age of the customer

Chatbots — And Why They Can’t Read Your Mind Chatbots are cropping up everywhere, from customer service to internal help desks, but what makes them tick? When we interact with chatbots, we’re often coming in from the end-user side and confronting a chatbot window. When we ask a question, the chatbot may or may not […]

As part of my research about data science and design, I spoke with Ovetta Sampson, design research lead at IDEO, a global design company. Sampson’s advice that stood out most to me about how to improve the use of data in the design of better experiences: Stop thinking about data scientists as “that nerdy guy […]

As an analyst at Forrester, I talk to a lot of IT professionals. One of the most common inquiries lately goes something like this: “We’ve piloted DevOps and Agile and like the results. However . . . ” and then come the “what-abouts.” What about ITIL, the NOC, the auditors, the service desk, and perhaps […]

The Great Gender Blur And Its Impact On The Future Of Marketing Marketing stands at the threshold of a monumental cultural shift — the great gender blur. The male-female binary and all its associated tropes that have pervaded brand marketing for decades are on shaky ground. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK’s independent advertising […]

Did you know that 90 former Toys R Us big-box stores are now Urban Air Adventure Parks? Here at Forrester, we’ve been anticipating that retail, entertainment, and hospitality would ultimately merge. We discussed the trend here and have more research in the pipeline for you. Application development and delivery professionals must look sharp and emulate […]

Bosch ConnectedWorld — Bosch’s premier customer and partner event held annually in Berlin — has become a destination event for European internet of things (IoT) professionals.

A Giant In Trouble: Revlon Considers A Sale Cosmetic giant Revlon is exploring the sale of all or some of its business amid lackluster sales and a crushing debt of $3 billion. The iconic company’s 2016 acquisition of brand Elizabeth Arden apparently isn’t rescuing it from the Sephoras and direct-to-consumer businesses (DTCs) of the world. […]

Come gather ’round, people, wherever you roam And admit that the waters around you have grown And accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone If your time to you is worth savin’ Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin’. — Bob Dylan The […]

People’s lives are becoming ever more automated as millions of algorithms make decisions — and, in some cases, take actions on those decisions — on behalf of a consumer. While it’s still early days, the shift toward autonomous services is already happening in financial services thanks to evolving customer expectations, advances in AI and other […]

Given the pace of social change and technological innovation, the future of insurance is very interesting! We recently published research on the future of insurance in which we offer perspectives on three central themes: insurance solutions vs. a products-based focus; ecosystem convergence; and virtual vs. vertical integration. For deeper insights, Forrester clients can check out […]

Last August, a tweet from a data scientist reminding colleagues to get out of tables of data and talk to real people — you know, do qualitative research — went viral among these two constituencies. The resulting debate reflected the state of the relationship between data science and design: They’re not on the same page. One participant even deleted one of his tweets, overwhelmed by the volume and combative tone of the feedback. […]

My colleague Joe Cicman just published a new report (“The New Commerce Revolution: Off With Their Heads (Or Not!“) to help de-hype headless commerce. Much of that work is also very relevant to headless content management systems (CMSes), which we started covering over three years ago (“The Rise Of The Headless Content Management System“). However, […]

As with any high-consideration purchase, there’s an expectation of a bedside manner. Buying an eCommerce platform is no exception. But all too often, I hear it feels a lot like this doctor’s visit . . . Nurse tells me you’re losing sleep. The pain in your shoulder is a case of a brachial plexus avulsion. […]

So you’ve got a great new idea for how technology-driven innovations can transform your business, reinvent the way employees work, and/or drive customer obsession. That’s a great start! But too many of you tell us, “I’m really excited about this new idea, but I can’t get the internal buy-in that’s needed to fund the initiative.” […]

Bosch ConnectedWorld — Bosch’s premier customer and partner event held annually in Berlin — has become a destination event for European internet of things (IoT) professionals. What started several years ago as a hands-on-type of event where lots of practitioners demonstrated Bosch’s most innovative solutions has now become a more typical conference, with polished marketing […]

It’s now just over 12 months since we first published research on digital supply chains. Some Forrester clients have made progress with integrated business planning and with control towers. And they are on the lookout for blockchain opportunities. But the most common question we hear is about the role of AI in supply chains. The […]

Growth hacking. Chief growth officer. Conversion rate optimization. Engagement. All terms and titles that highlight the interests of the company over the interests of its customers. Is it any wonder, amid the obsession with growth and the deepening understanding of human psychology, that some businesses find ways to steer customers toward choices they didn’t really […]

Salesforce Crosses The Physical-Digital Divide With ClickSoftware Acquisition Salesforce signed a definitive agreement to acquire Israeli field service software firm ClickSoftware for approximately $1.35 billion. The two companies already went to market as partners to provide integrated field service solutions, but ClickSoftware’s large presence in the utilities, telecom, cable, and industrial verticals will expand Salesforce’s customer […]

Salesforce continues its fast and furious acquisition spree by picking up ClickSoftware for $1.53 billion to beef up its field service capabilities. Field service is a rapidly growing area in CRM. Growth is fueled by the demand for: 1) differentiated customer experiences, which extends to a field worker showing up at a customer or a […]