Discursive Strategies and Tactics in the Promotion of Pharmaceutical Drugs in the United States

The pharmaceutical sector is considered to be one of the most influential in the US economy, yet it still faces obstacles in gaining public trust. It is believed that pharmaceutical companies use a variety of discursive strategies to manipulate society in order to promote their products, regardless of whether it is beneficial to the individuals or not. The present study aims to identify the impact of discursive strategies and tactics used in pharmaceutical advertising campaigns in the United States on consumer behavior, drug purchase decisions, as well as on sociocultural practices established in society. By employing critical discourse analysis (CDA), the authors explore the application of language and visual components by dominant forces to influence the potential customers’ behaviour and encourage product purchases. Several cases of pharmaceutical advertisements and their effect on public opinion are examined to identify discursive strategies and tactics. The results of the CDA might confirm that the pharmaceutical industry utilises manipulative tactics that ultimately have a detrimental impact on people's quality of life. Keywords: discourse, discursive strategies and tactics, advertising, manipulation, framing and reframing, pharmaceutical drugs