Manhattan Research has a new report discussing the surge in unbranded ads by Big Pharma. The report states:

One of the most popular trends in pharmaceutical marketing over the past few years is the shift toward unbranded advertisements focused on building awareness for a certain condition, and, in many cases, encouraging consumers to visit a website for more information about that condition.

Many in the pharmaceutical industry have questioned the viability of this approach and whether it is actually effective in driving consumers to research a condition. A recent study from Manhattan Research demonstrates the impact of these advertisements on the health information seeking behavior of consumers exposed to these advertisements. The rankings are based on the comprehensive online consumer research study with 4,965 U.S. adults titled ePharma Consumer(R) v6.0: The Future of Integrated DTC Marketing.

Top Conditions Researched Online Because of TV Ads

1 Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
2 Smoking/Trying to Quit Smoking
3 Erectile Dysfunction
4 Acne
5 Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

We suspect Big Pharma’s “disease awareness” ads are a direct result of the consumer backlash against DTC advertisement.