Drug Advertisements across Cultures

• Author: Ana-Maria Mangher (Chitac)
• Position: PhD in progress, Doctoral School of Philological Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania
• Pages: 336-340

European Integration - Realities and Perspectives. Proceedings 2020

336

Drug Advertisements across Cultures

Ana-Maria Mangher (Chitac)1

Abstract: The present paper intends to approach the pharmaceutical text as a genre of medical discourse,

focusing especially on the translation of Drug Advertisements (DA).The aim of this paper is to

investigate the translation issues raised by these texts and to offer some translation strategies in order to

facilitate their u nderstanding by the non – specialist readers. One of the novelty elements of this article

consists in an interdisciplinary approach of the pharmaceutical promotion texts and their analysis from

different perspectives: of translation and cultural studies, of linguistics, of pragmatics and of the

advertising discourse. The advertising language uses textual as well as cultural strategies in order to get

the reader’s attention. The understanding and the observance of the cultural values of the target audience

is essential for an efficient approach to translation. Consequently, the translator needs to focus not only

on the linguistic particularities of the te xt but also on respecting th e socio-cultural differences of the

target reader when interpreting the source-text. A difficult element in the translation of the

pharmaceutical promotion text represents the cultural appropriateness of the sent message. The publicity

of a product can be inefficient owing to the non -compliance with the socio-cultural differences in

interpretation that leads to an inadequate promotion. The attempt of finding the optimum translation

strategies in order to facilitate the understanding of these texts by the lay – receiver, preserving the

meaning as well as the cultural atmosphere in the target text, represents another new element of this

approach, given that, there are not many studies in the field literature that focus on this topic.

Keywords: Drug Advertisements; cultural appropriateness; translation problems; translation strategies;

publicity discourse

Introduction

Health is one of the most important issues in society and the pharmaceutical industry, one of the most

powerful economic sectors worldwide, makes money out of health- or the lack of it. After a new drug

has been developed in the laboratory, tested on animals and humans, and approved by the appropriate

authorities, pharmaceutical laboratories try to sell as much of it as they can. Marketing in its different

forms is the tool laboratories use to achieve their goals, and advertising in particular, is one of the most

important marketing strategies used by them to sell their products.

Drug Advertisements (DA) –Legal Background

Owing to possible drug-related health risks, the pharmaceutical industry is heavily regulated, not only

as far as development and experimentation is concerned, but also in relation to the advertising and

promotion of its products. For instance, in the EU Member States, advertising of medicinal products is

regulated by law. (Title VIII of Directive 2001/83/EC on the advertising of medicines for human use).

Over-the-counter drugs, on the other hand, can be advertised in the mass media to the general public.

However, their potential target recipient includes not only the consumers themselves but also

physicians, pharmacists and other health professionals who may be in a position to recommend such

drugs to patients.

1 PhD in progress, Doctoral School of Philological Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania, Address: 11

Carol I Bvd., 700506 Iasi, Romania, Corresponding author: anamariamangher@yahoo.com.