehicle. For example, as a
result of thousands of fans
“grabbing”
the Bengals gydget, there are now
thousands of points of sale for
Bengals tickets and merchandise.
Gydgets also played a role in the
success of the Summer 2007 Warped
Tour music and extreme sports
festival. The 45-city event was
sponsored by Vans Shoes, a
well-known sneaker and skate shoe
manufacturer. “The
Gydget widget was a great viral
resource for the Vans Warped Tour
this summer,”
noted Paul Kersh, Online Marketing
Manager for Vans.
“The tool
was easy to use and utilize on
various community platforms and we
were pleased with the results in
terms of the amount of users who
utilized the widget and those who
clicked through to purchase tickets.”
Future Plans
Future plans for gydget.com
include tighter integration with the
Facebook platform and support for
Google’s
Gadget Ad program. Gydget also plans
to expand its social network
marketing services to include media
buying, online guerilla marketing
and other fan-based marketing. The
company is also expecting to partner
with existing marketing agencies.
Availability
Gydget.com is now open and
available to artists, labels,
promoters, venues, teams, and
sponsors; for more information visit
www.gydget.com.
About Gydget:
Gydget provides a social
marketing platform that allows music
groups, sports teams, non-profits
and other organizations to reach
their audiences where they
congregate most: at social
networking and fan-based Web sites.
Gydgets, the company’s
groundbreaking widget device, make
it easy for promoters and fans alike
to place event dates, news, box
office links, and other information
on personal Web pages. Gydget
technology is used by many of the
world’s
leading entertainers and sports
teams including Beyoncé,
Gwen Stefani, The Police, the
Beastie Boys, the National Hockey
League and the Oakland Raiders.
Visit
www.gydget.com for more
information.