Rx for Brand Consistency. Should Pharmaceutical Marketers Send Different Messages to Physician and Consumer Audiences?

Pharmaceutical marketers in the United States wrestle with an interesting dilemma: should they maintain similar advertising across their two target audiences—physicians and patients—or should they customize advertising for each? This study explores the relationship between advertising similarity and advertising effectiveness.

Rx for Brand Consistency. Should Pharmaceutical Marketers Send Different Messages to Physician and Consumer Audiences?

Kim Saxton

Kelley School of Business

INTRODUCTION

At the “moment of truth,” when a doctor talks about a specific brand with a patient, we have to make sure these two don’t talk past each other. We have to make sure that they both think this brand stands for the same thing. Using the same executional elements means they both recognize which brand is being chosen.

Marketing director, U.S. pharmaceutical company

Prescription-drug advertising poses an interesting challenge for pharmaceutical marketers. Doctors and patients interact with one...

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