Pharma TV Ads Shouldn't Drop the "F Bomb," Says Expert. I Disagree.

My colleague Richard Meyer -- who is the author of World of DTC Marketing blog -- often gives his advice to pharma marketers about advertising to consumers. In a recent post (here), Meyer noted that "patients are more worried about quality of life when it comes to choosing healthcare treatments. This is something that all DTC marketers need to note because all the DTC ads in the world are not going to overcome a list of really bad potential side effects." He was talking about cancer treatments. One piece of advice Meyer offered was this: "If your product has fair balance that includes the word 'fatal' think about the channel you’re using. On TV for example having an extended list of fair balance could ensure that your target audience won’t consider your product."Using urban slang, Meyer's advice to pharma marketers might be summed up as: Do not use the "F (fatal) Bomb."Perhaps drug advertisers never mention "fatal," but I have seen many TV drug ads that mention death as a possible side effect. And I'm reminded of what might have been the very first TV ad to do this.Read more »
Source: Pharma Marketing Blog - Category: Pharma Commentators Tags: Celebrex Drug Safety DTC Advertising Source Type: blogs