Forrester

As we step into 2025, the APAC region stands at the forefront of a global financial transformation, with digital wallets and real-time payments reshaping the very fabric of commerce. Exploring the state of digital payments across six key APAC markets — Australia, metro China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia — our latest report, The State Of Digital Retail Payments In Asia Pacific, 2024, offers valuable insights and trends that are shaping the industry. We found that: Buy now, pay later (BNPL) has bounced back. Although strict regulations initially damped its growth, BNPL has surged in popularity among Gen Zers and Millennials. Younger consumers are particularly attracted by its flexible repayment terms and lack of interest charges. The BNPL market in APAC still has room for growth. Cryptocurrency and stablecoin usage have increased. The use of crypto for payments increased notably in 2024, especially in high-growth economies such as India and Indonesia. Consumers are becoming more familiar with cryptocurrency and stablecoin, which will lead to increased trust and use in the coming years. Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are still fresh and have room to grow. CBDCs are emerging as a promising digital payment method, with several APAC countries exploring or implementing these initiatives. The introduction of CBDCs represents a significant step toward digital currency adoption, backed by the security and trust associated with central banks. Digital payments are popular in both high-growth and mature economies. This surge in digital payments is largely driven by the convenience that digital payments offer over traditional methods like cash or cards. Consumers also appreciate the ease of transaction tracking and financial management that digital options provide. Cash is resilient despite the booming digital payment landscape. During the pandemic, concerns about hygiene caused cash’s popularity to plummet, with digital payment usage growing significantly, but our more recent findings show that cash remains a popular payment method for both online and offline transactions. Keeping pace with the dynamic changes in the digital payments sector is essential for businesses aiming to succeed. With the landscape continually shifting, a deep understanding of consumer preferences and behaviors across APAC’s varied markets becomes indispensable. This knowledge allows banks, payment services, fintech companies, and merchants to refine their payment solutions to better serve their clientele. Read the full report for deeper insights into APAC’s latest digital payments landscape. Forrester clients can schedule an inquiry or guidance session with me for further details. source

As we move into 2025, Europe continues to be exposed to dramatic changes, with trade slowing and geopolitics fracturing the region — all while technological change is accelerating. Meanwhile, several key industries, such as the automotive industry, are undergoing their own structural changes that are further increasing volatile dynamics. Given the uncertain times we live in, adapting your sourcing strategies by revisiting location strategies is even more relevant and pertinent these days; these measures are taken up owing to the prevailing economic situation forcing enterprises to prioritize cost optimization and resilient strategies. In previous research and a blog, we wrote about a plethora of factors that companies should consider to choose their European nearshore destinations to help streamline operations and reduce cost.   While we at Forrester are neither economists nor political analysts, it’s our intention to nudge our clients to keep their antennas in extended animation to anticipate and take proactive decisions against any current or future geopolitical tsunami. Some of the countries/locations I cover as part of my research on European nearshore strategies are particularly exposed to these developments. Here are some practical tips on how technology decision-makers should adapt their nearshore location strategies to these new realities: Lesson from the pandemic: Don’t be caught flat-footed; be resilient. The pandemic was an eye-opener to a lot of our clients, and that “wait and watch” strategy won’t fly; instead, proactively consider and implement resilient solutions. What this means is you should be alerted in real time on any location-impacting events or happenings, such as new labor laws, looming risks, general elections in countries, expansion of Schengen states, new memberships in NATO, new memberships in the EU, and global geopolitical turmoil. Use technology to stay aware of your risks as well as risks from your supplier ecosystems in real time: For example, leverage modules of supplier value management suites or best of breed. The EU has zero tolerance for noncompliance with regulations/laws. Europe has seen a plethora of regulations enacted recently. Most of these regulations came into place during the past two years and are here to stay (and evolve). Europe may have earned the nickname “Regulated Europe,” but these laws mean business. Regulations such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive all have a carrot-and-stick angle and even extend to small- and medium-sized businesses. Tech execs are urged to stay abreast of the applicable