Step 1:Read the BeyonceHBS case study.

Step 2:Answer the following questions in a discussion post:

1. Do you feel this was a gamble worth making for Beyonce and her team at Parkwood?
2. In what way is the launch different from more traditional music releases?How should we evaluate the innovative launch in the context of an evolving music industry?
3. Do you think the concerns about possible adverse reactions, for instance from traditional music retailers, are warranted? Is there anything the team can do to address those concerns?
4. Sony Music's label Columbia Records, with whom Parkwoodpartnered on recorded-music activities, shares the cost of the album. Do you feel they should have signed off on the launch strategy or should they have insisted on any changes?
5. What do these developments suggest about the role and power of supsterstars like Beyonce -- and their companies like Parkwood -- in the music industry?