Perceived Third‐Person Effects and Consumer Attitudes on Prevetting and Banning DTC Advertising

This study examined consumer attitudes toward two potential direct‐to‐consumer (DTC) advertising regulatory options—prior approval of DTC ads and a total ban—and how those attitudes are influenced by perceived DTC ad effects and receiver‐specific characteristics within the context of the third‐person effect framework. Results suggest that (1) consumers support the prevetting of DTC ads, but not the banning of DTC ads, (2) their support for prior approval is unaffected by demographic, predispositional, and ad‐effect perceptual differences, but (3) their support for a ban is associated with age, attitude toward DTC advertising, and perceptions of negative effects on self and others.     

The Effects Of Information Sources On Consumer Reactions To Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Prescription Drug Advertising: A Consumer Socialization Approach

This study examines the process by which, and the extent to which, consumers' reliance on mass media and interpersonal channels for health information is associated with consumer responses to direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. By analyzing nationally representative survey data collected among a U.S. adult population, this study finds that those who rely more on mass media and interpersonal channels for health information form more positive attitudes toward DTC advertising. In addition, reliance on interpersonal channels for health information leads consumers to have more active discussions with their health professionals about the drug advertised. Implications for pharmaceutical marketing practitioners and DTC advertising researchers are discussed with reference to the heated debate surrounding DTC advertising in the wake of the recent Vioxx recall incident.     

Television advertising and childrens' attitudes toward proprietary medicine

The effect of exposure to television drug advertising on children's attitudes toward proprietary medicines and medicine use was investigated in two experiments. The first experiment presented the commercials in a realistic program context fashion. The second experiment presented the commercials in a more direct and controlled manner. Using drug questionnaires, the subjects were assessed for their attitudes regarding the use of proprietary drugs. The results of both studies indicated that exposure to drug advertising had little influence on children's attitudes. Furthermore, children preferred not to watch drug commercials in comparison to a TV program or other types of commercials.     

Presumed Influence of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Prescription Drug Advertising on Patients: The Physician's Perspective

This study explored the influence of the presumed influence model in the context of DTC (direct-to-consumer) advertising. A survey of 404 physicians studied presumed effects of DTC advertising on patients and whether the presumed effects influenced physicians' support for regulation and response to patient requests. Results partially supported the proposed model. Physicians perceived the highest degree of DTC advertising influence on patients' inquiries with their doctors and requests for advertised drugs and the lowest degree for beneficial influence of DTC ads. Physicians tend to support government regulation of DTC advertising, and their support is consistent across different demographic and perceptual variables. While physicians' responses to patients' requests for an advertised drug is mixed, greater presumed detrimental effects predicted refusal of patient requests, even after controlling for physicians' demographic and attitudinal characteristics. However, acceptance of patients' requests and recommendation of other drugs are found to be unrelated to presumed DTC advertising influence. The results are discussed in relation to existing theoretical work and DTC advertising literature. Future research recommendations are also provided.     

Attitudes toward Use of Advertising and Various Media Practices by Physicians

Advertising by physicians is a relatively recent phenomenon. The purposes of this study were to determine (a) consumers’ attitudes toward advertising by physicians; (b) whether certain potential consumer demographic variables account for any significant difference in attitudes toward physicians who advertise; and (c) which media consumers feel are appropriate for physicians’ advertising. The intent was to discover information that would be useful to physicians in planning promotional strategies and improving the quality of their advertising. The study seems to confirm the belief of many professionals that advertising and promotion clearly have a place in the future of health care services.     

