Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8427

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

DeLorme DE, Huh J, Reid LN.
Age differences in how consumers behave following exposure to DTC advertising.
Health Commun 2006; 20:(3):255-65
http://www.leaonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327027hc2003_5

Abstract:

This study was conducted to provide additional evidence on how consumers behave following direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising exposure and to determine if there are differences in ad-prompted acts (drug inquiry and drug requests) between different age groups (i.e., older, mature, and younger adults). The results suggest that younger, mature, and older consumers are all moved to act by DTC drug ads, but that each age group behaves in different ways. Somewhat surprisingly, age was not predictive of ad-prompted behavior. DTC advertising was no more effective at moving older consumers to behave than their younger counterparts. These results suggest that age does not matter that much when it comes to the “moving power” of prescription drug advertising, even though research indicates that older consumers are more vulnerable to the persuasive effects of communication.

Keywords:
MeSH Terms: Advertising/methods* Age Factors Choice Behavior* Communication Consumer Satisfaction* Drug Industry/organization & administration* Humans