SCE1

1

You Should Listen to the Customer

1. Should Natalia promote customer surveys?

I would encourage Natalia to bring the idea of customer surveys to the board. I understand why she is hesitant: Henry Delacroix built the company around creativity, and he worries that listening to customers will eventually mean letting them decide what appears on stage. Still, I do not think listening and obeying are the same thing. Delacroix already has five touring companies across the United States and Canada, and the board wants to explore international performances as well as television and film. Those are big steps to take without knowing much about the audience. Elizabeth points out that around 90,000 people have signed up on the company's website, but Delacroix does not know which of them attend shows or why. To me, that is a missed opportunity. Natalia should suggest starting with a small survey and promise that artistic decisions will stay with the artists. That is a practical way to use market orientation without giving up what makes Delacroix different (DeLong & Vijayaraghavan, 2012).

1(a). Three risks of conducting research

1. Risk to artistic identity. Henry is right that Delacroix did not become successful by giving people only what they already knew. If survey results begin shaping the choreography or themes, the company could lose its distinctive identity. This is a real threat to its brand differentiation. 2. Risk of losing support from artists and the board. The case says that many dancers and board members share Henry's concerns, and Natalia worries that a customer-centered approach could drive away some of the company's best people. I would not dismiss that concern. Introducing research without explaining its limits could create unnecessary conflict and resistance to change. 3. Risk of raising expectations that cannot be met. Henry asks what happens when customers suggest things the company has no intention of doing. I think this is a fair point. People may feel ignored if Delacroix asks for suggestions and then never acts on them. The company should explain from the beginning that surveys are meant to improve communication and the audience experience, not to vote on artistic choices (DeLong & Vijayaraghavan, 2012).

1(b). Three risks of not conducting research

1. More avoidable audience problems. The Joyce Theater performance is the clearest example. Delacroix invested heavily in promoting a show, but the large masks frightened children. Families walked out and parents complained online. Research might not have predicted every reaction, but knowing more about who attends and what information families need could have helped prevent some of the disappointment. 2. Riskier expansion. Natalia is being asked to pursue international engagements and opportunities in television and film. The case specifically mentions uncertainty about a London audience. I would be uncomfortable making those investments without first learning something about potential viewers and partners. That is why market intelligence matters. 3. Lost chances to build stronger relationships. Delacroix has a large website following but does little to engage those people. Without understanding why people attend, what brings them back, and how they hear about shows, the company may overlook opportunities for repeat attendance and more effective promotion. Customer relationship management starts with actually knowing the people the organization hopes to serve (DeLong & Vijayaraghavan, 2012).

2. Information to collect through surveys

If I were helping Elizabeth design the survey, I would keep it short and focused on questions that management could actually use. I would not ask people to write the next performance for the dancers. Instead, I would ask about the audience, what happened during their visit, and whether they are interested in future ways of seeing Delacroix. The three categories and sample questions are shown below.

Information type	Three sample questions
Audience demographics and behavior	1. What is your age group and city? 2. How often do you attend? 3. How did you hear about Delacroix?
Performance experience	1. How satisfied were you? 2. What was most memorable? 3. Did the promotion accurately describe the show?
Future interests	1. Would you attend again? 2. Would you watch on TV or online? 3. What would encourage you to attend more often?

2(a). Three uses of the information

1. Reach the right people. Information about age groups, locations, and attendance habits would help Elizabeth decide where and how to advertise. For instance, a family considering a show may need different information than a long-time fan of experimental dance. This is market segmentation in practice. 2. Make the experience clearer and more welcoming. Responses about satisfaction and expectations could show where communication is falling short. After what happened at the Joyce Theater, I would especially want to know whether families understood the nature of a performance before buying tickets. Delacroix could use that information to improve descriptions and age guidance without changing the art. 3. Decide where to grow next. Questions about digital viewing and interest in future performances could give Natalia a starting point for discussing television, film, and international opportunities. I would treat those answers as clues, not guarantees of demand. They would help management decide which opportunities deserve more research or a small pilot project (DeLong & Vijayaraghavan, 2012).

2(b). Three stakeholders affected by the data

1. Natalia and the board: The data should give them a stronger basis for discussing expansion, spending, and potential partnerships. Instead of relying only on assumptions, they could show why a particular opportunity seems worth exploring. 2. Henry and the dancers: The data should help them understand how audiences experience performances, not tell them what to create. Keeping that distinction clear could make the research less threatening and build trust. 3. Audience members: The data should lead to clearer descriptions, better communication, and a more comfortable ticket-buying experience. I think customers are more likely to trust a company when it listens to concerns and explains what it can realistically improve.

