Direct visits to branded pharmaceutical websites continue to bring greatest lifts in consumer awareness, favourability and conversions, according to new research.
comScore’s eighth annual Online Marketing Effectiveness Benchmarks for the Pharmaceutical Industry was conducted in partnership with marketing innovation consultancy Evolution Road LLC.
Based on comScore’s survey data from 163 pharmaceutical studies, these benchmarks show that online direct to consumer (DTC) marketing continues to increase conversion among patients and prospects.
Additionally, the study also shows that pharmaceutical online advertising has the highest viewability rates of any industry, and that consumers are increasingly turning to new platforms such as mobile devices to consume health-related content.
“The importance of pharmaceutical branded websites continues to be high. Our research shows that regardless of how condition sufferers get to the site, that visit has a significant influence in those patients seeking treatment,” said John Mangano, vice president for comScore Health Solutions. “Marketers should also take note of what devices consumers are using to engage with health-related content, as visitation to the category via mobile devices has increased by 36 percent in just the past year. Understanding how to reach consumers effectively through fast-emerging platforms such as mobile will help companies create better marketing and content strategies to connect with both prospects and patients alike.”
Brand Site Visitation is Most Impactful Form of Online Marketing
This year’s study shows that site visitation to a branded pharmaceutical site continues to provide sizeable lifts in both brand awareness and favorability.
The most recent benchmarks show that site visitation influences both new patient starts and adherence or refills.
For prospects, branded website visitation drove a 9.4-point lift above control in new patient starts compared to those in the control group, and there was a 14.7-point lift above control in prescription refill activity among patients who had recently visited a branded website.
Additionally, the benchmarks show that natural search-referred traffic is most impactful in conversion among prospects. This natural search-referred traffic had the highest lift at 13.9 points. Non-referred visits yielded a smaller yet still sizeable impact with a 9.9-point lift, while paid search-referred traffic provided a comparable effect, with a 9.3-point lift.
Pharmaceutical Online Advertising Has Highest Viewability Rates of Any Industry
Health marketers continue to use digital channels to reach consumers, and anywhere from three to seven billion display ads are delivered in the drugs and medication sector each month. However, the viewability of an ad – or the ability for an ad to actually be seen by a consumer – largely impacts the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. Across a study of billions of pharmaceutical advertising impressions spanning over 15 brands, 51 percent of the ads were viewable*. Out of the ten industries comScore benchmarked, pharmaceutical advertising impressions had the highest viewability rates.
*Viewability is defined as 50 percent or more of the advertisement appearing in the viewable frame of the web browser for at least one second.
To request a copy of the Eighth Annual Online Marketing Effectiveness Benchmarks for the Pharmaceutical Industry, click here.
.
