Richard Wagner's legacy: 200 years of battle over business

• Main Author: HALFF, Gregor
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2012
• Subjects: public relations; communications management; media relations; Advertising and Promotion Management; Business and Corporate Communications; Marketing
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/18; https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/2761
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The narrative of the case revolves around the legacy of Richard Wagner, one of the world’s greatest composers. It zooms in on his glamorous great-granddaughter Katharina Wagner, who has won a bitter family feud and now runs the yearly Wagner festival, a global cultural highlight and a vast musical enterprise. She positions herself as the modern face of a traditional business. However, in spite of expertly handling the publicity around the Wagner brand, Katharina is struggling to understand and meet the conflicting expectations of many stakeholders. Opponents gleefully expect her and her strategy to fail. Katharina is faced with the question if she should continue leading the Wagner festival after 2015. Giving up would mean interrupting 200 years of heritage.