« Photography: Getty White Paper Analyzes Imagery in Consumer Pharma Ads »

 

Check out this Getty Images White Paper titled Use Only As Directed: Visual Analysis of Pharmaceutical Marketing for Connecting in a New Medical Landscape. It's a well written and beautifully designed white paper that presents the marketing logic of today's pharmaceutical advertising and the importance imagery plays in drug ads. This is information that is relevant to anyone who is involved in marketing any type of heathcare solution to a consumer audience. Key points to take away from this paper are:

The imagery used in pharmaceutical ads is overwhelmingly about personal fulfillment

83% show images of the consumer enjoying life, living life to the fullest & nurturing relationships

17% show less personal images depicting healthcare, medicine & science/technology

In other words, today's healthcare consumers aren't interested in clinical imagery that depicts big pharma and/or healthcare providers as god-like problem solvers. We are now in the era of consumer-driven healthcare where patients are self-aware and want to have a say in the management of their care. People want to understand the potential benefits of proposed healthcare solutions before they agree to pursue them. The right photo in an ad, brochure or sell sheet is the quickest and most effective way to help consumers grasp potential benefits of a drug and, as a result, will prompt them to seek out further details to make an informed decision.