Branded Websites Are the Most Effective Online Marketing Tactic for Pharmaceutical...

Branded Websites Are the Most Effective Online Marketing Tactic for
Pharmaceutical Marketers, comScore Study Finds
Online Advertising Also Has a Significant Impact on Brand Awareness and
Favorability for Both Patients and Prospects

RESTON, Va., July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- comScore, Inc.
(Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, in conjunction with
pharmaceutical marketing consultancy Evolution Road, today released results
from the second annual study: e-Marketing Effectiveness Benchmarks for the
Pharmaceutical Industry, which is designed to help pharmaceutical marketers
assess the success of their online marketing activities.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO)
The study evaluated the impact of banner ads, search marketing, and visits
to a brand Web site on a brand's awareness, favorability and sales results
among both patients and prospects. The study found that getting a patient to
visit a branded Web site is the most effective form of online pharmaceutical
marketing, with an incremental patient adherence rate nearly 20 percentage
points higher than among those who did not visit the Web site and an
incremental new start rate for prospects nearly 5 percentage points higher
than the control. Meanwhile, exposure to, and interaction with, online ads
also improved adherence rates among existing patients. Patient's exposed to an
ad showed a 4.0-point lift in adherence and patients who interacted with an ad
exhibited a 9.5-point lift.
Using comScore's one million person U.S. panel to passively observe
behavior, with an overlay of survey questions to gather perceptions about the
brand, the benchmarks study summarizes the performance of 32 individual
studies involving more than 10 prescription brands.

Incremental Effect of e-Marketing Tactics Over Control on Adherence/Next
Fill For Existing Patients
Source: e-Marketing Effectiveness Benchmarks for the Pharmaceutical
Industry (2008 Release)

Marketing Activity Adherence/Next Fill(Patient Group)

Exposure-Only to Online Ads 4.0%
Exposure to and Interaction with
Online Ads (Rich Media*) 9.5%
Visits to Brand.com 19.7%

* defined as interactive digital media.

"The most effective online marketing tool for both patients and prospects
is the brand's Web site. It's important to realize, though, that visits to a
brand Web site are achieved through the use of a variety of offline and online
tactics, such as online banner ads, search and offline advertising," said
Bridget O'Toole, comScore executive vice president. "This is why it is
essential for marketers to develop fully-integrated campaigns that not only
raise awareness and educate consumers but that also drive visitation to a
site."
Online Advertising Improves Brand Awareness and Favorability
Although brand Web sites are the most effective online marketing tactic,
there is also a positive result from online advertising. The study found that
exposure to, or interaction with, banner ads yields an incremental lift in
brand awareness and favorability among existing and prospective patients. For
prospects, exposure-only to an ad had a significant impact on both aided and
unaided brand awareness, with increases of 5.1 and 5.7 percentage points,
respectively. An even greater incremental lift in aided awareness (9.4 points)
and unaided awareness (7.7 points) was achieved when consumers interacted with
a rich media ad.
Incremental Effect on Awareness and Favorability Over Control Among
Prospects
Source: e-Marketing Effectiveness Benchmarks for the Pharmaceutical
Industry (2008 Release)

Marketing Activity Prospects

Aided Unaided Favorability

Awareness Awareness

Exposure-Only to Online Ads 5.1% 5.7% 1.7%
Exposure to and Interaction with Online Ads (Rich Media*) 9.4%
7.7% 4.2%
* defined as interactive digital media.
To request a copy of the study: e-Marketing Effectiveness Benchmarks for
the Pharmaceutical Industry (2008 Release) or for more information on comScore
Pharmaceutical Solutions, please visit
http://www.comscore.com/request/pharma_benchmarks.asp.
About comScore Pharmaceutical Solutions
comScore Pharmaceutical Solutions delivers in-depth information needed to
understand the impact that brand, condition-specific, and health Web sites
have on consumers' brand awareness, conversion, and patient compliance.
comScore's products deliver actionable insight to help refine consumer
profiles, identify key alliances, optimize interactive marketing initiatives,
benchmark against the competition and accurately measure the ROI of Web site
and online marketing programs.
To learn more about comScore Pharmaceutical Solutions, please visit
http://www.comscore.com/solutions/pharma.asp.
About comScore
comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital
world. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/boilerplate.
About Evolution Road
Evolution Road is a marketing innovation consultancy focused on helping
brands leverage digital channels to drive their business. For more
information, please visit http://www.evolutionroad.com.
SOURCE comScore, Inc.

Andrea Vollman of comScore, Inc., +1-312-775-6646, press@comscore.com