laws and follow them diligently as they take stock of their existing location strategies or evaluate newer locations. Keep a close watch on what’s happening in the US and China. Almost every country is dependent on the US and China for trade or other reasons. The political and economic events in these countries individually and interdependently have various levels of impact on trade and business in the rest of the world. Tech execs need to be nimble and agile to commune in the board rooms and revisit strategies at short notice, as changing circumstances require them to adapt and respond quickly. As stated before, a “wait and watch” approach won’t help you, but it will help competition get past you. A blog from my colleague George Lawrie provides ample variables to ponder. European nearshore locations need your complete attention. There are pros and cons for European-headquartered organizations: The EU border-free zone is being expanded, which could ease free movement of staff for agile scrum collaboration workshops, for example. Six new western Balkan countries are accelerating their momentum to join the EU, which is likely to drive political stability and freedom to work. But be mindful of the flip side: Countries with political instability that exhibit acrimonious relationships with the EU, or countries with unnecessary affinities to trade-embargoed countries, unfriendly labor laws, and currency collapse, need to be on your watch list. The old common-sense law applies here: “You are the captain of the ship; bring back the ship safely if you see it navigate into troubled waters.” In 2025, I will continue my research on nearshore locations, extending my coverage to also include Latin America and Far East Asia. Watch this space! source

In the vast sea of digital routes to market, e-commerce stands as a beacon of modern B2B commerce, but navigating this realm with outdated metrics is akin to venturing into battle blindfolded. The stark reality, highlighted by our report, Essential Measurement Strategies For B2B E-Commerce, reveals that 91% of B2B buyers face significant online purchasing barriers, with 68% deterred by errors that could be mitigated through more precise measurement strategies. The Challenge: Navigating Without A Compass A reliance on antiquated metrics not only obscures the path to success but also threatens digital commerce with missed opportunities and customer dissatisfaction. In an environment that demands agility, traditional data — such as website visits, conversion rates, or average order values — falls short, failing to capture the nuanced dance between customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and revenue generation. Strategizing For Victory To steer the ship clear of these icebergs and chart a course toward triumph, a strategic overhaul is essential. As depicted in our comprehensive graphic below, six principles for customer-obsessed e-commerce excellence are threefold, related to strategy, operations, and leadership: Leveraging data and aligning with business goals. The first step involves ensuring that e-commerce strategies are fueled by comprehensive data and insights and that the strategies resonate with broader business objectives. This alignment is pivotal for breaking down departmental silos; fostering collaboration across marketing, sales, IT, and operations; and crafting a unified, omnichannel experience that translates into tangible business outcomes. Adopting a holistic view, supported by technologies. Success in the digital domain demands embracing the entire B2B buyer lifecycle, from initial awareness through to unwavering loyalty. For instance, tailoring e-commerce strategies to not only attract but also retain customers by analyzing their purchasing behaviors and preferences allows for a seamless journey across all touchpoints. Integrated technologies and leveraging advanced tech, such as AI and ML, can transform predictive analytics, enabling businesses to anticipate market shifts and adapt swiftly. This approach transcends traditional analytics, offering a dynamic, data-driven foundation for decision-making. Fostering a culture of innovation and learning. The agility of e-commerce offers a unique platform for continuous learning and optimization. By embracing a culture of experimentation — where tests can be conducted at low costs and with rapid results — businesses can fine-tune their strategies to meet ever-evolving customer needs. It’s imperative for e-commerce leaders to cultivate entrepreneurial behavior within their teams, encouraging bold decisions and innovative thinking to not only keep pace but stay ahead of the competition. Of Impactful E-Commerce Measurement   The Path Forward The evolution of e-commerce mandates a departure from the comfort of familiar metrics to the uncharted territories of sophisticated, real-time data analysis and customer journey mapping. Such a transformation is not merely an upgrade; it’s a redefinition of how success is measured and achieved in the digital marketplace. As we chart the course toward e-commerce mastery, the journey extends beyond the horizon of current practices to a realm brimming with growth, innovation, and competitive advantage. To navigate this journey with precision, we invite you to download our latest report with concrete guidance and examples, or you can schedule a session with me. This isn’t just an opportunity to advance; it’s a strategic leap toward redefining the future of your B2B e-commerce endeavors. source

The B2B event technology landscape has continued to transform apace over the past two years. In this environment, standalone virtual event platforms have struggled as leading vendors have broadened their capabilities to support a wider range of event types. Despite these expanded capabilities, enterprises continue to run multiple, overlapping event technology platforms, with 22% of large enterprises deploying six or more event tech solutions. With event budgets under massive pressure, leaders should explore the benefits of consolidating onto an all-in-one event management platform. When evaluating all-in-one event technology, marketers should ask themselves three questions: What mix of events will we be running? In-person events have seen a robust resurgence over the past two years. Vendor data indicates that approximately three-quarters of all registrations are currently for in-person or hybrid events, with only a quarter for virtual-only events. But event formats are evolving. The fastest-growing event type is the small, owned/hosted in-person event with fewer than 200 attendees, while virtual events are becoming simpler and shorter. Marketers need to assess the range of events that they’re running and choose a partner that can provide centralized, scalable support. Are we maximizing the value of our event data? With increasing restrictions on access to audience data, event data has become one of the most valuable sources of zero- and first-party data, and marketers are prioritizing the maximization of its value. An all-in-one event management platform is crucial in this regard. Marketers should evaluate vendors based on their ability to capture and analyze attendee data to deliver more personalized experiences. Leading vendors can aggregate data across events and accounts, benchmark it against peer data, and use AI to answer data questions, run predictive analytics, and make customized attendee recommendations. Does this platform integrate into our broader martech stack? To fully leverage the value of event data, it is essential for marketers to integrate their all-in-one event platform into their broader marketing technology stack, but many organizations fail to do this and must prioritize it. Most vendors offer a range of native, API, and webhook integrations into leading marketing automation platforms and CRM systems, as well as app marketplaces for additional event solutions. Top vendors go further by offering deeper levels of integration, dedicated CRM objects, and exclusive partnerships. Are you interested in learning more? Forrester clients can access The Forrester Wave™: All-In-One Event Management Platforms, Q4 2024, schedule a guidance session or inquiry with me, and also register for an upcoming ask the analyst webinar, where I’ll be sharing highlights from the Wave research and taking questions! source

AI advantage does not come simply by giving employees access to ChatGPT or Microsoft 365 Copilot. These general-purpose models and tools, trained mainly on the world’s public data, cannot differentiate your business or define your long-term success. Nor can buying off-the-shelf AI-accelerated products like Github Copilot or Tabnine to, for example, automate your coding.  Our […] source

It seems like everyone is talking about performance these days in all aspects of life. High school kids are applying to college, and their SAT/ACT test scores and overall GPAs are being compared to their peers; awards season is kicking off, with nominations for the best performances in TV, movies, and other entertainment areas; and of course, the ever-popular end-of-year business ritual, when employees and managers evaluate their performance over the prior 12 months. It just seems fitting, then, that we kick the year off with a freshly published report on what high performance looks like in portfolio marketing. Results from Forrester’s Portfolio Marketing Survey, 2024, reveal significant gaps between high-performing and low-performing organizations. The survey gathers insights from portfolio and product marketing decision-makers based on their responses to questions about core responsibilities, technology usage, and key activities. High performance is defined as when 80% or more of an organization’s primary offerings are meeting revenue targets, while low-performance organizations are characterized as such by making 40% or less of their offerings’ revenue targets. High-performing portfolio marketers are customer-centric, and our research reveals the characteristics and behaviors that set them apart from their low-performing peers. Existing Forrester clients can access all the survey findings in this full report. Here is just a glimpse at some of the areas that stood out. Audience Mastery Is The Secret Weapon For High Performers One of the most significant responsibilities of a portfolio marketer is to help their organization define and prioritize target market segments and buyer personas. Two-thirds (66%) of high performers indicate that they have defined target market segments for more than half of their offerings, compared to just 19% of low performers, and 62% of high performers have defined target buyer