Interscope: Leveraging the Flywheel to Build the Music Company of the Future

This case explores how John Janick, CEO of Interscope Records, used strategic communication to align a rapidly growing creative organization and clarify its value to multiple audiences in a highly disrupted industry. As artists gained unprecedented ability to launch and manage their own careers through technology and platforms, Interscope faced a fundamental communication challenge: how to clearly articulate what the company uniquely contributed—and why artists, employees, partners, and investors should believe in its long-term relevance.

To address internal fragmentation and external skepticism, Janick introduced a customized “flywheel” framework, adapted from Jim Collins, as a shared language for how Interscope creates value. The flywheel served not only as a strategic model but as a communication device—translating complex, interdependent activities (artist development, world-building, fan engagement, monetization, and reinvestment) into a simple, repeatable narrative. The case examines how the flywheel was designed, visualized, and cascaded across the organization, and how leaders attempted to turn it into a lived message rather than a one-time presentation.

Students analyze the flywheel as a leadership communication tool: how it shapes understanding, aligns behavior, builds credibility with artists, and helps an organization answer a deceptively simple but critical question—“What can you do that we can’t do ourselves?” The case highlights the role of clarity, consistency, and storytelling in communicating value in creative, fast-moving environments.