Media Sales Today

Direct-to-consumer advertising could be changing its tune. Gregory Aston blogs that DTC advertising has ebbed and flowed through the decades, but that it’s about to flow back over to print – at least until the FDA writes the rules on digital.

It looks like the pharmaceutical industry is still spending ad dollars inside magazines — at least in the ones still publishing. Despite legislative pressures and rumors of the hammer coming down on the tax deduction on ad expenses for prescription drugs, big pharma appears to have a soft spot for print. According to the Publishers Information Bureau, from 2003-2008, drugs & remedies in consumer magazines soared 58% to $2.2 billion, ranking it No. 2 behind toiletries & cosmetics.