The Story
The Groop collaborated with Scripps Networks, the dominant media and marketing company in home, food and lifestyle categories, to create Ecologue.com, an online guide to green living.
The Groop was enlisted to create a dynamic site aggregating environmentally centric content from other Scripps properties such as HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network and Fine Living. The challenge was to create an engaging and actionable presentation that reached a broader audience without alienating the existing Scripps audience. Scripps wanted to leverage existing media and content from their other properties while allowing users to discover "green" solutions and improve their overall environmental efficiency.
The Results
The Groop began by creating an architectural system that encouraged user discovery in a simple and engaging process. In order to speed the product development, we leveraged existing APIs, including a Google-based map featuring local environmentally friendly businesses. This valuable resource allows people to quickly find sustainable and earth friendly products and services, affording a more green lifestyle without all of the associated time consuming research.
A custom, streamlined content management system was created to allow multiple Scripps editors to update content, adjust the user experience through keywording, and rotate featured content. This allowed Scripps to both leverage their newest content and keep the user experience fresh.
The user experience design of the site concisely guides the audience toward the most relevant content through selected topics and Q&A features which highlight actions that users can easily incorporate into their lifestyles. The engaging property and robust Ecologue site traffic allowed Scripps to forge critical advertising partnerships -- doubling Scripps' investment in the site within the first month -- and increased awareness for the spectrum of Scripps' content properties.