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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Customer Journey Mapping In A Crisis
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, firms have struggled to keep on top of customers’ fast-changing needs. To succeed, look no further than the journey map. We’re joined by VP, Principal Analyst Joana Quintanilha on this week’s What It Means to discuss how journey mapping can help firms right now.
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Is It Time To Break Up With Social Media?
More than one in three consumers believe social media does more harm than good. Many brands spend tremendous time and money on social media, only to get a tepid (or even angry) response. On this episode of What It Means, Senior Analyst Jessica Liu discusses a timely question: Is it time to break up with social media?
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The Future Of Work Starts Now
The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically accelerated many of the trends that will define the future of work. In this episode of What It Means, Vice Presidents and Principal Analysts James McQuivey and J. P. Gownder discuss the four “shocks” that will shape the future of work and how their timelines have shifted up.
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What B2B Buyers Want
Today’s B2B buyers don’t want to be treated as targets but instead, as equal partners. On this week’s episode of What It Means, Principal Analyst Steven Casey and VP, Principal Analyst Lori Wizdo discuss what’s driving the shift and how B2B marketers and sellers can adapt their strategies to win these buyers.
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We’re At The Employee-Experience Strategy Inflection Point
The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the arrival of the future of work. To succeed amid the rapid change, enterprises must build a strong employee experience, says Principal Analyst David Johnson. Learn more on this episode of What It Means.
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The Need For Scenario Planning In Your Pandemic Recovery Strategy
A global pandemic has no definitive end date, which makes planning a formidable challenge for businesses. In this episode, Vice President and Group Director Stephanie Balaouras discusses the importance of scenario planning in organizations’ pandemic recovery strategy.
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The Road Back For Retailers
The coronavirus outbreak has shuttered stores, left millions jobless, and changed the way consumers shop. As retailers scramble to adapt, their responses have uncovered weaknesses — but also revealed opportunity. In this week’s episode, Analysts Sucharita Kodali and Brendan Witcher delve into the coronavirus’s impact on retail and what the future may hold.
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Making It Work With Remote Work
Remote work is the new norm for information workers due to the coronavirus outbreak. Analyst Andrew Hewitt joins this episode of What It Means to discuss the pillars that make up a successful remote working strategy: tech, culture, structure, and compliance.
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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.
Podcast
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.
Podcast
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.