RETRACTED: From award shows to average Joes: Sadowsky Guitars Ltd. evolves and expands to meet worldwide demand
Publication date: 12 October 2023
Issue publication date: 1 April 2024
Retraction statement
The publisher of The CASE Journal wishes to retract the article by Dexter L. Purnell, Douglas Jackson, Kimberly V. Legocki (2023) ‘From award shows to average Joes: Sadowsky Guitars Ltd. evolves and expands to meet worldwide demand’, published in The CASE Journal, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print, https://doi.org/10.1108/TCJ-03-2022-0053. It has come to our attention that a large portion of this article is taken, without full and proper attribution, from an earlier original work by Brian F. Wright, '“A Bastard Instrument”: The Fender Precision Bass, Monk Montgomery, and Jazz in the 1950s', Jazz Perspectives, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 281-303, https://doi.org/10.1080/17494060.2015.1085888. The submission guidelines for The CASE Journal make it clear that articles must be original. The authors would like it to be noted that they are not in agreement with this retraction. The publisher of the journal sincerely apologizes to the readers.
Abstract
Research methodology
Research for the case study was conducted using a combination of semi-structured interviews and secondary data sources.
Case overview/synopsis
This case traces the international expansion of Sadowsky Guitars’ bass guitar product line. Roger Sadowsky is one of the most respected instrument makers in the world and gained early acclaim for his outstanding repair and restoration work on guitars and basses. Some of his early clients included Prince, Will Lee (The Tonight Show), Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith, Jason Newsted of Metallica, Eddie Van Halen and Marcus Miller. Roger’s reputation and the demand for his instruments led to some customers having to wait for more than a year to obtain the chance to purchase a Sadowsky instrument, while others were unable to do so due to financial constraints. In 2003, Roger made the decision to form Sadowsky Japan to begin the contract manufacturing of more affordable Sadowsky instruments in Tokyo, Japan. As the company grew in size, Roger realized he was becoming more focused on running a business than building instruments. Furthermore, his Japanese partners were only interested in serving the Japanese market. This required him to handle the sales and distribution in the remaining parts of the world. In December of 2019, he announced a new, exclusive licensing agreement and distribution partnership between Sadowsky Guitars and Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG. The new agreement allowed Roger to continue running the Sadowsky NYC Custom Shop while Warwick would take over building and distributing the Metro instruments and a less-expensive, Chinese-built version of the MetroExpress instruments.
Complexity academic level
This case is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate-level courses related to marketing and consumer behavior. The case walks students through a real-life scenario when the founder of a well-known musical brand sought to expand internationally as a way to meet growing market demand. Students are asked to consider the advantages and disadvantages of the five key international market entry strategies: exporting, licensing, contract manufacturing, joint ventures and investment (equity/acquisition).
The case works well in the classroom, even if people are unfamiliar with the musical instrument retail industry. Participants are most likely aware of some of the artists and musicians mentioned in the case. Some may also be or know musicians. The instructor should be able to quickly engage participants in a lively discussion about Roger Sadowsky’s vision for his instruments and the opportunities and challenges of expanding product offerings and increasing market share.
Supplementary material
Teaching notes are available for educators only.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This case is written solely for educational purposes and is not intended to represent successful or unsuccessful managerial decision making.
Disclaimer. This case is intended to be used as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. The case was compiled from published sources.
Citation
Purnell, D.L., Jackson, D. and Legocki, K.V. (2024), "RETRACTED: From award shows to average Joes: Sadowsky Guitars Ltd. evolves and expands to meet worldwide demand", , Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 767-785. https://doi.org/10.1108/TCJ-03-2022-0053
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited