Forrester

AI is driving efficiency across marketing agencies but at a cost: creativity. In his latest blog, Jay Pattisall explores how the industry’s growing focus on productivity and cost efficiency is undermining the creativity that fuels brand distinctiveness and commercial growth. • Nearly nine in 10 agencies now use generative or agentic AI across workflows. • 81% prioritize improving internal productivity, while fewer focus on improving the quality of creative ideation. What does this signal for CMOs and agency leaders? • Prioritizing efficiency over effectiveness can risk compromising creativity, brand differentiation, and growth. • AI accountability and pressure from the C-suite and financial markets are accelerating this shift. • AI remains largely a cost of business, with fewer than 10% of agencies monetizing these investments. Learn why he says it’s time to reset expectations and shift AI strategies from efficiency to effectiveness to support long-term growth and brand value. 👉 Read the blog: https://forr.com/4uXQijk

Agentic commerce is everywhere in the conversation. But how much of it is actually happening today? In her latest blog, Forrester's Emily Pfeiffer cuts through the hype to examine where agentic commerce really stands in mid-2026. While conversational shopping experiences are gaining traction, fully autonomous purchasing remains rare. The bigger opportunity right now is preparing your business for what comes next. The blog explores: ✅ What’s real versus what’s hype in agentic commerce ✅ How answer engines are reshaping product discovery ✅ Why brands need a “machine advantage” to stay visible and relevant ✅ The practical steps leaders should take today to prepare for the future of commerce The organizations that focus on readiness, adaptability, and experimentation today will be best positioned to capitalize as agentic commerce matures. ➡️ Read the full blog: https://forr.com/4gHCHZE ➡️ Explore the agentic commerce sessions at CX Forum West: https://forr.com/4xPQ1l6

There’s no such thing as the “best” vendor — only the best fit. Yet vendor selection still relies on static rankings and surface-level comparisons. In reality, several vendors can meet your needs. The real challenge is understanding the trade-offs and how different vendors map to your priorities. That’s where Forrester AI changes the equation. Instead of stopping at insight, it helps you move directly into decision-making: • Explore expert vendor analysis grounded in Forrester Wave™ evaluations. • Understand where each vendor excels — and where they differ. • Use interactive evaluation tools to identify the best fit for your specific needs. ➡️ See how Forrester AI helps you get trusted vendor advice you can act on: https://forr.com/4ad9dPx

We’ve entered the IT singularity: a moment where traditional IT operating models built for linear automation, human decision-making, and predictable systems no longer scale or make economic sense.   In this new era, success isn’t about adopting AI, it’s about regaining control in an AI-driven environment and ensuring AI works for you, not the other way around. That’s the focus of this year’s Technology & Innovation Forums.   ⬇️Explore the agendas, emerging themes, and research shaping how tech leaders can navigate the IT singularity in Austin, New York City, and London. #ForrTech

Three-quarters of enterprise leaders say they’re adopting agentic AI, but very few have it delivering meaningful production value. That’s the key finding from Brian Hopkins, Craig Le Clair, Jeff Pollard, Rowan Curran, and Leslie Joseph in their new research on the state of agentic AI in 2026. The gap isn’t ambition — it’s enterprise readiness. For CIOs, CTOs, architects, and security leaders: ➡️Agentic AI is here, but firms lack the orchestration, identity, and governance to scale it ➡️The biggest barrier isn’t experimentation, it’s operational control ➡️Autonomous systems need oversight, policy enforcement, and defensible logging ➡️More agents won’t create more value without workflow redesign The winners in agentic AI won’t be the ones chasing the most use cases. They’ll be the ones building the control plane to catch the value. 👉 Read the blog on the state of agentic AI: https://forr.com/4eshDDV What’s holding your organization back from moving beyond pilots?

This week at CX Forum East, across two days with more than 20 Forrester analysts, CX, B2C marketing, and digital leaders aligned on one reality. The winners won’t be those who adopt AI the fastest, rather, it will be those who operationalize it responsibly. Today’s AI mandate: • Design trust into every interaction instead of bolting it on later • Align CX and EX to deliver consistency at scale • Lead with humanity and not just technology Together, these aren’t isolated priorities. They form a new operating model centered around the total experience, where employee engagement, customer experience, and brand promise work in concert to create trust and drive measurable growth. Read more in Rick Parrish's blog on building the human foundation for AI: https://forr.com/4a4Wo9T Missed CX Forum East? CX Forum West is next — June 29–30 in San Francisco. Fewer than 400 leaders Two days Built for depth — not scale A limited number of spots remain. 👉 Register now: https://forr.com/4oGLQDV Follow Forrester CX Events for event updates. #ForrCX

Today, we are thrilled to celebrate The Home Depot as a recipient of Forrester’s Total Experience Honor at CX Forum East — recognizing organizations that set the benchmark for connected brand, customer, and employee experiences. In a keynote at CX Forum East, Keith Johnston and Stephanie Gordon highlighted a critical truth: You can’t tech-optimize your way out of a human experience challenge. What stood out from The Home Depot’s journey: • Transformation is a continuous commitment, shaped by both progress and course correction. • Digital innovation must stay balanced with front-line employee needs to avoid friction. • Listening and adapting is what enables sustained growth and stronger customer outcomes. What it means for leaders: Total experience leadership requires constant alignment across people, processes, and technology. 👏 Well-deserved recognition for The Home Depot! Learn more about Forrester's Total Experience Honor: https://forr.com/3SdqTV2 #ForrCX

Day 1 at CX Forum East focused on turning strategy into action. Across sessions, the conversation moved beyond concepts to what it actually takes to deliver — consistently and at scale. Underlying it all: leading effectively in an AI-powered landscape requires staying grounded in human judgment and experience. From interactive workshops to real-world examples, teams weren’t just discussing ideas, they were putting them into practice. More to come as Day 2 unfolds. ➡️Follow Forrester CX Events to stay up to date on event news.

What makes AI actionable? Getting trusted answers is only the beginning. With Forrester AI, business leaders can quickly create business cases, summarize research, identify vendors, track trends, and get strategic guidance grounded in Forrester’s expertise. But sometimes you need more than an answer. You need a conversation. That’s why eligible clients can connect directly with the analysts behind the research to discuss their specific challenges, validate decisions, and gain deeper perspective. It’s a level of access that public AI tools can’t provide. ➡️ Learn more about how Forrester AI helps turn insights into action: https://forr.com/3QppnhR

Fox’s $22B acquisition of Roku is about more than streaming. It reflects a broader shift in media: owning content is no longer enough. Competitive advantage increasingly comes from controlling the platform, audience data, and advertising ecosystem. The deal gives Fox greater scale in connected TV and strengthens its position in the growing free ad-supported streaming market. 👉 In his latest blog, Mike Proulx outlines what this deal means for media, advertising, and the future of streaming consolidation: https://forr.com/4g66co3