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  • May 2008 (Revised June 2008)
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Kenny Kahn at Muzak (A)

By: Linda A. Hill and Emily Stecker
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:23
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Abstract

Founded in 1934, Muzak pioneered the industry of background music. Equipped with propriety technology and a vast music library, over the ensuing decades the Muzak franchise organization expanded geographically. Despite a history of innovation, by the late 1990s Muzak had anemic financials and low employee morale. When new CEO Bill Boyd took the helm in 1997, he assembled a new management team. The new VP of Marketing, Kenny Kahn, worked with design firm Pentagram to re-brand the company, not just for customers but to spark organizational change. But because Muzak was a franchise organization, Kahn had to convince independent affiliates to pay for what turned out to be an extensive re-branding. This case can be used to teach how branding can be used as a tool for spearheading culture change—not to exercise influence without authority—and how businesspeople can effectively work with a design firm.

Keywords

Change Management; Design; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Brands and Branding; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Franchise Ownership; Music Industry

Citation

Hill, Linda A., and Emily Stecker. "Kenny Kahn at Muzak (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-057, May 2008. (Revised June 2008.)
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About The Authors

Linda A. Hill

Organizational Behavior
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Emily Truelove

Organizational Behavior
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Related Work

    • May 2008 (Revised June 2008)
    • Faculty Research

    Kenny Kahn at Muzak (A)

    By: Linda A. Hill and Emily Stecker
Related Work
  • Kenny Kahn at Muzak (A) By: Linda A. Hill and Emily Stecker
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