{"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://ocrnetwork.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":86,"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":"2026-06-05T04:21:27.467075+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931"},"episode":{"title":"Context is King","slug":"context-is-king","published_at":"2026-04-09T13:00:04+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931/context-is-king","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/context-is-king--71200934","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/71200934/ep_78_context_is_king.mp3","summary":"In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different communications tests: Nestlé’s playful response to the theft of 400,000 KitKat bars, and Air Canada’s damaging leadership misstep after a fatal crash. They explore why KitKat’s response worked, pointing to low stakes, strong brand alignment, smart targeting, and disciplined execution. They then turn to Air Canada, where an English-only message from CEO Michael Rousseau in the wake of tragedy violated a clear cultural and legal expectation in Canada. Together, the two cases show how context shapes what is possible, but judgment and execution determine whether a moment becomes a reputational win or a preventable failure. Takeaways Nestlé succeeded because the KitKat theft was visible, low-stakes, and easy to frame in a way that fit the brand’s existing voice. Opportunistic communications only work when timing, tone, and audience expectations are aligned. Air Canada’s bilingual obligation was not a secondary consideration, it was a governing constraint. Topics Mentioned KitKat, cargo theft, Nestlé, Formula One sponsorship, brand voice, crisis communication, stakeholder judgment, supply chain vulnerability, Air Canada, bilingual communications, governance, leadership accountability, cultural expectations, reputational risk Companies Mentioned Air Canada, KitKat, Nestlé, Formula One, Fast Company, The Athletic, The New York Times, Allianz Episode Hashtags #AirCanada #KitKat #Nestle #FormulaOne #FastCompany #TheAthletic #TheNewYorkTimes #Allianz #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #CrisisCommunication #LeadershipCommunication #Governance #BrandStrategy #StakeholderTrust #ReputationalRisk #BilingualCommunications #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork C…","meta_description":"In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different communications tests: Nestlé’s playful response to…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1394,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/communication-breakdown-7019931/episodes/context-is-king/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/context-is-king.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}