Data Drop: 4 Charts on Consumer Interaction With Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Ads

Healthcare and pharmaceutical ad spending eclipsed $30 billion last year, per our estimates. But there is less information on which of these ads—and which media channels—are most successful at engaging consumers.

Here are four charts that reveal consumer attitudes toward healthcare and pharmaceutical advertising as well as generational differences in how consumers respond to ads.

Note: Throughout this Data Drop, we refer to findings from our December 2024 US Digital Health Survey. Survey respondents have used the internet to look up medical information. This includes medical conditions/symptoms; prescription drugs, treatments, or services; healthcare providers (doctors, hospitals, retail health or urgent care clinics, etc.); health insurance companies; health/medical companies; and patient testimonials/reviews.

Younger generations are seeing more healthcare ads on search engines and social media than on TV

Linear TV (30.5%) is the top medium where respondents across all age groups most often see ads for medications, treatments, or doctors. But there are generational differences. Chiefly, younger consumers regularly come across healthcare ads on the digital channels where they spend time: millennials on social media platforms (22.0%) and search engines (20.5%) and Gen Zers on social media platforms (24.7%). However, in last year’s survey, linear TV topped the list for each generation.