EMI Group, PLC
CD Pricing in the Recorded Music Industry
Case Analysis
Strategic Marketing Management
MKT 6503-476
Summer 2007
EMI music group was formed in 1931 when Gramophone Company merges with Columbia Graphophone to form Electric and Musical Industries (EMI 2007). EMI started with operations in nineteen countries and has eventually grown to operations in over fifty countries. EMI has the rights to over one musical composition. Of the five major music companies, EMI has the least market share in the Unites States. This market share may now be in jeopardy as Universal Records has decided to decrease the price of its CD's in an effort to generate sales. EMI must determine what they would gain or lose by dropping or not dropping their retail price for CD's and the price charged to retailers.
Case Facts
The recording industry is highly competitive with its profits based in its ability to attract and retain artist who sell hit records. Advertising, promotion and publicity for its artist are central elements in a music company's marketing program and they represent a sizeable amount of the company's costs. Universal has more market share because it has more hit artist and a larger music catalog than any other music recording company. Because of these facts, Universal is susceptible to the most losses. Universal made the decision to slash its CD prices in the US by up to 31.5 percent in the US, not to increase market share but to persuade consumers to start buying CD's again (Universal, 2003). Since the advent of new technology allowing consumers to obtain music in non-traditional means, actual CD sales in the US had been on a decline since 2000 (Kerin, 2007). In fact, four of the major five record companies reported losses in the first ...