personas for more than half of their offerings (21% for low performers). High Performers Emphasize Market Expertise Understanding market trends and dynamics is a fundamental capability for portfolio marketers. More than half (54%) of high performers own or lead efforts related to market research and intelligence; this is compared to 30% for low performers, and a whopping 35% of low performers say that they don’t do this at all! When it comes to market analysis, 60% of high performers own or lead the effort, versus just 40% for low performers. High-Performing Organizations Make Investments In Portfolio Marketing Portfolio marketing teams have long suffered from being understaffed. As high performers meet or exceed revenue targets, they can support growth within the function. More than half (56%) of high performers indicate that their organization’s investment in the portfolio marketing team will increase by 5% or more over the next 12 months (just 19% for low performers). High performers also invest in ongoing professional development, with 84% dedicating 40 or more hours per year, compared to only 51% of low performers dedicating as much time. For a more in-depth read on the survey findings and how high-performing teams outperform their peers, Forrester clients can check out my recently published report, written with my colleague Nicky Briggs, The State Of Portfolio And Product Marketing In 2024. And if you would like to have a more detailed conversation with me, you can request a guidance session or inquiry. source

There’s a story, probably apocryphal, about a royal leader who presented an elephant as a gift to those who had fallen out of favor. The unlucky recipients were left with a large and expensive problem. They knew they had a valuable animal, and they knew their health depended on the elephant’s health. However, the cost of feeding and caring for the creature exceeded the value they could realize. Ultimately, they went bankrupt, surrounded by piles of… err, tech debt. This story came to mind when I talked with a client recently. Their complaint was that “engineering” and “the business” didn’t understand each other. Engineering was the elephant: bulky, expensive to keep, hard to move, and incomprehensible. Business was the poor beneficiary, not understanding how to create value from the incredible resource — they weren’t even sure what they had. Framing the problem this way is a recipe for failure. Engineering is part of the business, often a large part. Engineering leaders must recognize they need the rest of the business to be healthy, or the elephant will starve. Leaders of the rest of the business must give clear direction to the elephant so it’s doing useful work for the organization, not just wandering off on its own. GenAI: Was That An Earthquake? Developer productivity is on everyone’s mind these days. We’ve all heard that gen AI promises to increase developer productivity by 40% or more. There’s a lot of hype, and leaders need to cut through the hype to find reality. Business leaders both inside and out of engineering have been coming to me with the same question these days: “How can we determine if our developers are more productive with genAI tools?” My response usually doesn’t go over too well: “Take whatever you’re using to measure productivity now, add genAI, and see if those measures go up.” The truth is that measuring developer productivity is hard. Back in 2003, Martin Fowler gave up, saying, “we have no way of reasonably measuring productivity.” Metrics like lines of code have always been meaningless, and they’re even more meaningless when you can add a prompt like, “make this twice as long.” Business Is What Matters In many cases, metrics are a form of vanity. “Our team is DORA elite” doesn’t mean much if your customer doesn’t want what you deliver, or if you’ve got overwhelming turnover costs due to developer burnout. Just the act of measurement will change what happens at your organization, so a light — and balanced — touch is needed. Save the time and motion studies for processes that get repeated and automated. The elephant knows how to lift the log and enjoys doing it. Team up with the elephant so you both succeed. Create alignment — make sure the elephant understands where the log needs to be — clear out the obstacles, and let the elephant figure out how to get it there. To learn how to do that, Forrester clients can connect with me or read my report, “Your Focus On Developer Productivity Is Killing You.” source

It seems like everyone is talking about performance these days in all aspects of life. High school kids are applying to college, and their SAT/ACT test scores and overall GPAs are being compared to their peers; awards season is kicking off, with nominations for the best performances in TV, movies, and other entertainment areas; and of course, the ever-popular end-of-year business ritual, when employees and managers evaluate their performance over the prior 12 months. It just seems fitting, then, that we kick the year off with a freshly published report on what high performance looks like in portfolio marketing. Results from Forrester’s Portfolio Marketing Survey, 2024, reveal significant gaps between high-performing and low-performing organizations. The survey gathers insights from portfolio and product marketing decision-makers