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Solve The Deep-Rooted Strategy Problem Affecting Marketing and Sales

    Author

    Simon Harrison

    Simon Harrison

    Analyst and Executive Partner

    Simon Harrison is an accomplished analyst and technology strategist with over 30 years of experience spanning systems engineering, technical consulting, product innovation, and global senior leadership. He began his career as a UNIX systems engineer and consultant before advancing to senior roles, including SVP of Product Marketing and award-winning Chief Marketing Officer, driving growth for a multibillion-dollar company. A former Gartner analyst and Magic Quadrant author, Simon remains an active industry analyst and executive advisor, helping companies sharpen their strategy, messaging, and go-to-market performance. Today, as founder of Actionary, he delivers board-level insight on AI, customer engagement, and platform innovation, drawing on deep technical roots and a proven track record of helping companies achieve their goals at scale.

    Summary

    When companies struggle to realize growth ambitions or revenues plateau, the natural ambition is to revisit Marketing and Sales practices to find out what’s wrong. Research confirms that when a company decides to dig deeper they often find there’s a deep-rooted strategy problem. There are good reasons for this. Markets change shape, competitive products evolve, and founders realize that the original reason for existing isn’t as relevant anymore. In this research we dive into what’s likely to be happening and why, then provide some solutions on how to move forward.

    Key Take: Companies must regularly reassess their purpose, align their value proposition with market shifts, and ensure resources are strategically positioned to drive sustained, scalable growth. Without this discipline, businesses risk losing their competitive edge and no longer being relevant.

    Create an Architecture of Trust with the Latest in AI-Related Data Security

      Summary

      Data security and privacy have long been essential in technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) introduces new, often overlooked risks that require an understanding of new security concepts and a modern approach. Traditional security practices won’t address AI-specific challenges such as adversarial attacks, new data extraction techniques, and regulatory compliance under new laws like the EU AI Act. This research provides insight on the nuances of these issues buyers should be aware of and provides actionable strategies for AI solution providers to mitigate risks and maintain client trust.

      Key Take: AI introduces new security risks. Providers must demonstrate a clear understanding and evidence of how AI-specific security measures have been implemented to stay compliant and secure to maintain client trust.

      How CCaaS Vendors Can Remain Relevant in a Shifting CX Landscape

        Summary

        The customer experience (CX) landscape is evolving as diverse vendors, including CRM, Customer Engagement Centers (CEC), and Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) providers, increasingly encroach on the Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) market. This shift is driven by AI advancements and the growing value of data integration across CX functions. Traditional CCaaS players face significant challenges as competitors leverage AI and data to offer more integrated and holistic solutions. This note aims to provide buyers with insights on what to look for in leading CCaaS vendors, and their solutions, based on areas they should be focusing on to deliver true CX capabilities.

        Key Take: CCaaS vendors must form broader partnerships and enhance data integration to advance in personalization, employee engagement, and AI-driven capabilities. Failure to do so may risk their relevance in an evolving CX landscape.