Tylenol Case

A communication process starts with the identification of the publics that will be

addressed, and analyzing the potential interests on the issue of the communication helps to

identify the publics. Once the objectives of the communication process are evaluated, a further

selection of the publics to be involved may be accomplished. Opinions and judgments of the

internal publics such as, employees, managers, executives, suppliers, McNeil Consumer Products

Company, Investors, Shipping companies, distributors, even thought McNeil was a separate

company they still produced Tylenol as J&J subsidiary, to interact with those of the external

publics, consumers, the media, Doctors, nurses, families of the dead, their friends and

surrounding communities and the combination of the two identifies the frame of the enterprises

communication.

The impact on the internal public was shocking; they were caught totally by surprise,

even made them panic and jump the gun making a statement too early that no cyanide was used

on its premises causing this further embarrassment to the company, having to reverse that

statement. The media was shocked because J&J throughout the years had not been and hadn't

had the need to be a particularly a high profile company. I can't imagine another way of dealing

with such a problem because 20 something years ago that was what they had, and for me to think

on another way of handling that situation with my current mind set of mind would not be fare to

those who came up with the idea of opening their doors to the media and being upfront and

truthful about the situation that they had. So I would have done exactly what they did, and by

saying this I am not avoiding the question, I am just going back in time almost 30 years and

thanking what was available at the time.

Johnson & Johnson broke up their public relations campaign in two phases. The first

phase of the campaign was to handle the crisis, and the second phase was the comeback of

Johnson & Johnson. First phase was to go to the media to alert consumers not to take any

Tylenol