A branded widget from Cingular

Widget distribution company Gigya has unveiled a monetization strategy. Until this point, Gigya has operated Wildfire, a free service that makes it easy for users to install non-branded widgets.

But instead of placing ads inside widgets, Gigya has launched a separate service that sells branded widgets, according to TechCrunch. Advertisers already on board include Jive Records, Kimberly-Clark and Disney.

Advertisers will be charged $2-5 every time a user installs a branded widget through its network. The high CPI is justified by the number of impressions that each widget will receive once it goes online and spreads virally.

Advertisers can also track their branded widgets with the same tools provided by WildFire, such as number of installs and impressions.

The company already distributes over 300,000 widgets per day from over 400 widget creators.