Impact of Animated Spokes-Characters in Print Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising: An Elaboration Likelihood Model Approach.
A randomized, posttest-only online survey study of adult U.S. consumers determined the advertising effectiveness (attitude toward ad, brand, company, spokes-characters, attention paid to the ad, drug inquiry intention, and perceived product risk) of animated spokes-characters in print direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs and the moderating effects of consumers' involvement. Consumers' responses (n = 490) were recorded for animated versus nonanimated (human) spokes-characters in a fictitious DTC ad. Guided by the elaboration likelihood model, data were analyzed using a 2 (spokes-character type: animated/human) × 2 (involvement: high/low) factorial multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The MANCOVA indicated significant main effects of spokes-character type and involvement on the dependent variables after controlling for covariate effects. Of the several ad effectiveness variables, consumers only differed on their attitude toward the spokes-characters between the two spokes-character types (specifically, more favorable attitudes toward the human spokes-character). Apart from perceived product risk, high-involvement consumers reacted more favorably to the remaining ad effectiveness variables compared to the low-involvement consumers, and exhibited significantly stronger drug inquiry intentions during their next doctor visit. Further, the moderating effect of consumers' involvement was not observed (nonsignificant interaction effect between spokes-character type and involvement).
a Department of Clinical and Administrative Sciences , California Northstate University College of Pharmacy.
Nilesh S
NS
Bhutada
b Department of Pharmacy Practice , Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-GA Campus School of Pharmacy.
Brent L
BL
Rollins
c Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy , University of Georgia.
Matthew
M
Perri
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001290:Attitude; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D000067088:Direct-to-Consumer Advertising; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D011897:Random Allocation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
D055553:Prescription Drugs