How do ad endorsers and disclosures influence consumers?

Challenge

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug promotion through television ads has grown rapidly over the past few decades. Studies have shown that while consumers perceive physician endorsers as more credible, they perceive “everyday people” endorsers to be more relatable. Current guidelines from the American Medical Association (AMA) and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) state the importance about maintaining transparency when physicians are featured as endorsers and when they are played by actors. However, there are no guidelines about disclosing this information when the endorser is an everyday person.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tapped Westat to examine the effects of using physician versus patient endorsers to market prescription drugs and how the types of disclosure statements impact consumers’ attitudes and perceptions about the endorser, the ad, and the prescription drug’s risks and benefits.

Solution

Working with FDA, Westat fielded 2 experimental survey research studies with consumers using selected medical conditions and analyzed the results.

We developed 2 sets of television ads for 2 different fictitious prescription drugs. For each set of ads, we manipulated important details, including a disclosure statement where we tell participants the endorser actually uses/prescribes the drug, is an actor, or where we say nothing. We analyzed the impact depending on whether the endorser they saw in the ad was a physician or a patient, and whether they noticed the disclosure statement.

The creative products we developed for the study were realistic, believable, and conformed to FDA guidance around DTC television promotion.

Our qualitative researchers evaluated the study questionnaire and supporting materials to ensure they worked as expected with the target consumer audiences.

Results

Study results will contribute to the scientific evidence base around the effects of using different types of endorsers to promote prescription drugs and the effects of displaying different types of disclosure statements. In so doing, Westat is helping the FDA ensure that prescription drug promotion is truthful, balanced, and accurately communicated.