Here’s a formula to make healthcare marketers feel good: magazine readers are much more likely to take action on OTC/DTC advertising when compared to either the general public or with users of any other medium.

Following is an overview of the new data released from the 2008 MARS OTC/DTC Study.

Compared to the general public (index=100), heavy magazine readers (defined as the top quintile or top 20%) were:
• Two and a half times more likely (index=247) to have returned a card to request additional information
• Twice as likely (index=201) to have discussed an ad with a doctor
• Nearly twice as likely (index=186) to have switched to a different brand
• Nearly twice as likely(index=185)  to have asked a doctor for a product sample of a prescription drug
• Half again as likely (index=154) to have visited any Web site

Compared to heavy users of television (index=100), heavy magazine readers are:
• Nearly twice as likely (index=179) to have discussed an ad with a doctor compared to television (100), radio (93), or the internet (108)
• Half again as likely (index=154) to have discussed an ad with a friend or relative compared to television (100) or radio (108)
• Half again as likely (index-147) to have visited any Web site compared to television (100), a propensity to act second only to the internet (176)
• A third again as likely (index=136) to have called a toll-free number to get information compared to television (100), radio (97), or the internet (99)

These analyses, including full pharmaceutical purchase funnel results, are in "Accountability II: How Media Drive Results and Impact Online Success", at magazine.org.

Source: Magazine Publishers of America (MPA)