What It Means: A Forrester Podcast

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.

Jeff Pollard, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, and Jess Byrne, Principal Analyst, dive into the evolving CISO role. They discuss the mounting pressures and personal liabilities CISOs face, emphasizing the need for self-preservation strategies. The conversation explores emerging roles like Business Information Security Officers and highlights the importance of compliance and customer engagement. They also address the gender and diversity gaps within the CISO position, stressing the need for representation at the executive level as the landscape of security leadership transforms.

On July 19, an update from security software vendor CrowdStrike took down 8.5 million Windows endpoints and caused widespread chaos. In this episode, VP and Research Director Amy DeMartine and Principal Analyst Allie Mellen discuss the lessons learned from the outage and what steps security and business leaders should take as a result.

The rapid growth of AI will have both positive and negative impacts on the environment. In this episode, Vice President and Principal Analyst Thomas Husson delves into both AI’s environmental downsides and its potential to help solve the climate crisis.

AI has the potential to make the work of human resources more streamlined — and more complicated. How is that possible? Find out as Principal Analyst Betsy Summers explains the AI-HR paradox and sheds some light on the benefits and risks that AI poses to the HR function.

Reports of the demise of the CMO role have been greatly exaggerated, say VP and Principal Analyst Ian Bruce and VP and Research Director Mike Proulx. On this week’s What It Means episode, they dive into new research that paints a highly nuanced picture of the prevalence and tenure of CMOs.