Bain Hard Market Entry

Swift Business

ProHub Comment

This is a sophisticated market entry case requiring candidates to build a financial model from scratch, combining TAM analysis with unit economics. The case emphasizes the importance of understanding revenue drivers (pricing, volume, and fee structure) while evaluating strategic tradeoffs between brand alignment and financial viability. Strong candidates must recognize that option 1 (merch) better fits Taylor's fan-centric positioning despite slightly lower revenue.

Estimated Time 15 minutes
Difficulty Hard
Source Duke
50 / 100

Your client is 12-time Grammy winning recording artist Taylor Swift.

Taylor has a reputation for her commitment to her fans and their concert experiences, but in recent years, she has noticed a growing concern among fans regarding transparency in the ticket industry.

Her team has approached you with a plan for Taylor to start her own ticketing platform. She envisions a fearless platform that prioritizes fair pricing, eliminates hidden fees, and ensures a connection to her fanbase.

Should Taylor Swift move forward with creating her own ticketing platform?

Clarifying Information

  1. Currently, Taylor sells on Ticketmaster, the global leader in primary sales platforms for artists
  2. Her goal is to break-even in 5 years, starting from a launch date of 2024
  3. Ticket exchanges make money by collecting an agreed upon fee; a % of total ticket revenue per artist per year