TV Continues to Be the Most Recognized Healthcare Advertising Medium; But The Ways Consumers Are Watching is Changing

by Jayne Krahn

Almost 70% of adults say they have seen or heard healthcare-related advertising on television in the last 12 months, according to the 2014 MARS Consumer Health Study. That makes TV the most recognized healthcare advertising medium, but the ways in which adults are watching TV is rapidly changing. In the last decade, more platforms (gaming consoles, tablets, etc.) have been introduced as alternative methods for adults to watch programs.

For example, this year we found that there are 6 million more adults using a streaming device to watch TV compared to 2013 and 8 million more adults using smartphones. When looking at the full pie, we found that 18% of all adults use their PC to watch TV, 10% use a gaming console and 13% use a smartphone.

Further, more than one-fourth of U.S. households say they watch TV on demand, about one third of adults (75 million) watch streaming TV and 41% watch playback DVR. With more ways to watch programming, how is that impacting where and how to advertise? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Kantar Media’s MARS Consumer Health Study helps agencies, marketers and media make better healthcare media and marketing decisions. It ties multimedia consumption to medical ailments, pharma brands, attitudes and opinions about healthcare and many other data points. A large sample of about 20,000 respondents provides stable and reliable information across categories and brands. Gain insights into category and product usage for 500+ OTC and Rx remedies, detailed information for 70 health conditions, including treatment options and much more.