The headlines say outrage.
The data says: not a thing.

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll break down two cases where reputation was on the line — and how silence, when strategic, can say more than any statement.

 🏈 First, the NFL names global superstar Bad Bunny as its Super Bowl 60 halftime act. The political right lights up with criticism — but the league, its sponsors, and its broadcast partner NBC all stay quiet. No walk-backs. No clarifications. Just disciplined alignment. Why? Because the numbers don’t just justify the choice — they demand it.

 🤖 Meanwhile, Deloitte Australia is caught using generative AI to help draft a $300K government report — complete with a fabricated quote from a federal judge. Their response? A partial refund and a few footnotes. No apology. No public process improvement. And no trust-building.

This week, Steve and Craig explore:

• Why sponsors’ silence around Bad Bunny is a case study in strategic stillness
• How symbolic nostalgia distorts brand risk perception
• What Deloitte’s AI misfire reveals about cultural readiness and credibility gaps
• Why communicators must now own AI traceability — not just output polish

👂 Two stories, one core lesson: in the age of AI and outrage, credibility is earned by how you manage the moment, not just how you message it.

Topics Mentioned
culture wars, strategic silence, Super Bowl halftime shows, stakeholder alignment, AI hallucinations, enterprise governance, reputation risk, brand sponsorship, cultural proximity, transparency, symbolic nostalgia, credibility management, traceability, disclosure, trust erosion

Companies Mentioned
NFL, Roc Nation, NBC, Deloitte, Microsoft, Newsmax, Spotify, YouTube, Nielsen

Episode Hashtags
#NFL #Deloitte #RocNation #Microsoft #Newsmax #Spotify #YouTube #Nielsen #SuperBowl #ArtificialIntelligence #CorporateReputation #CrisisComms #StakeholderTrust #AICompliance #CulturalRelevance #PublicRelations #StrategicSilence #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork #BadBunny

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 [email protected]