3. Should artists retain control because customers cannot imagine new work?

I agree with Henry up to a point. When he says people cannot describe a performance they have never seen, I think he is making a strong argument for creative freedom. Some of the most memorable experiences surprise us. If Delacroix only offered familiar dances because survey respondents asked for them, it might stop being the company people admire. But I disagree with the idea that this means customer opinions have no place in the business. The Joyce Theater problem was not simply about whether the masks were artistic. Parents needed to know that the show could frighten young children. Delacroix could have shared that information before ticket sales instead of waiting until after the complaints. To me, that is the difference between letting customers direct the art and listening to customers about their experience. I would leave choreography to Henry and the dancers, while asking the marketing team to learn how people discover, choose, and respond to performances. This combines innovation with customer-informed decision-making (DeLong & Vijayaraghavan, 2012).

4. Balancing artistic innovation and audience growth

I do not think Delacroix has to choose between its mission and its audience. The company can push artistic boundaries while making it easier for more people to appreciate its work. I would start with a simple agreement about roles: Henry and the dancers decide what belongs on stage, and Natalia and Elizabeth decide how to explain and promote those performances. Next, I would use audience segmentation to make promotions more useful. A show with unsettling images could be described honestly so families can decide whether it is right for their children. I would also try short artist talks, behind-the-scenes videos, or question-and-answer sessions so first-time visitors can connect with modern dance. Finally, I would test new markets through limited engagements before committing to a major expansion. None of these steps requires Delacroix to become less creative. They simply help the organization communicate its value and take more informed risks. That seems closer to Natalia's own understanding of the mission: to bring modern dance to as many people as possible (DeLong & Vijayaraghavan, 2012).

5. Delivering value to three stakeholders

1. Audiences: Delacroix can offer value by continuing to make distinctive performances accessible through reasonably priced tickets. It can also give people honest information about the content of shows and make it easier to choose an appropriate performance. That matters because a memorable experience should not become an avoidable disappointment. 2. Dancers and artistic employees: The company can offer a place where dancers feel trusted to experiment, improve their skills, and perform for new audiences. I would protect that freedom because it is the reason Delacroix stands out. Growth should open doors for dancers rather than make them feel that marketing controls their work. 3. Board members and supporters: Delacroix can provide value by protecting its mission while showing that money and expansion decisions are handled carefully. The board wants growth, but the Joyce Theater incident also shows that it expects management to avoid repeating mistakes. Clear research findings and realistic plans would help Natalia earn its confidence (DeLong & Vijayaraghavan, 2012).

6. Mario D’Amico and Jens Martin Skibsted

Both Mario D'Amico and Jens Martin Skibsted offer useful ways to think about this dilemma. D'Amico's experience in marketing at Cirque du Soleil suggests that knowing the audience can help a creative organization grow without handing creative decisions over to customers. Skibsted, known for his work in design, places greater emphasis on the artist's or designer's vision and the danger of relying too heavily on what people say they want. I see the value in both ideas. D'Amico's approach gives management information it can use when making marketing and expansion decisions, while Skibsted's perspective reminds us that innovation often means showing people something they have never imagined. I lean toward D'Amico's position. Delacroix is not deciding whether to create a new dance step; it is deciding how to expand into unfamiliar markets and media. Research can help answer those business questions. For example, learning about potential viewers in London or the interests of its website followers would not require Henry to change a single movement on stage. At the same time, I would adopt Skibsted's caution: customer preferences should not become a vote on artistic quality. My preferred approach is to listen to customers about their experiences and access needs, then trust the artists to surprise them. Source note: The assigned four-page PDF contains the fictionalized case but not the full published expert commentaries. This comparison is a cautious interpretation of the experts' positions rather than a quotation from those commentaries. The full commentaries should be checked before treating specific arguments as directly attributed to either expert.

Conclusion

What I take away from this case is that listening to customers does not have to mean surrendering control. Natalia has a responsibility to help Delacroix grow, and it would be difficult to do that responsibly without learning more about its audiences. Henry has an equally important responsibility to protect the creative spirit that made the company successful. I would support a limited customer survey, clear boundaries around how results are used, and regular conversations between marketing and artistic leadership. That way, Delacroix can keep surprising people on stage while making smarter decisions off stage.

References

DeLong, T. J., & Vijayaraghavan, V. (2012). Should you listen to the customer? Harvard Business Review, 90(9). https://hbr.org/2012/09/should-you-listen-to-the-customer Harvard Business Review. (2012). Should you listen to the customer? (HBR case study and commentary) (Product No. R1209L). Harvard Business Publishing. https://store.hbr.org/product/should-you-listen-to-the-customer-hbr-case-study-and-commentary/R1209L