Just when you thought Facebook ads couldn’t get any creepier, Big Pharma is saying, “Hold my Lexapro.”
![Big pharma, big spenders: Drug companies push pills with social-media ads](https://20627419.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/20627419/hubfs/The%20Hustle/Assets/Images/521158112-2020-News-Brief_2020-03-03T221255.325Z-1.webp?width=595&height=400&name=521158112-2020-News-Brief_2020-03-03T221255.325Z-1.webp)
Pharmaceutical companies are spending huge sums to promote their drugs on social media, according to The Washington Post.
One advertising-analytics firm found that the companies’ spending on Facebook mobile ads nearly tripled over 2 years, reaching almost $1B last year. Pfizer and Merck were among the top buyers.
As usual, it’s all about ad targeting
For Facebook, using people’s medical histories to target them with ads is a no-no.
Drug companies often don’t want that information anyway, since having it risks violating privacy laws.
But there are other ways to reach potential patients…
… like using geographic data to advertise in areas with high rates of a certain disease.
Other workarounds: sponsored posts from influencers, or “unbranded” campaigns that raise awareness of a disease without naming a specific drug.
Now, if only they could figure out what rhymes with Lexapro…