Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3207

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Morris LA, Millstein LG.
Drug advertising to consumers: effects of formats for magazine and television advertisements
Food Drug Cosmetic Law Journal 1984; 39:497-503

Abstract:

Test advertisements were created that presented risk information in different formats to test which was the best way of communicating risk information to consumers. The amount of risk information presented in a television commercial was positively correlated with the amount communicated. There was no evidence of information overload, but the authors believed that it was doubtful that people would routinely read all of the warning material at the end of a televsion commercial under nonexperimental conditions. In the magazine advertisements, reprinting risk information at the bottom of the page appeared to dissuade readership of the ad. Emphasizing risk information by printing it in bold typeface was marginally superior at communicating risk information. On television, techniques used to emphasize risk information were inferior to integrating that information more fully into the ad. Ads with specific risks were more informative but people preferred the general risk ads.

Keywords:
*controlled trial/United States/direct-to-consumer advertising/print advertisements/broadcast advertisements/safety & risk information/attitude toward promotion/doctor-patient relationship/general public and consumers/consumer behaviour & knowledge/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: CONSUMERS/PATIENTS/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISING/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DRUG SAFETY/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP