C-Scape Reviews

C-Scape is a “Hot Read” in The Daily Beast!

Here is what The Daily Beast said about C-Scape:

Larry Kramer expounds on a bold, refreshing, four-part concept for entrepreneurs to rethink their business.

C-Scape is a “world where consumers, not producers and marketers, make the choices; where content not distribution is king; where curation becomes a primary currency of value; and were convergence continues to revolutionize every part of every business.” A deeply useful and even revolutionary concept that will reshape the thought process for any entrepreneur—from the small-business owner to the CEO of a major conglomerate.

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The American Journalism Review said about C-scape:

“Veteran journalist Larry Kramer employes (his) insight to draw up a convincing, possibly brilliant, rescue plan for journalism and other businesses as well.

“Kramer crystallizes key lessons of today’s marketplace. But he also calls for a kind of forward thinking that mainstream media have sadly lacked.

“This book suggests that, with renewed inventiveness and boldness, mainstream news organizations can still catch up.”
PDF of AJR Review
Click here to see the Review on AJR.com

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Directors & Boards Magazine: Best Bets for Board Reading: C-Scape!

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–Inc. Bestseller List, Nov 2010
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AdWeek Review: Kramer Puts the ‘C’ in Change

By Lucia Moses, MediaWeek

Larry Kramer was sitting in a meeting, bored stiff, the moment he realized the media world was hurling down an uncharted course.

It was 2005, and the founder of CBS MarketWatch had just started running CBS’ new digital division. He was with a group, re-watching television pilots, when a news alert came through on his cellphone. Within fifteen minutes, without even leaving his seat, Kramer (pictured) managed to do some of his own reporting by checking out other websites, shooting out emails and texts and watching video clips. “That was the moment when I realized, the game’s changing, whether we like it or not,” Kramer says.

That moment also offered a springboard for Kramer’s new book, C-Scape: Conquer the Forces Changing Business Today. In it, the former newspaperman explores how companies might negotiate the four “change factors” — consumers, content, curation and convergence — transforming the media business. Rather than offer prescriptions or directives, Kramer surveys the shifting terrain. “I’m very optimistic business models will be found,” he says. “[But] I don’t think it’s going to be one business model.”

Take the Newsweek-Daily Beast merger. The combined outlets have the “potential to do something really well,” he says, given the Beast’s reporting and curation and Newsweek’s well-established brand. Kramer also thinks charging for digital content that’s distinctive, whether via paywalls a la The Wall Street Journal (which benefits from the perceived value of financial insight) or the iPad (for which media outlets must create specific products) will grow audiences as well.

Kramer says media producers should get a grip on tablets now, to avoid playing catch-up. “It’s going to be a kick-ass medium,” he says. “There’ll be 50 million out there in a couple of years. Understanding this platform is going to be mission-critical.”
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From the Wall Street Cheat Sheet,

” width=”222″ height=”90″ class=”alignleft size-full wp-image-482″ />From the review: “C-Scape is chalk full of excellent case studies and commentary. Larry offers plenty of practical ways to start winning in the C-Scape. Those who reflect on his visionary advise will have a strategic advantage over those who don’t.”

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From Sean Branagan, blogger on entrepreneurism and digital media

Click here for the full review: “All Companies are Media Companies”

“I just finished reading Larry Kramer‘s book, C-Scape: Conquer the Factors Changing Business Today, where he provides a four-part framework for looking at the new digital media landscape: controlled by consumers, where content is king, where curation is a high-value additive in a sea of information, and convergence is the endless cause of anxiety, change and opportunity.”

“…This is a much bigger view of “all companies are media companies.” We are picking airline flights because of the in-seat media options that are available: wifi, television, and more. We are choosing toys and other products because of the media experiences they bring with them. People are choosing cars because of the media, enhancing the driving experience and ownership with video owners manuals, satellite radio, mp3 player connections and more. All other things being equal — or at least comparable or close, we choose all kinds of products and services based on the media layers.

“Let me add: This means there’s more curation opportunities in the product development world = more opportunity for media-savvy professionals (editors, designers, etc)… as well as more opportunity for new businesses to help companies curate this kind of media experience with their products and services.”

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From Tim Bickers, CEO of Candeo Marketing Group:

I just finished reading C-Scape by Larry Kramer today. Really thought provoking book if you’re into business and the trends in the media marketplace. This book took my about 6 weeks to get through… because I was really digesting it and letting some of Mr. Kramer’s deeper points sink in….

