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Communication Breakdown

Observatory on Corporate Reputation LLC

Communication Breakdown is a postgame show for PR pros. In each episode, hosts Craig Carroll (Founder of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation, Editor of the SAGE Encyclopedia of Corporate Reputation, Lecturer at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business) and Steve Dowling (former head of communications at OpenAI and 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 research and teaching on reputation at USC Annenberg, UNC Chapel Hill, and universities worldwide, 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.

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22 episodes
weekly
Avg 30 min
English

Episodes 22

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#98
Thursday · 31 min
Return on Mission
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll explore a different way to measure the value of corporate communications, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement. Building on Dell’s use of “return on mission,” Craig...
#97
August 20 · 28 min
Fixing Flock’s Blind Spot
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine Flock Safety’s attempt to reset its reputation amid growing criticism of its automated license plate reader network. They assess the company’s new safeguards,...
#96
August 13 · 33 min
Manifesto Mania!
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine what happens when powerful executives go direct in an effort to reshape public perception. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses a sweeping AI manifesto to argue for...
#95
August 6 · 33 min
Full Court Press
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine how the WNBA has become the latest battleground in America's broader cultural debate after Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham's comments about transgender athletes...
#94
July 30 · 33 min
Off the Menu
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different corporate communications challenges. First, they explore why Cracker Barrel's business appeared to be recovering while CEO Julie Masino's leadership...
#93
July 23 · 34 min
A Midsummer Night’s Clip Show
In this special summer edition of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll revisit three of the season's most impactful conversations, each offering enduring lessons for corporate communicators. From eBay's decisive rejection of...
#92
July 16 · 33 min
Defenestration
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine how Ryanair reduced a terrifying in-flight emergency to the language of a routine scheduling disruption. They compare the airline’s statement with the more human...
#91
July 9 · 28 min
I Do / Undo
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different reputation plays: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s highly controlled wedding event in New York, and Ford’s media blitz around quality, American...
#90
July 2 · 39 min
…and the home of the brave
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine why America’s 250th birthday feels smaller, flatter, and more complicated than a milestone this large should feel. They look at how companies are approaching the...
#89
June 25 · 28 min
Comms on Three Continents
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll move across three communication flashpoints on three continents: the evolving influence economy at Cannes Lions, Lululemon’s cultural misstep at the Great Wall of China,...
#88
June 18 · 30 min
Beast Mode
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine MrBeast’s 500 million YouTube subscriber milestone and the reputation challenges that come with creator scale. They look at how Jimmy Donaldson managed a live-stream...
#87
June 11 · 34 min
Missives You Might’ve Missed
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll revisit recent essays from Craig and Steve on corporate communications, media scrutiny, and the strategic role of the comms function. Craig breaks down his argument that...
#86
June 4 · 22 min
bp’s Big Problem
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll return to BP’s boardroom battle with former chairman Albert Manifold. After being dismissed over governance, oversight, and conduct concerns, Manifold fires back with a...
#85
May 28 · 30 min
“Lower-Value Human Capital”
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll unpack two corporate reputation problems where leadership, governance, and messaging collided under pressure. First, they examine Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters’ “lower...
#84
May 21 · 29 min
The AI Commencement
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine a string of AI-related commencement speech misfires and what they reveal about executive communication, audience awareness, and the limits of pushing a message into...
#83
May 14 · 30 min
Of Maersk and Men
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two high-stakes corporate communication moments with direct lessons for CEOs, communications executives, public affairs leaders, and reputation advisors. First, they...
#82
May 7 · 30 min
GameStop’s faceplant, Wells Fargo’s comeback
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different corporate reputation moments: GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen’s awkward CNBC interview after announcing an unsolicited $56 billion bid for eBay, and Wells...
#81
May 1 · 32 min
United plants a flag, IBM waves one
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll unpack two corporate reputation stories where the real action sits beneath the headline. First, they analyze United CEO Scott Kirby’s reported pitch to merge with American...
#80
April 24 · 29 min
Chief Exposure Officer
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different versions of executive exposure: Palantir CEO Alex Karp’s 22-point manifesto and the renewed push to put CEOs directly in front of customers. They...
#79
April 16 · 31 min
Special Deliveries
Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different communication moments with the same core question underneath them: what happens when credibility gets tested in public. First, they analyze Pope Leo XIV’s unusually direct responses to...

Showing 1–20 of 22 episodes