Australian consumer responses to DTCA and other pharmaceutical company sponsored advertisements

Authors

Danika Hall, University of WollongongFollow
Sandra C. Jones, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

24479

Publication Details

Hall, D. V. & Jones, S. C. (2008). Australian consumer responses to DTCA and other pharmaceutical company sponsored advertisements. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 32 (5), 471-478.

Abstract

This study aimed to elicit and compare the responses of Australian consumers towards New Zealand (NZ) direct-to-consumer-advertisements (DTCA) for prescription medicines and matched pharmaceutical company-sponsored advertisements from Australia. A survey questionnaire was mailed to a random sample or residents in a metropolitan area in NSW. Potential participants were randomized to receive one of four different advertisements: two for weight loss and two for Alzheimer's disease. A total of 413 responses were received and analyzed. Participants reported that they were not likely to ask for a prescription from their doctor as a result of seeing any of the advertisements in the study. The Australian disease awareness advertisement that did not refer to a medicinal treatment was perceived as more valuable than the NZ DTCA or other Australian advertisement. Overall, participants found it easier to make sense of the more informational advertisements, and felt that there was insufficient information regarding the disease/condition and treatments in the more emotive and transformational advertisements.