Business
Forrester's 2026 B2C Marketing, CX, & Digital Business Predictions: One-Third Of Brands Will Erode Customer Trust Through Self-Service AI
According to Forrester's (Nasdaq: FORR) 2026 B2C marketing, customer experience, and digital business predictions, the rapid adoption of generative AI is exposing fragmented vendor ecosystems and increasing consumer skepticism. In 2026, a third of companies will harm experiences with frustrating AI self-service. The pressure to cut costs will cause companies to deploy customer-facing genAI chatbots and virtual agents prematurely — and in contexts where they're unlikely to succeed. This will erod
About this update from Forrester Research, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"SINGAPORE, Oct. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Forrester's (Nasdaq: FORR) 2026 B2C marketing, customer experience, and digital business predictions, the rapid adoption of generative AI is exposing fragmented vendor ecosystems and increasing consumer skepticism. In 2026, a third of companies will harm experiences with frustrating AI self-service. The pressure to cut costs will cause companies to deploy customer-facing genAI chatbots and virtual agents prematurely — and in contexts where they're unlikely to succeed. This will erode the brand and customer experience, harming both customer acquisition and retention. As customers' expectations continue to rise and tolerance for surface-level efforts fades, trust and value will become the guiding beacons for consumer marketing, customer experience (CX), and digital leaders.","length":858,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"(PRNewsfoto/Forrester)","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"(PRNewsfoto/Forrester)","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":64,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/f629bf7b855041dac3d4dc09f6706e4a"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/pD7fTSvgPwWskKk61Lr00g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTExMztjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/f629bf7b855041dac3d4dc09f6706e4a","width":400,"height":64}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2732193/Forrester_Logo.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"Forrester's Predictions reports deliver forward-looking insights into signals and trends that empower business leaders and their teams to think beyond conventions and ignite bold ideas in the year ahead. Forrester's consumer marketing, CX, and digital business predictions cover topics including: B2C marketing; customer experience; consumers; digital commerce; media and advertising; marketing agencies; and trust and privacy.","length":435,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Key highlights from Forrester's 2026 B2C marketing, CX, and digital business predictions include:","length":116,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"list","items":[{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"AI-driven privacy breaches will lead to a 20% surge in class-action lawsuits. A convergence of forces — growing privacy awareness, reg...