Drug ads might not translate to sales as expected : Synovate

Only one in three respondents (36 per cent) said these ads have raised their health consciousness, while only nearly 15 per cent said they have purchased or taken the drugs because of the ads.

"This does not mean drug ads are ineffective," said Carmen Li, research director of Synovate Healthcare in Hong Kong.

"By educating consumers that such medicines and newly-improved drugs are available, it is the first step to empower consumers to and find out more from their doctors, to establish a dialogue on their own health, versus the traditional one-way flow of information," she added.

A total of 38 per cent of respondents indicated they found drug and disease-related ads trustworthy.

The top drugs and disease-related advertisement most Hong Kong respondents recall are related to cancer, recognised by one in four people. Over 70 per cent indicated they have seen a drug or disease-related ad on television, the top medium, followed by one in four from newspapers.