Free Custom «Johnson and Johnson. Communications Tactics» Essay Paper

Public Relations Tactics

Johnson and Johnson values public relations and acknowledges that they are responsible for some of its greatest sales. It, therefore, sets aside hefty funds to cater for the different strategies it has set in place in line with its goals. The public relations strategies it employs focus mainly on key users of their products including mothers, nurses, and women especially teenagers. Mothers are the main purchasers of baby products, which make a significant contribution to the company’s sales while the nurses are the first assessors of the performance of the products that the patients use on a daily basis. To thank the mothers, the company organized the “Camp Baby Event” in April 2008. The function lasted for two days at Heldrich Hotel, New Brunswick. The participants included the mothers who were provided with to and fro tickets to the venue. By holding the event, the company simply wanted to nurture a direct relationship with mommy bloggers while offering them vital information about an entertaining environment (Scmidt, 2012).

 

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The event enabled mommy bloggers to interact with others in different regions and develop friendship with the company’s staff and officials. Participants described the event as “reassuring and entertaining”. However, critics argue that the absence of kids in the event contradicted the company’s focus on the child-mother bond.

In addition, the company engages in the nursing future campaign with the help of which it trains nurses. The training is meant to help them understand the working environment and how it relates to the lessons acquired in college. They view the nurses as the assessors of their products. Furthermore, creating a good impression of them contributes to the purchases made by hospitals or other medical facilities where they may render their services. The initiative has greatly contributed to the increase in the number of nurses in the United States as well as to public relations move that increases the popularity of the company (Temporal, 2011).

Similarly, the company has become aware of stress undergone by women in conducting their daily duties and has come up with an online stress management program referred to as UPLIV. This program suggests women how to ease stress while sharing with other users of the site. The online communication between the company representatives and their customers acts as a public relations tactic for the company to attract new customers to their products. The mothers will receive advice on their stress issues from potential customers of baby products in the future.

Publicity Tactics

Publicity refers to the general perception of the public about the company’s products and how the company in question conducts its businesses. The company can either experience negative or positive publicity. Johnson and Johnson has over enjoyed positive publicity the years due its amazing and effective products that live up to their expectations. However, due to the known now fact that Tylenol caused death of seven people exposed the company to negative publicity. Tylenol, a major sales item at the time, began to be viewed with a different mindset. People were afraid to buy this product from the company and as a result the sales began to decline. However, to safeguard its publicity, the company took the responsibility of campaigning the public against the use of the product until it was confirmed safe for consumption. It informed the consumers of a possible contamination of all such products and offered tablets in exchange for bottled Tylenol. Moreover, the company kept close communication with the media on the progress of the matter. Lastly it offered coupons for purchase of the Tylenol tablets as a refund. Johnson and Johnson revered its publicity and would go any miles to protect its public image. For instance, the recall excise cost the company $150 million dollars. However, the procedure was greatly beneficial to the sales of the other products in years to come (Gaudet, 2008).

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There are different companies around the globe that specialize in selling cosmetics and other medical products. To ensure that its products are competitive in the market, Johnson and Johnson has carried out a detailed investigation of advertising campaigns performed among different clients around the world. Johnson and Johnson studies the psychology of its customers and comes up with adverts that are bound to catch their attention. For instance, it knows how female teenagers would love to look beautiful and make males turn their faces as young girls go by. They, therefore, come up with adverts that depict such effects. In a recent advert for its skin anti-spot cream, it portrays the faces of teenagers before and after using the cream. Its effectiveness is clearly shown. The adverts are marked with voiceovers explaining to the target market the transitions occurring in the process. However, the company came under heat from the Advertising Standards Authority after the reception of complaints according to which people challenged the ability of the product to achieve such remarkable effects. The company stated that the use of light powder reduces the shine of the face if to compare to the application of the anti-spot cream.

In addition, the company understands how mothers treasure their young children. Therefore, adverts meant to increase the sales of the baby products centered around the mother-child bond and show that the company protects their lives. Moreover, a large majority of the adverts are marked by voiceovers indicating what a significant change newly born babies can have to the lives of their mothers. Such adverts are integrated into public relations campaigns that increase the popularity of Johnson and Johnson. For instance, the “Having a Baby Changes Everything” campaign greatly increases the awareness of the company’s baby care products.

