The Role of Information Relevance and Reliability in Direct-to-Consumer Advertising

ABSTRACTThe amount of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs continues to increase with the goals of informing and persuading. Thus, it is important to understand how patients cognitively process information. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of information relevance and reliability judgments in belief formation. Subjects were provided four DTC advertisements and asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire that contained questions related to demographics, medication use, information relevance and reliability, and beliefs about product effectiveness and safety. Multiple regression was used to test the direct and interactive effects of information relevance and reliability judgments in belief formation. The results suggest that information relevance and reliability are significant predictors of belief formation, an indicator of persuasion. Marketers may need to focus on increasing relevance and reliability of the information presented in direct-to-consumer adverti...