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Communicating Customer Value - HBS Online
Communicating Customer Value - HBS Online
On one side of the table, a tapper taps out the rhythm of a song. On the other side of the table, a
listener tries to identify the song that the tapper is tapping out.
Section 1 of 16
Using only well-known songs and a tapper with excellent rhythm, which
percentage of songs do you think a listener would identify correctly?
2.5%
8.3%
15.6%
26.1%
43.8%
SUBMIT
43.8% 26.1%
15.6% 8.3%
2.5%
Section 2 of 16
SRIKANT DATAR: OK.
Yes
No
SUBMIT
Yes No
Section 4 of 16
Emma guessed incorrectly. The song was “London Bridge.” Why did it happen this way? The
song is very well-known and Kofi did an excellent job tapping it out.
Let’s try a different song but, this time, we'll observe from the listener’s perspective.
Section 6 of 16
[LAUGHTER] OK.
Old MacDonald
SUBMIT
Section 8 of 16
Kofi, however, was certain that Emma would identify it as "Old MacDonald"—it was so obvious!
This is what Chip and Dan Heath refer to as “The Curse of Knowledge.”
Section 10 of 16
WHENEVER YOU’RE INNOVATING
IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO COME UP
WITH A GREAT IDEA. YOU MUST
HAVE THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE LISTENER IS
EXPERIENCING.
—DEAN SRIKANT DATAR
Section 11 of 16
Now that you’ve had the chance to play both tapper and listener, would you
like to change your original answer? Which percentage of songs do you think a
listener would identify correctly?
2.5%
8.3%
15.6%
26.1%
43.8%
SUBMIT
Section 12 of 16
Only 2.5% of listeners will identify a song correctly! Can you think of an
innovation that either did a good job or a bad job of “tapping” out value to
listeners? What worked or didn’t work?
Digital currency.
SUBMIT
PEER RESPONSES
Section 14 of 16
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