{"podcast":{"title":"Communication Breakdown","slug":"communication-breakdown-7019931","podcast_index_feed_id":7019931,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/6301456/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://corporateobservatory.com/podcasts/communication-breakdown","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/bb1654c4c2ff3f77a3c1f292f51b3d52.jpg","author":"Observatory on Corporate Reputation LLC","episode_count":100,"summary":"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.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-11T02:22:07.181025+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931"},"episode":{"title":"Comms on Three Continents","slug":"comms-on-three-continents","published_at":"2026-06-25T13:00:02+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931/comms-on-three-continents","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/comms-on-three-continents--72681512","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72681512/ep_89_comms_on_three_continents.mp3","summary":"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, and the San Francisco Giants’ mishandling of Pride Night controversy. They examine how influence is no longer contained inside advertising, PR, marketing, or customer experience silos, especially as creators, algorithms, AI summaries, and political actors reshape reputation in real time. The conversation sharpens around two major lessons for communications leaders: cultural accuracy has to happen before spectacle, and values questions need institutional answers, not evasive talking points. For PR, corporate affairs, and leadership teams, this episode is a reminder that operational clarity, cultural fluency, and prepared governance now determine whether a brand controls the story or gets corrected by the public. Takeaways Cannes Lions now reflects a broader shift from advertising as a discipline to influence as an operating system. Lululemon’s Great Wall mistake shows that brands cannot borrow cultural authority without first proving cultural accuracy. The San Francisco Giants’ Pride Night controversy shows how local values issues can quickly become national political stories. Topics Mentioned Cannes Lions, influence, advertising, corporate communications, public affairs, creators, AI, algorithms, media fragmentation, authenticity, purpose, cultural credibility, Lululemon China, Great Wall of China, cultural accuracy, cultural review, apology strategy, Weibo, social media virality in China, market access, operational integrity, Pride Month, San Francisco Giants, Major League Baseball, LGBTQ fans, religious expression, cult…","meta_description":"In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll move across three communication flashpoints on three continents: the evo…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1701,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/communication-breakdown-7019931/episodes/comms-on-three-continents/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931/comms-on-three-continents.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}