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

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.

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.

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"??

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.

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.

This isnMt just a book about content, it's a book on business strategy, filled with scads study after case study to provide insight about how to think bigger about playing and winning with content. I have often found myself stuck in the content trap, focusing more on the quality of content, rather than the importance of the connections it needs to make to create transformation on a grander scale. No more - and I'm thankful to the author for opening my eyes and broadening and enriching my perspective. Highly recommended!

Early on in ‘The Content Trap,' author Bharat Anand includes a striking pair of graphs when discussing ‘the real problem with newspapers.' He presents the first graph: U.S. Newspaper Circulation Over Time, with the axes labeled ‘Newspaper circulation per household’ and ‘Time.' The line trends downward as time passes. A sobering picture of the industry. Then, Anand presents the graph again, this time with the ‘Time’ axis filled in with actual dates. The line begins in 1947; the downward trend has been going on for nearly 70 years. The idea that the introduction of digital technology has destroyed traditional media is an easy narrative, but not necessarily a true one. In his new book, Anand argues that changes in innovation, industry, and technology are not inherently what kills organizations and products, the Content Trap does. What is the Content Trap? A simple summary might be ‘content is king’, a common phrase you’ll hear out of digital creators and marketers these days. Create a quality product or content and users and profit will follow. This is a falsehood, argues Anand. Focusing on content and product quality alone leads organizations to: 1. Obsess about the isolated triggers rather than about the conditions that make content spread, e.g. thinking product features alone are the cause of success or failure versus what causes users to use, share and connect. 2. Preserve existing content or content creation processes at all costs, rather than recognizing and exploiting opportunities (‘complements’) that grow up around the content. 3. Presume that there are ‘best practices’ for the creation process, to be found by copying competitors or industry leaders, rather than taking the time to understand and build off of the organization’s own unique context. All of these issues, Anand argues, come back to the idea of using connections around content rather than depending on the content alone. With a crisp, clear, and conversational voice, he dedicates the first 2/3rds of the book to delving into each of the three aspects of the Content Trap. The author is not shy about using business language, but always defines and describes any specialized knowledge, making this book easily accessible to inexperienced newcomers and industry pros alike. Anand’s roots as a professor at Harvard Business School show throughout the book. HBS is known for an educational style that focuses on case studies, and he calls on multiple examples of real corporations such as Apple, Tencent, Walmart and the Economist, as well as detailed academic studies of media economics to provide a basis for his arguments about why companies either fall into or avoid the Content Trap. Drawing on his professorial experience, Anand frequently also takes the time to explain why our collective presumptions and narratives about business are frequently incorrect. The final third of the book focuses on two industries where Anand sees great potential for applying the three big ideas he’s laid out in the previous chapters to avoid the thrash that comes with the disruption of digital change and innovation. These are advertising and education. The advertising chapter is probably the weakest part of the book. It builds on the case study of ad exec John Winsor, who has used strategies like crowdsourcing to harness opportunities for his advertising agency rather than seeing these as threats to his core content/product. I think this chapter is supposed to show how the advertising industry holds the potential to change like other industries by embracing the strategies Anand proposes, but after so many different company profiles and case study examples, this section does not feel enough to warrant its own chapter. The education chapter, in which Anand describes the state of online education, and his own organization’s attempt to utilize their knowledge of the Content Trap to create online content, is much more compelling. It demonstrates the work that goes into understanding the context of a product, and how even the author found himself falling into presumptions about the importance of content alone. (It’s significant that HBS decided to go with a very different system and structure for online learning than most institutions.) Whereas most of the book deals with the large decisions of large corporations, this chapter provides a smaller scope and humanizes the process, allowing readers to feel like the proposals made by Anand are truly doable within their own organizations. Overall, this book is excellent, offering its readers the mindset and toolbox to understand that it is not content that ultimately decides success, but everything you do AROUND the content. Who should read this? Absolutely anyone whose work is part of the ‘information economy’, including product creators AND the marketers who work with them. I also feel this is equally useful to both newcomers and experienced workers and managers. For newcomers, it teaches and lays foundations. For the experienced, it helps remind them how easy it is to cling to what is known, and be suspicious of what seems new - that seemingly dangerous industry changes are more likely to be opportunities.

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.

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

Good book by an experienced author. Worth money.

Great insight for contents industry.

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.

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??????????