The Savvy Consumer
Consumer Trust Takes More than Fair Balance
Nearly
40 years ago, advertising legend David Ogilvy observed that
"the consumer isn't a moron...she wants all the
information you can give her." Much has changed over
the decades, but that advice is still right on target. More
than ever, consumers want the facts, and in no place is
that more apparent than direct-to-consumer advertising.
Effective DTC
advertising involves more than simply meeting FDA's
fair balance requirements. Meeting those mandates only provides
an accurate and fair assessment of the risks as well as
the benefits. What is missing is the concept of trust.
Pharmaceutical
companies now must move beyond simply meeting fair balance
requirements and seek the trust of consumers reading their
ads. Only then will consumers be willing to take the next
step: deciding that the benefits of taking a medication
outweigh the risks.
Precision
wording
The patient information in a DTC ad requires
precision wording at its finest. Consumers must understand
how the medication can help them, how they can determine
if the drug is working, and how to recognize side effects.
Ad copywriters also need to select the side effects that
are most important for consumers to know about and put these
risks into proper perspective for them. Only then can companies
begin to gain the trust of the consumer.
A look at a current
DTC ad may help put this idea into perspective. The first
page of the ad for the emergency contraceptive Preven reads,
"Many women do not experience side effects, although
serious as well as minor ones may occur. The most commonly
reported side effects are nausea and vomiting. Serious risks
include blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks. Please
see important patient information on next page."
On the following
page under "Cardiovascular Disease," the consumer
is advised: "Use of COCs is associated with a low absolute
risk of venous thromboembolism which is nonetheless 3- to
6-fold higher than that among non-users..."
First, consumers
likely will question the meaning of the term COCs, which
refers to but is not defined as combination oral contraceptives.
Then they may wonder what is meant by low absolute risk;
does this term mean that the risk is low but always occurs?
They may further question the risk of venous thromboembolism–whatever
that is–which is reported to be 3- to 6-fold higher
than among non-users. To understand the risk associated
with Preven, they must be told the risk of thromboembolism
in nonusers.
Under the heading
"Ocular Lesions," consumers read, "Oral contraceptives
should be discontinued if there is unexplained partial or
complete loss of vision; onset of proptosis or diplopia;
papilledema; or retinal vascular lesions." Without
definitions of proptosis and diplopia, however,
they cannot know when to stop taking the medication.
Finally, under
"Unexplained Vaginal Bleeding," consumers confront
a warning that "Women who have unexplained vaginal
bleeding, suggestive of an underlying pathological condition
or pregnancy, should be evaluated prior to initiation of
COC use in order to avoid confusion of the pathological
bleeding with COC side effects." In this case, consumers
want reassurance that the product is safe, not wording that
makes it sound like the doctor could be confused–certainly
a nightmare idea that will frighten every patient!
A Better Way
Is there a better way to communicate with consumers?
The DTC ad for the smoking-cessation product Zyban shows
it is possible. This ad discusses the possible side effects
in an easy-to-understand manner. It notes, "The most
common side effects include dry mouth and difficulty sleeping.
These side effects are generally mild and often disappear
after a few weeks. If you have difficulty sleeping, avoid
taking your medicine too close to bedtime."
Good advice! This
ad goes the extra mile and tells the consumer how to manage
the insomnia.
Under the precaution
not to take extra doses of Zyban, the ad reads, "Do
not take more tablets than your doctor prescribed. This
is important so you do not increase your chance of having
a seizure." This wording explains why readers should
not take an extra dose and it puts them in control rather
than scaring them.
Win
My Trust
The point is, What trust can consumers place
in a company that prints statements that frighten them?
The company may have regulatory approval for fair balance
and think it is protecting itself legally–regardless
of how much it scares consumers. But if a company wants
consumers to ask their doctors for more information about
a product, the company will have to win consumers'
trust first.
Dr.
Dorothy L. Smith is a consumer education expert and president
of Consumer Health Information Corporation. The full-service
company specializes in patient labeling, program development,
and strategic planning for DTC campaigns.
Do
you have a DTC question? E-mail it to dlsmith@consumer-health.com
or call (703)734-0650.
Published
in Pharmaceutical Executive, April 1999.
