Saturday, November 19, 2005

We Can Learn From The Past

Remember the Tylenol fiasco in 1982? You can read about it here: http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring01/Hogue/tylenol.html  -- AOL won't let me do links because I'm on a MAC unless I use FIREFOX.  When they launched the banners they screwed up FIREFOX too.  So you will have to cut and paste, Sorry.

Anyway, somebody put cyanide in Tylenol capsules and seven people died.  They never actually pinned the murders on anybody, but there was a suspect for a long time.

But, the point is, Tylenol did one of the best PR jobs ever to make its customers feel safe in using their products again.

Think about it, would you want to use a pill that had killed people?  But they put lots of failsafe measures in place, triple sealing the cap, and ultimately removing the capsules from the shelves, switching to caplets, whatever it took.

Plus the president went on the air with commercials to deal with consumer confidence concerns.  Anyway, they cared about the people that used their product and did whatever it took to keep them as customers.


Imagine if Tylenol had been owned by AOL.  Haaaaaaaaaaaa.

Okay, we're getting reports some people died using our stuff. How many?  Seven, maybe?  Out of how many customers?  Millions. Come on, big deal. Who needs 'em.  As for making our product more user safe and/or friendly, why bother?  They'll learn how to sniff for the telltale signs of cyanide when they open up the bottle.  Why should we have to go to the expense of putting seals on our containers.  That costs money.  Our money.

And we're in the business of making money, not spending it.  

How long do you think it would take for Tylenol to be out of business?

Here's an irony.  Apparently AOL has lost over 600,000 paying customers in the last three months.  

How many journals are there?  Two thousand?  Even if we all left at once, who would notice. We're  a pimple on their butts.  We have to figure out a way to make a big festering sore out of this.

Maybe we should take a lesson from Tylenol.  Someone needs to die.

Any volunteers?  

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

AOL=Bad Ju Ju!    Anne

Anonymous said...


AOL can't exist without me! You'll never convince me that AOL can exist without ME! I'm WAY too big and cool. [8)]

Can I choose the meaningless sacrifice Mrs. L?... Let me - let me! [:P]

~Love always, Brian @---->---

http://journals.aol.com/thelovetrain/tracks/

Anonymous said...

Beautiful entry, Mrs. L, it made me weep.  Ok, not really, it made me laugh my ass off (does my HMO cover that?).  You are so effin' funny!  Great analogy!  

I don't think I'm ready to volunteer just yet:)

Chris
http://inanethoughtsandinsaneramblings.blogspot.com/
http://www.bigoven.com/~swibirun

Anonymous said...

I about died when I read the end of your entry, would that have qualified?

Jim

Anonymous said...


you are scary, Mrs. L
Marti

Anonymous said...

Good PR pays.  Bad PR costs--eventually.

Anonymous said...

Uh... Well if you pick the sacrifice... I uh... know some people... that could uh... be of service... ;o) lol (kidding of course, no one beat me up please lol)

::sigh:: I hate AOL

~Lily

Anonymous said...

HAHAH!

Anonymous said...

Before you read this, IGNORE THE BANNERS! (There, my daily act of defiance is completed.....well, that and my act of defiance on my journal and the fact that I have created a BLOGSPOT journal (BLOGSPOT, a great place to journal. AND NO AD BANNERS. Try it! BLOGSPOT.COM, you'll like it!).....oooouuuu! I'm getting to like this life as a sorta rebel. I am Swamp Fox...of the prairie.
---------------------------------
No sacrificial lambs here. Sorry! We've been sacrificed on the altar of commerce here at AOL. I think we've suffered enough.
http://www.classyof68.blogspot.com
http:/journals.aol.com/gailmb/Classyof68
Gail in MN

Anonymous said...

Aol is tightening their own noose - each step they try to take closer to the bank.

I'm hanging around for the freak show they've made of their own creation.

Anonymous said...

Mrs. L
I'm going to beg off on your kind offer to fall on my sword for the cause, LOL!  It's amazing that Tylenol has regained it's status since the 1982 disater.  You're right!  It was one of the best marketing ploys in history.  It really is ashamed that AOL isn't more customer friendly or concerned about thier own public reations within it's user base.  
Sam

Anonymous said...

I too will have to take a Pass on dying for the cause, but I enjoyed the entry and the thoughts behind it.
http://journals.aol.com/shadierush/NeverGiveUp/
Shadie

Anonymous said...

I heard about that, I think some woman had put it in there as an elaborate ploy to kill her husband. See, I would have just shoved him down the stairs and claimed PMT, LOL! Am still loving the entrys and am counting the days till another 'ASK MRS L'
Love Sam xXx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/misscarberry/NoLongerSweetSixteen

Anonymous said...

Great entry.  If we could get these AOL idiots to read anything. I'm staying but protesting all the way...to anybody & everybody.  Started my own banner ad on my journal which will come up each time I write....let them try to use my spot for their ad campaign..don't think so....Sandi  http://journals.aol.com/sdoscher458/LifeIsFullOfSurprises

Anonymous said...

I'd volunteer to take one for the team, but I don't think I could pass the "pure, young, virginal" requirement in the sacrificial bylaws.
Anna

Anonymous said...

I can do it ... but since I'm having 28 people for Thanksgiving, can we wait till after dessert?  What am I thinking?  Do me before Thanksgiving!  Then I won't have to cook!  Hugs!  Lisa
PS:  GREAT analogy (did I spell that right?)  

Anonymous said...

I was gonna vote for Albert to take the first one, but then I remembered he's already taking it up the ass on a daily basis, so what's the point?

Where's that Lovetrain dude?

Anonymous said...

Someone has to die. Someone always does. Let it be me. I can have a hideous paper cut accident or something.