The effects of DTCA on patient compliance: Exploring the impact of endorser selection and message tonality on patients with diabetes

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) in terms of endorser selection and message tonality affect patients' self-efficacy, response efficacy, and compliance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a 3 (Endorser: physician, patient, or celebrity)×2 (Tonality: supportive vs threatening) experimental design. Subjects were 1,211 people with diabetes from Germany.

Findings

First, the study shows that the interaction between message sender and tonality significantly affects all dependent variables such as self-efficacy, response efficacy, and patient compliance. Second, physicians as endorsers work best when they use unfavorable, threatening arguments. The results are significant for all dependent variables such as self-efficacy, response efficacy, and patient compliance. Most surprisingly, patients judge attitude significantly higher if physicians use threatening instead of supportive argumentation. Third, tonality does not play a dominant role for patients as person-based testimonials. Fourth, a celebrity performs best by using a supportive message. With regard to stimulating health outcome (self-efficacy, response efficacy, and patient compliance) the celebrity has a significant impact in the supportive rather than in the threatening condition.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical study that examines the effects of DTCA in terms of endorser selection and message tonality on patients' self-efficacy, response efficacy, and compliance.

Citation

N. Bergner, K., Falk, T., Heinrich, D. and A. Hölzing, J. (2013), "The effects of DTCA on patient compliance: Exploring the impact of endorser selection and message tonality on patients with diabetes", International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, Vol. 7 No. 4, pp. 391-409. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPHM-05-2013-0031