Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR)

When a company like Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR) guides for $395.0 million to $405.0 million in full-year 2025 revenue, their Mission Statement, Vision, and Core Values aren't just HR posters-they're the playbook for navigating a challenging market where contract value is down 7%.

You need to know if their stated commitment to 'Courage' and 'Customer obsession' is actually driving the new AI-enabled offerings, like Forrester AI Access, or if it's just talk.

How does a firm's foundational ethos translate into the kind of operational efficiency that delivered an adjusted net income of $7.2 million in Q3 2025? Let's defintely dig into the DNA of the business.

Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR) Overview

You need to know where a company has been to understand where it's going, especially in the volatile research and advisory space. Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR) has been a constant in this market, founded in July 1983 by George F. Colony in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a focus on advising businesses on the impact of emerging technology.

The firm has evolved from its early focus on telecommunications and PCs to become a global independent research and advisory powerhouse. Today, its core offerings are structured around proprietary research, consulting, and immersive events, all designed to help business and technology leaders achieve what Forrester calls 'customer obsession.' Their flagship product, the Forrester Decisions portfolio, is now the home for approximately 80% of the company's total contract value (CV), providing continuous guidance to clients. To learn more about the firm's foundational principles, check out Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

As of late 2025, Forrester Research is guiding for full-year 2025 GAAP total revenues to be approximately $395.0 million to $405.0 million. The firm maintains a global footprint, serving clients across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific with a team of over 1,500 employees. That's a lot of analysts focused on your next move.

Near-Term Financial Performance and Strategic Shifts

Honestly, the near-term financial picture reflects the ongoing market uncertainty you and your peers are navigating. The company's third-quarter 2025 results, announced on October 30, 2025, showed total revenues of $94.3 million, which was a decline compared to the $102.5 million reported in the comparable quarter of 2024. This is a realist's market, and clients are scrutinizing every dollar of spend, which has hit the research and advisory sector.

Here's the quick math on the segment performance from the second quarter of 2025, which drives the full-year outlook:

• Research revenue, the main product line, was $77.9 million, down 7% year-over-year.
• Consulting revenue fell 5% to $23.5 million.
• Events revenue saw a steeper drop, declining 23% to $10.2 million.

But here's the opportunity hiding in the numbers: despite the revenue headwinds, Forrester is showing improved profitability on an adjusted basis. Adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) for Q3 2025 grew to $0.37, up from $0.29 in the same period a year ago. This shows management is defintely executing on cost control and margin improvement, even as they invest in new, high-growth areas. They are guiding for a full-year 2025 adjusted EPS of $1.15 to $1.25.

Positioning as a Leader in the AI-Driven Market

Forrester Research remains one of the most influential research and advisory firms globally, and its client roster proves it-the firm serves 61% of the Fortune 100 companies. Their strategy is clearly focused on becoming the preeminent advisor in the generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) space, which is a smart move given the market's focus.

The company is actively positioning itself as the 'leading AI research company' by expanding its offerings like the generative AI tool, Izola, and the new self-service platform, Forrester AI Access. They understand that the next wave of growth won't come from just selling reports, but from giving leaders continuous, trusted guidance to turn AI into a business strategy, not just a technology project. This focus on pragmatic AI delivery and high-performance IT is why they remain a critical resource for tech and business leaders. If you're a decision-maker, their insights are a must-read for navigating the tech landscape.

Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR) Mission Statement

You're looking for a clear signal on what drives Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR), especially in a choppy market, and the mission statement is your North Star. It's not just a feel-good phrase; it's the strategic filter for every dollar spent and every piece of research published. For Forrester Research, the mission is to empower leaders in technology, customer experience, digital, marketing, sales, and product functions to be bold at work and accelerate growth through customer obsession.

This statement is a commitment to action, not just insight. It's how they justify their full-year 2025 revenue guidance of approximately $395.0 million to $405.0 million, which, despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, reflects a focused effort on high-value, subscription-based services. The mission is the foundation for their long-term value proposition, especially as they navigate the current market volatility.

Here's the quick math: if the research doesn't enable a client to be bolder or accelerate growth, it's a wasted effort. Their goal is to make their client's customer obsession a reality, which is the only way to sustain a contract value (CV) that stood at $288.1 million as of the third quarter of 2025.

Component 1: Empowering Leaders to Be Bold at Work

The first core component is about instilling confidence in decision-makers. In an era of constant disruption-hello, Generative AI-business leaders often face paralysis. Forrester Research's role is to provide the objective, data-driven research that gives you the conviction to make high-stakes moves. This isn't just about telling you what's next; it's about giving you a tested framework to act on it.

This component is directly supported by their core value of Courage-being bold. For instance, their research on high-performance IT is built on principles like Alignment, Trust, and Adaptivity, which are designed to help IT executives align their budget and operating model to business priorities and Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money. They want you to move fast and break things, but with a defintely solid plan.

The launch of their generative AI tool, Izola, and the new self-service offering, Forrester AI Access, are prime examples. These tools are specifically designed to equip clients with trusted insights and advice, enabling them to validate ideas and make smarter decisions faster. That's the definition of empowering boldness. The company's focus on AI leadership is a direct investment in this mission component.

