![US Health Care & Pharmaceuticals Online Ad Spending By Objective, 2014 [CHART]](http://www.emarketer.com/images/chart_gifs/172001-173000/172136.gif "Chart - US Health Care & Pharmaceuticals Online Ad Spending By Objective")
The balance of direct response and branding reflects a complex industry dynamic. Though search as a direct-response tactic is used for direct-to-consumer and healthcare provider marketing, a significant amount is also spent to raise awareness about conditions, products and services.
While it used to be feasible to assign certain ad formats to branding vs. direct-response categories on the basis of pricing model, it is not clear-cut anymore. While search remains priced on a cost-per-click model, display, video, social media advertising and native formats can be priced in a variety of different ways. Because of this, industry experts see things moving toward a more performance-based analysis of overall spend, regardless of objective. Read the rest at eMarketer.
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