Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
This research analyzes the direct-to-consumer digital marketing technologies in terms of prevalence and effectiveness. A cross-sectional study design was carried out using the non-repeated random sampling technique. Standardized questionnaires were administered by means of face-to-face interviews or online via web software Sphinx (Python Documentation Generator). The relative importance of prevalence (RIP) and the mean evaluation of effectiveness (MEE) were determined for all studied digital media and for all the different groups of respondents (pharmaceutical sales representatives, community pharmacists, consumers, and the entire sample). Inter-individual differences in RIP and MEE were assessed by computing the coefficient of variation, whereas inter-group differences were determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Scheffé test as a post-hoc test. Research findings showed that, according to the opinion of all respondents, pharmaceutical promotional tools were more prevalent on healthcare websites. However, all respondents considered social media networks and chat messengers to be the most effective in terms of marketing communication. In conclusion, the results of the present research enable a better understanding of which digital platforms are more often used as media for direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical promotion, and which ones are perceived as the most effective for marketing communication.
Highlights
Nowadays, the increasing popularity of the Internet and social media are pushing pharmaceutical companies toward digital marketing, which has enormous potential value to provide an easy, instantaneous way to gain access to healthcare and pharmaceutical related information for millions of people [1]
The findings of this study revealed that respondents of all groups unanimously considered that pharmaceutical promotion were most prevalent at healthcare websites, even though most physicians had a negative view on DTCA, in that most information displayed was unreliable, fake, misleading, and incomplete, providing insufficient details concerning costs, alternative treatments and management options, and adverse effects
This research fills a gap in knowledge by identifying the prevalence of marketing tools used through digital media, and by determining among them the most effective for marketing communication, according to the opinions of the different participants involved in the promotion process: pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs), community pharmacists, and pharmacy consumers
Summary
The increasing popularity of the Internet and social media are pushing pharmaceutical companies toward digital marketing, which has enormous potential value to provide an easy, instantaneous way to gain access to healthcare and pharmaceutical related information for millions of people [1]. From an Arabic perspective, there has been a significant rise in the use of digital resources in the daily life of people [3,4]. A recent report has estimated that in 22 Arab countries, more than 135 million people use the Internet and there are more than 71 million active users of social networks [5]. The active social media users are 23 million, or 68% of the Saudi Arabian population. Mobile penetration stands at 129% of the total population
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
