Consumer trust and pharmaceutical advertising strategies: physiological responses to ‘Actor Portrayal’ versus ‘Real Patient’ disclaimers

Abstract

ABSTRACT Americans often learn about important health issues through pharmaceutical advertisements. Unfortunately, public trust in the pharmaceutical industry historically registers at low levels. Therefore, it is important to examine different aspects of commercial elements that may promote or prevent audience trust. This study combines different levels of viewing experience (comparing implicit micro-level behaviours with explicit self-reports) to examine the potential effect of ‘Actor Portrayal’ versus ‘Real Patient’ disclaimers in HPV vaccination advertisements. Key findings show that fixation count on the type of disclaimer significantly predicted perceptions of message credibility. Exposure to specific disclaimers also influenced perceptions of vaccine effectiveness as well as future vaccination intentions. The practical implications of these results are discussed in relation to establishing audience trust and evaluating current industry practices.