Communication Breakdown

Communication Breakdown

Author: OCR Language: English Episodes: 79
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
2025 First Half: Visibility, Values, and the Volume Dial [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:59
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll mark the halfway point of 2025 with a look back at some of the most instructive communications moments of the year so far. From automakers…
2025's First Half: Flatter, Fold or Fight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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…
Why CEOs Are Still Silent [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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…
The Pride Sponsor Shuffle; Trump and Musk Go To War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:36
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…
United Pulls Back the Curtain; Harvard Stands Their Ground [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:22
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…
Breaking Down the 2025 Axios Harris Poll Reputation Rankings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:19
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll analyze the 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100 — a comprehensive ranking of corporate reputation based on consumer sentiment. While Tesla’s dramat…
UnitedHealth Performs CEO Transplant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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…
Target’s Post-Pivot Purgatory [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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…
Trade War Turmoil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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.…