Forrester

Forrester is a technology and business research firm serving executives who need independent analysis of markets, technologies and customer behaviour. Its framing of the problem it solves is disarmingly plain: success in business does not come with a manual, and the executives who navigate it well are usually the ones who have access to others who faced the same decisions first.

What distinguishes Forrester structurally is its continuous guidance model, which blends research, consulting and live events rather than selling any one of them alone. The argument is that a static report goes stale, whereas a continuous relationship keeps a client current as conditions change. In practice this means tailored interactions rather than a document library, and one published client describes it as Forrester integrating into their organisation, working as one team rather than supplying statistics and benchmarks from outside.

The research base is substantial and is where the firm's authority ultimately rests. Forrester surveys over 500,000 consumers, executives and technology leaders annually, which is what allows its analysts to speak to a given challenge from a body of evidence rather than opinion.

Total Experience is a flagship research area, examining how brand, customer and employee experience intersect to drive growth, and specifically helping organisations pinpoint the disconnects between them and prioritise the actions with the greatest revenue impact. That intersection is the sort of question that falls between internal functions and therefore tends to go unexamined without outside help. Pricing is not published; Forrester engagements are quoted per client.