based on their responses to questions about core responsibilities, technology usage, and key activities. High performance is defined as when 80% or more of an organization’s primary offerings are meeting revenue targets, while low-performance organizations are characterized as such by making 40% or less of their offerings’ revenue targets. High-performing portfolio marketers are customer-centric, and our research reveals the characteristics and behaviors that set them apart from their low-performing peers. Existing Forrester clients can access all the survey findings in this full report. Here is just a glimpse at some of the areas that stood out. Audience Mastery Is The Secret Weapon For High Performers One of the most significant responsibilities of a portfolio marketer is to help their organization define and prioritize target market segments and buyer personas. Two-thirds (66%) of high performers indicate that they have defined target market segments for more than half of their offerings, compared to just 19% of low performers, and 62% of high performers have defined target buyer personas for more than half of their offerings (21% for low performers). High Performers Emphasize Market Expertise Understanding market trends and dynamics is a fundamental capability for portfolio marketers. More than half (54%) of high performers own or lead efforts related to market research and intelligence; this is compared to 30% for low performers, and a whopping 35% of low performers say that they don’t do this at all! When it comes to market analysis, 60% of high performers own or lead the effort, versus just 40% for low performers. High-Performing Organizations Make Investments In Portfolio Marketing Portfolio marketing teams have long suffered from being understaffed. As high performers meet or exceed revenue targets, they can support growth within the function. More than half (56%) of high performers indicate that their organization’s investment in the portfolio marketing team will increase by 5% or more over the next 12 months (just 19% for low performers). High performers also invest in ongoing professional development, with 84% dedicating 40 or more hours per year, compared to only 51% of low performers dedicating as much time. For a more in-depth read on the survey findings and how high-performing teams outperform their peers, Forrester clients can check out my recently published report, written with my colleague Nicky Briggs, The State Of Portfolio And Product Marketing In 2024. And if you would like to have a more detailed conversation with me, you can request a guidance session or inquiry. source

With the rise of self-service buying, sales and marketing teams must adopt new customer engagement techniques: Fortunately, awareness of this need is high. Sales leaders participating in Forrester’s B2B Sales Survey, 2024, most frequently cited “transforming to support buyer preferences for self-service and e-commerce” as a priority. Regrettably, buyer enablement priorities and practices are far apart. Our latest report, Buyer Enablement: A Vital New Discipline For B2B Sales And Marketing, shows how to help buyers complete more tasks on their own. If you think that seems counterintuitive to selling, you’d be right: It defies most sales motions and the personal touchpoints upon which they are built. But the resulting hybrid approach works better for both buyer and seller. Buyer Enablement Examples There are many buyer enablement tools and resources, such as buying guides, on-demand scheduling, self-service demos, free trials, or shopping carts. Add these to prospect workflows. With so many digital tools available, there’s never been a better time to enable buyers than now. Below are five examples of companies that help prospects complete self-service buying tasks: Wistia, a video marketing platform provider, offers a product demo on its website that engages visitors as they move through it at their own pace (see image). Grainger, an industry supply company, enhances website interactions by allowing visitors to browse digital catalogs, click on a product, and then view details or add it to their cart. Oyster, a global employment solution provider, publishes more than 50 country hiring guides that document labor requirements and calculate employment costs. Notion, a note-taking and productivity platform provider, features work submitted by members of its creator community in a gallery of more than 10,000 templates. GE HealthCare, a medical systems and solutions company, allows site visitors to shop on its website for equipment and parts — at prices that can start at more than $15,000.   To enable buyers, Wistia offers a self-service demo on its website.   Putting Practices Into Action To enable buyers, map prospect journeys and purchasing tasks. In the workflow, publish a purchasing promise that spells out how you will interact with customers. Then, meet buyer education needs with content related to your industry, category, company, and products. Link tasks and help buyers progress. As you build new enablement practices, redefining roles, responsibilities, and processes might become an obstacle. But developing the courage to self-disrupt might be the greatest obstacle of all. Read the Buyer Enablement: A Vital New Discipline For B2B Sales And Marketing report (client access required) and schedule a guidance session to discuss how you can implement these new practices into your go-to-market approach. source

