Marketing

Eli Lilly Fined for Breaching Australian Ban on Direct-to-Consumer Ads

Eli Lilly has been fined A$60,000 for issuing a media release promoting a version of its erectile dysfunction drug Cialis despite an Australian ban on direct-to-consumer advertising. In April Eli Lilly released Cialis Once-a-Day. To coincide with its launch, the company issued a media release headlined "New research reveals scheduled sex a turn-off," which promoting the results of a Lilly-commissioned opinion poll.

People Want to Know What Docs Are Taking

Americans think that doctors are influenced by drug companies and want to know about gifts given to their healthcare provider, according to a national survey by the non-profit Prescription Project. Over two-thirds of those surveyed would support legislation that would require drug companies to disclose gifts to doctors.

The Swift Boating Begins in August

Saying "we believe the media whitewashed the candidate," the president of Regnery Publishing announced an August release for a book titled "The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media's Favorite Candidate." The PR firm Creative Response Concepts (CRC) is promoting the book.

Nestle and Namco Thirst for Absolution and Market Share

To promote its bottled water for children, Nestle has "signed on as a strategic partner" for the launch of "Active Life: Outdoor Challenge," a Namco video game for the Nintendo Wii that will be released in September. Nestle's "Aquapod" water comes in a rocket-shaped bottle, and is marketed to "families with kids aged 6 to 11." The increased scrutiny of the link between soft drinks and childhood obesity led to the creation of bottled water for kids.

A Jolly Bright Line for British Broadcasters

In his first major speech on broadcasting, British culture secretary Andy Burnham minced few words. "I think there are some lines that we should not cross," Burnham told a media industry meeting. "One of which is that you can buy the space between the programmes on commercial channels, but not the space within them. ...

Product Placement in the City

If producers anticipated that the new movie "Sex and the City" might be a marketing bonanza, it did not disappoint. Vanity Fair magazine sent two reporters to view the movie and count the number of promotional products that appeared on-screen, including any blatantly-mentioned brand names.

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