Beneath the Peak

The J&J / American Red Cross case is not about right and wrong.

It’s about perception: the average person doesn’t have the time, inclination or interest to delve into this story. They won’t read past the headline. They’ll see a successful multinational corporation bullying a charitable organization, and they’ll move on to the next news item.

J&J may well have a legitimate beef with the ARC. But attempting to solve that dispute with a lawsuit is foolish. J&J might win in the court of law, but they’ll lose in the court of public opinion.