*Course Hero * *Homework Help - Q&A from Onl x HBR Order Detail - HBR X R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF X + X - -> C @ File | C:/Users/Mrs%20Gutierrez/Downloads/R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF B . . E R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF 80% Harvard SEPTEMBER 2012 Business Should You Listen To the Customer? Harvard REPRINT R1209X Review Business Review Should You Listen to the Customer? HER CASE STUDY 2 Should You Listen To the Customer? A dance troupe debates who should determine its creative choices. by Thomas J. Delong and Vineeta Vijayaraghavan 3 Should Delacroix launch a customer research initiative? Type here to search O P w 9 ~ 0 71) ENG 11:39 AM 3/27/2021 E*Course Hero * *Homework Help - Q&A from Onl x HBR Order Detail - HBR X R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF X + X - -> C @ File | C:/Users/Mrs%20Gutierrez/Downloads/R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF B . . E R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF 2/4 80% + Harvard A dance troupe debates who should determine Business Review its creative choices. by Thomas J. DeLong and Vineeta Vijayaraghavan Should You Listen To the Customer? Should You Listen to the Customer? Should You Listen to the Customer? 2 N atalia Georgio knocked on the door the company needed better marketing to of her new marketing director's of- support its expansion strategy. Elizabeth, fice. Elizabeth Gardos hadn't done who'd been keen for a new challenge and much with the space yet. Aside from two to return to the dance scene, had jumped chairs, a desk, a computer, and a picture of at the opportunity her daughters, the office was empty. "So why did you want to meet?" Natalia "You need to get some art in here," Nata- sked. lia observed. "I have some ideas I want to run by "I know," Elizabeth said. "It's been a you-some things I've noticed in these first busy two weeks. I want to put up some couple of weeks." photos of the dancers." "Great, let's hear them." The two women worked for Delacroix, "I'm really surprised that Delacroix has an avant-garde dance troupe based in never surveyed or gathered information of New York that had five companies touring any kind from customers before," Eliza- the U.S. and Canada. Natalia, a former beth said. 3 dancer, was the organization's executive "Yeah, that's not really our thing. We director. She'd hired Elizabeth, another ake our lead from the dancers, not the former dancer, for her decades of market- audience." ing experience, most recently at Violet, a "Then what you do here isn't really HBR's fictionalized case studies present dilemmas faced by leaders in real fast-growing wom athletic clothing marketing," Elizabeth said cautiously. "It companies and offer solutions from experts. company. Despite the stagnant economy, seems like marketing's only responsibility his one is based on the HBS Case Study "Cirque Delacroix was growing at a healthy pace, in is to decide how long shows should run, leil" (product no. 403006-PDF-ENG). by mas J. Delong and Vine a Vijayaraghavan. part because of its policy of keeping ticket how to advertise them, and what to charge ole at hbr.org. prices reasonably low. Still, Natalia though romote the shows and This document is authorized for use only by brenda TION. ALL RIGHTS Type here to search O P W 9 ~ 0 71) ENG 11:39 AM 3/27/2021 E*Course Hero * *Homework Help - Q&A from Onl x HBR Order Detail - HBR X R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF X + X - -> C @ File | C:/Users/Mrs%20Gutierrez/Downloads/R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF B . . E R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF 3 / 4 80% + people attend, but you don't really know forced a smile and turned to Elizabeth. operate this way. Tiffany doesn't survey Harvard who your customers are or why they come." "When people come to our shows, they the women of the world asking what kind Business "You mean, we promote the shows," Na- expect to have an unbelievable, unique of jewelry they want. The company has Review talia said, smiling. "You keep saying "you," experience-one that they'll never forget. faith in its designers and their imagina- but you're part of this company now." How can people tell you what they want if tions-and it gets a better product as a Should You Listen To the Customer? "We. Sorry." they haven't ever seen it before? If we ask result. We can't keep our artists inspired "You're right; marketing's role has been them what they want, we'll end up doing and innovative if we start letting custom limited up to now. But part of the reason Swan Lake every year!" ers tell us what to do." we brought you in is to give us some new Natalia shifted in her seat uneasily Natalia looked at Elizabeth apologetic ideas." She knew that many of the board mem- cally, but she recognized that Henry had a Natalia had a mandate from Delacroix's bers-not to mention the dancers-felt as point. Delacroix hadn't been founded to board members to take the company in strongly as Henry did about maintaining meet customer needs; its mission, from new directions: to explore international artistic control. If De croix were to adopt the beginning, had been to push the engagements and telev sion and film op- a customer-centric approach, it could lose boundaries of modern dance. Henry's portunities. But she Is about for some of its best people. relentless pursuit of that goal had brought mulating her strategy without any research Elizabeth cleared her throat and passed the company much success. upon which to build a case for risks worth Henry a brief report. "Here are some "What about what happened last year at taking. She'd explained that to Elizabeth examples of how my previous firm, Violet, the Joyce?" Elizabeth asked. Natalia looked Should You Listen to the during the interview process. used social media to better understand at her new hire, who'd clearly done her Customer? "I think we should start, at a mini- customers, get feedbac k on products, and research. mum, by doing a simple customer survey," test new ideas." She d as Henry gave Delacroix had invested a big chunk of Elizabeth said, "just with people who have the report a e. "This allowed its marketing budget in promoting the signed up on the website and clearly want us to make better decis ions about how to three-month run of a new show. Expected to be in communication with us. We can price our products, how to go to market, to be one of its best ever, the show featured gather some basic information and find out and when to take risks with new offerings. dancers in huge masks. Unfortunately, the what they like best about our shows. That I know the product in this case is very dif- masks seemed to terrify all the children in will give us some insight into other audi- ferent: We're a dance company. But there the audien were walkouts at ev 2 ences and markets we should target." are similar benefits here. Take your fan