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Prescription Drug Makers Slash TV Ad Spend

Published on August 31, 2005 | Email this article

According to Nielsen Monitor-Plus, overall, direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising was flat for the first half, but the situation was dire for TV, MediaPost reports.

Demonstrating restraint in the face of growing criticism over consumer marketing of certain drug brands, prescription drug marketers cut spending on syndicated TV by 40 percent, on spot TV by 25 percent, and on network TV by 7 percent during the first half. Cable TV was a beneficiary, with direct-to-consumer ad spend up 29 percent.

Pfizer, the largest prescription drug advertiser, slashed consumer ad spending by 35 percent during the half, dropping out of the top ten U.S. ad spenders. Viagra dropped 43 percent.

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