When the President rewrites your press release, how fast do you fact-check him?In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll break down how Toyota calmly but firmly corrected Donald Trump after he exaggerated the company’s U.S. investment plans — live from an aircraft carrier in Tokyo Bay. With global reputations on the line, Toyota showed how to reclaim narrative ownership without picking a fight. It’s a masterclass in precision, tone, and institutional discipline.Then, the hosts turn to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown and the growing economic ripple effects for business. From delayed IPOs to unpaid TSA workers, what role should companies play in projecting stability — or pushing for resolution? Steve and Craig explore how corporate credibility gets redefined in moments of national dysfunction, and why empathy and operational resilience might be the only playbook that matters.TakeawaysToyota responded with speed, facts, and composure — a case study in credibility controlIn high-stakes messaging, tone is what makes truth believableInternal communications drive external trust — especially in uncertain timesBusinesses don’t need to be saviors, but they do need to be steadyTopics Mentionednarrative arbitrage, leadership communications, corporate fact-checking, reputational resilience, government shutdown, employee empathy, economic confidence, business leadership, corporate tone, stakeholder trustCompanies MentionedToyota, Salesforce, Coca-Cola, United Airlines, Hilton, Unilever, ICE, SEC, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business RoundtableEpisode Hashtags#Toyota #NarrativeIntegrity #Trump #GovernmentShutdown #CorporateLeadership #CrisisComms #BusinessInfluence #EmployeeComms #StakeholderTrust #PoliticalRisk #ReputationalResilience #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetworkCommunication 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]

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