The Forrester Customer Community Ecosystem Framework

Today’s B2B customers have a variety of options for connecting with each other and key company resources. Customer interactions occur within online community platforms, user groups, events, social media channels, advisory boards and partner groups. The Forrester Customer Community Ecosystem Framework helps organizations align community elements to customer lifecycle goals.

A B2B customer community ecosystem can offer a knowledge-rich environment for internal personnel as well as customers. Too often, however, the development of this critical network of customer touchpoints is left to chance, which results in missed opportunities. A strategic approach to the customer community — which requires coordination, resources and, in some cases, technology investments — can deliver significant returns to the organization. In this report, we introduce the Forrester Customer Community Ecosystem Framework, which helps B2B companies align community elements to customer and company goals.