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What was most memorable about the Tylenol crisis is the humanity company officials brought to a process that was executed with machine-like swiftness and precision. Not only did executives attend some of the funerals but they also wrote personal letters to victims families. At the root of J&Js success in handling this crisis was the fact that the communications function was supported and often delivered at the executive level, allowing for the synergy that was needed to serve as an effective community partner. As well, what makes Tylenol an important case study in communications is their distinction as being a victim. The crisis was not a result of mismanagement or human error within the company. Despite this, the company did not stoop to leveraging their victim status as a means to defer blame and avoid responsibility. Rather than lawyers and spin-doctors, their main partner in handling this crisis was the public and those that served to protect public interests. Finally, putting the public first was not just a smart move in reaction to a crisis but rather it was firmly rooted in the companys values and history. Crafted in 1943 by a member of the Companys founding family, the Johnson & Johnson credo declares the companys responsibility to the community over profit. Ultimately, the credo served as a compass that guided company communicators and decision makers through one of the worst known consumer crises in the corporate world.
Recommendations - The pertinent question being asked by todays communicators is whether Tylenol would be as successful in its
PR efforts had the crisis occured today, during the age of social media. Theoretically social media would have expedited PR efforts which would still need to be guided by a previously established culture of safety and empathy. In other words, social media would not guarantee the companys success, but provided the company still follows the same culture of safety and people first, and that these values are reflected in corporate decision making, social media would offer multiple advantages. It would give direct access to stakeholders allowing for fast dissemination of critical information without complete reliance on intermediaries such as public health officials (although many of those audience would still be a critical component of the companys public relations success). Earlier in 2010, the company did experience a less critical product recall, over which they experienced some criticism around speed. However, the company was lauded later in the year when the CEO of Johnson & Johnson delivered an apology, including an admission of guilt, that the company had let the public down. If this humble approach to recognizing wrongdoing is any indication that the company still thrives on a culture of caring, it can be predicted that the companys future crisis communication efforts, especially if they involve social media, have the potential to be just as, if not more, effective today as they were nearly 30 years ago.