Communication Breakdown Podcast By OCR Network cover art

Communication Breakdown

Communication Breakdown

By: OCR Network
Listen for free

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
  • Why CEOs Are Still Silent

    Why CEOs Are Still Silent
    Jun 13 2025
    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine the communications void left as Los Angeles becomes ground zero for President Trump’s escalating deportation campaign. With ICE raids, military presence, and mass detentions dominating headlines, corporate America has largely chosen silence. Dowling and Carroll unpack why companies are hesitant to speak, what that silence signals, and how communicative caution is evolving in the second Trump term. Drawing from frameworks like ACCESS and STEADY, they offer a roadmap for CEOs navigating chaos, visibility, and value signaling in a climate where every word is a trigger. This episode challenges corporate leaders to prepare their principles now—before the spotlight finds them.

    Takeaways
    • Silence in high-stakes moments signals drift, not discipline—especially in politicized crises
    • The ACCESS and STEADY frameworks offer actionable models for scenario-testing, stakeholder awareness, and calibrated messaging.
    • Waiting for polling shifts or market drops to determine a communications stance undermines credibility.
    • The line between individual expression and corporate implication is dangerously thin, especially with legacy brands.
    • Clarity of principle, not volume of voice, should guide when and how companies speak up.
    • “Not my lane” arguments fall flat when employee safety, local presence, or brand values are at stake.

    Topics Mentioned
    Immigration enforcement, corporate silence, communicative caution, narrative control, visibility vs. invisibility, ACCESS model, STEADY model, alignment signaling, stakeholder expectations, CEO discipline, Trump-era messaging, reputational risk, chaos management, constitutional principles, political neutrality, civic responsibility, misinformation, scenario testing

    Companies Mentioned
    Home Depot, Waymo, Google, Walmart

    Chapters
    00:00 Trump’s Crackdown in LA and Corporate Silence
    01:45 ICE Raids, National Guard, and Business Fallout
    03:40 Garment Industry Disruption and CEO Hesitance
    05:15 Tall Poppy Syndrome and Fear of Standing Out
    07:00 Neutrality as Complicity—Messaging that Holds
    09:23 Walmart's Minimalist Response to Christie Walton's Ad
    11:50 Immigration Polls Shift—Does It Matter?
    13:45 Invisibility Isn’t Safety: Readying the Message
    16:00 Communicative Caution vs. Disappearance
    18:00 ACCESS and STEADY—Frameworks for Clarity
    20:40 Aligning with Principles, Not Political Sides
    23:40 Scenario Testing When It Reaches Your Backyard
    26:00 From January Wildfires to Armed Conflict—Where’s the Consistency?
    28:13 Yale CEO Poll—When Would You Speak Out?
    30:39 Moral Judgment or Market Trigger?
    32:55 Final Thoughts: Speak as a Citizen, Not a Brand

    Episode Hashtags
    #HomeDepot #Waymo #Google #Walmart #CorporateSilence #CrisisCommunications #ReputationManagement #StakeholderTrust #PublicRelations #TrumpAdministration #StrategicMessaging #LeadershipVisibility #CivicResponsibility #CorporateGovernance #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork
    Show more Show less
    29 mins
  • The Pride Sponsor Shuffle; Trump and Musk Go To War

    The Pride Sponsor Shuffle; Trump and Musk Go To War
    Jun 6 2025
    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll dissect the silent recalibration of corporate Pride support in 2025 and the ripple effects of the Trump–Musk breakup. The discussion opens with a sharp look at how once-visible support for Pride has been replaced by hushed donations, geographic reallocation, or total retreat—leaving questions about stakeholder alignment, reputational strategy, and the meaning of corporate citizenship. The hosts challenge assumptions about “pullback,” caution against using soft data to make big claims, and underscore the blurred line between internal and external communications. In the second half, they unpack the political and reputational implications of Elon Musk's now-defunct alliance with Donald Trump, offering a cautionary tale about proximity to power—and the risks of borrowing someone else’s brand.

