comScore Study Finds the Internet a Key Component in Consumer Research on Prescriptions and Health Conditions
Online Advertising Aids Brand Favorability and Awareness Among Consumers Pharmaceutical Sites Highly Effective at Generating New Patient Starts and Refills
RESTON, Va., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- comScore, Inc.
(NASDAQ: SCOR) , a leader in measuring the
digital world, today released results from its third annual study
Online Marketing Effectiveness Benchmarks for the Pharmaceutical
Industry, which found that exposure to online media, including a
brand's website and online ads, had a significant positive lift on
a treatment's awareness and favorability. The results also showed
that visitation to a brand's website generated significant levels
of incremental new patient starts and refills. The study, performed
in conjunction with pharmaceutical marketing consultancy Evolution
Road, LLC, is designed to help pharmaceutical marketers better
assess the success of their online marketing activities.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO)
The study evaluated the impact of various online marketing
activities including banner ads, rich media, search marketing and
visits to a brand website on a pharmaceutical brand's awareness,
favorability and sales results among both patients and prospects.
The study was based on comScore's one million person U.S. panel,
for which online activity is passively observed, and survey data
collected throughout the past several years.
Branded Websites Play a Critical Role in Pharmaceutical
Marketing
The study found that branded websites were the most effective
form of online pharmaceutical marketing, with existing patients
increasing their refill rate nearly 25 percentage points compared
to those who did not visit the site. Patients who were new to a
treatment increased an incremental 11.9 percentage points higher
than the control. Exposure and interaction with rich media
advertisements also improved refill rate among existing patients
with a 14.0-point lift versus the control group.
Incremental Effect on New Patient Starts and Adherence/Next
Fill vs. Control
Source: Online Marketing Effectiveness Benchmarks for the
Pharmaceutical Industry (2009 Release)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Prospects Patients
--------- --------
New Patient Starts Adherence/Next Fill
------------------- -------------------
Exposed & Interacted
(Rich Media*) Not Reportable +14.0 % points
-------------------- -------------- ----------------
Visited Brand.com +11.9 % points +24.7 % points
----------------- -------------- --------------
* defined as interactive digital media
"A brand's website is the most effective online tactic for
pharmaceutical marketers. Not only does it provide visitors with
critically important information on the condition, treatment
options and the drug itself, but it is also one of the few
environments where a brand can build a dynamic and recurring
relationship with its patients," said John Mangano, vice president
of comScore marketing solutions. "It is important though to realize
that a brand's website is only one critical piece of a
comprehensive marketing campaign that includes online display ads,
search marketing and offline marketing working in unison to raise
awareness, educate consumers and ultimately drive
conversion."
Online Advertising Causes Increases in Brand Awareness and
Favorability
The study also found that online advertising and branded
websites had a significant positive impact on awareness and
favorability among patients and prospects. For prospects,
exposure-only to an ad increased both aided and unaided brand
awareness, with increases of 4.1 and 4.2 percentage points,
respectively. Pharma websites played the greatest role in
increasing awareness and favorability among patients and prospects.
Prospects exhibited an 18.0-percentage point lift in favorability
after visiting a branded website, while patients reported a
17.2-percentage point lift.
Incremental Effect on Brand Awareness and Favorability Over Control Among
Prospects and Patients
Source: Online Marketing Effectiveness Benchmarks for the Pharmaceutical
Industry
(2009 Release)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prospects Patients
--------- --------
Aided Unaided
Brand Brand Brand Brand
Marketing Activity Awareness Awareness Favorability Favorability
------------------ --------- --------- ------------ ------------
Exposure-Only to Online Not
Ads 4.1 4.2 13.2 Reportable
----------------------- --- --- ---- ------------
Exposure to and
Interaction with
Online Ads (Rich
Media*) 2.2 5.4 1.9 5.5
----------------- --- --- --- ---
Visited Brand.com 11.8 17.1 18.0 17.2
----------------- ---- ---- ---- ----
* defined as interactive digital media
To request a copy of the study Online Marketing Effectiveness
Benchmarks for the Pharmaceutical Industry (2009 Release) or for
more information on comScore Pharmaceutical and Healthcare
Solutions, please visit: http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Presentations_Whitepapers/2009/Online_Mar
keting_Effectiveness_Benchmarks_for_the_Pharmaceutical_Industry
About comScore Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Solutions
comScore Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Solutions delivers
in-depth information needed to understand the impact that brand,
condition-specific, and health websites have on consumers' brand
awareness, conversion, and patient compliance. comScore's products
deliver actionable insight to help refine consumer profiles,
identify key alliances, optimize interactive marketing initiatives,
benchmark against the competition and accurately measure the ROI of
Web site and online marketing programs.
About comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCOR) is a global leader in measuring
the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing
intelligence. For more information, please visit
www.comscore.com/companyinfo.
About Evolution Road
Evolution Road is a marketing innovation consultancy focused on
helping brands leverage digital channels to drive their business.
Evolution Road believes that the Internet will dramatically improve
how pharmaceutical brands are marketed for the benefit of
consumers, physicians and pharmaceutical brands. For more
information, please contact Paul Ivans at pivans@evolutionroad.com, or
visit www.evolutionroad.com.
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Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO
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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: comScore, Inc.
CONTACT: Sarah Radwanick of comScore, Inc.,
+1-312-775-6538,
press@comscore.com
Web Site: http://www.comscore.com/
Posted: October 2009
