The Pepsi Challenge

The Pepsi Challenge

Author: OCR September 5, 2025 Duration: 35:02
Communication Breakdown
Business NewsNewsBusinessManagementMarketing
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll dissect activist investor Elliott Management’s $4 billion stake in PepsiCo — and the rival business plan they rolled out to reframe the company’s strategy. The hosts analyze how activists weaponize contradictions, use timing to hijack the news cycle, and tell Pepsi’s story better than Pepsi itself. They also look at Harvard’s restraint in the face of a legal victory over the Trump administration, and the reputational freefall of a Polish CEO who sparked global outrage by snatching a souvenir hat from a child at the US Open. Together, the cases highlight the stakes for communicators in reclaiming narrative control and protecting credibility under fire.

Takeaways
  • Activist investors often compete through narrative, not just capital.
  • Shadow strategies succeed by simplifying contradictions companies ignore.
  • Preempting reputational fault lines is more effective than defending them later.

Topics Mentioned
activist investors, shadow strategy, corporate contradictions, credibility, transparency, restraint strategy, reputation risk, viral outrage, apologies, narrative control, crisis management

Companies Mentioned
Nestlé, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Harvard University, Trump Administration, DrogbrookEpisode

Hashtags
#Nestlé #PepsiCo #CocaCola #Starbucks #SouthwestAirlines #Harvard #TrumpAdministration #Drogbrook #CorporateCommunications #CrisisManagement #Reputation #PublicRelations #Leadership #NarrativeControl #StakeholderTrust #Apologies #MediaRelations #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork

Credits
Produced by AdvoCast for the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.
Connect with us: podcast@ocrnetwork.com • LinkedIn: Observatory on Corporate Reputation

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

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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 79

Official website RSS
linkedinspotify
Communication Breakdown
Podcast Episodes
The Reputation Super Bowl [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:45
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different reputation tests playing out on a global stage. First, they unpack why the NFL’s handling of Bad Bunny’s Super…
Minnesota CEOs miss the mark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:11
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll return to the topic of Minnesota to examine how corporate leaders responded after the killing of protester Alex Preti during federal immigration…
Davos TACO, “Idiots” Feud [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:51
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different European stages where reputation, power, and communication collide. First, they unpack Davos 2026 and what the…
ICE paints a target on Target [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:46
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different corporate communication challenges playing out in real time. First, they break down how Target is being pulled…
New Year, New Challenges [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:25
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two stories where companies get assigned roles before they choose them. First, they look at U.S. oil companies caught in the wake…
Resisting Without Escalating: 2025 in Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:58
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…
Susie Wiles’ star turn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:05
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…
He’s Back... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:14
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 medi…
Costco targets tariffs, tech throws tantrum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:05
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two distinct communication strategies playing out in the same political environment. First, they look at Costco’s decision to sue the Tr…
Thanks for (saying) nothing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:25
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll serve up their second annual Thanksgiving roundup of the year’s biggest corporate comms stories. They revisit three defining moments: the tariff…

«123456...8»