Other adverts also inform the public about the product’s negative effects, in case mothers refuse using them. For instance, to market its toothpaste, the company created a scenario of two doctors and a patient awaiting treatment. The patient’s breathe was so terrible that the doctors used the oxygen masks to shield themselves. The advert intended to make customers dread such an experience and, thus, search for the toothpaste. The company has used a certain humor in this and other adverts to boost the memory of customers and act as a remainder of the existence of the product whenever they go shopping (Cooper, 2003).

Integration and Effectiveness of the Tactics

The tactics used by Johnson and Johnson to improve its public relations, publicity, and advertising are sometimes integrated. For instance, the tactic referred to as “Camp Baby Event” was purposely aimed at public relations. However, the mother who enjoyed the experience would feel obliged to buy the company’s product in the future. The event, therefore, has played the advertising role. On the other hand, the strategies applied by the company during the Tylenol incident were useful in advertising the company and attracting the attention of the public to the company. Since negative publicity spreads faster than the positive one, the short period of the incident made the company a household name. Once the company cleared its name, it returned its old customers and drew attention of a great number of new customers who were impressed by its quick reaction. This tactic, thus, played an implicit role during its advertising campaign.

The tactics used demonstrate the company’s mindset since they are able to address the experiences of the target audiences. Adverts and the public relations events are exciting and entertaining and are the main features of the campaigns. Moreover, the effectiveness of the strategies is demonstrated by the continued growth of the company over its 125 years of operation. It has managed to expand to more than 60 countries around the globe.

Communication Tactics. Part 2

Marketing Tactics

To reach its target market more effectively, the company employs the most efficient forms of marketing. For instance, it understands the effectiveness of the electronic marketing. This form includes the use of the Internet, television sets and other electronic gadgets. The company has a well updated website. It advertises its products and informs the customers of the current activities it is engaged in there. Moreover, it provides links to other social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to ensure its presence is felt and the company can be accessed in all parts of the world. Most of the company’s adverts are television commercials that are strategically placed between the best and most watched programs. Though more costly, this tactic ensures more viewers are aware of the company’s products. Besides, television commercials are often more memorable due to their visual effects that are easily kept in people’s minds.

Alternatively, the company chooses to apply the direct marketing approach to increase the awareness of its products. It often conducts a research using various feedbacks from its customers to gauge the performance of its products. This is achieved by sending direct mails to the customers and using other email programs. For baby products, it has created babycenter.com where mothers can seek advice on the best products to use in order to ensure their children are healthy. Johnson and Johnson initially spent more than 50% of its advertising funds on the television adverts and it gradually increases the amount spent on the direct marketing. Direct marketing, particularly through the Internet, attracts a greater number of people.

Johnson and Johnson uses different promotions to market its wide range of products. For instance, it introduced the worksite health promotion program in 1979. According to this program, the company shoulders for the part of the medical products costs paid by its employees. According to statistics carried out in 2009, the program saved the employees more than $565 per month and had cut down the company’s medical expenses by more than 3.7 percent. This has resulted in the increase of the return on investment for the pharmaceutical giant (Johnson and Johnson, 2010).

In addition, the company often offers coupons to customers, which allows them to receive an immediate price reduction on any product they buy, for instance Listerine. They go to the extent of giving premiums for some of their most popular products. When one purchases a particular product they are given an extra one at no additional cost. Moreover, all the baby products they sell come with guaranteed offers of rebates. This results in a cash reimbursement for rapidly consumed products. Other promotional services include free shipping to certain destinations. Due to the costs involved in personal selling, the company rarely applies this tactic. However, its distributors often use the above mention strategy (Cooper, 2003).

In conclusion, Johnson and Johnson has often won and retained its first time customers due to its unbeatable promotional tactics The promotions and marketing strategies are integrated with advertising elements discussed above and depict the company’s mindset for the same reasons. It ensures that the products it sells in its pharmacies, hospitals, and major retail outlets around the world are of the best quality possible. Maintenance of the high standard and wide range of products when coupled with the above promotion tactics have and will continue to increase the sales of the company for many years in the future.