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Communication Breakdown

Communication Breakdown

Written by: OCR Network
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About this listen

 Communication Breakdown is a postgame show for PR pros. In each episode, hosts Craig Carroll (fmr. USC Annenberg, UNC Chapel Hill) and Steve Dowling (fmr. OpenAI, Apple) discuss the strategies and tactics companies are using in high-visibility crises and PR initiatives, giving listeners unique insight into how key decisions are made.

The podcast offers two unique perspectives on communications theory and practice, drawing on Craig’s teaching and research at top universities around the globe and Steve’s two decades of experience as a comms leader at some of the world’s most influential companies.

Whether you're a PR professional, marketing executive, or just curious about how companies make key communications decisions, you'll find these discussions insightful and valuable.Copyright OCR Network Economics Management Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Resisting Without Escalating: 2025 in Review

    Resisting Without Escalating: 2025 in Review
    Dec 30 2025
    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll unpack how companies navigated a volatile year under Trump’s return to power — chasing access, dodging landmines, and managing the optics. From tech’s full-throated alignment to Coke’s non-denial denial, to Harvard’s quiet defiance, it’s a masterclass in when to perform, when to retreat, and when to just shut up. The big theme? Holding ground without lighting fires. This is your postgame on narrative control in a year where even silence spoke volumes.

    Takeaways
    • Alignment without hedging creates exposure, not just opportunity.
    • Proximity to power can produce policy wins but risks reputational erosion if not translated across stakeholders.
    • Performative signaling amplifies reputational risk — especially when it grants authorship to a polarizing figure.
    Topics Mentioned
    alignment signaling, narrative control, stakeholder management, reputational exposure, crisis containment, performative support, political proximity, institutional resilience, communications strategy, narrative authorship, role clarity, reputation vs. access, strategic restraint, media framing

    Companies Mentioned
    Trump Administration, New York Times, Coca-Cola, Harvard University, Costco, NFL

    Episode Hashtags
    #TrumpAdministration #CocaCola #Harvard #Costco #NFL #CorporateCommunications #ReputationManagement #CrisisPR #NarrativeControl #StakeholderTrust #PoliticalComms #BrandRisk #StrategicSilence #LeadershipMessaging #StudiouslyBland #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork

    Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.
    Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.
    Produced by Shawn P Neal and the team at AdvoCast.

    For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcast@ocrnetwork.com
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    28 mins
  • Susie Wiles’ star turn

    Susie Wiles’ star turn
    Dec 19 2025
    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine the fallout from a rare, high-access Vanity Fair profile of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. What looked like unprecedented transparency quickly turned into a reputational stress test, raising questions about intent, narrative control, and internal alignment. Steve and Craig move past the headline-grabbing quotes to analyze what they call “wedge warfare,” how third-party storytelling can disrupt relationships even without factual errors. The conversation offers practical lessons for communications leaders operating in high-salience, high-risk environments where perception often matters more than explanation.

    Takeaways
    • High-access profiles create cumulative risk, every quote, image, and anecdote compounds meaning.
    • Defending intent or tone can worsen a wedge by reinforcing doubt rather than stabilizing trust.
    • Images function as narrative events and must be managed with the same rigor as interviews.

    Topics Mentioned
    White House communications, corporate reputation, wedge warfare, narrative control, media access, high-risk interviews, photojournalism, alignment signaling, claims-perceptions-reality framework, crisis communications, leadership visibility

    Companies Mentioned
    Vanity Fair, CNN, The Atlantic, New York Post, Axios


    Episode Hashtags
    #VanityFair #CNN #TheAtlantic #NewYorkPost #Axios #WhiteHouse #CorporateReputation #StrategicCommunications #PublicRelations #MediaStrategy #NarrativeControl #CrisisCommunications #LeadershipMessaging #StakeholderTrust #ReputationRisk #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork

    Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.
    Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.
    Produced by Shawn P Neal and the team at AdvoCast.

    For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcast@ocrnetwork.com
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • He’s Back...

    He’s Back...
    Dec 12 2025
    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine Elon Musk’s return to the podcast circuit amid reports of a possible SpaceX IPO. They question whether Musk’s more restrained media appearance signals a real reputational reset or simply another tactical pause without governance discipline. The conversation then turns to McDonald’s AI-generated holiday ad backlash in the Netherlands, using it as a case study in creative judgment, brand standards, and accountability when AI enters the production pipeline. The episode closes with insights from Craig’s 10th annual Senior Corporate Affairs Summit, where executives focused on AI as real headcount, narrative drift as enterprise risk, and the fragmentation of influence beyond traditional media.

    Takeaways
    • Media moderation without behavioral change does not equal a reputation reset.
    • Pre-IPO signaling requires cadence, discipline, and visible.
    • AI failures in advertising are often judgment failures, not technology failures..
    • Narrative drift is an early warning signal of enterprise risk, not a messaging problem..
    Topics Mentioned
    Elon Musk, reputation management, IPO signaling, CEO behavior, governance discipline, AI advertising, brand judgment, holiday advertising standards, narrative drift, enterprise risk, AI agents, communications workflows, influence fragmentation, Substack, corporate affairs leadership

    Companies Mentioned
    Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter, Reuters, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Disney


    Episode Hashtags
    #ElonMusk #Tesla #SpaceX #Twitter #McDonalds #CocaCola #Disney #CorporateReputation #PublicRelations #CrisisCommunications #AIinMarketing #BrandGovernance #NarrativeRisk #Leadership #StrategicCommunications #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork

    Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.
    Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.
    Produced by Shawn P Neal and the team at AdvoCast.

    For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcast@ocrnetwork.com
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
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