I don’t know about you, but I have always gotten a kick out of the never ending stream of TV advertisements for new drugs. Every pharmaceutical company seems to be hawking another cure-all. I especially love the disclaimers at the end, “Using Zibomax can lead to loss of limb, eyesight and the ability to breathe.” These are, of course, delivered by a mellow, happy sounding announcer, while people on the screen are frolicking through a sunlit meadow. I just laugh at all of these ads because I could not imagine any viewers actually taking them seriously. As usual, I was completely wrong, and the “masses are asses” has proven to be the world’s mantra.
A recent survey by USA TODAY, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health shows some interesting results:
- 53% of respondents said that drug advertising is a good thing
- 37% say they had asked their doctor to prescribe a medicine that they saw on television
- Only 23% say they are bothered by drug advertising
The bottom line is that it appears drug advertising works. This is why the pharmaceutical industry in 2006 spent $4.8 billion on consumer ads, according to IMS Health, a private firm that tracks sales and marketing.
No matter what the industry, businesses will continue to market their products if it is effective. And the drug business is no different. Expect the number of television pharmaceutical ads to continue to rise in coming years, despite my head shaking at the American public.
My greater advice would be to utilize massages with a G5 Professional massager or a G5 GBM massager
Tweet This Post