Crisis Communication Paper 1:

Tylenol Crisis 1982

In the fall of 1982, a crisis hit Johnson & Johnson when
seven people in Chicago died after ingesting an Extra-Strength
Tylenol capsule. It was later found that each capsule was
tampered and laced with 65 milligrams of cyanide, 10,000 times
more than it takes to kill a human. Although the situation was
only contained to Chicago, news of the danger of Tylenol quickly
spread and there was nationwide panic, but what J & J did with
their public relations response would become the most successful
response in history.
The overall goal in this crisis would be to regain the trust of
the customers who are now weary of Tylenol products and to
preserve the strong reputation Tylenol had. The severity of the
crisis was quite severe and damaging to the well being of human
life and to the reputation of the company. With seven deaths in
their hands, Tylenol had to work quickly to contain the situation.
The company itself was not involved in the tampering so could
not be personally culpable but stepped up to the plate when they
placed the safety of their customers first before worrying about
their profits and financial concerns. I dont believe the crisis could
have been prevented or foreseen. The reputation of the company
before the crisis was unyielding. Tylenol held 37 percent of its
market but after the poisonings, market share decreased to a
lowly 7 percent.
KEY TALKING POINTS:
1) The tragic deaths of seven individuals in Chicago have
activated an emergency response. Johnson & Johnson is
working diligently with local police and the FDA to find the
person(s) responsible for the tampering and to prevent any
further incidents like this one.
2) Investigations have shown that the incidents have been
contained to only the Chicago area, but as further
investigation and related follow-up actions continue, we will
stop production and advertisement of all Tylenol products.
3) Our companys top priority is the safety of our consumers
and our commitment to product quality.
In a situation such as this, it is safe to follow through with a
corrective action approach. With this approach, the company

should contain the crisis, repair the damage that has occurred
and find a way to prevent it from ever happening again.
As a consequence of the crisis, market share reduced from
37 percent to 7 percent. The reputation of the company was at
stake and its once large customer base was now weary of
purchasing their products. Tylenol did have a strong reputation
before the poisonings and was one of the most trusted brands in
the market, a strength they could use to their advantage. The
company was also very transparent throughout the ordeal and
reiterated their commitment to social responsibility and their high
ethical standards. Despite the tragedies that occurred, the
company took the crisis as an opportunity to demonstrate their
commitment to the public. As far as the audience, it could be
determined that the public was frightened for their safety. It does
not seem as though the public blamed the company for the
tampering but did make it clear that their trust in the brand was
escaping.
Goals in the process of this crisis communication plan would
be to maintain sound commitment to product quality and public
safety and to minimize reputational damage to Johnson &
Johnson. An objective would be to reverse the drop in market
share and raise it back up to at least, if not more, the 37 percent
it was at before the crisis. Strategies in this plan would be to work
with the FDA and police in finding the suspect and getting the
product back into regulation. It would be smart to engage with
the media so that J & J has some control in what is being said.
Recalling all Tylenol bottles in the area would prove to be
responsible but the company went a step further and recalled all
31-million bottles in the U.S., which cost them about $100 million.
Tylenol also took the extra mile in replacing product already
purchased. In order to correct the situation, Tylenol introduced a
tamper-resistant packaging that to this day positively impacts
consumers. Holding a press conference as soon as the deaths
occurred, after naming Tylenol as the common thread, would be
best. The longer a company waits to speak, the easier it is to lose
trust from consumers. Another press conference informing the
public of the steps the company is making to fix the problem
would be wise; describing the recall and the new tamper resistant
packaging will ease consumers.
I believe that after all these steps are taken and all efforts
have been accomplished, Tylenols name in the market will be
restored to its previous reign. Consumers will continue to turn to

Tylenol without fear and trust will be restored. Market share will
return to the previous 37 percent and hopefully even more.

Crisis Communication Paper 2:

Chipotle
In October of 2015, a crisis hit the popular chain restaurant
Chipotle when 53 people from nine states were sickened with a strain
of E. coli. Twenty of the 53 got so sick they had to be hospitalized.
Several restaurants were closed to deal with the situation and Chipotle
worked to get the crisis under control.
The overall goal in this crisis would be to stop any further
sickness from spreading by getting their food back up to the high
standards their consumers know it to be while also assuring consumers
that their food is safe. It is also important that the integrity and
reputation of the business is saved. The severity of the crisis could be
considered quite severe. E. coli can cause extreme sickness and
possibly even death. The crisis could have been preventable and the
company is culpable for the outbreak. Understanding how E. coli is
spread is important in understanding how this problem started.
Improper washing and cleaning of produce and utensils is one way the
outbreak could have happened. Chipotles reputation is usually above
average. The brand is very popular and even as I write this Im craving
it. Sales dropped 16 percent a month after the outbreak, putting its
strong reputation on the line.
Key Talking Points:
1) The 53 reports of E. coli related sickness have activated a
response. Chipotle is working diligently to find the cause of the
outbreak and will set up a process to prevent this from
happening again.
2) Until the outbreak has been contained and eliminated, we will be
shutting down Chipotle locations affected by the contamination.
3) Chipotles top priority is the safety and health of our consumers
and our commitment to our promise of food with integrity.

In a situation such as this, it is safe to follow through with a

corrective action approach. With this approach, the company should
contain the crisis, eliminate the contamination and find a way to
prevent it from ever happening again.
As a consequence of the crisis, market share reduced and sales
declined quickly after the outbreak. The reputation of the company was
at stake and its large customer base was starting to become weary.
Chipotle did have a strong reputation before the poisonings, a strength
they could use to their advantage. The company would also have to be
very transparent with the situation. Signs were posted letting
customers know that there was a contamination but that order would
be restored in the universe soon. Chipotle could use the crisis as an
opportunity to revamp their food safety precautions and possibly
create a more intense training in handling food. As far as the audience,
it could be determined that the public was weary of eating the product
but crowds didnt completely vanish.
Goals in the process of this crisis plan would be to maintain
sound commitment to their promise of food with integrity, ensure
public health safety and minimize reputational damage. An objective
would be to reverse the drop in market share and sales and raise it
back up to the percentage it was previously at, if not more. Strategies
in this plan would be to work with the FDA in creating a better, stronger
process in handling food prone to E. coli contamination as well as retraining all employees. Closing down restaurants in areas where the
contamination occurred would prove to be a responsible move.
Engaging with the media would show transparency and give Chipotle a
chance to have some control in what is being said. Posting on their
website and social media about updates on their progress would be a
good idea as well.
I believe that after all these steps are taken and all efforts have
been accomplished, Chipotles name and trust will be restored. Lines

will be out the door once again as us loyal customers simply cant keep
away.