ery performance in the first few weeks, and "That's certainly an idea," Natalia said, website, for example-" then parents flooded the website, as well choosing her words carefully, "but it would "Yes, 90,000 people have signed up," as ticket and review sites, with complaints. also be a big change for us. There are some Henry replied. After much internal d eliberation, the com people in this building who will resist." She "Right, it's great. But you-I mean, we- pany decided to put a note in the program was referring primarily to Henry Delacroix, don't really engage with those people. We warning that the masks might be scary for the company's founder and artistic direc- have practically no data on which of them children under eight. Natalia had wanted tor. Although Natalia was technically in are coming to our shows and why. That to do more, maybe even remove the masks charge of the company, Henry still exerted means we have no idea which opportu from the show, but a few board members a lot of influence. nities to pursue next, or how to present held strong to the principle that they "So it won't be an easy sell?" Elizabeth ourselves-to sell ourselves-to the media shouldn't bow to customer dictates. They said. or to corporate partners. We're feeling also told her, however, that they didn't "No, I don't think it will." around in the dark. It may work for giants want to see that sort of mistake again. like Apple to tell customers what they "It was an unfortunate incident, defi- The Artistic Mission want, but that won't work here." nitely a failure on our part," said Henry. 3 "Why do we want to ask what our audience "It has up to now," Henry said, smirking. "But we learned from it: No more scary thinks?" Henry said. "We don't care what "But the game has changed. You're masks in our shows." they think." Elizabeth and Natalia glanced thinking about different ways to expand "But if we had an ongoing dialogue at each other across the conference table. I know we want to go in ational by the with our customers, we might know these "Henry, come on-we care that they end of the year, but we know little about things ahead of time-know that they want come to the shows," Natalia said what, say, a London audience would really more kid-friendly performances, or that "Of course, I know our audience is want to see." we need to market certain shows to certain important. But our business depends on "We will tell them what they want to segments of our audience," Elizabeth the creative expertise of our artists." Henry see," Henry shot back. "Many companies countered. "We could avoid these sorts 3 Harvard Business Review September 2012 This document is authorized for use only by brenda gutierrez (bgutierrez@students.tamuk.edu). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact Type here to search O P W 9 ~ 0 7 1) ENG 11:39 AM 3/27/2021 E*Course Hero * *Homework Help - Q&A from Onl X HBR Order Detail - HBR X R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF X + X - -> C @ File | C:/Users/Mrs%20Gutierrez/Downloads/R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF B . . E R1209X-PDF-ENG.PDF 4 /4 80% + Review Should You Listen To the Customer? of failures. I know from my time at Violet "Of course I remember. I also remember | the table at their next meeting, only a few that information is power. New ventures, that it's part of our mission to bring mod- weeks away. Henry was right. They would new partnerships, more exposure-you ern dance to as many people as possible." probably divide on this issue, almost can't gamble with these things. You have Natalia tried to keep the frustration out of evenly. to get it right. Customer research will help anyone how "Besides," Henry continued. "We're do- minimize our risk." much Delac n the board mem- ing fine. Why rock the boat now?" Henry shook his head. "You're just not bers and dan novation. "But I was "Now feels like precisely the time to getting it-" brought in to professionalize this com- rock it," she said. "The board is expecting "OK." Natalia stood up. "We're not going pany, to expand on what you started. And big things from us over the next year, risky to resolve this today. Elizabeth, can you customer research- real marketing-may things we've never tried before." e-mail that report to Henry and me? We'll be part of that. Elizabeth knows what she's "And we're going to be successful only discuss it offline." talking about. She ran the whole customer if we trust ou reativity and our own Should You nitiative at her previous job, and it was a instincts-not customer research." Listen to the "What will you do when huge success." Natalia looked out the cab window. She Customer? our customers ask us "She sold clothes, Natalia," Henry said. felt tired. "Fair enough. But what's the harm in "You still there?" Henry asked to put our dancers in a survey or two? If the customers give us 'Yes." Smurf costumes?" outrageous feedback, we don't have to "Well, think about this. We can't have listen to it." t both ways. Either employees come first, "But if we ask what they think and then or customers do. You know where I stand Just One Survey? don't give it to them, we'll alienate them," Where do you?" Natalia was in a cab and headed home Henry said. "We'll damage the relationship Reprint Case only R1209x 2 when her cell phone rang. It was Henry. And you know there's going to be resis- "You're not really considering this, are tance from the boar you?" he said as soon as she'd picked up. Natalia was not surprised. The business Should Delacroix "Yes, I am. Elizabeth has some great types would be all for it, she knew, but the points. How are we going to enter interna- members with an artistic background-the launch a customer tional markets if we don't know anything ones who understood the creative pro research initiative? about the audiences there?" Natalia looked cess-would never approve it. She pictured out over the water as the cab started across each of the board members sitting around the Brooklyn Bridge. "How am I going to compete with every other company that wants a chance at TV if we don't have the customer research? Those Hollywood execs will laugh us out of the room, never mind the corporate partners." 3 "And what will you do when our cus- tomers ask us to put our dancers in Smurf costumes? Will you order one for Sophia?" Natalia smiled at the thought of the company's most famous-and most dif- ficult-dancer dressed as Smurfette. "Stop being dramatic, Henry. They're not going to tell us to do something ridiculous." 1 GUSBERGEN "Fine, not the Smurfs, but you know we'll have to take fewer risks, to err on the side of selling tickets instead of pushing the creative envelope. You were a dancer, CARTOON RANDY GLASSER Natalia, one of our best. Remember the if I flee the country to avoid paying taxes, mission? Remember how energized you can I write off the miles as business travel?" felt by it?" Type here to search O P W 9 ~ 0 7 1) ENG 11:39 AM 3/27/2021 E