James E. Burke, the former chairman and CEO of Johnson and Johnson, passed away last week. By all accounts, Mr. Burke was an exceptional leader and American. While his contributions to public service and business are many, he is probably best remembered for his handling of the cyanide-laced Tylenol tampering tragedy in Chicago in 1982.
At EMM Group, where we believe that marketing is making a promise and keeping that promise, we can think of no better example than Mr. Burke’s handling of the Tylenol crisis. The promise kept in this case figures prominently in Johnson and Johnson’s credo: “We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and father and all others who use our products and services.”
We all know the story. When seven people died after taking poisoned Tylenol capsules from bottles that had been tampered with, Mr. Burke immediately pulled all Tylenol from stores—millions of bottles nationwide. J&J went on to develop better tamper-resistant technology before reintroducing the product to the market. As a result, despite the potential horrendous implications, Tylenol was able to recapture its market share and Johnson & Johnson’s brand and promise returned stronger.
We might say that Mr. Burke’s career path as a seasoned and insightful marketer helped guide his decision. But that’s self-serving. Mr. Burke was committed to the Johnson & Johnson credo and the promise it makes to put doctors, nurses, patients, mothers and fathers first. With that as your guiding principle, what other action could be taken? Probably none.
In the health industry, your promise to your customer is profound. It reflects life changing and life saving commitments. Your ability to deliver on that promise and create a delivery system can have far-reaching personal and community impact. It can generate a culture that is truly profound because you are making people, and the world, better. Johnson and Johnson delivered on their promise under Mr. Burke’s leadership, and the company’s growth during his tenure demonstrates the value of that commitment.
If you’re not in the health industry, the promise you make to your customer and your ability to deliver is no less important. While it may not reflect life saving or life changing opportunities, it creates a bond of trust, loyalty, and commitment to the brand and the company that extends beyond relationships and transcends price. Truly good marketing allows us to make a promise—a promise that is differentiated, a promise that serves market needs, and a promise that, in order to be successful, must be delivered.
In honor of Mr. Burke, we hope you will consider the value of the promise you make and the importance of delivering on that promise. As marketers, we sometimes get bogged down in measuring results or success, and we lose track of the core promise we are making. When we step back, we recall that everything we do is about improving on our delivery of that promise. The enduring success of this approach is undeniable and, with the passing of Mr. Burke, timely to remember.