Pharma • Brand Lift

RADIO BOOSTS BRAND HEALTH METRICS FOR PHARMA

Health and well-being are always top of mind at the start of the new year. For millions of Americans, prescription medications are part of achieving and maintaining that wellness. Katz's latest case study finds that radio is an ideal platform for pharmaceutical brands to reach receptive consumers with prescription drug advertising.

Katz studied two radio campaigns for different pharmaceutical brands running in Q4 2022 on network and spot radio. The study found that both pharma brands' investments in radio successfully improved the key brand health metrics, elevating brand awareness by an average +23% among radio targeted consumers. 

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RADIO ADS SEE NO MAJOR ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS FROM RX WARNINGS

As we all have likely noticed, side effect warnings are often featured prominently in pharmaceutical ads. Dizziness, upset stomach, tiredness, sleeplessness, rash, or countless other unpleasant reactions may seem like enough to turn off any consumer and create an insurmountable obstacle to ad receptivity. Katz's study found that such fears are unsubstantiated. The side effect "disclaimers" in these radio ads did not discredit the message or turn consumers off – in fact, listeners understood the need for them and were receptive to the ads.

Ultimately 6 in 10 listeners felt that radio is a good place for brands to educate consumers about available prescription drug brands. Nearly all (91%) recognized and accepted that brands were required to list the side effects in their radio advertising, and despite that, more than half still thought radio advertising was an effective way for prescription drug brands to get their message out.

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Radio is an ideal environment for pharma brands, as it has mass reach, targetability, and credibility among listeners. Combined with the unique assets radio has to offer, the results of this study provided evidence that radio positively impacted brand health for pharma brands. The radio campaigns successfully broke through and resonated among consumers, despite having to list side effects, and led to greater awareness in the prescription drug category.