What does an award-winning technology strategy look like? Find out as we highlight two of the most recent winners of Forrester’s Technology Strategy Impact Award, Best Buy and First Student.

Business and tech leaders expect (slightly) bigger budgets this year. How should they use them? On this episode of What It Means, VPs and Group Research Directors Stephanie Balaouras, Keith Johnston, and Srividya Sridharan dive into Forrester’s Budget Planning Guides’ recommendations for tech, marketing and sales, and customer experience (CX) leaders.

Despite Google’s recent reversal on third-party cookies, marketers need to prepare for data deprecation. Yet many aren’t. This week on What It Means, Senior Analyst Stephanie Liu and Principal Analyst Brett Kahnke discuss how B2C and B2B marketers can adapt their data strategies to maintain consumer trust and compliance.

Is creativity the hidden spark behind innovation? VP and Research Director Pascal Matzke and Principal Analyst Bernhard Schaffrik unpack why creativity is often undervalued and share strategies for leaders to foster it within their organizations.

Is alignment between B2B marketing and sales teams overrated? The concept may be in need of a rethink, say Principal Analysts John Arnold and Rick Bradberry. This week on What It Means, they describe what more productive marketing-sales relationships might look like.

Just as B2B companies are adopting generative AI (genAI) to gain efficiencies, so are their buyers. This week on What It Means, Principal Analyst John Buten looks at how buyers are using genAI in the purchasing process and what marketers and sellers should do in response.

Brandon Purcell, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester, dives into the complex world of AI alignment in business. He discusses the significant risks of AI misalignment and the need for quality data. The conversation highlights the importance of an 'align by design' framework to integrate business goals with AI practices, promoting transparency and accountability. Brandon also emphasizes strategies to enhance trust and mitigate biases in AI systems while advocating for responsible governance to maximize the benefits of AI development.

Brian Hopkins, VP of Emerging Technology and Principal Analyst at Forrester, and Ted Schadler, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, dive into the evolving world of AI. They discuss transformative effects of AI on interfaces and user interactions, drawing parallels to the Internet's early impact. The rise of voice interfaces reshapes brand-consumer relationships, while personal AI agents tailor experiences. They also explore the significance of consumer trust as AI technologies advance, alongside anticipated shifts in tech landscapes driven by major players like Microsoft and Amazon.

Sucharita Kodali, a VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, and Emily Collins, a VP and Research Director at Forrester, delve into holiday spending trends in this insightful discussion. They highlight how consumer sentiment is impacted by economic realities, particularly the psychological effects of inflation. The duo shares strategies for retailers, focusing on the importance of loyalty programs, selective discounting, and innovative marketing. They also explore the challenges posed by political influences and societal divides on consumer spending behavior this holiday season.

Nikhil Lai and Mo Allibhai, Senior Analysts at Forrester, dive deep into the impending changes in the digital marketplace due to major antitrust lawsuits against Google. They explore how these legal challenges may disrupt Google's monopoly in online search and advertising. The discussion includes evolving strategies in SEO and advertising, the competitive rise of alternatives like Bing, and the potential implications of a post-Google landscape. They emphasize the need for brands to adapt quickly in response to these shifts.