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The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator

By: Daniel Nestle
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In today's hyper-accelerated communications world, keeping up means juggling reputation, brand building, crisis management, storytelling, and more while adapting to new technologies like generative AI. The Trending Communicator, hosted by Dan Nestle, is your guide through this chaotic landscape. This podcast dives into the challenges of PR, communications, and marketing today, with experts sharing real stories and strategies for overcoming those challenges and more. It's the perfect resource for professionals looking to innovate, take risks, and stay ahead. Join us to make sense of today’s communications chaos, one insightful conversation at a time.Copyright 2025 Daniel Nestle Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Naming is Storytelling, Just Harder - with Scott Milano

    Naming is Storytelling, Just Harder - with Scott Milano
    Mar 2 2026
    Everyone thinks they can name things. Toss some words around in a brainstorm, pick the one that sounds right, hope it passes trademark. But naming done right is storytelling compressed to its most essential form, and getting it wrong costs more than most organizations want to admit. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle reunites with Scott Milano, founder and managing director of Tanj, one of the world's top naming agencies, and the man who has named more than 1,000 brands generating trillions of global impressions. He also built ChatNamer, an AI naming assistant with thousands of monthly users, within months of ChatGPT's arrival, long before most people knew what to do with it. Dan and Scott explore why naming belongs squarely in the communications conversation, not just the brand or marketing silo. They dig into the mechanics of encoding brand DNA into a single word, what happens when organizations get it catastrophically wrong, and why AI can accelerate the process without ever replacing the judgment that makes a name land. Listen in and hear about... Why a great name is shorthand for an entire brand story The Apple vs. ExecuTech thought experiment The Jaguar rebrand: bold strategic pivot or brand homicide? How Ally Bank, Natural Bliss, and Prosperity Now demonstrate names that deliver long after launch Where AI genuinely helps in the naming process and where it reliably fails ChatNamer: what it is, why Scott built it, and what it's actually useful for Notable Guest Quotes "It is 100% storytelling. And if you get it right, you're basically encoding the DNA of the brand and like the core message of the brand right in the name." [00:08:52 – 00:09:06] "The shortest poem is a name... some very deep significance [is] encoded in that word, whether it's a personal name or certainly in our case, a brand name." [00:10:35 – 00:10:56] "Naming is as much about words as it is about people. It is a people sport." [00:49:59 – 00:50:05] "The biggest takeaway... is to not underestimate the power of a name. It's fundamental. It's the tip of the spear for any conversation, any message, any communication..." [01:01:26 – 01:01:43] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Lilypath | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Scott Milano Tanj | Website Tanj | Instagram Chatnamer | Website Scott Milano | LinkedIn Timestamps 00:00 Naming: The Creative Job Everyone Thinks They Can Do 02:01 How Dan Got His Start in Naming (Thanks to Scott) 03:43 What’s Changed in Naming—and What Hasn’t 05:45 The Effort Behind Good Names (and Dan’s Sony “BIONZ” Win) 08:00 Is Naming Just Marketing? Why It’s Actually Storytelling 09:10 The Name as the DNA of Your Brand 11:14 The Psychological and Cultural Power of Names 13:19 When Naming Goes Wrong 15:29 What Customers Really Take Away from a Name 16:19 ExecuTech vs. Apple: Branding Near Misses 18:10 Apple, Nike, and the Stories Baked into Brands 22:22 How Top Agencies Build Brand Narratives 25:40 The Chicken-and-Egg Problem: Does Brand Grow Into Name or Vice Versa? 29:17 When Public Reaction to Names Goes Sideways (Nintendo Wii & More) 31:39 Brand Overhauls: The Jaguar Example 36:27 Brand Loyalty, Employee Buy-in & Naming Success Stories 41:06 Research, Creativity, and AI in the Naming Process 45:55 AI’s True Role: Springboard, Not Storyteller 48:32 Can AI Really Name Your Company? (Spoiler: Probably Not) 55:24 The Power of Good Questions in Naming With AI 58:29 Why Human Judgment Is Non-Negotiable for Brand Names 01:01:26 The Takeaway: Never Underestimate the Power of Naming 01:03:23 Where to Learn More (and Why Naming Experts Still Matter) (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • AI Can't Call You Back - with Jennifer Kaplan

