The Impact of Social Proximity on Conversion to Generic Prescription Medications

The goal of this project was to assess whether the addition of a peer testimonial to an informational mailing increases conversion rates from brand-name prescription medications to lower-cost therapeutic equivalents, and whether the testimonial’s efficacy increases when information is added about an affiliation the quoted individual shares with the recipient. We found that short peer testimonials do not increase the impact of a mailed communication on conversion rates to lower-cost, therapeutically equivalent medications, even when the testimonial is presented as coming from a more socially proximate peer.