    Takeaways
    • Media narratives built on thin data (like small-sample polls) can distort the conversation and mislead stakeholders.
    • When companies tie themselves to political figures, they inherit not just reach but risk—and need an exit plan.
    • The Trump–Musk breakup illustrates the reputational baggage of short-term alliances with polarizing figures.
    Topics Mentioned
    Pride Month, corporate sponsorships, stakeholder engagement, political risk, diversity support, internal communications, authenticity, employee trust, performative allyship, executive alignment, proximity to power, reputational fallout, data misrepresentation

    Companies Mentioned
    Target, PepsiCo, Citi, MasterCard, SAP, Nestlé, HSBC, Comcast, Gravity Research, Twitter, Tesla

    Chapters
    00:00 Corporate Pullback on Pride Month Sponsorships
    10:12 The Impact of Political Climate on Corporate Engagement
    19:00 The Fallout of the Trump-Musk Alliance

    Episode Hashtags
    #Target #PepsiCo #Citi #MasterCard #SAP #Nestlé #HSBC #Comcast #Twitter #Tesla #CorporateCommunications #StakeholderEngagement #PrideMonth #ReputationStrategy #AuthenticityMatters #TrumpMusk #CrisisComms #StrategicSilence #LeadershipMessaging #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork
    Show more Show less
    24 mins
  • United Pulls Back the Curtain; Harvard Stands Their Ground

    United Pulls Back the Curtain; Harvard Stands Their Ground
    May 30 2025
    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine how United Airlines and Harvard University are responding to reputational pressure with two very different transparency strategies. United pulls back the curtain on its safety operations at Newark amid cascading air traffic control failures, launching an ambitious media campaign to reinforce trust. Meanwhile, Harvard President Alan Garber enters phase two of a drawn-out public relations battle with the Trump administration, rallying institutional morale with disciplined messaging and strategic framing. Steve and Craig break down both campaigns—dissecting their timing, tone, and tactics—to explore what transparency, alignment, and message discipline look like under pressure.


    Takeaways
    • United’s transparency push—inviting cameras into its command center and simulators—is a high-risk, high-reward move designed to replace fear with evidence.
    • Confidence, as Steve notes, is earned—not declared
    • Transparency works when backed by consistency. If delays persist, even strong messaging can quickly backfire.
    • The episode contrasts two reputational strategies: Columbia’s quiet compliance vs. Harvard’s assertive defiance

    Topics Mentioned
    proactive transparency, narrative strategy, crisis communication, alignment signaling, reputational framing, confidence modeling, internal morale, political backlash, institutional autonomy, coalition signaling

    Companies Mentioned
    United Airlines, Harvard University, CBS, CNN, The New York Times, NPR, Columbia University

    Chapters
    00:00 Intro: Newark’s Crisis and Harvard’s Commencement
    00:33 United’s Strategic Transparency at Newark
    03:11 Behind the Scenes at United’s Command Center
    04:45 Confidence through Capability: United’s Reputation Play
    07:05 Risks of the Confidence Tone in Public Messaging
    08:41 Harvard vs. Trump: Alignment Signaling and Coalition Building
    11:23 Garber’s Message Discipline and Strategic Framing
    13:44 Harvard’s Phase Two: Internal Rallying and the Commencement Stage
    15:49 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Validation and Harvard’s Split Screen Strategy
    18:09 The Taco Trade: Will Trump Follow Through?
    20:31 Commencement as Reputational Stagecraft

    Episode Hashtags
    #UnitedAirlines #Harvard #ColumbiaUniversity #CBS #CNN #TheNewYorkTimes #NPR #CrisisCommunication #ReputationManagement #CorporateTransparency #AlignmentSignaling #InstitutionalAutonomy #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork
    Show more Show less
    23 mins
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro805_stickypopup
No reviews yet