“Can clap with one hand, either hand.”

I asked a programmer/developer friend for feedback on recent .think posts. He suggested that readers who don’t know us quite as well might benefit from a peek into our culture, personality and processes here at Brainstorm.

An email exchange I had with a copywriter promptly leapt to mind. During an interview she singled out a bio item I’d submitted.

Copywriter

Please explain:
“Can clap with one hand, either hand.”

Me

H’m, explaining it is infinitely more difficult than doing it, but here goes:

First I align and abut all my fingers (index, middle, ring and pinky), creating a rigid grouping. My thumb is curled away from—with its base pressed deeply into and at a parallel angle to—the body of my hand.

Next, I slightly cock the grouping, not unlike an asp ready to strike.

Then at once, in one fluid yet rapid stroke, I drive the middle and distal phalanges downward into the meaty base of my palm.

In so doing, my fingers break in unison across the intersection of the proximal and middle phalanges. As the stroke continues downward, unimpeded by the out-swung thumb, my fingers articulate into a small inverted hyper extension of the distal and middle phalanges as the tips of the distal phalanges strike the base of my hand. The resulting tone is that of a typical, single, “clap.”

I am capable of clapping at nearly the same pace as anyone with two hands and I can perform this feat with either hand, independently or in unison.

The puzzle and the tools are the same…
it’s all about how you take a complex, important story, weave it together so people truly understand it and develop
an emotional connection to it.

About the Interview

David Dwyer is a longtime friend and former client of Brainstorm. From his role as a Publisher at New Riders Press (Pearson) to his days as Microsoft Windows’ Chief Storyteller, David’s career was what most would deem a pinnacle of success.

Then David decided to leave corporate marketing and move to Santiago, Chile to serve with IberoAmerican Ministries. We checked in with him recently and asked him to compare his former positions to his current one and whether his definition of success has changed.

Questions

.think | 1. Are there similarities between your former role as Windows’ Chief Storyteller and your current role with IberoAmerican Ministries?

David Dwyer: With one part of my job it’s almost identical. My role with IberoAmerican Ministries (IAM) is twofold with the major part of it being to tell the IAM story through the web and multimedia pieces. The puzzle and the tools are the same…it’s all about how you take a complex, important story, weave it together so people truly understand it and develop an emotional connection to it.

Your brand is what people identify with,
if it is done correctly.

The other part of my job is helping teams, professors, and others visiting our works to plan their trips and then manage their time while here in Chile. Our entire family participates in that part of the job (shopping for food, translating, getting people to their Chilean homes, etc.).

.think | 2. Any particularly difficult language or cultural barriers you’ve struggled to overcome?

David Dwyer: Learning a new language at 45 years old is THE most difficult thing I have EVER done. It’s a work in progress. It doesn’t help that Chilean Spanish is very slang driven, i.e., the words aren’t in any dictionary we have. And, Chilean driving leaves a lot to be desired!

.think | 3. Describe a typical lunch at the company cafeteria in Redmond versus lunch in Santiago.

David Dwyer: I liked to get off campus most days at Microsoft. But usually those lunches on campus were mostly about the work. In Chile, lunch is at 2:00 and is the biggest meal of the day. It’s where the family often gathers together and catches up. So, I would say the big difference is work versus family. I like the Chilean lunches much better.

The first information
we communicated back to the states
was through Facebook.

.think | 4. Can you contrast the role technology played while at Microsoft versus technology’s role in what you are doing now?

David Dwyer: We have many friends who served in the mission field many years ago—before the Internet. I cannot imagine what that was like. We are a simple Skype call away from anyone in the world. We use technology to spread the word just as Microsoft does.

.think | 5. In what ways do your experiences in branding and marketing at Microsoft translate into working with the IberoAmerican brand?

David Dwyer: Great question. IAM didn’t really know what a brand was, or how even in the subtle things you make brand work for you. Your brand is what people identify with, if it is done correctly.

For example, our name doesn’t roll off the tongue, so we usually use IAM. On the website, every first mention of our name is followed by (IAM) and then in the rest of the page we simply use IAM. It gets people into the groove of our brand the same way we are. It parlays across the site and other things, too, in the way we use images, etc. The next big task for us is our logo, which needs some help, but it’s a major hurdle for any organization.

.think | 6. Have social mediums like Facebook or other online networks impacted your efforts in Santiago, and, if so, in what way?

David Dwyer: I started a Facebook page for the organization. It gives us a chance to get notes, prayer requests, and news out to the masses quickly. This was very helpful during the earthquake in February. The first information we communicated back to the states was through Facebook.

Some of our teams are using Twitter to do daily updates from South America and many blog the experience, too.

Chilean Sea Bass, no contest!

.think | 7. Can you compare and contrast the audience you seek to reach now with the audience you targeted while at Microsoft?

David Dwyer: You know, contrary to what the media would like you to believe, Microsoft does really care about their customers. We had many VERY good conversations about how to build an emotional connection with our customer and I personally used to exercise that in many different ways.

I’ve directly translated those things I’ve learned to our “customers�? with IAM. I want them to live this service with all of us because, in reality, we’re only playing a small part in the bigger picture of which they are a part also. It’s the same way with the Microsoft customer, we each played a part in their technology experience.

.think | 8. Is the pay about the same, or different?

David Dwyer: (grinning) It depends on how you measure it. I am MUCH richer than I would have ever been at Microsoft.

.think | 9. Career pinnacle to-date: New Riders (Pearson), Microsoft, or Missions?

David Dwyer: The answer is Missions. But, I don’t believe missions for us happens without the other parts. The key is to make sure, as a believer, that you are always working to glorify the Lord. I have tried hard to do that every step of my career. And at 45-years old, the Lord chose to lead me to Chile, not another tech-related company.

