Kantar Media's MARS OTC/DTC Study

by Kantar Media Healthcare Research Team

Kantar Media’s MARS OTC/DTC Study helps agencies, marketers and media make better healthcare media and marketing decisions. Since 2001 it has been the only dedicated syndicated study in the healthcare industry that ties attitudes, ailments, and pharma brand information to consumers’ multimedia consumption.

Released annually, the study offers agencies, advertisers, and media access to a nationally representative base of approximately 20,000 respondents, providing stable and reliable information. Response rates are continuously high and the sample is further augmented with additional pre-identified sufferers of specific diseases and ailments. The study fields January to March and is released in late April.

What insights are available?

• Print readership data on 100+ selected consumer and healthrelated magazine titles and four national newspapers.
• Multimedia usage includes television/cable viewing, radio listening, and Internet usage.
• Demographic data includes age, gender, life cycle, education, marital status, occupation, race/ethnicity, personal and household income, and household size and composition.
• Health-related data includes measurement of 70 ailments, treatment of ailments, actions taken as the result of seeing healthcare related advertising, health insurance coverage, medical visits, and general state of health.
• Product usage based on category with over 500 OTC and DTC brands reported.
• Respondent values, attitudes and opinion about healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

What's new in 2013?

Content Changes - Media

• Magazine additions: Cooking with Paula Deen, EatingWell and Jet.
• Networks and Websites Added: Amazon, Hulu, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, Cooking Channel and YouTube.
• Television:
  • New response about devices used to watch TV programming, including tablets, gaming consoles and other streaming devices.
  • New question that explores how consumers are watching TV: watching live TV, DVR/PVR playback, streaming, use other devices while watching TV, etc.
• Radio: “Internet/Apps” added as a way to listen to radio.
• Recipes” added as reason for accessing the Internet.
• Expanding use of smartphones in everyday life: Added  “Scan QR codes”, “Access mobile coupons”, “Watch video/programming” and “Track health/exercise/diet.”  

Content Changes – Conditions

• New Conditions: Diabetic Nerve pain/Neuropathy” and “Low Testosterone.”
• Other family members condition: “Anaphylaxis/Severe Allergy.”
• New Cancer question: “Has/did the cancer spread to other location(s) in the body?”
• Smoking response list now includes “chewing tobacco.”

Content Changes – Physicals and Medical Check-Ups

• New question on frequency of annual physical.
• Importance of getting regular medical check-ups to maintain health.
• New question on how much control Americans believe they personally have over their health.

Content Changes – Lifestyle

• Sports and Leisure: Added “Fine dining/eating out.”
• New section on Behavior & Value of Healthy Lifestyle.
• Exercise and Wellness:
  • Expanded the number of times exercised per week question to include a better definition of physical fitness.
  • Impact of medical conditions or personal attitudes as potential barriers to exercise.
  • Evaluation of consumer diet at home.
  • Overall concern for healthiness of diet.

For more information on how you can get full access to this study, contact us here.