Wait Wait Quiz from Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Objective

NPR sought to expand audience engagement by bringing their popular news panel show to smart speakers, creating an interactive experience that extended the show's reach beyond traditional radio. The goal was to invite listeners to participate in real-time news quizzes based on the show's content through Alexa and Google Assistant devices.

Solution

Weekly voice-activated quiz game featuring fill-in-the-blank news questions from the show, hosted by Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis. New quizzes were released every Wednesday and lasted approximately five minutes per session. The game offered winners the chance to receive custom voicemail greetings from show talent and have their names announced on air. The team used a streamlined collaborative workflow with three writers developing content in Google Docs, one editor managing final scripts and deployment, working early in the week when radio workload was lighter.

Results

The Wait Wait Quiz received Webby Award recognition for being named 'best of the Internet,' though no specific metrics on quiz participation, download numbers, or engagement data were published.