Quick disclaimer: I’m not going to give so many details here that this will replace the actual reading of the book because I think that C-Scape is put together very well as it walks the reader through the changing forces surrounding business and media in the marketplace and how to combat these forces…..

for full review Click Here.

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From Atlanta Journalist Art Harris:
Anyone in the media, media biz, or just plain bidness, needs to read Larry’s cutting edge book, C-Scape, to stay on the cutting edge of their endeavor, and if they’re not already, learn how to think like a media company…or risk the demise… of many newspapers, where many of us learned how to be storytellers.
In Kramer’s world, the bottom line shows the best storyteller wins, and explains how crucial it is, in this ever-morphing media age and evolving economy, to learn how to market, brand, deliver your message and sculpt your story for any and every platform in every medium, or you risk becoming a dinosaur–or succeed like he did.
Why is Larry worth hearing? He’s survived and thrived, creating the online business news bible, Marketwatch.com, then selling it for more than $400 million a few years ago, leaving behind a legacy of jobs, ideas and inspired thinking he now shares as a prof at Syracuse while doing high powered consulting for those smart (and rich) enough to retain him for their business makeover.
He’s a former newsman (and photographer) who has done it all–Washington post reporter with a Harvard MBA, then its business editor; former editor of the San Francisco Examiner, then on to Marketwatch, and head of CBS Digital. Now he’s done a book you can take to the bank.
As a disclaimer, he’s a wonderful friend and colleague who goes way back, has an amazing family and a heart bigger than the moon. That said, I wouldn’t change a word I wrote even if he were a stranger. He’s penned a futuristic book from his experience navigating the wreckage and helping create the New Media World.
So read C-Scape (Harper-Collings, $27.99) by Larry Kramer, and learn how to catch the next media wave, or turn your venture into one.

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From Aloha Interactive Marketing, Sara Winter

The book is a trove of valuable, relevant information for those of us in the interactive marketing industry. The C-Scape is an idea that four factors are and will continue to shape media and business going forward. The “4 C’s” which make up the C-Scape are: Consumers, Content, Curation and Convergence. I found the curation concept to be particularly relevant to us interactive marketers, as good curation can significantly improve your social media campaigns. Here are some ways to employ curation to your social media marketing efforts*:

1) As Kramer puts it, becoming a “trustworthy curator” of content/information will foster credibility with your audience and consumers, as well as potential audiences and consumers. As it relates to social media marketing, this can be achieved when your brand effectively manages and engages in a flow of relevant industry discourse on a social channel. When done successfully, consumers will associate your brand with reputable content and expert information. Engaging also promotes good will and sentiment about the brand if the curator does it tactfully and genuinely, without salesy overtones.

2) Kramer once again underscores the importance of curation with relation to the power of the consumer. In this day and age, consumers have the power to choose “what, how, and when they consume,” Kramer says. But, in this noisy landscape of social discourse where brand and customer alike saturate the Web with conversation, a skilled curator must have the initiative to acknowledge and act upon the most significant insight. On an online forum where customers are asked to give a company suggestions about products or services, a skilled curator identifies the most valuable content and weeds out the rest.

For Example: In his book, Kramer uses the “My Starbucks Idea” website as a study of successful curation. The site was a place where customers can submit any comments they have to the company about anything. Obviously, the influx of information is huge. So Starbucks had to strategically curate which customer input has the most benefit. For example, right now the site indicates that it has, based on suggestions from the site, launched initiatives for: cupcakes, egift cards, and a mobile app for Blackberry torch. This social forum would not be able to thrive if Starbucks did not curate as well as they do.

3) Finally, curation comes into play with online reputation management (ORM). As we have said in previous blog posts, a successful social media campaign is one that engages with and listens to the customers. This means not only taking their praise, but listening to their complaints and solving their problems. As Kramer explains, the most successful curators use social media as an extension of customer service. They listen to feedback, and use complaints to make their products better and customers happier.

For Example: If I tweet @ Company X that I am unhappy with how long it took them to deliver Product Y, and in response Company X retweets with an apology and a half off coupon for Product Y, then we are both happy. It required little effort on the Company’s end and the satisfied customer will pay numerous dividends. First of all, both Company X’s and my Twitter followings will be able to see the action, and they probably just made me a repeat customer.

Curation is just one of the many expert analysis Larry Kramer provides in C-Scape. If you want to learn, I would highly recommend purchasing the book for yourself.
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Reviews on Amazon.com
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Reviews on Barnes and Noble’s Nook.com