New York Times rolls out new Web site health offerings

New York Times rolls out new Web site health offerings

Stephen McGuire <http://www.mmm-online.com/Stephen-McGuire/author/51/>
(Medical Marketing & Media)

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 on scientific research and comprehensive
licensed reference information, animations, videos, podcasts,
slide-shows, Web-columns and interactive tools geared towards enabling
readers make informed health decisions.

"We really tried to design a sight 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," which is 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 site 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," she
said.