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Public Relations And Safety Essay

Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol Crisis Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational company headquartered in New Jersey and produces pharmaceutical, medical devices, and consumer packaged goods. In early 2016, the company experienced a crisis relating to the safety of its products i.e. Tylenol. Tylenol has traditionally been one of the most effective over-the-counter products for many customers, especially in the United States. In the recent product safety crisis, Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a jury to pay $72 million following the death of a consumer because of the use of its talcum powder (Picchi par, 2). In addition, the company faced an extra 1,200 cases relating to the safety of its Tylenol products, particularly talcum powder. The obvious early warning signs of the crisis was the relatively poor measures for handling of the Tylenol poisonings. While the firm responded quickly to the death of seven people who utilized its Tylenol products, it failed to institute suitable measures on how this over-the-counter medicine is sold. The subtle early warning signs of the crisis were the increasing complains by the firm's customers regarding...

As the number of complaints increased, Johnson & Johnson failed to undertake effective corrective measures to address the root cause of the problem.
2. The business situation in this crisis is the handling of Tylenol poisonings and how the firm communicates to consumers regarding the safety of its products. Johnson & Johnson would effectively address the problem by changing or enhancing the handling of Tylenol poisonings and how this over-the-counter medicine is sold. This is a major issue because the use of talcum powder on the genitals has been linked with increased risks of ovarian cancer though conclusive evidence does not exist (Gallagher par, 9). Additionally, effective communication strategies are required to inform customers on the safety of this product rather than simply responding to complaints or issues raised by customers.

3. An important aspect of dealing with this crisis is the development of a communication strategy that provides customers with insights on the safety of this product. The first process in this communication strategy is for Johnson & Johnson to establish a strategy team comprising seven members. The team will be mandated with the task of examining talcum powder's safety issues and how to salvage the product from its bad reputation. Secondly, the public relations department should alert consumers to avoid purchasing talcum powder…

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Gallagher, James. "Johnson & Johnson Hit with $72m Damages in Talc Cancer Case." Online posting. BBC News. BBC, 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 09 May 2017. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35648252>.

Male, Bianca. "How Johnson & Johnson Should Handle Its Perpetual PR Crisis." Business Insider. Business Insider, 07 May 2010. Web. 09 May 2017. <http://www.businessinsider.com/how-johnson-and-johnson-should-handle-their-perpetual-pr-crisis-2010-5?IR=T>.

Picchi, Aimee. "Can Johnson & Johnson Recover from $72 Million Talc Dust-up?" Online posting. CBS News. CBS Interactive, 26 Feb. 2016. Web. 09 May 2017. <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/can-johnson-johnson-recover-from-talc-cancer-dust-up/>.
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