Making Ads to Promote Drug Companies that Make Ads [1]
Submitted by Diane Farsetta [2] on
Following the release of the industry [3] group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America [4]'s (PhRMA's) suggested drug advertising guidelines [5], Pfizer pledged not to "directly promote any new product" for six months and "to target only adult audiences" with Viagra TV ads. Pfizer [6] also said it would create more "disease-awareness ads," which do not mention particular drugs. "By featuring educational rather than product messages," disease-awareness ads "may ease the concerns of regulators and consumers" while boosting prescriptions, wrote [7] the Wall Street Journal. Marketing executive Stuart Klein said Pfizer's strategy is "improving the perception of direct-to-consumer advertising [8]." PR Week reported [9] that Vioxx manufacturer Merck [10] is launching its first "corporate image campaign," using the PR firm Burson-Marsteller [11]. The campaign will "promote the company's heritage" and highlight its "drug-assistance programs." Merck's Len Tacconi said the campaign is "not self-serving in any way." GlaxoSmithKline [12], Bayer and PhRMA have similar "image-enhancing initiatives."