Branding as explained by an expert....what a great opportunity to sit by and hear branding legend and accomplished author Scott Bedbury speak today at an awards banquet in Bellevue, Washington.

Side note, for all you new business owners - Bellevue was recently rated the #1 place to live and launch a business, per Fortune Small Business Magazine. But I digress.

Bedbury, who is known for helping the world coin the phrase, "Just Do It" while at Nike, then went on to help with "frappacinos" and other Starbucks branding lingo has made his mark in business. He now runs the brand consultancy firm Brandstream.

He talked about how, back in the early and mid '90s, Starbucks began to further brand themselves as that "third" place - there is home, and work - then that third place you enjoy going to that would evoke some of the feelings that are true fundamentals for us as humans:

Safety

Feeling loved

Loving someone else

Desire to be part of something bigger

Feeling welcome

Feeling that we are successful

I am a Northwest native and knew about Starbucks from the very first store in Seattle. Having moved to Boston in '98, I remember how so many people didn't "get" the concept - they thought it was just an expensive cup of coffee in comparison to say, Dunkin Donuts.

Bedbury said something that really resonated with the audience - in this competitive world we live in where your products are a lot like your competitor's products, it is not what you do but how you make your customers feel that gets them to say "wow" - to refer you, and to be a repeat customer.

So, how do you make your customers feel?

Have you asked them?

How do you fit fundamental human truths into your brand and your value proposition?