What It Means: A Forrester podcast
Each week, the What It Means podcast invites Forrester analysts to discuss the latest trends and challenges to help business and technology leaders make bold decisions and become truly customer-obsessed. Topics range from tech-driven innovation and CX design to B2B buying trends and marketing planning. Listen now and subscribe to get a new episode each week. Got a comment or question? Email our team at podcast@forrester.com.
Latest Episodes
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To Design Great Experiences, Start With Research
Experiences that attract and retain customers start with customer-centric research. In this episode of What It Means, Senior Analyst Kelly Price explains how to conduct user research effectively amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Role Of Enterprise Speed In An Adaptive Enterprise
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing organizations to adapt and change. In this episode, Vice President and Principal Analyst James Staten describes how enterprise speed informs an organization’s ability to be adaptive.
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The Reemergence Of B2B Marketplaces
“The rise of the B2B marketplace” might read like a headline from the early 2000s, but it’s perhaps more relevant now than ever. In this episode of What It Means, Vice President and Research Director Allen Bonde discusses the latest trends driving renewed interest in the B2B marketplace.
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Data Literacy: The Secret To Customer Obsession
The key to becoming customer-obsessed is turning data into insights. In this episode, Principal Analyst Jennifer Belissent provides guidance on how to make your enterprise more data-literate.
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As Gender Constructs Shift, So Does Brand Messaging
Fixed gender constructs have begun to erode. As perceptions evolve, so do the ways that brands market to consumers. In this week’s podcast episode, VP and Principal Analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee discusses how some leading companies have already shifted their approach and how other CMOs can get it right.
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Tracking The Business Impact Of COVID-19
In this special episode of What It Means, three Forrester analysts review the business impact of COVID-19 and provide guidance on activating a response plan.
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Building A Compelling CX Business Case
A persuasive customer experience (CX) business case delivers on the two Ms: measurable and meaningful. The case’s aims should be measurable (focused on metrics such as retention rate), but it also needs to meaningfully tap into the personal goals of internal stakeholders. Principal Analyst Maxie Schmidt breaks down how to build a persuasive CX business case on this episode of What It Means.
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Rebooting The Sales-Marketing Relationship
The sales-marketing divide of old lives on at many companies. Overcoming it is critical to giving today's savvy buyers the seamless experience that they expect. On this week’s What It Means, Phil Harrell, vice president and group director, explains how to bridge the disconnect to drive better results.
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Employee Experience Bill Of Rights
The specter of automation-driven job loss has made employees anxious and resistant to change. Principal Analyst J. P. Gownder joins to explain how an employee experience (EX) “bill of rights” can allay fears and boost morale by: 1) cementing what employees can expect and 2) ensuring that automation won’t cost your firm its valuable talent.
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Is 5G Right For Your Firm?
Firms debating the move to 5G have a number of factors to consider before determining whether it’s the right move. In this episode, Principal Analyst Dan Bieler discusses the benefits and challenges European firms face in moving to the latest cellular standard.
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AI + Customer Service: Transformation Starts From Within
Will contact centers soon be whittled down to a single all-knowing chatbot? Sorry, not quite. But AI will remake customer service, starting from the outside in. Discover the contact center of the future on this week’s What It Means with Principal Analyst Ian Jacobs.
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Is A Customer Community Right For Your Brand?
Brands such as Glossier, Peloton, and Sephora have shown that community can be a potent marketing tool. But building and maintaining customer communities isn’t as easy as it looks. On this week’s What It Means, Principal Analyst Emily Collins talks about what it takes to make community-building successful.
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Avoiding AI Gone Wrong: The Challenges Of Testing AI Applications
As AI-infused applications expand their reach, a question persists: How do you test the unknown? VP and Principal Analyst Diego Lo Giudice tackles that question — and more — in this week’s episode.
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How (And Why) To Leverage CX Champions Programs
Many understaffed customer experience (CX) organizations are spinning their wheels and realizing they can’t meet their goals in a silo. On this week’s What It Means, Analyst Angelina Gennis joins to discuss how CX champions programs can catalyze CX transformation.
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2020: Agencies Turn Inward To Meet Performance Demands
Mounting pressures on marketing leaders to deliver better brand experiences are forcing agencies to evolve. On this week’s What It Means, Principal Analyst Jay Pattisall discusses the changes ahead for agencies in 2020 and beyond.
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Emerging Tech In 2020: Four Trends CIOs Need To Watch
2020 will be another year of dramatic change in the emerging tech space, pushing IT leaders to keep pace. In this episode, Forrester analysts provide their top predictions in IoT, AI, edge computing, and cloud computing.
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CIOs Embrace Uncertainty And Prioritize People In 2020
CIOs, take note: 2020 will be a year of volatility, change, and opportunity for IT leaders. In this episode, VP and Principal Analyst Brian Hopkins reviews his 2020 CIO predictions and discusses what IT leaders can do to make the most of the year ahead.
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2020: A Make-Or-Break Year For CMOs?
The need to compete on customer and brand experience has redefined the CMO role and raised questions about the title’s fate. In this episode of What It Means, VP and Research Director Keith Johnston discusses the challenges facing chief marketers and the broader implications for organizations.
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The Customer In 2020 Searches For Meaning
Join us on a journey to the center of the customer’s hollow universe. Forrester Senior Analyst Anjali Lai and VP and Principal Analyst James McQuivey explore why customers will yearn for brands to provide something more meaningful than the rapid escalation of self-centered benefits.
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The Ambiguity-Laden March Toward People-Centric Design
We’ve gotten used to adapting to technology. But in the future, tech will adapt to us. On this episode, Hector Ouilhet, head of design for Google Search and Google Assistant, shares the latest in people-centric design.