How to Beat Your Fiercest Competitor

In this interview, David Mullen, president and partner of The Variable (Winston-Salem, NC), explains how any company can defeat its biggest competitor and drive sustainable, long-term growth. David articulates the holistic mindshift and strategies needed to develop products people want to buy, build "people-friendly" companies, and win long-lasting, loyal customers. He emphasizes the need to focus on changing: Customer experience to people experience (inclusive of product developers the frontline [those interacting with customers], suppliers, influencers, stakeholders and shareholders, and customers] Buying something to buying into something (shaping people's experience at every touchpoint) Positioning your company in the minds of customers to positioning your company in the lives of customers   Key strategies for building people-friendly companies include: Consulting with the business: analyzing business, brand, and communication strategies identifying the right problems to solve Creating solutions for the right problem. Solutions might include: great advertising campaigns rebranding an organization content innovation roadmaps, product concepts, and product development Engaging to take solutions to market. Areas of concentration: Employee engagement throughout the internal culture integrated media planning and buying social/PR Underpinned with a foundation of Analytics to understand what's happening assess the magnitude of impacts identify weakest link, opportunities, and challenges, and guide timely change implementation to ensure continued progress and drive growth   David can be reached on his company's website at: thevariable.com, by email at: [email protected], or on LinkedIn.