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

Podcast

The Radical Remaking Of Financial Services In Asia Pacific

What It Means September 5, 2019
Financial services in Asia Pacific are in the middle of a radical departure from the past. Senior Analyst Zhi-Ying Barry joins to explain how the convergence of disparate forces are challenging the very nature of a financial services firm.
Podcast

The Future Of CX: Real Time, Ethics, And AI

What It Means August 29, 2019
Customer experience (CX) organizations will revamp their skills and strategies in response to new business dynamics and transformative technologies. Dive in to the future of CX on this week’s What It Means with VPs and Principal Analysts Rick Parrish and Joana van den Brink-Quintanilha.
Podcast

To Transform Your Business, Start With The Employee Experience

What It Means August 22, 2019
Confident, well-prepared employees fuel business transformations. Overwhelmed employees who fear the future can’t. Learn how to build an empowering employee experience on this week’s What It Means.
Podcast

Let’s Reverse Cybersecurity’s Self-Inflicted Staffing Shortage

What It Means August 15, 2019
On this episode of What It Means, VP and Group Director Stephanie Balaouras and VP and Principal Analyst Jeff Pollard dissect the myths, misconceptions, and half-truths within the current cybersecurity staffing shortage — and discuss a more effective way for security and risk leaders to build a complete, qualified team.
Podcast

Without Employee Activation, Business Strategies Are Just Hot Air

What It Means August 8, 2019
Strategies don’t yield business results. The execution of a winning strategy does. On this episode of What It Means, Principal Analyst Sam Stern and VP, Training & Certification Erin Streeter discuss how learning empowers employees to activate business transformations.
Podcast

The Organizational Architecture Of Innovation

What It Means August 1, 2019
Team structure sets the foundation for innovation. On this episode of What It Means, we’re joined by CEO Dennis Barnes to learn how RGAX organizes itself for transformative innovation.
Podcast

The Future Of Work

What It Means July 25, 2019
Automation possesses transformational power, and yet, just as with all emerging technologies, implementation is everything. This week, we’re joined by VPs and Principal Analysts J. P. Gownder and James McQuivey to explore how automation will shape the future of work.
Podcast

US CX Index 2019: Where Brands Are And How They’ll Excel

What It Means July 18, 2019
Forrester’s US CX Index™ 2019 revealed a modest increase in overall quality, with no brands achieving an “Excellent” score. VP, Research Director Harley Manning and Director, CX Analytics Michelle Yaiser delve into what’s behind the slow pace and how brands can accelerate.
Podcast

Entering Dullsville. Population: Too Many Brands

What It Means July 11, 2019
Brands have driven themselves straight into Dullsville. For years, they’ve slashed creative to the quick and overinvested in tech. Principal Analyst Jay Pattisall explains why you need both to succeed, and how creative can augment your tech investments.
Podcast

Will Facebook Survive?

What It Means June 27, 2019
For 18 months and counting, Facebook has been rocked by constant scandals. Senior Analyst Jessica Liu explains that Facebook will be fine in the short term. But in the long term . . . maybe not so much.
Podcast

How Lloyds Uses Privacy As A Differentiator

What It Means June 20, 2019
Privacy regulations can seem like a hassle. But if you want to grow customer affinity, privacy can be a strategic strength. Lloyds Banking Group Experience Strategist Laurent Christoph and Forrester VP and Principal Analyst Fatemeh Khatibloo explain how Lloyds uses privacy as a differentiator.
Podcast

Implementing Zero Trust Compliance

What It Means June 13, 2019
What does a Zero Trust framework look like on the ground? On this episode of What It Means, we’re joined by Principal Analysts Renee Murphy and Chase Cunningham to explore the intersection of Zero Trust and compliance.
Podcast

Why Every Firm Needs A Values Strategy

What It Means June 6, 2019
On this episode of What It Means, Principal Analyst Rick Parrish lays out the case for why brands must craft a thoughtful values strategy — and why shouting values from the rooftops may not be right for your brand.
Podcast

A Practical Guide To Evaluating Emerging Tech

What It Means May 30, 2019
When emerging tech hype meets reality, businesses can lose. On this episode of What It Means, VP and Principal Analyst Martha Bennett guides businesses through the difficult work of successfully leveraging emerging tech.
Podcast

“Direct-To-Value” Is An Opportunity For B2C Brands

What It Means May 23, 2019
How should incumbent brands respond to the direct-to-consumer (DTC) phenomenon? To help firms answer this crucial question, we’ve released Principal Analyst Ryan Skinner’s keynote from Consumer Marketing 2019.
Podcast

Edge Computing: How And Why Now

What It Means May 16, 2019
Intelligent technology is spreading to fridges, bridges, televisions, and more. Edge computing seeks to link these smart devices into a smart ecosystem that can work with previously unimaginable complexity and speed. VP and Principal Analyst Brian Hopkins explains how.
Podcast

WW’s Digital Transformation Journey

What It Means May 9, 2019
With the infusion of tech into every aspect of modern business, a successful business transformation requires digital transformation. This week, WW CTO Michael Lysaght joins to explain how tech transformation can thrive during a larger business transformation.
Podcast

Using Tech To Improve The Citizen Experience

What It Means May 2, 2019
Government agencies are striving to serve citizens better, faster, and more efficiently. As Principal Consultant Chris Gallacher notes, great citizen experience (CX) requires a revitalized tech core. Discover how to beat technical debt and win citizen approval on this week’s What It Means.
Podcast

Marketers, Challenge False Assumptions To Truly Win Fans

What It Means April 25, 2019
With good intentions, marketers have made wrongful assumptions about what customers want, corroding consumer trust. Hear VP and Group Director Melissa Parrish explain how marketers succeed by valuing their customers’ voices on this episode of What It Means.
Podcast

Yes, You Still Need To Prep For Brexit

What It Means April 18, 2019
The terms of Brexit are (still) uncertain. But you’ll thank yourself later if you prep for Brexit now. VP and Group Director Laura Koetzle advises how you should handle key issues on this week’s What It Means.