Exploring the MarTech & CX Landscape
Forrester’s 2025 Global Customer Experience Index (CX Index™) paints a concerning picture: customer experience quality is in a multi-year decline worldwide, reaching an “all-time low in North America.” Brands are feeling this, as customers continue to vote with their wallets.
The modern consumer is a multifaceted, multi-tasking marvel, juggling decisions and distractions with an almost superhuman ability. In a world of fleeting attention spans and relentless notifications, capturing and retaining customer engagement is no small feat. Kelsey Chickering, Principal Analyst at Forrester, offered her expert insights on navigating this complex landscape during a recent interview.
The rise of artificial intelligence has opened exciting new avenues for brands to connect with their customers. Yet, amidst the rush to implement the latest AI-driven solutions, it’s crucial to remember that technology should serve human needs, not the other way around. Just because a technology can be implemented, doesn’t mean it should be. AJ Joplin, Senior Analyst at Forrester, emphasizes the importance of human-centered design in creating interfaces that feel intuitive, conversational, and even empathetic. Marketing leaders must resist the urge to treat AI as a “condiment” sprinkled indiscriminately across every customer touchpoint. Instead, a thoughtful approach grounded in deep customer understanding is essential to unlock the true potential of AI.
Let’s explore some key takeaways from a conversation with Stephanie, exploring how brands can leverage AI’s potential while upholding customer trust. We’ll explore the importance of defining clear use cases, respecting privacy personas, and fostering transparency throughout the AI integration process. These principles are crucial not just for avoiding pitfalls, but for truly harnessing the transformative power of agentic AI to build stronger, more meaningful customer relationships.
The transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing is no longer a futuristic fantasy; it’s rapidly becoming a tangible reality. But while many organizations focus on AI’s cost-saving potential, true value lies in its ability to amplify the human element, creating a network effect that elevates both employee and customer experiences. This isn’t about replacing humans with machines. It’s about empowering teams to work smarter, faster, and with greater impact. In this article, we’ll explore how marketing leaders can leverage AI’s network effect to achieve not just one or two, but *all three* desirable outcomes: cheaper, faster, *and* better results. We’ll delve into the insights shared by Jay Pattisall, a leading voice in the MarTech space, to understand the practical implications of this powerful concept.
This article was written by Greg Kihlström for CMSWire. About 1,500
customer experience, digital-business and B2C marketing leaders converged here in Nashville June 23-26 to better understand the secret to “faster revenue, higher revenue, and a better overall experience.”
We are here at Forrester CX Summit 2025 in Nashville, TN and hearing all about the latest insights and ideas for brands to create better experiences for their customers.
Agility isn’t speed for speed’s sake; it’s the discipline of staying useful while everything—and everyone—spins. In an era when consumers swipe away in milliseconds, an agile brand has to win attention before the next notification does.
Today we’re unpacking how to win and retain the distracted consumer with Kelsey Chickering, Principal Analyst at Forrester.
If your AI roadmap doesn’t include your customer, is it really a roadmap—or just a bridge to nowhere?
Agility requires remembering who pays the bills: the customer. When shiny new tech shows up, it’s tempting to sprint after it—often leaving the actual human in our dust.
Today we’re talking about staying customer-first in the race to adopt agentic AI. To help me dig in, please welcome Stephanie Liu, Senior Analyst at Forrester. Stephanie—welcome to the show!
Does your AI-based interface talk to customers the way a real person would or is it tech for tech’s sake?
We are here at Forrester CX Summit North America 2025 in Nashville, TN and hearing all about the latest insights and ideas for brands to create better experiences for their customers.
Agility is less about bolting on new features just because the tech is available and more about making tomorrow’s experiences feel intuitive and natural to the end customer using them.
Today we’re diving into designing for the future of experiences with AJ Joplin, Senior Analyst at Forrester.
AJ is the lead analyst for Forrester’s research on experience design (XD), design organizations, and design leadership. Helping XD and customer experience (CX) leaders develop and deliver on research-based strategy is AJ’s professional passion. She has observed that the most effective organizations combine clear purpose with the right people and leverage systems to clarify decision-making, prioritization, and workflows. AJ also has years of workshop facilitation experience in human-centered design and design thinking. Using her professional coaching skills, AJ bring clients through ambiguity and into alignment on what matters and what’s next.
Forrester: https://www.forrester.com https://www.forrester.com
Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands
Don’t Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland – the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150“
Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
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Agility isn’t about adding more tech; it’s about multiplying human impact.
Today we’re exploring the network effect of AI and how it helps employees create powerful experiences with Jay Pattisall, VP & Principal Analyst at Forrester.
