3 advantages of advertising within a peer-reviewed journal

In today's media landscape, it's sometimes hard to tell what qualifies as an ad. When you see a character on your favorite TV show drinking a familiar brand of soda, is that an advertisement? What about a custom set of emojis for a new movie? In such a complicated environment, media buying isn't as straightforward as it once was.

The New York Times noted that, several years ago, advertisers had to adjust their methods according to what was happening on the internet - now, advertisers react to ad-blockers and general consumer apathy toward ads. NYT explained that much of the confusion in the advertising industry is a result of simply not knowing where people are consuming media.

Does your target audience watch TV regularly? Or do they consume their content from a video streaming application? For many media buyers, these questions are hard to answer.

Advertisers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices have a key advantage here - they know exactly where their target audience consumes media. The answer: peer-reviewed journals, which offer a targeted audience, many display options and a multi-channel approach.

"98 percent of physicians read medical literature."

Advantage #1: Targeted audience

With most advertising channels, you never really know who's on the other end of the experience. Online advertising through social media can allow ad buyers to target their ads toward specific sets of consumers - but the method is far from a perfect science.

When buying media in a peer-reviewed journal, it's safe to assume there's a physician or other relevant audience member viewing your ad. According to a survey from Doximity, 98 percent of physicians reported reading medical literature and noted its importance to their practices. Furthermore, 75 percent of respondents said they change their clinical practice quarterly based on what they've read in medical publications. There are few other types of publications with so much authority over their audience.

While other media buyers must spend valuable resources discovering where their target audience is and how they're consuming media, pharmaceutical and medical device advertisers can focus their efforts on creating memorable, effective advertisements.

Advantage #2: Display options

Peer-reviewed journals have many customizable display options to fit every media buying need. In some cases a long-form, full-page ad may be the strategy of choice. In others, it may be better to use an eye-catching insert or a premium cover wrap.

Having many display options available allows you to completely customize each campaign. Using a few options in one journal may also have distinct advantages. A cover wrap and an insert can work in tandem to reinforce brand recognition and subtly enforce a call to action.

There's some evidence to suggest that advertisements in a publication are more effective than ads on social media sites. According to Adweek, a neurological study found that ads on a publisher's website were 16 percent more engaging than similar content on a social media site. Even a slight boost in engagement is important when most consumers are simply scrolling past ads without a thought.

Print ads can work in tandem with online materials.

Advantage #3: Multi-channel approach

This powerful medium isn't limited to print, either. Physicians are busy people and often rely on smartphones and tablets to consume medical literature. Advertising within digital editions of journals as well as on publication websites and in newsletters gives media buyers complete freedom of choice.

For more information on how to leverage multi-channel healthcare advertising, check out our resource center.

Peer-reviewed journals offer media buyers a number of distinct advantages that cannot be ignored. Knowing that your target audience is going to see your ad is extremely valuable, as is the competitive edge offered by multiple display options and channels.