Direct To Consumer (DTC) Advertising By Pharmaceutical Companies To Top $1Billion This Year

Direct To Consumer (DTC) Advertising By Pharmaceutical Companies To Top $1Billion This Year and will keep on rising through 2014, according to a report by eMarketeer.

"Pharma marketers are waiting around, they are trying to test the waters but realizing that the FDA isn't going to come down with a template or a hard-and-fast ruling. Even when that happens, there's still going to be a process of give-and-take and experimentation." said the author of the report
U.S. health-care and pharmaceutical online advertising spending will reach $1 billion for the first time this year, up 10.6% from last year, according to "DTC Pharmaceutical Marketing Online: A Slow Shift to Digital," a report by eMarketer's Victoria Petrock. By 2014, online ad spending in the health-care and pharmaceutical industry, which includes direct-to-consumer and over-the-counter remedies, is expected to reach $1.52 billion. Even though these look big numbers according to adage, pharmaceutical online advertising accounts for only about 4% of overall U.S. online ad spending.
FDA online marketing guidelines for the pharma are expected by the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011. But don't expect new policies to address all the questions and concerns from drug makers and their ad agencies.
eMarketer via Adage

Billion Dollars With Oatmeal, Apple Bran Muffins And A Protein Plate.

That is what the CEO of Starbuck is thinking. Even though it has been closing shops, think tanks have been visiting Peet's perhaps!. BecauseI have been getting my coffee and the Apple Bran Muffins from Peet's when Starbucks was, to most people, a name of a wooden statue on an old ship.
I have not changed my habbits, I still lounge at Peet's, buy my weekly pound of coffee beans at Peets, and the free cup of coffee is an added bonus when I buy my beans, actually make it two cups of free coffee. Because my better half goes with me and we both get a cup of coffee.
But according to Emily Bryson York at Adage, it is all newly thought up by the chain based on customer demand. So expect to hear "do you want breakfast with that?" when you buy your coffee at starbucks. Even though I am a Peets's fan, I have drunk Starbucks coffee. I don't go for those un pronuncable fancy named coffee drinks. Just plain coffee and if it is from Starbucks, I have to add and extra shot of expresso, their plain brewed coffee just does not cut it.
I have had their sandwiches when I was in a hurry and I would eat again if need to. They are not bad.
But I have to tell Mr. Howard Shultz that I don't think I will have his breakfast, because here in Berkeley, I step out of my house and I see an starbucks but I walk an extra two blocks to get to Peet's. Why? you tell me. I wish the Peet's had better advertising and marketting acumen, because they got better coffee. But I urge you to read Emily's article, because you will learn a lot and perhaps invest in those breakfast muffins! Because, Howard knows how to sell. I will too try when I am away from home and Peet's.