{"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":"Costco targets tariffs, tech throws tantrum","slug":"costco-targets-tariffs-tech-throws-tantrum","published_at":"2025-12-04T20:15:35+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931/costco-targets-tariffs-tech-throws-tantrum","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/costco-targets-tariffs-tech-throws-tantrum--68872778","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/68872778/ep_61_costco_targets_tariffs_tech_throws_tantrum.mp3","summary":"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 Trump administration to recover tariff payments, a move that positions the retailer as a disciplined, process-driven actor defending its business model and its promise of predictable low prices. Then they break down the tech-sector backlash to a New York Times profile of David Sacks, highlighting how Silicon Valley elites turned a contained story into a governance and credibility problem through overreaction. For PR and corporate affairs professionals, the contrast delivers a clear lesson in how organizations either reinforce or erode trust depending on their posture toward scrutiny, institutions, and accountability. Takeaways Costco’s lawsuit is a model of restraint, clarity, and institutional trust, aligning with its reputation for predictability and customer value. High-trust brands gain influence when they work within established processes and let filings speak for themselves. The Sacks backlash shows how tech elites can escalate a story by treating scrutiny as a personal attack rather than a governance issue. Topics Mentioned tariffs, emergency powers, corporate reputation, institutional trust, narrative defense, political risk, media strategy, backlash dynamics, governance, conflicts of interest, influencer amplification, tech industry communications, legal timing, crisis response, stakeholder expectations Companies Mentioned CableSoup, Airbus, Amazon, Target, Southwest Airlines, Costco, Trump Organization, Nvidia, New York Times, SpaceX, Salesforce, Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI, Coinbase Episode Hashtags #CableSoup #Airbus #Amazon #Target #Southwest…","meta_description":"In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two distinct communication strategies playing out in the same politica…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1565,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/communication-breakdown-7019931/episodes/costco-targets-tariffs-tech-throws-tantrum/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/costco-targets-tariffs-tech-throws-tantrum.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}