To me, it seems more like a hopeful plea.
I don't perceive the new UA as empowering employees or soliciting their ideas/input...so they are searching for any avenue to get the changes made.
Sort of an internal rationalization that if UA doesn't listen to employees, they must listen to customers...right?
My perception of the truth...they listen to neither.
Maybe we should be pleading with McKinsey or Bain:
"You McKinsey and Bain people really need to write in...They listen to you!"