Tylenol Murders

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Recommended: Communications during crisis essay

Crisis communication is an area of public relations that I find really fascinating. I enjoy learning about the proper steps that a professional takes when a company is pitted against a major crisis, and what they do in the face of chaos to turn the situation around and use the crisis in their own favor. One case study that exemplifies the degree to which a crisis can be managed effectively and a company can gain more respect by doing so is the case of the Chicago Tylenol Murders in 1982.

The tragic deaths of seven people who died due to potassium cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules started as a disaster for Tylenol producer Johnson and Johnson. However, J&J communicated with their publics and the media proficiently, investigated their products after pulling millions of dollars of Tylenol capsules of the shelves across the nation, and developed proper packaging to avoid further mishaps. I believe that the way that Johnson and Johnson handled the situation should be epitomized as an example for businesses to use when they are faced with a crisis, and how to manage it well.

A 12-year-old girl named Mary Kellerman was the first victim of the Tylenol Murders. Kellerman, who lived in Chicago suburb Elk Grove Village was not feeling well on September 29, 1982. She was given an extra-strength Tylenol capsule to relieve a sore-throat, and her parents later found her unconscious. Kellerman died on the way to the hospital, and it was assumed that she had died of a stroke. However, three similar deaths soon followed. The same day as Kellerman’s death, 27-year-old Adam Janus of Arlington Heights was hurried to a local hospital where he died, suspected of a major heart-attack. The connection between Kellerman and Janus’ deaths were that both...

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...ral articles were published commending J&J further and publicizing their great success.

The way that Tylenol rebounded so quickly and successfully after such a traumatizing tragedy shows how J&J is an example of a successful case study in crisis communication. They reacted extremely quickly and did everything they could to show that they had great public interest, as well as wanted to adapt themselves in order to avoid a similar mishap in the future.

Works Cited

Rowe, Vance. “The Tylenol Murders of 1982.” Bella Online: The Voice of Women. 2009.

Minerva Webworks LLC. 22 Apr 2009

Kaplan, Tamara. “The Tylenol Crisis: How Effective Public Relations Saved Johnson & Johnson.” Aerobiological Engineering. 23 Apr 2009.

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