Consumers are now almost as likely to say they learn about new medications from advertisements on linear or connected TV as from their doctor, according to a new report.
Predictive advertising company Cadent commissioned a survey by The Harris Poll of more than 4,000 U.S. adults about trends in pharmaceutical ads, with the results released Wednesday.
One question asked respondents to name the top three ways they learn about new medications. While doctors and healthcare providers ranked first, at 68%, TV ads were a close second, with 62% of those surveyed naming them as a primary source for learning about new prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Drug commercials are also likely to drive action: About 70% of respondents said they’re “somewhat” or “very” likely to ask their doctor about a prescription med after seeing an ad for it on either linear or connected TV, and almost half said they’d scan a QR code on a connected TV (CTV) ad for more information about the drug.
Engagement appeared to be even higher for mobile ads, where 73% of the group said they were likely to ask a doctor about a prescription drug, and nearly two-thirds said they’d click an ad to get more information.
Combining these and other channels may result in an even greater likelihood of consumer action related to a drug ad, as the survey found that more than three-quarters of people will engage in some way after seeing multiple ads across devices—whether that’s researching a medication, visiting its website or talking to a doctor about it, or merely paying attention to the ad or remembering the drug’s name.
“Harnessing the power of CTV and cross-screen advertising is crucial for pharmaceutical advertisers,” Bradley Deutsch, SVP at Cadent Health, said in a statement. “These platforms don’t just introduce new medications—they are a critical factor for driving brand awareness and engagement throughout the patient journey, encouraging consumers to discuss the advertised medications with their healthcare providers.”
As for exactly what type of ad content drives clicks and conversations, the report found that consumers are most likely to take action—at a rate of 53%—after seeing ads that present a drug’s medical benefits, followed closely by those that mention specific medical conditions and link to a drug’s branded website.
Consumers have a significant level of trust in the information presented to them by drugmakers. Nearly 75% said that receiving educational info about health conditions from a pharma company is “valuable,” while just under 70% said they value being able to turn to pharmas for such information throughout their patient journey. Overall, 69% of those surveyed said they trust the educational info they receive from pharma companies.
And while a majority of respondents said they’re likely to respond to ads that are personally relevant to them, personalization can go too far: Just over half of consumers said they are somewhat or very comfortable receiving ads tailored to their demographic information or non-personal information, but even more, 57%, said they find it annoying or uncomfortable when they visit a health website and then proceed to receive ads for a related medication.
“Given the evolving landscape and the potential shifts in how pharmaceutical advertisements are delivered, understanding where your audience is engaging and how to connect with them is more critical than ever,” Deutsch said.
“Pharmaceutical advertisers can effectively reach and engage their target audience by leveraging these insights—without compromising individual privacy,” he continued. “Trust and education are key drivers of engagement, particularly in healthcare, where consumers increasingly value informative, relevant content.”