ABSTRACT
In the health industry the word advertising is frequently used to describe more than just press advertising: it is either a broad well-defined area, or a vast subject encompassing many communication facets. As the industry has prospered, so companies and agencies have developed and evolved to service niche or discreet areas of the advertising business; the other major established disciplines are PR, training, conference organization and education. New brands are in general more likely to appeal to the innovators for that particular therapeutic sector, but frequently brand and marketing management are involved in bringing to the market line extensions or derivatives of existing brands. Pharmaceutical marketeers do, however, have the luxury of sales forces, direct mail/marketing and all the other promotional avenues and these should surely make it possible to unload the advertising of non-essential tasks. Pharmaceutical advertising rarely wins awards for creativity as judged by the consumer industry. Client/agency relationships often unfortunately seem to mirror the rapid turnover of marketing personnel within pharmaceutical marketing departments.
