Following are findings from recent studies on marketing and advertising-related topics. For a more in-depth look at these subjects, visit our sister site, MarketingCharts.com.

4 Reasons to Forward a Link or Video

There are four possible reasons why someone decides to forward a link or video, a study reported in the Journal of Business Research [pdf] finds: (1) the need to be part of a group, (2) the need to be individualistic, (3) the need to be altruistic, and (4) the need for personal growth. The authors of the study, Jason Y.C. Ho and Melanie Dempsey at Ryerson University, concluded that Internet users who are more individualistic and/or more altruistic, tend to forward more online content than others.

Consumers Take Online Pharma Ads Seriously

People are paying attention to ads as they go online to educate themselves about conditions and treatment options, according to About.com's 2010 Health Study. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they are looking for pharmaceutical advertisers to provide them with information on possible side effects and drug safety, while 47% said they look to ads to help them cope with a condition or disease. Both figures represent at least 100% increases over last year's results. More than half of survey respondents also said they look to health ads to determine drug effectiveness.

Consumers Like Facebook Discounts

The prospect of receiving discounts is the number one driver for consumers to "like" a brand on Facebook, according to a new study from ExactTarget and CoTweet. Other popular drivers include staying informed about the activities of a company (34%), getting updates on future products (33%), and fun or entertainment (29%). Education and interaction (13%) are the least-popular reasons to like a brand.