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This study investigates advertising skepticism in the context of consumers' prescription drug information seeking behavior. Results of a telephone survey found that: (a) the overall level of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) skepticism among consumers was neutral; (b) DTCA skepticism was unrelated to age, positively related to education and income, and varied by race; (c) however, when all the antecedent variables were considered concurrently, only education emerged as a significant predictor (consumers with higher education were more skeptical of DTCA); (d) DTCA skepticism was not significantly related to perceived importance of prescription drug information; (e) DTCA skepticism was not associated with use of advertising and interpersonal sources of prescription drug information; and (f) DTCA skepticism was negatively related to perceived usefulness of advertising sources but unrelated to perceived usefulness of professional interpersonal sources (i.e., physicians and pharmacists). The article concludes with a discussion of findings and directions for future research. KEYWORDS advertising skepticism, consumer health decision-making, consumer health information seeking behavior, DTC prescription drug advertising DOI: 10.1080/07359680903304278

In this paper, we present results of a survey designed to (1) explore older consumers' perceptions of directto-consumer (DTC) advertising effects on themselves and others; (2) determine how those perceptions are influenced by respondent characteristics; and (3) examine how self/other effect perceptions are related to ad-prompted behaviors. The results provide evidence to support the operation of the third-person effect in DTC advertising. Findings indicate that (1) older consumers believe that DTC advertising exerts its greatest influence on 'them,' 'not me'; (2) older consumers' third-person perceptions of DTC ad effects are multidimensional, and different effect dimensions show different magnitudes of the third-person effect; and (3) the third-person effect in DTC advertising is influenced by receiver-specific characteristics and predicts behavior following DTC ad exposure better than demographics and other receiver-specific variables. The study's findings extend several streams of research, including the literature on advertising and the older adult market, DTC advertising, and the third-person effect., ********** In 1997, pharmaceutical companies gained full access to consumer markets when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revised its rules and regulations on television advertising and removed stringent information-disclosure [...]

In this article, we report the results of a study conducted to determine consumer perceptions of the media credibility and informativeness of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising (DTC advertising) and to examine how those perceptions are influenced by consumer predispositions and demographic characteristics, especially consumer age. This study specifically surveyed older consumers, who are the most significant market segment for prescription drugs and particularly susceptible and vulnerable to commercial persuasion. Older consumers' perceptions of DTC advertising were found to be neutral but their evaluation of informativeness was found to be more positive. Attitude toward DTC advertising and DTC advertising familiarity predicted perceived credibility across various media and attitude toward DTC advertising was the most prominent predictor of perceived informativeness. Age and usage of different media were also found to predict credibility and informativeness of DTC advertising in certain types of media. This study's findings provide insight into how older consumers evaluate various DTC advertising media as an information source. KEYWORDS. DTC advertising, credibility, informativeness, older consumers

Journalists' attitudes toward public relations in the 20th century is discussed.

In this study, the authors explored young adults' autobiographical memories of their first consumption experiences with cigarettes using a form of life history. We collected and analyzed 276 first-person essays to discover the significance of conditions and factors associated with the first act of smoking. For the study's participants, the first-use experience was a symbolically significant and enduring life event. Participants were able to provide rich and detailed recollections about the contextual nature of the first smoking act and the influences and outcomes associated with the event. Suggestions for the development of intervention communication programs are offered as well as recommendations for future research. Keywords: cigarettes; smoking; youth, dy

Influential writings suggest that today's advertising is not as creative as it used to be. To explore this suggestion, the authors asked top-level agency creatives whether they believe creativity has improved, declined, or remained unchanged since they entered the advertising business. Respondents' opinions then were grouped and compared by agreement/disagreement ratings on a series of statements associated with factors previously identified as responsible for advertising's presumed creative decline. From the perspective of the top-level agency creatives, creativity in today's advertising has not declined - in fact, the overwhelming majority view is that advertising is now more creative than it was when they entered the business, or at least as good. In their eyes, certain aspects of advertising creativity have changed, though not always in the direction predicted in previous writings. With one exception, agency creatives' opinions about advertising creativity then and now were unvarying, regardless of respondent age, years of advertising experience, or agency position/title., Creativity, in disputably the least scientific aspect of advertising, is arguably the most important (Cummings 1984; Otnes, Oviatt, and Treise 1995; White 1972). As poetically described by creative genius Leo [...]

The article provides further phenomenological understanding of how brand props are interpreted within the everyday lived experience of the movie audience. Building on previous focus group research and on the grounded theory perspective of social science, the authors gathered first-person audiotaped accounts of experiences with brand props as interpreted in relation to movies, movieviewing, and social experience. Eight focus groups and 30 depth interviews of nonstudent movieviewers who differed in age bracket and moviegoing frequency were conducted. Constant comparative analysis uncovered three themes related to movie centrality and four themes related to consumption-specific aspects of everyday life. The findings reveal that regardless of age or moviegoing frequency, the informants were active participants in the viewing experience and actively interpreted brands encountered in movies. However, to the older moviegoers brands in movies symbolized social change whereas to the younger informants, they symbolized belonging and security. The authors conclude with implications for advertising practitioners and recommendations for future research., Brand props have played a role in motion pictures for many decades and can be found in movies dating from the late 1940s and early 1950s (The Economist 1991). Movie [...]