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Stumble Even Slightly, Reputation Takes a Hit

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

While this statement, or something like it, typically is found in the disclaimer section of investment literature, it also can be applied to crisis communications. It’s a painful lesson that brand kingpin Johnson & Johnson (J&J;) recently learned.

Long considered a trusted member of the brand elite, a company lauded for its handling of the tainted Tylenol pill crisis of 1982, J&J; learned just how fast a company’s reputation can take a harsh body blow.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of J&J;, last week executed a recall of some of its most popular over-the-counter medicines. The problem is, the recall–which included Benadryl, Motrin and Rolaids–came some 20 months late, according to a number of sources quoted in the New York Times, including the United States Food and Drug Administration.

While one stumble isn’t likely to erase decades of responsible behavior, J&J; was reminded of the shortness of the collective memory of the public and the news media. The consequences for companies that don’t react in a timely manner when faced with a potential crisis can be severe.

It’s a lesson all of us who work in reputation management and public relations should always remember.

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