Wynton Marsalis & Jazz at Lincoln Center

Under the leadership of artistic director Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) hosts performances and education events year-round for audiences in New York and across the United States. Despite the popularity of JALC's events, however, the U.S. audience for jazz is small and aging relative to other music genres. This case asks students to apply marketing principles to the challenge that JALC faces in seeking to expand the reach of and appreciation for jazz music despite a shrinking audience. The case features a multimedia format of audio and video clips in order to engage students directly with JALC protagonists and with jazz music—the real protagonist of the case. The case is ideal for a first year marketing course and is also suitable for courses in branding, nonprofit management, and arts and culture management.