Klarinet Archive - Posting 000146.txt from 1994/12

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Dave Kaminsky's most recent response
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 1994 09:16:08 -0500

David, are you seriously asserting that, in some past survey, the majority
of the responses suggested that what they really wanted was a "polycylindrical
bore"? Some kid in Montana suggested that his or her dream was to come
down on Xmas morning and find "my polycylindrical-bored clarinet under the
tree"?

I think that clarinet players are the smartest people in the world but
even with that compliment, suggest that few would ask for a polycylindrical
bore! Now maybe a lot said, "I want a LeBlanc to play like a Buffet" (and
I am not suggesting that this is a good or bad thing), and someone in the
factory decided that the only way to get this was to create an instrument
with a polycylindrical bore. That's OK by me. But I don't think that
the Kenosha offices were besieged by crazed men and women with double cases
screaming "GIVE US POLYCYLINDRICALITY OR WE'LL BURN DOWN YOUR DAMN
BUILDING!!!!!!!!!!!" and you guys interpreted this hostile riot as a
market survey and decided to give us polycylindrical bores, whatever the
hell they are.

I sense a bit of disingenuousness here. Let me tell you what I think
happened. You sent out a survey and LeBlanc users said "We think you
guys make a great clarinet. Leave me alone. Leave it alone. I'll
buy another one when this one wears out."

But another bunch of people, namely non-LeBlanc users said, "We aren't
interested in your clarinet because it doesn't play like I want it
to play. It doesn't play like a Buffet (or a Selmer or whatever)."
And, since Buffet probably has a bigger market share than LeBlanc, you
decided to make a clarinet that played like a Buffet. Very sensible.
Very market sensitive. I agree. I congratulate you. Now comes the
problem.

If the physics of the situation demanded that, in order for a LeBlanc
to play like a Buffet, it should be painted puce, you would have come
out with a puce clarinet and said, "Our marketing survey shows that
the users have all requested puce clarinets, so the color of this
instrument is what it is in response to market requests." Horse
hockey!!

That is not a marketing survey to determine what users want. That is
a marketing survey to determine what users will buy so that you
can create a product line that will sell better and then give the
impression that the users demanded that very thing. Now that's
also very sensible and very market sensitive but it is deceptive and
disingenuous,and it is wrong to interpret this action as a response
to customer wishes and requests. It is simply nothing more or less
than a technical direction determined by what is going to sell best.

Nothing wrong with that. It's good business, but don't pat me on
the back for getting you to do that. Pat whoever is/was your
marketing director for getting the company to do what will sell best.
A smart company will NEVER do what the marketplace says. Instead,
they get ahead of the markeplace, dress like a drum major and lead
the parade.

It will be nice if Tom responds, but you are doing fine and you
should avoid giving the impression of needing the big guns to come
to your rescue. So far you are holding your own.

On the complimentary side, thus far no one can hold a candle to
LeBlanc's marketing skills. The other guys are amateurs in this
business next to LeBlanc. But there are some who think that
important skill is not really very substantive when it comes to
figuring out how to play the Ginastera variations.

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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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