Conduit's new toolbar places ad content on users' desktops

A new dashboard from Conduit takes ads to the next level - the desktop. The new tool allows consumers to customize toolbars with widgets from various companies. Called Open Initiative, the tool gives marketers the ability to create a toolbar to promote their brands and allow consumers to place these pieces on their desktops.

by Kristina Knight

Widgets can be created from Conduit's Marketplace or from participating members' websites. The widgets can either tell consumers about promotions or can click the users through to the brand website. So far more than 50 million toolbars have been created and distributed (since Conduit's 2005 launch). The beauty of the toolbar is that it can be changed and updated daily, giving marketers a quick way to promote new products, titles, brands and other information as soon as the consumer logs on to their computer.

"When web publishers choose to offer a branded toolbar, they often believe they have to compete for users against all other publishers because many users don't want to clutter their browser with multiple toolbars," said Ronen Shilo, CEO of Conduit. "These new technologies create more opportunities to distribute content and share users. Conduit believes there is room for every web publisher in the browser."

Online gaming company iWin is one company using the toolbar; their toolbar is updated daily. According to the company, daily revenue has increased 50% and product revenue 150% since they began using the toolbar option.

Tags: Conduit, customization, customized toolbars, online advertising, toolbar advertising