Taylor Swift Intro to Business Case Study | Reader’s Theater Format | Econ 101

This Taylor Swift Intro to Business Case Study in Readers’ Theater format will engage your business, marketing, or entrepreneurship class. Tired of dry textbook lessons? Follow Taylor Swift’s rise from a small-town kid in the 1990s to a music giant by 2025. Watch her tackle tough choices, spark genius ideas, and outsmart the industry across 10 acts. With characters like Taylor, her family, and rivals like Scooter Braun, it’s a teen-friendly way to explore how she built her empire—one bold move at a time.

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What's included?

1) Teacher's Guide & Answer Key

• Standards Alignment (CCSS, NCSS, NCSEE, NCHS, CEE)
• Teacher Tips for use as RT
• Answer Keys for all worksheet sections
• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts
• Format: MSWORD DOC (10 pages)

2) Readers Theater Script

• ~17 Characters, 4900 words,
• Format: Google Doc (16 pages) (Can be downloaded to PDF, etc)

3) Script Worksheet

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short-Answer Questions: Comprehension and recall questions based solely on the script.
• 3 Primary Source Exploration: Students must connect concepts in the script with outside sources (links to primary source text provided).
• Fact vs. Fiction: Identifying whether script details are fact or fictional narrative elements within the script.
• 10 Business Concepts in the Case Study: 10 Questions that explore how the story demonstrates key business concepts and application of them in students' lives.
• Format: Google Slides (32 Slides) (Can be downloaded to PDF, etc)

Teaching Tips for Using the Script:

• For More Students: Main character can be read by multiple students.
• For Less Students: Minor characters can be read by just one student.
• This script should take about 25~30 minutes and depending on your classroom's level it may be suitable for other grade levels.
• An extra ~25 minutes for prep, discussion, vocabulary or short answer comprehension questions should also be planned.
• The included primary source exploration and business concept questions can be assigned for homework.

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Script Summary:

(Note: Each act covers an important business/entrepreneurship concept)

Act 1: Scarcity and Choice

• In the 1990s, young Taylor Swift in Pennsylvania faces a scarcity of music opportunities, choosing to pursue her dream over comfort, singing at local events and moving to Nashville by 2001 with her family’s support (Andrea Swift) and a deal from agent Dan Dymtrow.

Act 2: Supply and Demand

• By 2004, teen Taylor supplies songs like “Tim McGraw” to meet teen demand, leaving RCA for Big Machine (Scott Borchetta) in 2006, where her debut album and MySpace fame (Brad Paisley cameo) explode, filling a gap in country music.

Act 3: Opportunity Cost

• In 2008, Fearless goes pop, costing country fans but earning Grammy glory; in 2010, Speak Now (with Liz Rose on “All Too Well”) sacrifices collaboration for solo cred, both showing trade-offs for bigger wins amid Kanye West’s VMA clash.

Act 4: Market Structures

• 1989 in 2014 shifts to pop, challenging the Big Three labels’ oligopoly with fan power; in 2015, Taylor’s tweet forces Apple (Eddy Cue) to pay artists, bending market rules with her clout.

Act 5: Risk and Reward

• After Kanye’s 2016 “Famous” drama, Taylor risks vanishing, returning with Reputation in 2017; in 2018-2019, she leaves Big Machine (Scott Borchetta), losing masters to Scooter Braun but betting on re-recording (Kelly Clarkson’s idea).

Act 6: Competition

• In 2019-2020, Taylor’s re-recordings (Fearless, Red) compete with Scooter’s masters (sold to Shamrock), winning with fan loyalty by 2021.

Act 7: Innovation

• In 2017, Taylor rejoins Spotify (Daniel Ek) on her terms; in 2020, she pivots with Folklore and Evermore during COVID, innovating release strategies.

Act 8: Investment

• Scott Swift’s 2005 Big Machine stake pays off in 2019, but Taylor invests in re-recordings by 2020-2021, outpacing Shamrock’s purchase.

Act 9: Market Power

• Her 2018 Universal deal shifts artist pay; by 2021, she dominates streaming, leveraging fans.

Act 10: Economic Impact

• In 2020-2021, Taylor reshapes music’s $14 billion industry; by 2025, her legacy empowers artists and fans.