{"id":20408,"date":"2018-03-29T05:51:35","date_gmt":"2018-03-29T09:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outgrow.co\/blog\/?p=20408"},"modified":"2023-10-18T01:32:27","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T05:32:27","slug":"nyt-and-interactive-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outgrow.co\/blog\/nyt-and-interactive-content","title":{"rendered":"Brand Case Study: How New York Times Uses the Power of Interactive Content"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brand Case Study: How this New York Times Interactive Content Piece Became Popular<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

On 21st December 2013, the New York Times (NYT) published an interactive assessment.It was called \u2018How y\u2019all, Youse and You Guys Talk<\/a>\u2019. And, they were in for a surprise! Little did they know that the assessment would beat every other story NYT published that year<\/strong>. This happened in just 11 days,<\/strong> As a matter of fact, this New York Times interactive content piece continued to hog the limelight. It also became their third most popular content piece of 2014!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

In a way, this success became a testimony of how interactive content would change the content marketing game forever. People were responding to and engaging with this new format. It was impossible to overlook its popularity!<\/span><\/p>\n

Having learned their lesson early on, NYT has since been publishing interactive content on a regular basis. Some of their pieces have done brilliantly well over the years. So, we thought of analyzing a few of them up close and understand why they were a massive hit. Let\u2019s learn together, shall we?<\/span><\/p>\n

New York Times Interactive Content:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

How Y\u2019all, Youse, and You Guys Talk<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s a little-known fact that this New York Times interactive content piece almost didn\u2019t make it to the website. But when it did, it set the digital world ablaze! It has received a staggering 89K Facebook engagements and has been shared 90.2K times to date!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

The mastermind behind this viral content was a then-intern, Josh Katz. He turned complicated stats and studies into something which could be easily understood by a layman. What\u2019s interesting is that he based this assessment on people\u2019s personal narrative. As a result, it became more than a mere assessment tool.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview<\/a> with Northwestern University’s Knight Lab, Josh said \u201cdialect is all about people\u2019s sense of identity \u2014 this is who I am, this is where I come from<\/strong>\u201d. The sentimental quotient about identifying your roots is what struck a chord with people, and spurred virality. It provides an extremely meaningful experience to anyone who takes it<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

The user simply answers a couple of questions to get their \u201cpersonal dialect map<\/strong>\u201d in results. In other words, the quiz gives an exciting opportunity to close the curiosity gap<\/strong> and learn something \u2018new\u2019 about ourselves<\/strong>. It thus is both fun and engaging for the users.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"NYT<\/p>\n

Moreover, the fact that the results were authentic<\/strong> (it’s based on careful study and data) also won people over. It was a hit, especially with the millennials. The authenticity is established on the first screen of the quiz itself. It clearly states that data for the quiz comes from survey responses.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"About<\/p>\n

Related Read: Explore Some More Viral Calculators & Quizzes<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What is your Love Style<\/a>?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is another New York Times interactive content piece that has seen incredible engagement. It has been shared a total of 27.9K times<\/strong>! Why? Well, to begin with, it is based on an evergreen theme: L.O.V.E.! It appeals to young and old, alike!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

Like the dialect assessment, the users are explicitly told that this quiz promises a meaningful, authentic experience<\/strong>. Firstly, they are told that a sociologist has compiled this quiz (comes from someone who \u2018knows\u2019 about human behavior and relationships). Secondly, you can learn about how you and your partner feel about \u2018love\u2019<\/strong>. Once again, this quiz becomes a gateway to uncover an aspect of our personality.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

Although the number of questions (50!) may seem daunting, it is not much of an effort<\/strong>. They just have to choose between \u201cagree\u201d or \u201cdisagree\u201d. What\u2019s effective about this approach is that it tackles the looming concern of our dwindling \u201cattention span\u201d<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n