Nokia introduces ads in WidSets widgets service

By Mickey Alam Khan

May 13, 2008

Nokia is No. 1

Nokia, the world's No. 1 handset maker, will leverage its devices and audience reach by accepting mobile advertising within its WidSets service.

The Finnish company’s WidSets service includes 5,000 widgets or content applications in 56 languages from brands such as Twitter, Foreca and The Wall Street Journal. Advertisers can now place ads within those widgets as part of a global mobile ad campaign.

“What this does is it adds a mobile advertising opportunity to the brands that have widgets,” said Keith Nowak, senior media relations manager at Nokia Inc., White Plains, NY.

WidSets has also become part of the Nokia Media Network, an ad network with more than 100 mobile publishers. Kraft, BMW and Paramount Pictures advertise on the network.

WidSets has more than 7 million registered members who receive online content such as news, social networks and games.

Swedish automaker Volvo and the World Wildlife Fund are launch advertisers in WidSets.

Volvo is running ads in WidSets for the Finnish market to generate interest in the new Volvo XC60 ahead of its launch later this year.

WWF has introduced a mobile ad campaign called “Stop climate change.” The banner ads run on the home screen of WidSets worldwide.

Advertise can drive traffic to their own mobile Web sites and landing pages or work with Nokia to create their own WidSets mini-applications with supporting ads and promotions.

Ads can be targeted to consumers based on device type, language and content preferences.

Nokia said WidSets is available on more than 300 Nokia and non-Nokia devices.

The company plans to embed the WidSets application on even more devices this quarter.

“This is two areas of Nokia coming together,” Mr. Nowak said.

“We have a mobile advertising side and we have our WidSets project,” he said. “It’s allowing WidSets to add an advertising piece to the overall thing.

“Before this, you were getting content from the content providers and you weren’t getting any advertising.”