.think | 9-1/2. We know you enjoy playing soccer, snowboarding, and surfing; does your active lifestyle play a role in your work in Chile?

David Dwyer: It does! Futbol in particular, because we use the experience to connect with so many other people in the community. It is a language in itself. When a gringo (not a bad term in Chile) can play and hang with the locals, it opens many doors to create relationships! But, I’ve toned down my extreme sports participation due to the cost of insurance…for someone my age.

.think | Bonus. Chilean Sea Bass or Pacific Northwest Salmon?

David Dwyer: Chilean Sea Bass, no contest! The fisherman in Iloca—where the tsunami hit after the earthquake and where we have been building new houses—catch it, clean it, and prepare it in a way that you would not believe!

Click here for more about IberoAmerican Ministries.
And here for more about Microsoft Windows.

Marching Bands are Just Homeless Orchestras, Half-Empty Thoughts Volume 1
Written by Tim Siedell and illustrated by Brian Andreas

“I wouldn’t say I’m antisocial
as much as I’d say it’s hard to meet interesting people in an attic.”

- Tim Siedell, @badbanana

About the Book

Marching Bands are Just Homeless Orchestras, Half-Empty Thoughts Volume 1, by Tim Siedell, is a light and easily read collection of select quips from the man behind the wildly popular @badbanana persona on Twitter and Facebook.

Unlike the ever-flowing nature of Facebook and Twitter feeds, Marching Bands are Just Homeless Orchestras brings Tim’s bursts of abbreviated wit, self-effacing observations and social commentary into a traditional book format — and turns them into a keepsake.

And who better than Tim Siedell, an icon himself in online social realms, to present us with a snapshot of a trend toward modern-day shortened writing forms he’s been instrumental in propelling.

“Tim Siedell clearly has no life, but he’s extremely funny while not having one.”

- Rob Reiner, famed actor, director, writer and producer

Seasonally Set

‪Punctuated throughout by the whimsical and lyrically expressive line art of Brian Andreas—an apt accompaniment—Marching Bands are Just Homeless Orchestras is a must-have memento of a cultural era in flux. It also makes a fitting holiday gift for any busy friend or loved one with a throng of online tweeps and peeps.

A One Man Brand of Broad Appeal

In addition to Tim’s ongoing thoughts on Twitter and Facebook, his work has been cited in The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and on NPR, The Huffington Post, The Today Show, MSNBC, Mashable.com, Fast Company, PC World and Maxim.com.

Published by StoryPeople Press, Tim’s book is currently available for pre-order (shipping the final week in November) on Storypeople.com and Amazon.com.

Refused to pay $7000
for seaplane rescue

Our latest list of inane musings from the Brainstorm office white board:

Top 20 Things That May Have Killed Ed in the Boundary Waters

1. Minnesotan’s unfailing politeness
2. The guys from Deliverance
3. Massive oil spill
4. Refused to pay $7000 for seaplane rescue
5. Minnesota wading coyotes
6. A run-in with Locke (smoke monster)
7. Inability to update his Twitter stream
8. Eaten by a Northern Pike
9. Not knowing what’s going on at Brainstorm
10. Ran over by a deer
11. Elk
12. Bear
13. Moose
14. Wild dawgs
15. Lyme disease
16. A Flash sideways
17. Malaria
18. Snake bite
19. He’s not dead, just lost
20. Unfiltered water
21. Starvation

See the entire white board

Location, Location, Facebook.

Starbucks Facebook Coffeehouse

Starbucks introduced a Starbucks Card tab on its Facebook fan page today. Inside the tab is a new eCommerce destination, an embedded app that allows customers to manage card registration, check their balance and rewards, reload cards and edit profile information without ever leaving the Facebook environment—a virtual Starbucks coffee shop in a virtual Facebook strip mall.

1. Establish Differentiation

Starbucks’ new Facebook app mimics the basic functionality found on the Starbucks’ mobile app and their website. Applying the “Starbucks on every corner” model to the largest corner of the social media neighborhood differentiates the ubiquitous coffee merchant from wannabe competitors yet again.

2. Recognize Opportunities

Encouraging friends to share coffee and coffee gifts on a social exchange platform that boasts nearly half a billion potential customers is simply smart business. The numerous sharing mechanisms mean word of mouth (WOM) potential about product offerings is exponential.

“What’s even cooler is that come summer time, Starbucks will introduce functionality that will let users reload a Facebook friend’s Starbucks card as a gift through the application.” – Mashable.com

3. Keep Innovating

Starbucks didn’t develop deep and valuable brand equity by sitting idle. Their new Facebook app supports that brand essence by reinforcing Starbucks’ position as industry segment thought leaders, if not innovators. Utilizing the Facebook platform as a commerce platform didn’t require earth-shattering technology, but the application of the technology is groundbreaking.

4. Provide Ongoing Value

The ability to send a little swig of swag to a client, a pick-me-up to a hurting friend, or a bit of caffeinated cheer to your college son or daughter right from Facebook adds real value to the busy lives of Starbucks’ customers and further establishes Starbucks’ formidable brand value.

5. Deliver Convenience

Starbucks recognizes the value of location, location, location, which translates to convenience, convenience, convenience for their customers. Many Facebook subscribers search, exchange, post, view, listen, chat…in short, live, in a web browser tab or mobile device pointed at Facebook. What could be more convenient than never having to leave your chair, or Facebook?

If I were to pick one social network to which resources for inbound marketing and social media budgets were allotted, it would be Facebook. Basic math and most brand marketers would concur with me. It’s the new coffee house everyone’s talking about – and hanging out in.

Image: Poolie