    AI Can't Call You Back - with Jennifer Kaplan
    Feb 13 2026
    What if sustainable growth isn't about becoming the biggest player in the market? Agencies triple in size and lose their soul. They chase national footprints and abandon the community relationships that made them valuable. Meanwhile, regional firms with deep roots are building something holding companies can't replicate. In this episode, host Dan Nestle sits down with Jennifer Kaplan, founder and president of Evolve PR and Marketing—Arizona's largest PR firm. Since 2010, Jen has grown to 28 full-time publicists serving more than 140 clients. She's earned Copper Anvil's 2025 Agency of the Year and PR News' Top Women in PR—but the real story is how she built an agency that's simultaneously deeply local and nationally sophisticated. Dan and Jen explore why relationship-driven business is becoming a competitive moat in the AI era, the tension between AI efficiency and human authenticity, and what two decades of agency leadership teaches you about leading through chaos without losing what makes you special. Listen in and hear about... Why local authority often delivers more impact than national vanity coverage Balancing AI tool adoption with authentic client and media relationships Building agency culture through purpose, consistency, and trust The power of niche specialization over broad service sprawl Leadership lessons from 20 years of agency growth—including when to stop trying to do it all Notable Quotes from Jennifer Kaplan "My mom would say that I was born doing pr, and it is something that I love so much because I feel like it's who I am. So when I talk to people, I do say, you know, look at something that isn't just a job." [00:04:07 – 00:04:23] "With any trend, I feel in any business you have to be on it, you have to be aware, but don't lose your identity and don't let it replace things that it shouldn't replace." [00:11:19 – 00:11:34] "You have to be in tune with AI, but I wouldn't let it take the place of so many wonderful things that we can offer as individuals and that are afforded us in, in the world." [00:12:45 – 00:13:02] "Go be you. You know, don't let AI or all the things that are around us take away from who you are and lose who you know what makes you special." [01:04:02 – 01:04:15] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Jennifer Kaplan Evolve PR and Marketing | Website Jennifer Kaplan | LinkedIn Timestamps 0:00:00 Introduction: Rethinking Growth in Communications0:07:44 Importance of Networking, Building Trust, and Relationships0:13:09 Navigating AI’s Impact on Communications and Authentic Content0:18:32 Evolve PR’s Niche Approach and Building Media Relationships0:24:03 Local vs. National Recognition: Awards, Impact, and Credibility0:31:17 Challenges of Speed and Building Relationships in PR0:36:30 Integrating Traditional and Tech Approaches in PR0:43:38 Measuring Success and the Role of Tools like AI in Agency Work0:45:49 Purpose-Driven Work and Letting Team Guide Agency Culture0:51:01 Agency Values: Neutrality, Team Dynamics, and Audience Focus0:56:12 Leadership Lessons: Don’t Try to Do It All, Embrace Mistakes1:04:02 Closing Thoughts: “Go Be You” and Staying Authentic (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Stockholm Syndrome in PR: The Boutique Uprising - with Barrie Cohen

    Stockholm Syndrome in PR: The Boutique Uprising - with Barrie Cohen
    Jan 30 2026
    Does PR have Stockholm syndrome? We're held captive by every disruption that promises to kill us—internet, social media, now AI—and what do we do? Fall in love with each threat, scramble to prove relevance, then wait for the next existential crisis. In this episode, Dan Nestle sits down with Barrie Cohen, founder of Barrie Cohen Public Relations. The real evolution isn't technical—it's structural. While holding companies lay off hundreds, boutique firms are landing top-tier placements and major contracts. The question: do you need 50 people to do what one strategist with AI and the right relationships can accomplish? Barrie walked away from Philadelphia agency life and built an operation that secured placements big firms couldn't—not by throwing bodies at accounts, but by doing what large agencies forgot: caring deeply and telling clients the truth. Listen in and hear about... Why the traditional agency billing model creates misaligned incentives How podcast pitching is outperforming traditional media relations The tangible ROI clients are seeing from targeted podcast appearances What AI-driven pitching services get wrong about human judgment Building a boutique practice on transparency and flexibility Why the fight is real when you actually know your clients Notable Quotes from Barrie Cohen "PR needs to be accessible to everybody. Telling your story is critical no matter the size of your business." [00:22:51 – 00:22:57] "I could write, and I'm a great communicator, and I know how to talk to people, and I'm honest and transparent. Everything else, like you said, I'll figure it out." [00:15:00 – 00:15:08] "I am not worried it's going to take my job. No one can do what I—like, AI cannot be at the level with my clients that I am, but can they write me an outline for a three-page article and then I can do the bulk of—yes." [00:49:27 – 00:49:41] Resources and Links Dan Nestle Inquisitive Communications | Website The Trending Communicator | Website Communications Trends from Trending Communicators | Dan Nestle's Substack Dan Nestle | LinkedIn Barrie Cohen Barrie Cohen Public Relations | Website Barrie Cohen | LinkedIn Timestamps 0:00:00 Introduction: PR Industry Disruption, Agency Evolution, and Guest Intro0:06:31 Denver Airport Metaphor—Is PR Built for Purpose?0:12:35 Barrie Cohen's Journey: Breaking Away from Agency Traditions0:18:02 Scaling a Boutique PR Business: Growth, Team, and Challenges0:22:18 Rethinking the Traditional Agency Model and Flexible Client Engagements0:28:17 Deep Client Relationships and the Value of Deliverables Over Hourly Billing0:34:36 The Shift to Podcasts: Earning Attention in Modern Media Relations0:41:33 Podcast Pitching: Personalized Approaches vs. AI Automation0:48:12 AI Tools, Content Repurposing, and the Human Advantage in PR0:54:09 PR: The Long Game—Managing Expectations in a Fast-Paced Tech World1:00:57 Why Human Connections and Relationships Remain Essential in Communications1:07:19 Looking Forward: Staying Current, Embracing Podcasts, and the Future of PR (Notes co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Castmagic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 10 mins
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