--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The key distinction between a traditional…" description: "\"“The key distinction between a traditional and a customer-cultivating company is that one is organized to push products and brands whereas the other is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/harvard-business-school-press_business_the-key-distinction-between-a-traditiona_1363402.jpg" --- # The key distinction between a traditional and a… ![“The key distinction between a traditional and a customer-cultivating company is that one is organized to push products and brands whereas the other is designed to serve customers and customer segments.” quote by Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/harvard-business-school-press_business_the-key-distinction-between-a-traditiona_1363402.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/harvard-business-school-press_business_the-key-distinction-between-a-traditiona_1363402.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/harvard-business-school-press_business_the-key-distinction-between-a-traditiona_1363402.jpg) > ““The key distinction between a traditional and a customer-cultivating company is that one is organized to push products and brands whereas the other is designed to serve customers and customer segments.”” [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Companies should shift focus from pushing products to genuinely serving customers, building relationships over transactions. **In simple terms:** Serve customers, not just sell products. Key Takeaway Prioritize customer needs. Themes customer focus relationship building service orientation business strategy growth Mood analytical strategic inspirational Type business leadership When to use this quote - product development - marketing - sales - customer support - leadership Key Concepts customer centricity value creation market segmentation Questions to Reflect On - What steps can a company take to become customer‑cultivating? - How do you measure success beyond sales? A Different Perspective Changing culture can be slow and meet. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Cultivating Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultivating-company-4673505/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Customer Cultivating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-cultivating-4673506/) [Customer Segments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-segments-1814983/) [Distinction Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinction-traditional-4673507/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Traditional Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional-customer-4673508/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes there’s more than one type of customer, so you need to identify not only the customer but also the key customer segments. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cheng/sometimes-there-s-more-than-one-type-of-customer-so-you-need-to/) [Victor Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cheng/) > [“Competitor behaviors (customer segments, products, pricing strategy, distribution strategy, brand loyalty)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cheng/competitor-behaviors-customer-segments-products-pricing-strategy/) [Victor Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cheng/) > [“CS Business models with a multi-sided platform pattern have a distinct structure. They have two or more customer segments, each of which has its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-osterwalder/cs-business-models-with-a-multi-sided-platform-pattern-have-a/) [Alexander Osterwalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-osterwalder/) > [Our line of business structure has served us very well in the past, when customer segments and product requirements were very distinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-t-chambers/our-line-of-business-structure-has-served-us-very-well-in-the-past/) [John T. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-t-chambers/) > [“Candidate: Because digital advertising is the only segment that’s growing, we need to understand more about what’s going on with customers, so I’m going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cheng/candidate-because-digital-advertising-is-the-only-segment-that-s/) [Victor Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cheng/) > [Eventually the consumer will come to appreciate the editorial point of view of every different brand. User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [One of the most abused country on earth is Mexico. The marketing spills over the border, and people are persuaded to eat food that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-patel/one-of-the-most-abused-country-on-earth-is-mexico-the-marketing/) [Raj Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-patel/) > [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) > [“In the innovation age customer experience is key. Your impression defines their expression”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/in-the-innovation-age-customer-experience-is-key-your-impression/) [Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) ## More by Harvard Business School Press > [“Executives are doers; they execute. Knowledge is useless to executives until it has been translated into deeds. But before springing into action, the executive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/executives-are-doers-they-execute-knowledge-is-useless-to-executives/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“The use of “war games” is a powerful antidote to the lack of thinking about competitors’ reactions to proposed moves. 11.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/the-use-of-war-games-is-a-powerful-antidote-to-the-lack-of-thinking/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“If thinking is an intellectual response to a problem, then the absence of a problem leads to the absence of thinking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/if-thinking-is-an-intellectual-response-to-a-problem-then-the-absence/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“Business-unit managers should remain involved in corporate-level strategy planning that affects their units. But a focus on issues rather than business units better aligns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/business-unit-managers-should-remain-involved-in-corporate-level/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“More than anything else, this disconnect—between the way planning works and the way decision making happens—explains the frustration, if not outright antipathy, most executives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/more-than-anything-else-this-disconnect-between-the-way-planning/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“Uhlaner put in place a Growth and Performance Planning Process that starts with agreement by Ballmer’s leadership team on a set of strategic themes—major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/uhlaner-put-in-place-a-growth-and-performance-planning-process-that/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“Stockdale Paradox This finding is named after Admiral James Stockdale, winner of the Medal of Honor, who survived seven years in a Vietcong POW…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/stockdale-paradox-this-finding-is-named-after-admiral-james-stockdale/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“Management must think of itself not as producing products but as providing customer-creating value satisfactions. It must push this idea (and everything it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/management-must-think-of-itself-not-as-producing-products-but-as/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“Worried that you’re not a born leader? That you lack charisma, the right talents, or some other secret ingredient? No need: leadership isn’t about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/worried-that-you-re-not-a-born-leader-that-you-lack-charisma-the/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“Is that not what consumer research is for—to find out before the fact what is going to happen? The answer is that Detroit never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/is-that-not-what-consumer-research-is-for-to-find-out-before-the-fact/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“By embracing decision-focused planning, companies will almost certainly find that the quantity and quality of their decisions will improve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/by-embracing-decision-focused-planning-companies-will-almost/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“they’ve also changed the nature of top management’s discussions about strategy—from “review and approve” to “debate and decide,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/they-ve-also-changed-the-nature-of-top-management-s-discussions-about/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“When is the urgency rate high enough? From what I have seen, the answer is when about 75% of a company’s management is honestly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/when-is-the-urgency-rate-high-enough-from-what-i-have-seen-the-answer/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“In short, a customer feedback program should be viewed not as “market research” but as an operating management tool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/in-short-a-customer-feedback-program-should-be-viewed-not-as-market/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) > [“Executives also owe it to the organization and to their fellow workers not to tolerate nonperforming individuals in important jobs. It may not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/executives-also-owe-it-to-the-organization-and-to-their-fellow/) [Harvard Business School Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) [Explore all 67 Harvard Business School Press quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The key distinction between a traditional and a customer-cultivating company is that one is organized to push products and brands whereas the other is designed to serve customers and customer segments.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harvard Business School Press" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/the-key-distinction-between-a-traditional-and-a-customer-cultivating/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/the-key-distinction-between-a-traditional-and-a-customer-cultivating/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/harvard-business-school-press_business_the-key-distinction-between-a-traditiona_1363402.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/harvard-business-school-press_business_the-key-distinction-between-a-traditiona_1363402.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/harvard-business-school-press_business_the-key-distinction-between-a-traditiona_1363402.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The key distinction between a traditional and a customer-cultivating company is that one is organized to…” — Harvard Business School Press", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Harvard Business School Press", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-school-press/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The key distinction between a traditional...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/the-key-distinction-between-a-traditional-and-a-customer-cultivating/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-school-press/the-key-distinction-between-a-traditional-and-a-customer-cultivating/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```