The Wall St. Journal has a good article today about widgets (thanks Katja for the tip) - check out this summary (registration required for full article). The article talks about measurement of widgets and other online tools, and some of the difficulties monetizing this business. Given what an important topic measurement is, anything we can do to help our clients understand the reach and impact of online tools is a good thing. What remains to be seen is the impact of advertising on widgets and other online tools, and how consumers react to receiving ad messages in this format.

As part of our digital outreach initiative, Burson-Marsteller released a widget this week. The Burson-Marsteller Desktop Reporter v1.0 provides top news stories, blog updates and stock quotes via a widget on your desktop. Download the widget now, and let us know what you think. And, stay tuned for version 2.0 in a few months that will include customization features.