The New York Times recently expanded its NYTimes.com Web site offering to include a new section focused on consumer health and wellness issues.
NYTimes.com/Health officially rolled out at the beginning of this month and features original reports, scientific research, comprehensive licensed reference information, animations, videos, podcasts, slide-shows, Web-columns and interactive tools geared towards enabling readers to make informed health decisions.
“We really tried to design a site to help make patients smarter about their health,” Sarah Greene, product director, Health at NYTimes.com told MM&M. “The goal was to have good information pulled together, so you can get the big picture.”
Topics on NYTimes.com/health range from health maintenance issues to weight loss and exercise tips, to acute and chronic diseases, like cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
New sections also include a blog from Tara Parker-Pope, long-time Wall Street Journal columnist who recently joined The Times to write a new blog called “Well,” focused on delivering practical advice on improving readers’ health.
So far the blog has been “well”-received by readers, with an Oct. 2 posting on how marital spats can affect your health as one of the most e-mailed stories of the month.
The Times‘ new Web section has also been well-received by pharmaceutical sponsors, launching with six advertisers on board — Sanofi-Aventis (Lantus), Boehringer Ingelheim (Mirapex), Merck (Zostavax and Januvia), Pfizer (Corporate), Wyeth (Enbrel) and Astra Zeneca (Symbicort).
Advertising opportunities available to pharma marketers include large ads, leader boards, half-page ads and sponsorship packages, The Times said.
As far as the future of the new Times health section is concerned, the sky’s the limit, Greene says.
“We are focused on the best content. That’s what we are all about.”
