The Content Trap: A Strategist's Guide to Digital Change

This is a book that basically explains everything you need to know about the digital revolution over the last twenty years -- and to understand what's about to happen next. I didn't fully know what to expect picking it up -- it is long, and I did not know if I would understand all of it. But I work in media, and deal a lot with digital content, so I thought I'd try it out.It's brilliant. Very simple in its fundamental concepts, but the applications and inside knowledge Anand has into companies like the New York Times, The Economist, Random House, Amazon, Wal-Mart, cable companies...is unbelievably insightful. I feel like most digital change books are about marketing or the top "five hotest tips" and they don't last long. This one is different. It's as much a history book as anything else, and gives so much more perspective on the mega-shifts that have happened and are happening to some of the most major companies out there. It's very much still an ongoing change to digital thinking, but, when you strip away all the hype, understanding the full arc of how we got here makes what is going to happen next seem a lot more clear.All in all, highly recommend. You'll really never see the companies we buy from, the media and newspapers we watch, or your own power to create connections and change the world the same way again.Bharat is a brilliant teacher at HBS. This book is your chance to take a dive into his top lessons.

It's hard to believe that it's taken so long for somebody to cogently bring together what has happened in the digital space over the last few decades and what that history tells us about how to navigate the same space in the future. This book is imminently readable but has s depth that few other publications do. I especially liked the use of real-world examples (perhaps a vestige of Professor Anand's experience using the case method as a professor at Harvard Business School?) to illustrate concepts and give insights about what to do -- and, perhaps more importantly, what NOT to do -- as you consider the best strategy for your organization in a world where content is ubiquitous but monetizing it is not. There are several interesting insights between the covers here and many are so counter-intuitive that without the thoughtful analysis presented by Mr. Anand, it's unlikely I ever would have considered them. The New York Times' strategy for charging for online and physical editions of their papers really stands out here (you have to read it - I can't do it justice in the small space here). I highly recommend this book for anybody who's company touches the digital realm. In other words, it's relevant for any business person.

Lots of stories about making user connecting but his style of sharing the wrong thing to do while presenting it as if it's the right thing then having a "gotcha" was a bit confusing.Years from now will I recall the story or the "gotcha"??

Such a pleasure reading this book for so many reasons. First, -- and it might sound obvious, but it is not -- it is written beautifully. Second, it tackles a timely and critical issue for businesses (over and beyond media). Third, it is insightful about the business environment in which we live it. Fourth, it move smoothly and elegantly between the big ideas and the specific examples. Fifth, it is voicing not only Bharat Anand's ideas but those of many practitioners from many industries around the world.Finally, a brief note: I have been working with Bharat but was not involved in this book in any way. Maybe that why it is so good.

If you're in business, any kind of business, "The Content Trap" is a must read. Bharat Anand introduces new ways of viewing strategy, competition, and connections with customers in order to succeed in an environment of rapid change. He begins his strategy exercise by asking two fundamental questions: where will you play, and how will you win? Where you will play is no longer exclusively about product or service, but rather identifying connections that you have with your customers. How you win is about strengthening those connections and unlocking opportunities that protect and grow your core business. Significant opportunities may be imbedded in collateral businesses that are being underestimated or ignored in terms of their potential impact on your core business. "The Content Trap" will open your eyes to the realities of succeeding in today's business world by introducing examples of companies that have done a remarkable job of harnessing the power of connections.

This book brings forward what is important not just for content, but for business. It gives numerous case studies on the challenges companies were facing and the way those companies either did or did not solve those challenges by truly understanding connections. The basis of the book is content, but it's really a case study on strategy and the power of focusing on what really matters to your customer and your unique differentiator. It's a slow read as you need to take time to really think about the different examples. I would often compile notes and think about application in my own work. Highly recommend.

Anand's work is poignant and a boon for professors and hard-core media specialists everywhere. The theory here is very solid and helps to understand our technological landscape. A great read and a better companion for professors at the Graduate level.

When I ordered the book I looked for Best Practice examples about the usage of Content. It is a small part within the 362 pages. But it focuses on Best Practice Business examples and its success. I share the opinions of Bharat Anand mostly, sometimes I disagree. But the great number of examples he describes within the book let me learn a lot. Although some statements could be said with less words and are repetitive. His conclusions at the ends of the chapters are on point.Go and get it, I like the way he states that Content is important, but connections too.

Enjoyed this book really has some great examples and keeps you interested the whole time. Highly recommend if you are interested in digital strategy.

WELL WRITE; WELL RESEARCHED; INTELLIGENT.Hard to accept that digital process may trump content.Wait a moment: isn't that what happened in the US election??????????

Great insight for contents industry.