To understand the progress of sales tech in 2024, you just need to look at the evolution of AI value positioning. 2024 started with copilots focused on meeting needs of sellers and ended with agents looking to accomplish parts of the sellers’ jobs. While this may seem like a small differentiation, there is a clear shift in AI’s position to deliver value towards an end goal: Salesforce embraced agents and took mindshare from Microsoft and its copilots, and sales tech companies had to start thinking differently about their platforms; they are evolving from SaaS to AI companies that are moving beyond seller assistance and now doing part of the sellers’ jobs. The blogs I’ve written over the course of the year plot the happenings in sales technology from the perspective of someone who is in constant conversation with sales technology leaders navigating these dynamics. The blogs below represent what I covered during the year and what this all means going into 2025: Understanding The Real-Time Revenue Execution Platform Landscape: In a digital buying environment full of distractions, converting a prospective customer is not a simple task. Companies use real-time revenue execution platforms to connect marketing campaigns to sales, make sure that the buyer is connected to the right seller, and ensure the best sales outcome by identifying engaged buyers and efficiently routing them to a knowledgeable seller. What Salesloft’s Acquisition Of Drift Means: This Drift acquisition by Salesloft is one of the first pure-play sales technology providers to expand into marketing use cases. While conversation automation solutions such as Drift have been focused on supporting marketing, generative AI has opened a door for sales to leverage this technology for some interesting use cases that add value for customers and better support the buyer journey. A New Supergroup For Revenue Technology Emerges: Revenue Orchestration Platforms: In the world of revenue technology, three distinct categories have converged to form a new supergroup of revtech capabilities. Convergence of functionality across the key providers in sales engagement, conversation intelligence, and revenue operations and intelligence platforms has evolved to the point that these three functionality categories can now be found in one platform that we refer to as a revenue orchestration platform. It’s Time For Sales Leaders To Coach Sellers Like Athletes: Until recently, sellers and sales managers didn’t have enough visibility into buyer interactions to do extensive coaching. Managers tried to make the most of each opportunity by coaching on everything they noticed. In addition, sellers didn’t have the visibility needed to identify and correct issues on their own and so required the coaches’ time. Nowadays, revenue orchestration platforms automatically capture interactions, providing the seller and manager with the visibility necessary to identify coaching moments. Sales managers need to use this technology to coach their sellers with the same rigor as athletes. When It Comes To Sales And Marketing Alignment, Data Needs To Come Before People: The biggest gap to realizing revenue alignment is not a lack of sales and marketing people working together; it’s the lack of data to analyze, visualize, and recommend the next step and each step in the prospecting and buying cycle. Data capture solves this data gap and enables revenue teams to optimize each buyer interaction. My Take On The Year Ahead For Sales Tech After Attending Three Key Events: Unsurprisingly, AI was at the center of all discussions during three key technology provider events I attended in September, with AI agents being the most prominent buzz as the next evolution of AI. Going a layer deeper, however, reveals a more nuanced strategy for each host vendor. Predictions 2025: GenAI As A Growth Driver Will Put B2B Executives To The Test: B2B leaders have spent much of the past year scrambling to take advantage of generative AI (genAI) technology and find new ways to differentiate themselves. In 2025, the true power of genAI as a growth driver will be tested. Marketing, sales, and product executives’ accountability will intensify as companies turn to these functions to steer their organization’s most impactful genAI initiatives. Double-Clicking Into The Compensation Capabilities Of Sales Performance Management: Optimizing sales compensation increases in complexity as companies grow and expand their products and sales structure, making it difficult to administer seller plans without the use of a sales performance management/incentive compensation management solution. While sales performance management (SPM) platforms represent a broader set of capabilities such as planning, territory design, and quota management, most clients engaging with Forrester to evaluate SPM platforms primarily focus on . Next year promises many unexpected changes, with the acquisition environment likely to pick up while genAI expectations move from vision to reality. The market landscape will look much different at the end of 2025. Connect with me on LinkedIn to hear my perspective on the evolving sales technology market in 2025. It’s going to be a turbulent year. source