Communication Breakdown

Communication Breakdown

Author: OCR Language: English Episodes: 74

Communication Breakdown is a sharp, fast-moving podcast for PR and communications pros who want to understand what really happens when reputations are on the line. Hosted by OCRs Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling, each postgame-style episode breaks down how organizations navigate high-visibility crises, product launches, policy debates, and other make-or-break moments in the public eye. Drawing on experience from institutions like USC Annenberg, UNC Chapel Hill, OpenAI, and Apple, the hosts dissect real-world cases, exploring what worked, what failed, and why. Listeners can expect candid analysis of messaging, leadership, media strategy, stakeholder management, and internal alignment, all grounded in current events across news and business. Whether youre in marketing, management, or corporate communications, listen episodes of Communication Breakdown to sharpen your judgment, stress-test your own strategies, and better anticipate how communications decisions play out when it matters most.
Episodes

Duration: 27:21
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll explore two high-stakes showdowns—one rooted in strategic restraint, the other in narrative failure. First, they unpack Harvard's quiet bu…

Duration: 31:47
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll return to the ongoing saga at Astronomer—the data pipeline company whose PR tailspin took a surprising detour into celebrity marketing. Just whe…

Duration: 29:05
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll unpack the viral scandal that cost Astronomer CEO Andy Byron his job after a kiss cam moment at a Coldplay concert set the internet ablaze. What…

Duration: 31:19
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll unpack three reputational firestorms that reveal deeper cracks in the comms industry. First up: Melinda French Gates’ jab at CEOs “pivoting to w…

Duration: 29:38
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll take a halftime look at 2025, recapping six months of communication pivots, power plays, and reputational landmines. They revisit Ford's dramati…

Duration: 28:39
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 ra…

Duration: 29:42
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll break down the reputational chaos surrounding UnitedHealth’s abrupt CEO departure and the company's spiraling communications strategy. The…

Duration: 30:46
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll dissect the reputational fallout from Target's controversial turnabout on diversity. Fourteen weeks after reversing key social commitments…

Duration: 29:36
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll discuss the implications of Amazon's controversial pricing transparency proposal amidst tariff turmoil affecting the automotive industry.…

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