DTC Ads driving customers online?
May/04/2007 06:41 Filed in: Current
DTC
Many in the pharmaceutical industry have questioned the viability of this approach and whether it is actually effective in driving consumers to research a condition. A recent study from Manhattan Research demonstrates the impact of these advertisements on the health information seeking behavior of consumers exposed to these advertisements. The rankings are based on the comprehensive online consumer research study with 4,965 U.S. adults titled ePharma Consumer(R) v6.0: The Future of Integrated DTC Marketing.
Top Conditions Researched Online Because of TV Ads
1 Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
2 Smoking/Trying to Quit Smoking
3 Erectile Dysfunction
4 Acne
5 Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Source: ePharma Consumer(R) v6.0, Manhattan Research, LLC
"Unbranded advertisements are building awareness for certain conditions, and encouraging consumers to take action and research these conditions online," says Mark Bard, President of Manhattan Research. "In some cases, more than one-third of consumers researching a certain condition online report that research is the direct result of a television advertisement they saw. It is clear that unbranded ads are having an impact."
Behind the Propaganda-This Authors Opinion
DUH !!!!!! When I was at Lilly we used Manhattan Research and they can be a great resource for information but DTC marketers have to be careful not to use this information as the base for all decisions. It provides part of the picture but does not tell the whole story. All too often we look at data and fail to understand what it tells us. Let's take ED for example; it's no wonder that it is on the top researched list but it maybe there because aging baby-boomers are not able to "respond" like they used to when they were younger. As men age they require more sexual stimulation to engage in intimate activities and many men may feel that because of this they have ED when in reality they do not.
Restless Leg Syndrome is another condition that many people may have had but weren't aware that it was a "medical condition" until we were exposed to the DTC ads. A friend of mine saw the ads and commented that he had some of the symptoms. Upon going to his doctor to talk about the symptoms his doctor did a blood test which revealed he had Type II diabetes and the pain he was feeling in his legs was because he had started to experience some nerve damage.
It's alarming that 4 out of the top 5 conditions researched most online are lifestyle issues more than serious medical conditions. Yes smoking can lead to a wealth of health issues but smoking is all too often a choice that is made by people who are well aware of the risks involved. High cholesterol is a much more serious problem yet millions remain untreated. The education of consumers about dangerous conditions, high cholesterol, obesity and high blood pressure is where the drug industry has fallen short. Rather than educate a public about these life threatening diseases they would rather talk about ED or restless legs. Rather than integrate and combine strengths to inform and educate they would rather sell you a brand.
If the drug industry is to gain the respect of legislators and the public they have to do a hell of a lot more unbranded advertising on serious and potential life threatening medical conditions. It's time to stop continually talking about ROI and then say we are here to provide better health solutions for our customers. But then that would piss off Wall Street wouldn't it?
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