This Man & Tylenol Saved The Day!

It started with Wikipedia. The obvious, Edward Bernays was born November 22, 1891 and died March of 1995. He became renownedly popular for being the 'Father of Public Relations' by manipulating public opinion through the utilization of subconsciousness.

First, let's examine most important aspect for Bernays' rationale that created so much controversial history. Public relations is a management function that does not involve interpersonal or face-to-face communications. Unlike advertisements, PR messages are unpaid feature, news stories, and editorials. Within Public Relations there are techniques and tools. One technique is known as "publicity stunts" but an PR Agent would stage/plan events that draws media attention to their client. Their client could be a person, product, organizations, or cause.

After World War 1, Bernays was credited for writing the first book on public relations, Crystallizing Public Opinion, it was published in 1923. Bernays began his career in 1913, him and others worked together to influence public opinion towards supporting American participation in World War 1. To become more successful he emphasized on psychology and social sciences to design public persuasion campaign that helped birth Propaganda. In his book he argues that the true ruling power is the invisible government is our minds where suggestions, thoughts and opinions developed about a field, but those who acted on behalf of this truth are the individuals who can structurally control the rest of society smoothly.


"The engineering of consent is the very essence of the democratic process, the freedom to persuade and suggest." ---- Edward Bernays


Although public relations was born at the beginning of the 1900's by close Bernays tactics came effective for one company whose scandal almost cost them a company. In 1982, Tylenol was exposed for replacing Extra- Strength capsules with cyanide-lace capsules, resealing the packages and depositing them on shelves of dozens of stores and pharmacies in Chicago. Only 6 months after the crisis, Johnson & Johnson, parent company of McNeil Consumer Product Company which makes Tylenol, strategically planned the best known Public Relations bailout in history. Johnson & Johnson Chairman puts together a team helped develop a protection for the people and save the product.

1. The company alerted the public not to consume and to stop any use of the product until the investigation of the tampering was completed.

2. They stopped all advertisement of the Tylenol capsule and recalled the product off the shelves in the Chicagoland and surrounding areas.

--- By doing this, the company showed the public they weren't taken risk with their safety no matter how much money the company lost. The companies new message was Tylenol was the victim of a gruesome crime.

3. Johnson & Johnson used the media to communicate their message to consumers during the crisis.

--- The company issued news alerts to tell consumers to stop using the product. They established toll free hot lines for consumers to call, to answer questions. They also allowed the news organizations access to pre-taped recorded messages that updated the crisis.

4. The company utilize open communication to their advantage.

--- Held several press conferences at their company headquarters and set up for live feed on satellite. The chairmen went on late night television show to personally distribute messages.

5. Advertised new protection and tamper proof bottling for their Tylenol capsule product.

--- Displayed their new packaging in a glued box with plastic over the neck of the bottle, and a foil seal over the mouth of the bottle.

6. Johnson & Johnson used Forgiveness, Remediation, Sympathy, and Rectification to win over the public and develop acceptance for the crisis.

--- The company's remediation tactic some type of compensation. They gave the families and victims financial assistant as well as counseling, although they weren't responsible for the tampering. Rectification show actions taken to prevent a crisis for happening again. Johnson & Johnson new packaging for the capsules shows rectification for the public. The company also won sympathy from the public by accepting losses from the recall and compensation.

A lot of people didn't know this. Let's go mass communications!


Work Cited: Department of Defense
University of Oklahoma