Case Analysis : Johnson And Johnson

Intellectual Property: Johnson & Johnson have the rights to many products including: JOHNSON’S® BEBE® PENATEN® PRIM’AGE® JOHNSON’S® BEDTIME™ JOHNSON’S® SOOTHING NATURALS™ DESITIN® NATUSAN® NEUTROGENA® SHOWER TO SHOWER®PIZ BUIN® AVEENO® LUBRIDERM®AMBI® SKINCARE VENDOME® CLEAN & CLEAR® PURPOSE® ROC® ROGAINE® BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages BENGAY® CALADRYL® PURELL® NEOSPORIN® CORTAID® SAVLON® COMPEED® TUCKS® DAKTARIN® LISTERINE® EFFERDENT® LISTERINE® WHITENING REMBRANDT® REACH® STAYFREE® MONISTAT® CAREFREE® e.p.t.® K-Y® O.B.® TYLENOL® SUDAFED® ROLAIDS® DOLORMIN® MOTRIN® MOTILIUM® MYLANTA® ZYRTEC® and ZYRTEC-D®12-HOUR® BENADRYL® IMODIUM® PEPCID® NICORETTE® SPLENDA® LACTAID® BENECOL® SUN CRYSTALS™ VIACTIV® VISINE® ACUVUE® CONCERTA® REMINYL® /RAZADYNE® TOPAMAX® HALDOL® RISPERDAL® INVEGA® RISPERDAL® CONSTA® DORIBAX™ PREZISTA™ INTELENCE™ RETIN-A MICRO® LEVAQUIN®ORTHOCLONE OKT-3® REMICADE® DURAGESIC® AXERT® ORTHOVISC® ULTRAM® ER Tylenol® with Codeine DITROPAN XL® TERAZOL®ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN®ELMIRON® ORTHO-CYCLEN® ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO ORTHO EVRA® ORTHO-NOVUM®RhoGAM® DACOGEN® PROCRIT® DOXIL® VELCADE® LEUSTATIN® ACIPHEX®/PARIET® REGRANEX® NATRECOR® REOPRO®. They also have the patents and copyrights to a wide array of drugs and medical equipment.

Johnson & Johnson, a 130 years old famous multinational healthcare company through its family of companies is involved in the research and development, manufacture and sale of a wide range of products in the healthcare. Product that related to human health and well-being has always been their main interest over the years and also presently. Johnson & Johnson was incorporated in the State of New Jersey in 1887 by three brothers; Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson and Edward Mead Johnson.

The case starts in October 1982, when seven people in Chicago died after taking Tylenol, which is a pain killer medicine produced by Johnson and Johnson's subsidiary McNeil. Three victims from these were members of one family who died one by one on the same day. The reason of their death was diagnosed as in take of the extra strength Tylenol capsules taken from the same bottle. Other three deaths were also reported in Chicago due to intake of Tylenol.

Johnson and Johnson, commonly called J&J for short, is one of the world's well known, largest, most decentralized and most diversified health care companies. Since 1887, Johnson and Johnson has been producing, manufacturing and selling products related to human health and well-being. Today J&J has over 200 autonomous operating companies and do business globally specializing in consumer products, medical devices and diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals. Consumer products are the company's most recognizable segment, including popular brands like Tylenol, Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo and Band-Aid. The medical devices and diagnostics segment manufactures products including surgical equipment

How many of you have taken a tylenol pill. What if you died days after taking them, what about hours, minutes, seconds. This is what happened in Chicago 1982 after someone got tylenol pills and poisoned them with 100 to 10000 times the fatal dose. Seven people were killed and more poisoned bottles were found after this. One family and other individuals were found dead because of this. In total it ended up being seven dead. No one was ever convicted for the murders, but three people were suspects in the investigation.

When J&J realized that their Tylenol capsules caused the deaths of four Chicagoans, they immediately initiated a recall of all Tylenol products, and spread the news by any means possible. Cars with sirens and loudspeakers drove through the city and suburbs of Chicago, urging residents to throw away any Tylenol capsules they might have. Schools were contacted, and they instructed students to bring all Tylenol products to the school nurse. News flashes were initiated to warn people of the Tylenol danger as well, and all stores were instructed to remove Tylenol products from their shelves. Removing the products was a gutsy move, not only because it was dangerous to the company by recalling so much products, but there was also a fear that the killer

In October of 1982, Tylenol, the leading pain-killer medicine in the United States at the time, faced a tremendous crisis when seven people in Chicago were reported dead after

This happened on two occasions, the first in 1982 and the second in 1986. These episodes could have been devastating to the McNeil company by drastic decrease in consumption of the Tylenol products. The McNeil company rallied to the situation to counter this possible decrease in consumption. According to "Laurels: The National Business Hall of Fame", Tylenol's share in the one billion dollar analgesic market commanded thirty-five percent of the market before the 1982 incident. At the time of these episodes, consumer trust was damaged and market share decreased to seven percent. By February 1983, Tylenol had regained a twenty-four percent share of the market(Diary of an Amazing Comeback). In the 1990's, Tylenol again reached its thirty-five percent of the market which at this time accounted for a two billion dollar market(Laurels: The National Business Hall of Fame, Fortune). By regaining their share of the market, this demonstrated that the consumers had faith in the McNeil company's ability to produce safe and trustworthy products, i.e. Tylenol, for their comfort and happiness.

availability of substitutes 1, and the threat of retaliation from incumbents (by lowering price, for

Tylenol, an over the counter prescription product from Johnson & Johnson, was one of the top brands in the analgesic market. Within the company, it was also a large income earner that commanded nearly 15% of the company’s total profits. That being the case, the 1982 crisis was not only a big blow to the brand, but also to the company as a whole. The crisis jeopardized the company’s existence; putting at risk a multi million investment which the investors had a lot of faith in. Irrespective of whether the crisis was due to malicious acts from ill motivated criminals or not, the company had to act swiftly to counter the legal issues which were ensuing and mitigate huge impending losses. It was really a trying moment for the top management of Johnson & Johnson and more so to the CEO, James Burke, who faced the toughest test of his managerial career during this time. Though the crisis was amicably solved, there were some legal issues that were imminent and some valuable lessons learnt from the episode.

Sealed bottles were tampered with and extra-strength Tylenol capsules were replaced with cyanide-laced capsules. These bottles were then resealed and placed on shelves of pharmacies in the Chicago area. Seven people died as a result. Tylenol was called upon to explain why its product was killing people.

The infamous Tylenol murders began September 30, 1982 when the world discovered that extra-strength Tylenol was used to murder three people. Days later, new stories emerged with three more people dying from cyanide filled Tylenol capsules. From the public perspective things were clear, a product used to heal people was now killing people. While Johnson & Johnson were able to weather the storm and even rebound, fate issued them another potentially-fatal blow on February 10, 1986, when a women died from

After such a horrible crisis Tylenol began to build its brand back up. After removing the

United Beverages’ CEO is debating with his department heads on the course of action the company is going to take in the future. Their flagship product, GangBuster, has been highly successful for the past 5 years. However, they have been thinking of entering the market for Energy Drinks for kids. Paul Diaz also comes up with a revolutionary idea of the dual-drink, having two separate flavored drinks in a bottle and being able to mix both flavors. Due to the limited resources of United Beverages, they have two weeks to decide whether to expand their portfolio or not?

* Large Balance, $1.4B in goodwill on Merck’s Balance Sheet – the goodwill on Merck’s balance sheet is primarily attributable to past acquisitions.