University of Alabama Growing the Audience for Hamilton Case Study
Growing the Audience for Hamilton
- Since its debut in 2015, Broadway’s hit musical Hamilton has received critical acclaim and realized unprecedented box office sales. Just a year after opening, shows were sold out through January 2017 and ticket prices had climbed to $500. Such widespread success inspired the play’s management to think about how they could extend Hamilton’s footprint beyond Broadway.
- Hamilton’s digital team focused on attracting an even wider audience by establishing a presence on the Internet and in social media. They understood how these channels provided a unique opportunity for fans who had never seen the live show to experience the Hamilton brand. At the cornerstone of the team’s efforts were a series of online “Ham4Ham” videos. In these, the cast of Hamilton produced short and playful scenes—some were reenactments from the play; others were unrelated vignettes. In one, the cast recreated a popular scene from the West Wing of the White House right before they were set to perform for President Obama. In another, lead actor Lin Manuel-Miranda and Hamilton’s composer Alan Menken sang songs from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. The show also regularly publishes digital content across Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and YouTube, including user-generated postings. For example, the team manages an Instagram series called #HamArt, which depicts drawings and paintings of characters or scenes from the play created by its fans.
- Hamilton’s ability to reach unexpected markets stems from the producer’s adeptness at managing both an entertainment brand and a Broadway musical. By understanding the strength of creative content creation and uncovering new distribution opportunities, Hamilton’s digital team has been instrumental in earning the franchise a larger online audience than any other Broadway show, including long-standing blockbusters such as Wicked and the Lion King.
- Off Broadway, several factors have pointed to the play’s enduring success. In 2017, the cast and crew began a national tour across at many U.S. cities. Additionally, various pieces of merchandise—from sweatshirts to hats—and other collectible souvenirs from the show continue to be in high demand. Finally, Hamilton has connected with a youthful demographic who likely were uninterested in the theater previously but now have the potential to become habitual playgoers.
Questions:
- How can Broadway leverage its success with Hamilton to increase its conversion of the younger demographic into habitual playgoers? What challenges might be encountered? Please be specific in your answers to both of the questions.
- Using the criteria to evaluate business leveraging options, what other growth options exist as revenue-generating for Hamilton? Please be specific in your recommendations here.
Remember to format your citations and references using APA or MLA format. Two page maximum for content.
| Criteria | Ratings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content |
50 pts The essay answers the question clearly with sufficient explanation. It reflects original thought, sound logic and provides ample supporting detail, which needs references and citations. This will make for a strong, convincing response. The writer projects a consistent and mature voice throughout the response. |
44 pts The essay answers the question clearly. It meets most of the criteria of the 50 points with one or more minor errors. |
38 pts The essay answers the question clearly but is lacking in explanation and provides less than ample supporting detail to make for a strong, convincing response. |
25 pts The essay does not answer the question clearly but rather via implied logic. The writer frequently fails to satisfy the reader’s desire for proof or illustration. Overall, the response seems mechanical, reflecting little awareness of audience. |
5 pts The essay answer is vague and supporting evidence is irrelevant, or the thinking is illogical. The writer seldom develops enough points using sufficient concrete detail. The proportion of generalities to specific support or illustration is inappropriately high. |
| Presents Specifics from the Applicable Chapter/Content |
30 pts The essay provides multiple references to specific information presented in the chapter and/or learning materials. |
15 pts The essay provides some references to specific information presented in the chapter and/or learning materials. While some references to the chapter content are provided, they are either not clearly linked to the chapter (ex: “on page XX”) or not enough to fully relate the case questions to the learned material. |
0 pts The essay provides no references to specific information presented in the chapter and/or learning materials. |
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| Sentence Structure, Grammar, Mechanics, and Spelling |
20 pts All sentences are well constructed and have varied structure and length. The author makes no errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or spelling. |
16 pts Most sentences are well constructed and have varied structure and length. The author makes a few errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or spelling, but they do not interfere with understanding. |
10 pts Most sentences are well constructed, but they have a similar structure and/or length. The author makes several errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or spelling that interfere with understanding. |
5 pts Sentences sound awkward, are distractingly repetitive, or are difficult to understand. The author makes numerous errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or spelling that interfere with understanding. |
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Rubric
Case Study Rubric 2019
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent |
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50.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomePresents Specifics from the Applicable Chapter/Content |
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30.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSentence Structure, Grammar, Mechanics, and Spelling |
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20.0 pts |
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Total Points: 100.0 |
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