Believability of Warning Information Presented in Drug(OTC Product) Advertising

Jang, Sang Kuen(Major in Advertising and Public Relations Graduate School of Mass Communications Chung-Ang University)

In KOREA, the warning message to minimize the misuse and the side effect on the drug has been adapted for use on the advertisement since 1960's. But the warning message which has been changed through many times revision is very hard to identify the believability, in terms of accuracy and objectivity.

According to this point of view, this thesis is purposed to examine and compare the beliveability of previous and present Warning messages on the drug advertisement. Through this test, four facts are certified as follows:

Frist, the mightier message is helpful to increase the believabilily.

Second, consumer agrees that OTC drugs can be harmful.

Third, those who held firm attitude that OTC drugs might be harmful were found to be significantly believable in perceiving warning message than those who held less firm attitude.

Finally, the level of using drugs can't influence the reliability of warning message.

In terms of using drugs, the warning message on the advertisements which should be made to get more attention must be needed the more research on the presenting format of warning message to persuade the consumers effectively. And also the warning for side effects of the drugs should be inserted not wrapper even thought the message is a little bit longer.

If the advertising is activated, although it could be hard to say to increase the patients by the ads but the drug purchasing rate with self-diagnosis would be increased. Therefore, to solve the concerns, the information should be researched systematically and made up consistently in order that gives more believability to the consumers.