As Vice President & Principal Analyst with Forrester Research, Brendan Witcher serves business strategy professionals and is globally recognized as a leading authority on consumer behavior, market developments, technology trends, & solution providers in the digital engagement space.
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With 25 years of experience in leading B2C businesses, and having written more than 150 industry-leading research reports for Forrester, Brendan is a trusted strategic adviser to well over half of U.S. Fortune 100 companies — including 8 of the top 10 — that sit at the forefront of driving innovation and digital transformation.
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In addition to regularly speaking at industry events, Brendan is sought after frequently for commentary and insights by top media outlets including Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Economist, Time Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.
Bio
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My Philosophy
1. Consumers
When thinking about digital strategy, many companies will start with technology. I've personally found that this approach often leads failed projects and wasted resources. Strategy instead must start with having a purpose - and that purpose must dovetail perfectly with a consumer's expectations - or what I call their "buying conditions" - in order to ultimately generate positive business results for the company.
2. Strategy
Building a business strategy that will lead to success is rarely about the projects you choose to do to support it. Why? Because it's easy to pile on idea after idea and create an ocean of initatives to work on. The real work in strategy development, particularly when numerous stakeholders are involved, is making room for the projects that will matter today by putting off those that won't really matter until tomorrow.
3. Technology
Unlike many analysts, I don't start with technology. I feel the application of technology must be a means to an end, not the end itself. After helping build a strong vision for winning, serving, and retaining customers, and then working on development of a robust but achievable strategy, I then help clients consider the technical options they have, as well as the vendors who can best help the company achieve their goals.
"I take the role of analyst seriously. Clients rely on my honesty and well-vetted research to make major business decisions that can affect their careers, impact those they work with, and even shape their company's future. As such, I see it as my responsibility to care about their successes or failures as if they were my own."