Peter O’Neill says, “There has been quite a response to my comment in the last blog on planning a technology-focused track at our October B2B Marketing Forum. Thanks for your inputs. I am glad you are looking forward to it. I have the luxury of being able to invite many different experts to the Forum, not just the B2B Marketing analysts; so that track in Miami will focus on how to deal with the current marketing-technology offerings as an enterprise: how to architect, compare and procure, and manage the business case –through the full life cycle. I’ve recently enjoyed Ajay Agarwal’s... [...]

Anjali Lai says, “There’s little doubt that we are living in a “selfie” culture. The once-mundane activities of exercising at the gym, driving to work, or simply making coffee are now social spectacles that win attention and, in some cases, profit. This impulse to share daily tasks begs us to rethink the meaning of “personal” – and now consumers have even begun to expose sensitive information like their financial behaviors. Today’s channels that bridge social connections are increasingly playing into consumers’ personal financial management tactics. Forrester’s Consumer... [...]

Peter O’Neill says, “For the past six years, Forrester has held its Sales Enablement Forum for B2B marketing professionals in March, the first two years in San Francisco and then down in Scottsdale (see here for my debrief from the successful 2015 event). I’ve already had a few calls and emails asking me about this year’s Forum: What is the agenda? Where and when is it being held? So, here is a timely reminder that we have reconfigured our events calendar this year and the 2016 B2B Marketing Forum is now scheduled for October 18 and 19 in Miami, Florida. Planning is well underway:... [...]

Lilly Varon says, “The answer: In the markets included in our latest Asia Pacific Online Retail Forecast— China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Australia — total online retail revenues will nearly double from $733 billion in 2015 to $1.4 trillion in 2020. For perspective, $1.4 trillion is about the same amount spent online in 2015 in every market that Forrester forecasts across the globe combined. In our latest report, Asia Pacific Online Retail Forecast 2015 To 2020, (subscription required) we look at the growth in these markets over the next five years and some of the key trends shaping... [...]

Michael Barnes says, “Six months after our highly successful Summit for Marketing Leaders in Australia, I’m excited to announce that Forrester’s CX Marketing Sydney 2016 event is less than 7 weeks away. As all organizations operating in Australia understand, the line between brand, marketing, and customer experience (CX) disciplines has blurred as people gain access to companies, services and products on their own terms. How can you thrive in this dynamic environment? Start by effectively coordinating between brand, CX, and marketing teams. We’ve filled our agenda with senior CX and... [...]

Nick Barber says, “Virtual reality and 360 videos continue to gain momentum, but one obstacle that could stop them in their tracks is the lack of an analytics standard. Virtual reality or 360 video (synonymous for this post) deliver immersive experiences. If you have never consumed VR video, imagine standing inside a globe with content flowing all around you. Video analytics can be robust, but 360 introduces new challenges. Instead of a “lean back” experience, viewers of VR video take an active role in deciding where to focus. This means that success can’t be defined by views alone.... [...]

Ted Schadler says, “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting way too many unwelcome solicitations from LinkedIn. I love this website when I need to look someone I’m meeting on the phone. But I don’t pay for it despite LinkedIn’s repeated pitches on premium this and high-value that. Doubt I ever would. After all, I can just ask the person and usually do. But LinkedIn’s solicitations have begun to reach fever pitch, roughly one every other day coming into my inbox. And then I realized in the last three months, LinkedIn’s stock has dropped 59% down to... [...]

Xiaofeng Wang says, “The Chinese social media landscape is unique and evolving rapidly. Since the publication of our first report on benchmarking social marketing in China, marketers have continued to invest in social marketing. My latest report, Benchmarking Social Marketing Efforts In China In 2015, tells how their social marketing efforts now stack up against the competition. The key findings are: WeChat is marketers’ social darling; LinkedIn is stepping into a market dominated by local players. WeChat has replaced Weibo and dominates both marketers’ adoption and satisfaction: A whopping... [...]

Jennifer Belissent says, “We’re now only a week away from the Mobile World Congress 2016 to be held again in Barcelona. As the excitement builds and we plan our schedules, it serves us to reflect back on last year’s event and to explore what we expect this year. Mobile World Congress remains the pre-eminent event of the mobile industry and now one of the largest global events across all industries – a fact which illustrates an ambiguity in the meaning itself of “mobile industry.” Last year, over 94,000 people attended the event – a 10% increase from the 2014 event but a 30%... [...]

Carlton Doty says, “A CMO and a CIO walk into a hotel bar (Let’s call them Tom and Dick). After ordering a drink, Tom says, “Dick, I really need to start working with a DMP this year, and I want your help selecting one.” Dick says, “A DMP? My enterprise architecture team is building a near real-time, self-service data management platform. We’ll be done by the end of the year. You’re going to love it in 2017!” With an absent look on his face, Tom says “A DMP is a piece of AdTech that we can use to quickly target tailored audiences with our ad campaigns. It’s not a back-office... [...]