Best Practices for TV Advertising in Pharmaceutical Marketing

Pharmaceutical marketing operates differently than most consumer categories (or even other healthcare marketing). Patients don’t shop for treatments the way they shop for products. Awareness builds gradually. Recognition forms over time. And treatment conversations often start well before a prescription is written - usually during a doctor visit, guided by what patients already recognize and understand.

Of course, that doesn’t mean pharma marketing stops at awareness.

Connected TV plays a powerful role across the funnel, helping pharmaceutical brands build recognition early, reinforce familiarity over time, and drive meaningful engagement when patients are ready to take the next step.

Why CTV Is a Natural Fit for Pharma Marketing

1. Reach Patients Before the Point of Care

Treatment conversations don’t start in isolation. By the time patients speak with a provider, they’ve already formed perceptions about brands, categories, and options.

CTV allows pharma brands to show up earlier in that journey - building familiarity before questions are asked and conversations begin.

2. Premium, Trusted Environments

Pharma messaging benefits from context. Streaming TV places pharmaceutical ads alongside premium news, sports, and entertainment: environments that feel established and credible, and that support education over interruption.

This helps reinforce legitimacy and understanding, rather than relying on urgency-driven messaging.

3. High Attention That Supports Learning and Recall

CTV ads are full-screen and unskippable, making them well suited for pharmaceutical storytelling and education. That level of attention supports:

• Stronger recall
• Better comprehension
• Higher likelihood of follow-up behaviors, such as researching a condition, visiting a website, or discussing options with a provider

4. Scale Without Losing Control

Pharmaceutical brands need scale, but also consistency. CTV allows brands to reach broad patient populations while maintaining message control, brand safety, and frequency.

It’s a way to reinforce education and awareness across large audiences without fragmenting the message.

Best Practices for Pharmaceutical CTV Advertising

To get the most out of CTV, pharma marketers should think beyond awareness and plan for full-funnel impact.

Build Awareness, Then Support the Ask

CTV helps patients recognize and understand treatment categories, but effective campaigns also make it easy to take the next step:

• Learn more about a condition
• Visit a brand website
• Prepare questions for a provider discussion
• Recognition lowers friction when patients are ready to engage.

Because while patients may initiate interest, treatment decisions are often finalized in partnership with a provider. In fact, 66% of Paramount Ads Manager audiences say they typically use drug brands recommended by their physician, which makes it critical for pharma brands to create messaging that supports both patient understanding and productive provider conversations.

Use Repetition to Reinforce Familiarity

Pharma decisions are rarely driven by a single exposure. Consistent CTV presence helps reinforce familiarity over time, making brands easier to recall during doctor visits and treatment conversations.

This matters because 72% of viewers say they look for as much information as possible before starting a medication, meaning repeated, consistent exposure helps reinforce understanding as patients move through their research and consideration phase.

Design for Education, Not Just Promotion

Clear, straightforward messaging performs best. Avoid overloading ads with details and instead focus on:

• What the brand is
• What category it belongs to
• Why it’s relevant

This approach aligns with the mindset of health-engaged audiences (76% of Paramount Ads Manager audiences say they’re actively looking for new ways to live a healthier life) who are more receptive to clear, educational messaging than overtly promotional claims.

Measure Beyond Immediate Conversion

Pharma CTV success shows up across multiple signals:

• Website visits
• Search activity
• Engagement with educational content
• Lift across mid-funnel behaviors

CTV plays a role throughout the journey, not just at the point of conversion.

How Paramount Ads Manager Helps Pharma Brands Drive Full-Funnel Impact

Paramount Ads Manager makes it easier for pharmaceutical brands to use TV advertising as a measurable, full-funnel channel.

With Paramount Ads Manager, pharma marketers can:

• Reach large, health-engaged audiences across premium Paramount streaming inventory
• Deliver unskippable 30-second ads designed for education and recall
• Maintain consistent messaging at scale
• Measure downstream engagement, including site visits and conversions

Just as importantly, Paramount Ads Manager reaches audiences that are already actively engaged in healthcare decisions.

Across Paramount Ads Manager Peak Placement audiences:

• 78% have visited a doctor or health professional in the past year
• 72% say they look for as much information as possible before starting a medication
• 66% say they typically use drug brands recommended by their physician
• 45% say they frequently take preventative medicine
• 76% are actively looking for new ways to live a healthier life

By combining premium reach, healthcare-engaged audiences, and transparent measurement, Paramount Ads Manager helps pharma brands connect early education to real downstream impact.

Sign up today to discover how Paramount Ads Manager helps pharmaceutical brands make an impact across the funnel, on the biggest screen in the home.