The Social Reality of Depression: DTC Advertising of Antidepressants and Perceptions of the Prevalence and Lifetime Risk of Depression

This study is rooted in the research traditions of cultivation theory, construct accessibility, and availability heuristic. Based on a survey with 221 subjects, this study finds that familiarity with direct-to-consumer (DTC) print advertisements for antidepressant brands is associated with inflated perceptions of the prevalence and lifetime risk of depression. The study concludes that DTC advertising potentially has significant effects on perceptions of depression prevalence and risk. Interpersonal experiences with depression coupled with DTC advertising appear to significantly predict individuals’ perceived lifetime risk of depression. The study ultimately demonstrates that DTC advertising may play a role in constructing social reality of diseases and medicine. The findings strongly suggest that the social cognitive effects of DTC advertising are far-reaching, impacting pharmaceutical marketing strategy as well as presenting issues regarding public health and the business ethics of advertising drugs to consumers. Jin Seong Park is a doctoral student at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He earned his MA from Marquette University and BA from Korea University in Seoul, Korea. His research interests include health communication and DTC drug advertising, mood and heuristics in consumer information processing and judgments, and international advertising. Jean M. Grow is an assistant professor at Marquette University. She earned her PhD from University of Wisconsin-Madison and her BFA from the School of Art Institute of Chicago. Her scholarly work focuses on controversial advertising case studies. She has published extensively on Nike women's advertising, and her most recent scholarship focuses on DTC advertising of pharmaceuticals and public service announcements for Hepatitis C. In 2005, she coauthoured a book on creative strategy, Advertising Strategy: Creative Tactics from Outside/In (with T. Altstiel). Prior to joining the academy, she worked in the advertising industry with agencies such as DDB Needham, Foote Cone & Belding, J. Walter Thompson, and Leo Burnett.     

Effects of outdoor advertising: Does location matter?

The growth and success of outdoor advertising is in large part due to the medium's ability to reach an increasingly elusive and mobile consumer. However, this success has come with a price. Public pressure and regulation have begun to eliminate or curtail many outdoor advertising locations, leading practitioners to question the effectiveness of the remaining outdoor advertising sites. Using associative learning techniques, these studies investigate what effect, if any, the environment in which outdoor advertising appears has on the attitudes, beliefs, and purchase intent of the advertised brand. The results of four experiments presented here suggest that the background environment does not impact advertising effectiveness, and practitioner concern of such may be unfounded. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Why do Caucasian advertising models appeal to consumers in Taiwan?

To test the influence of model ethnicity on advertising effectiveness in East Asia, this research proposed a cue-triggered value-expressive model, according to which positive attitudes towards western models help consumers with independent self-concepts express themselves. Western models generated more favourable ad responses (ad credibility, diagnosticity and attitudes), promoted stronger self–brand connections and led to more favourable brand attitudes than did Asian advertising models among independent respondents in Taiwan. In contrast, consumers with interdependent self-concepts did not exhibit such differences. Independent self-concepts also consisted of two sub-dimensions: horizontal individualism focused on the desire to be different, and vertical individualism centred on the desire to be superior. The former dimension accounted for the enhanced effects of western models. Three experiments confirmed that expressing positive attitudes towards these advertising models served value-expressive functions among consumers with uniqueness self-concepts when they read ads promoting products that were publicly (Study 1 and 3) or privately (Study 2) consumed.     

Social relationships and social anxiety appeals in direct-to-consumer advertising

The use of social relationships as a promotional tool in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising has received limited attention despite relational impacts on illnesses and empirical evidence supporting social relationships’ positive influence with some patients. This content analysis provides insights into social relationship appeals’ use in DTC magazine ads for each drug-class category. Further, the current study introduces the concept of social anxiety appeals into the DTC advertising literature, which had previously focused more on fear appeals, such as the fear of pain. Social relationships appeared in 42.5% of the 421 DTC ads included in the sample. Social anxiety appeals appeared in 28.5% of ads with social relationships. Types of social relationships depicted (nonromantic, romantic, non-human pets or cartoon characters, and family) vary across drug-class categories. The current study affirms that DTC advertisers frequently appeal to the theoretical importance of relationships as an aid to improved health. It also raises ethical issues when neither the implied improvements in relationships nor decreased social anxiety are direct consequences of prescribed use of the advertised pharmaceutical.