The Johnson & The Johnson & Johnson Tylenol CrisisJohnson Tylenol Crisis

Elise AbramsonElise Abramson

Stephanie ZhaoStephanie Zhao

BackgroundBackground

TylenolTylenol, Band Aid, Acuvue, , Band Aid, Acuvue, NeutrogenaNeutrogena, Benadryl, Listerine, Benadryl, Listerine

Est. 1886 by James Wood Johnson, Est. 1886 by James Wood Johnson, Edward Mead Johnson, and later Edward Mead Johnson, and later Robert Wood JohnsonRobert Wood Johnson

First produced antiseptic surgical First produced antiseptic surgical dressings dressings

$50.5 billion in sales in 2005$50.5 billion in sales in 2005

Tylenol ScareTylenol Scare

In 1982 an unknown In 1982 an unknown criminal laced Tylenol criminal laced Tylenol with cyanide and with cyanide and placed the bottles placed the bottles back on the shelf to back on the shelf to be purchasedbe purchased

This lead to This lead to sevenseven people’s deaths in the people’s deaths in the Chicago area. Chicago area.

Johnson & Johnson’s Johnson & Johnson’s ResponseResponse

Johnson & Johnson ordered the recall Johnson & Johnson ordered the recall of 264,000 bottles of Tylenol and of 264,000 bottles of Tylenol and cooperated with the news media and cooperated with the news media and authorities to keep the public well authorities to keep the public well informed informed

J & J advertised that individuals J & J advertised that individuals should not consume Tylenol productsshould not consume Tylenol products

Offered to exchange capsules that Offered to exchange capsules that had already been purchasedhad already been purchased

J & J posted a $100,000 reward for J & J posted a $100,000 reward for capture and conviction of the capture and conviction of the “Tylenol killer”“Tylenol killer”

Impact of the ScareImpact of the Scare

Market share of Tylenol collapsed Market share of Tylenol collapsed from 35% to 8% from 35% to 8%

Due to the caring handling of the Due to the caring handling of the crisis it only took six months for the crisis it only took six months for the brand to recover its market share brand to recover its market share

J & J then released a new safety-J & J then released a new safety-sealed Tylenol a short time later  sealed Tylenol a short time later  

J & J led the way in over-the-counter J & J led the way in over-the-counter packaging reformspackaging reforms

Works CitedWorks Cited

www.youtube.comwww.youtube.com www.jnj.comwww.jnj.com