Lawrence G. Foster

I confess the name Lawrence G. Foster is not one with which I have been familiar. But while I did not know his name, I knew of his actions because what he engineered has made a big impact in classes I and many others have taught for years. It was September, 1982, when police conneted a string of mysterious deaths in and around Chicago to cyanide-laced capsules of Extra Strength Tylenol at various outlets. This news triggerd panic among the general public and, not surprisingly, threatened the very existence of the Tylenol brand. Executives at Johnson & Johnson, Tylenol's home office, were deeply concerned as they recognized the negative consequences of this tragedy could put the company out of business.

Foster, Johnson & Johnson's top public relations officer, was assigned the daunting task of putting together a company response and overall strategy to win back and hearts and minds of the general public. Foster started with the premise that it is the safety and well being of the public that is most important. Profit, he believed, runs a distant second. At Foster's direction, the company suspended all advertising for Tylenol and issued a national recall of Extra Strength capsules (more than 30 million bottles). This unprecidented strategy cost the company an estimated $100 million - a lot of money by any standards.

Foster's plan was incredibly successful. Over the following 12 months, Tylenol introduced tamper-free bottles. Its share of the analgesic market, which had dropped to seven percent as a result of the incident, increased by 30 percent. Foster and Johnson & Johnson were showered with accolades. To this day, how Johnson & Johnson handled this major crisis is used as an important case study in many communication classes throughout the country. I recognize Mr. Foster with this entry as earlier this week he passed away at the age 88. In the world of crisis communication, Foster's legacy is one of openness and honesty. He will remain an inspiration.