To Counter Trump's Attack, Tylenol Should Go Big and Bold

It's enough to give brand stewards a headache

First off, let me say this: I grew up in East Brunswick, N.J., next door to New Brunswick, home of the international headquarters of J&J. I went to Rutgers University and experienced firsthand how the brand—dare I say it, institution—collaborated and cooperated with both the city government and the university to create what is now a growing cultural center.

I’ve also spent many an hour inside their hallowed halls, having found myself serving J&J throughout my professional life—working on countless consumer brands and helping corporate with their 2008 Beijing Olympics sponsorship. And during this professional relationship, I was privy to many decisions and choices related toward marketing many brands, including Tylenol. I am, after all, a branding guy.

And I bleed Tylenol red.

Let’s be clear: I am a life-long user of this brand. I lived through the 1982 Tylenol scandal, when someone tampered with bottles to lace them with cyanide. I witnessed the response, during which J&J launched a nationwide recall, issued public statements and worked to maintain and regain consumer trust.

And while times have clearly changed—and the public’s view of J&J has evolved—there is only one road for current Tylenol parent Kenvue (the J&J spinoff, which just launched a creative and media review) to follow. Only one path forward, and the way I see it, it’s an easy call. Swift one, even.

Take the high road as Trump and RFK Jr. besiege the brand. Speak to facts and science. Fight vehemently against the lies, but don’t stop there.

If need be, sue the government.

Your next campaign? Tap real consumers—real people. Champion real stories. Lean into the brand trust you’ve built over decades—and lean hard.

Let the people who have been a part of this admittedly great, American organization that is J&J, as well as the millions of consumers who depend on your trusted products tell your truth for you. It’s this truth which will set you free and help usher in your next era.

Most organizations spend many years and millions upon millions of dollars bringing recognition and meaning to their identity assets.

Johnson & Johnson sure did. It means something. It meant something.

And yet I continue to bleed Tylenol red—forever will, now that I’m in my 60s and everything hurts a bit more than it used to.