The shame of DTC marketers (and I use the term loosely)

Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web.

By Richard Meyer on Aug 27, 2009

Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web. Years to Reach 50 millions Users: Radio (38 Years), TV (13 Years), Internet (4 Years), iPod (3 Years)Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 monthsiPhone applications hit 1 billion in 9 months. If Facebook were a country it would be the worlds 4th largest between the United States and Indonesia. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year-old females. Go ahead continue to ignore social media and stick with wasting money on a product.com website and TV. Wikipedia has over 13 million articlessome studies show its more accurate than Encyclopedia Britannica.78% of these articles are non-English. 

5% of search results for the Worlds Top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content 24. 

34% of bloggers post opinions about products & brands. 

78% of consumers trust peer recommendations 

Only 14% trust advertisements. 

Only 18% of traditional TV campaigns generate a positive ROI 

Welcome to reality ! Its a place where few DTC marketers care to go as its safer to stick with fossil marketing and interrupt and annoy people on TV. I wonder how most DTC marketers like life on other planets where they still believe that TV is generating a positive ROI as they manipulate market research data to show that their TV ads work. 

An owner of a small creative ad agency recently called me and asked I dont get it..TV is not effective for prescription drugs but I keep seeing Cialis and Omnaris commercials. Are these people that blind to what is happening around them? My answer was yes. 

If the above is critical of DTC marketers it was meant to be. I know that DTC marketers are dealing with a hostile FDA and budget cuts but to continually ignore the most important channel to reach and influence consumers is mind numbing. Why is it happening? Because a LOT (and I mean a LOT) of talent has left the drug industry and those that are left are  not passionate enough to change the status quo. They are going through the motions and fear for their jobs as pharma continues to cut staff. Still what is happening is inexcusable and DTC marketers that continue to use old school marketing should be ashamed of what they continue to do.