Giving the DTC Audience Credit

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising is a hot topic these days, and where the nay-sayers appear idealistic, the pro-DTC lobby appears realistic.  So let’s look at what DTC advertising does. 

Simply, a DTC drug advertisement says “here’s a problem, and here’s a solution that might work for you – visit your doctor to discuss”.  And, because these advertisements usually have just 30 seconds to promote a call to action, they rely on classic AIDA principles to work.  Whether the problem is best treated by the advertised product is generally presented as a decision to be made by consumers and their doctors together, taking into account the available options.  And for every unnecessary doctors’ consultation initiated by DTC drug advertising, there must be many more patients seeing their doctors to sort out problems they’d previously felt were too embarrassing or untreatable to discuss.  In my book, making consumers more involved in their health is a good thing. 

The above summary of DTC advertising is simple, because it is – there is only so much to be achieved by a call-to-action TVC.  Yet this does not stop detractors from applying unsuitable arguments, and, not surprisingly, finding that DTC falls short of the mark.  For example, papers written by campaigner Sandra Coney (http://www.womens-health.org.nz/dtc.htm) argue that DTC drug advertising presents only “poor quality information”.  The criteria used by Coney in determining whether DTC advertising meets these quality levels are those used for much more detailed health education resources. DTC advertising cannot hope to meet these criteria, and couldn’t do their job of initiating action if they had to.   Coney does not recognise that in-depth information is only likely to be read by patients once they visit their doctors – and DTC advertising is clearly the best method for achieving these meetings.  Advertising tracking which Synovate has been conducting for a Ministry of Health campaign for years now has proven that such campaigns can be effective in driving an audience to seek medical help.  DTC advertising drives people to seek more information – again, a good thing.

Some of the negativity surrounding DTC drug advertising concerns the self-regulation of DTC advertising standards.  The complaints process is, I agree, quite problematic and ineffectual.  But rather than calling for more regulation and the need for pre-launch approval by a government authority, the anti-DTC people merely call for an end to the advertising.  Surely a case of overkill?  Where would such a ban leave the Ministry’s breast-screening and melanoma prevention campaigns?  What of asthma, a problem chronically under-managed in NZ?  If a Flixotide TVC gets a patient to start appropriate treatment with a suitable drug, then that must be a good thing. Banning is not the answer.

Another argument against DTC advertising is that consumers and the health system suffer increased expenses as a result of additional doctors visits and prescriptions.  Well, if a Xenical advertisement prompts a person to visit their doctor, who recommends diet and exercise, what’s the problem?  And what of the long-term savings to both the consumers and the government, who will undoubtedly save money through the avoidance of obesity-related problems?  Add to that the savings enjoyed from fewer asthma-related hospitalisations and the reduced usage of government-subsidised drugs (because DTC advertising drugs are seldom subsidized), and the cost issues are not as clear cut as anti-DTC people would have us believe. 

Additionally, some dislike the challenges posed to doctors by patients requesting advertised drugs.  Well, doctors I have researched all reported a general acceptance and approval of patients becoming more involved and interested in their health management.  Doctors are smart people after all – they should be able to handle the odd patient ‘demanding’ a given drug, and if they can’t, there are bigger things to worry about.

Finally, patients I have spoken to in the course of my research career have also expressed appreciation of the information now on offer – and yes, they’re all aware of the agendas held by drug companies publishing their own information, and they read such information with that in mind. These are smart people, or so we marketers have been saying for some years now – the marketing world has been awash with news of the increasingly advertising-hardened, ultra-cynical and sceptical nature of the viewing audience, and I don’t think they immediately roll over and become gullible puppies as soon as a DTC ad is aired.  We have to give them credit too.

Jonathan Dodd