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Articles:

Seattle Times, Coffee City blog: Starbucks’ Twitter master talks shop, gives advice at Seattle luncheon

Seattle P-I, The Big Blog: Geek of the Week

Mashable, Social Media Hub: Seattle

Identified as one of the main social media people in seattle, who is an “everyday working [person] with an unbridled passion for social media.”

Mashable, 40 of the Best Twitter Brands and the People Behind Them

“A former barista, Brad is now manning the Twitter ship and he’s responding to DMs, replying to mentions of Starbucks, trying to help customers find resolutions to their problems, and putting out fires left and right. If you ask me, Howard Schultz should buy this a guy a drink — or better yet — lattes for life.”

Shel Israel’s Twitterville notebook

My interview done over email with Shel Israel for his work on the book titled, Twitterville. We talked about the @Starbucks Twitter account.

Quotes:

New York Times: Finding Utility in the Jumble of Tweeted Thoughts

Forbes: Twenty-One Top Twitter Tips

“There is a major element of Twitter that’s about listening and learning,” says Brad Nelson, the man behind @Starbucks. “Twitter is a leading indicator.” Collecting the information is as simple as searching for references to your company.

BusinessWeek: 20 Ways Business Use Twitter, Starbucks: Conversation in a Global Café

His conversation is close to what you might overhear while sitting in your neighborhood coffee shop.

BusinessWeek: Twitter’s Blackout: Bad for Business

Brad Nelson, whose full-time job at Starbucks is to communicate with customers on Twitter, says more office workers getting up and going out may have been good for sales. Says Nelson: “We can’t serve coffee through Twitter.”

King 5 TV: Social Media in the Spotlight at Seattle Conference

Brad Nelson knows customers are talking about his company, Starbucks. So he’s joined the conversation too.

“Your employees are on social media, the customers are on social media, other businesses are on social media,” he said. “The amount of traffic that is going to the sites and the amount of conversation that is happening, if you’re not there, that’s a bigger problem.”

American Express OPEN Forum: 5 Secrets from Social Media Insiders

“Look at social media as a long term project.” Nelson continues with, “there is no silver bullet. Once you start engaging with your customers, be sure that you’re listening, and humble when you engage. When you tweet, ask yourself, is this adding value to the conversation. If it isn’t, find a way to, because that’s the only right way to gain followers.”

Marketing Restaurant Online: Top 7 Restaurant Brands That Are Worth Following On Twitter.

Talk it up!: SMC Seattle: Can social media save customer service?

…when asked if they would recommend hiring someone for social media from inside or outside the company, every panelist had the same response: hire the most passionate person for the job. Frank loves customer service. Elliot loves air travel. Brad loves coffee. Mary loves health food. Find the person from inside or outside your company who just can’t shut up about your product and who is dying to talk to everyone about it–that’s your social media person.

Speaking Engagements:

140tc: Los Angeles

Growing Your Brand on Twitter: Strategies and Tactics from the Trenches. Mike Prasad, Brad Nelson, Mari Smith, Andrew Blair, Mark Suster, Moderator: Guy Kawasaki

Puget Sound Chapter American Marketing Association: Building Brand with Social Media: How Starbucks Does It and What They’ll Do Next

SMC Seattle: August Event with @ComcastCares, @AlaskaAir, @Starbucks & @NaturesPath

Cosette West: Convergence 2009 in Vancouver, BC