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Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs: A Strategic Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Wilfred Amaldoss

    (Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708)

  • Chuan He

    (Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309)

Abstract

Consumers cannot purchase a prescription drug without a prescription from a physician, yet many prescription drugs are promoted to consumers with the help of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. In this paper, we propose and test a competitive model of DTC advertising. We find that the brand specificity of DTC advertising can have an inverted U-shaped relationship with detailing, DTC advertising, and profits. Furthermore, an increase in the cross-price sensitivity between competing prescription drugs is not always detrimental to firm profits. A laboratory test lends qualitative support to some of our model predictions. We also discuss potential implications of DTC advertising for generic drugs and over-the-counter drugs.

Suggested Citation

  • Wilfred Amaldoss & Chuan He, 2009. "Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs: A Strategic Analysis," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(3), pages 472-487, 05-06.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormksc:v:28:y:2009:i:3:p:472-487
    DOI: 10.1287/mksc.1080.0411
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Mahabubur Rahman & M. Ángeles Rodríguez-Serrano & Mary Lambkin, 2019. "Advertising efficiency and profitability: Evidence from the pharmaceutical industry," Post-Print hal-02096913, HAL.
    3. Abhik Roy, 2022. "A dynamic model of price competition and promotion in prescription drug markets," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 577-591, December.
    4. Tinglong Dai & Shubhranshu Singh, 2020. "Conspicuous by Its Absence: Diagnostic Expert Testing Under Uncertainty," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(3), pages 540-563, May.
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    6. Khim-Yong Goh & Cheng-Suang Heng & Zhijie Lin, 2013. "Social Media Brand Community and Consumer Behavior: Quantifying the Relative Impact of User- and Marketer-Generated Content," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 88-107, March.
    7. Wilfred Amaldoss & Woochoel Shin, 2011. "Competing for Low-End Markets," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(5), pages 776-788, September.
    8. repec:dau:papers:123456789/12407 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Stefan Stremersch & Vardit Landsman & Sriram Venkataraman, 2013. "The Relationship Between DTCA, Drug Requests, and Prescriptions: Uncovering Variation in Specialty and Space," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(1), pages 89-110, June.
    10. Yu Wang & Ernan Haruvy, 2013. "Tiers in One-Sided Matching Markets: Theory and Experimental Investigation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(6), pages 1458-1477, June.

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