• by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, August 17, 2006

The pharmaceutical industry's online ad spend will reach an estimated $780 million this year, up an estimated 25 percent from 2005, according to a new report by research firm eMarketer. By 2008, the total will climb to $1.3 billion, eMarketer forecasts.

Driving the uptick will be a combination of new drugs with more online ad inventory, eMarketer predicts. Additionally, pharmaceutical marketers will use the Web for so-called relationship marketing, targeting patients directly. "The Internet stands out as the best channel to target and reach consumers with specific conditions and questions about treatment," states the report, "Pharmaceuticals Online: Direct-to-Patient Becomes a Reality."

Additionally, a large number of Web users--31.6 million Americans, according to the report--turn to the Internet first for health care information.

But, despite the ready audience of patients online, the report suggests that marketers avoid a hard sell when it comes to hawking drugs. Instead of directly pitching consumers, the report advises drug manufacturers to use social networks and other online support groups to provide information about the underlying health issue.

Additionally, eMarketer counsels marketers to eschew using consumer blogs to push a product. Instead, eMarketer advises, pharma companies should restrict themselves to monitoring consumer blogs for comments and complaints.