Component 2: Accelerating Growth

The second component is the bottom-line driver: accelerating growth. For a research and advisory firm, this means their insights must translate into tangible financial or operational improvements for their clients. It's not enough to be smart; you have to be effective. This is where their advisory services bridge the gap between strategy and execution.

The financial results, even amidst a 7% decline in contract value year-over-year in Q3 2025, show a commitment to operational efficiency that supports this mission. Forrester Research reported an adjusted net income of $7.2 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, for Q3 2025, a significant beat over analyst expectations. This shows that while the top line is pressured, the business model is designed to deliver value and manage costs, which is what they advise their clients to do.

Key actions that illustrate this commitment:

• Driving growth through targeted sales strategies for their Forrester Decisions platform.
• Enhancing event experiences to boost client retention and contract value growth.
• Focusing on high-growth areas like AI and cybersecurity, particularly in the government sector.

Component 3: Through Customer Obsession

Customer obsession is the central tenet, the 'how' of the mission statement. It means putting the customer at the center of everything a business does-its leadership, strategy, and operations. Forrester Research lives this by constantly refining its own offerings to improve client retention, which is a proxy for how well they are serving their customers.

Their core values of Client and Quality directly map to this component. The company's client retention rate stood at 73% as of the first quarter of 2025, a critical metric that shows a solid, sticky subscription base. This stability, even with a decline in contract value, highlights the enduring quality of their research and advisory services.

The commitment to quality is further evidenced by their continuous enhancements to their proprietary research and consulting models, ensuring their insights drive growth and reduce risk for clients. They are not selling reports; they are selling a partnership to execute on priorities. The financial data confirms this focus on quality and client value, with Q3 2025 showing net cash provided by operating activities of $24.3 million, a significant turnaround from a negative cash flow in the prior year, demonstrating improved operational health driven by client payments and efficiency.

Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR) Vision Statement

You're looking for the definitive read on Forrester Research, Inc.'s (FORR) strategic foundation-the 'why' behind their research and guidance-and how it maps to their current financial reality. The direct takeaway is this: Forrester's vision is to empower leaders to be bold at work and accelerate growth through customer obsession. This isn't just a poster slogan; it's a strategic pivot point, especially as they navigate a challenging 2025 where total revenue is guided to be between $395.0 million and $405.0 million.

I've tracked companies like this for two decades, and the vision is the compass. For Forrester, that compass points toward three actionable pillars: Customer Obsession, Accelerating Growth, and the Courage to be Bold. These pillars are what you, as a decision-maker, are defintely buying into when you engage with their services.

Customer Obsession: The Core Operating Principle

The first, and arguably most important, component of Forrester's strategic vision is 'Client-We are customer obsessed.' This is their mission, their core value, and the central thesis of their research model. In a volatile market, customer obsession is the only sustainable moat, and Forrester is trying to sell you the tools to build it.

Their entire product suite, including the Forrester Decisions research platform, is designed to put the customer at the center of your strategy, leadership, and operations. This focus is critical because, despite a challenging macroeconomic environment that saw Contract Value (CV) down 7% to $288.1 million as of September 30, 2025, the firm is still investing heavily in areas like their new AI Access offering to deliver trusted insights faster.

• Client: Customer obsession drives everything.
• Quality: Set the bar high for research.
• Integrity: Do the right thing for the client.

Here's the quick math on why this matters: if you can increase client retention-which was holding steady at 74% in Q3 2025-by just a few points, the revenue impact is massive, especially when the Research business is seeing a mid-single-digit decline for the year. You can read more about how this focus has evolved over time here: Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Accelerating Growth: Mapping Insights to Action

The second pillar is 'accelerate growth.' For a client, this translates to moving past analysis paralysis and into execution. Forrester's value proposition is that their research and consulting don't just tell you what's next; they tell you what to do now to drive tangible business outcomes. This is the firm's direct answer to the pressure on corporate budgets.

Forrester's own financial performance shows the near-term risk of this environment, with the Consulting business guided for a high single-digit to low double-digit decline in 2025. This decline means clients are scrutinizing every dollar, demanding a clear line from a research subscription to a revenue lift. The firm's goal is to turn their insights into your growth, providing the confidence to make quick, high-stakes decisions.

The focus on efficiency is clear in their internal numbers, too. Disciplined cost control helped drive a 21% increase in adjusted operating income to $9.9 million in Q3 2025, even with an 8% revenue decrease. This shows an internal focus on operational discipline that mirrors the advice they give clients: be efficient and focus on high-value activities.

The Courage to Be Bold: Navigating Volatility

The final pillar is about 'being bold at work,' which speaks to the conviction leaders need in a market defined by volatility. The core value of 'Courage-We are bold' is their commitment to delivering definitive, sometimes contrarian, advice. This is crucial when the market is uncertain.

What this estimate hides is the challenge of selling high-cost research during a period of economic uncertainty, which has pushed the full-year 2025 adjusted operating margin guidance down to a range of 7.5% to 8.5%. To be bold, you need a partner who is a trend-aware realist, and that's what this vision promises.

The firm is betting on its ability to guide clients through the AI landscape, a major theme in 2025. They've expanded research into Agentic AI and launched new tools to help clients leverage generative AI, positioning themselves as the trusted source for navigating this complex, high-risk, high-reward technology. This is their own bold move, expecting these innovations to unlock new growth opportunities.

• Courage: Be bold in strategy and execution.
• Collaboration: Always be learning and teaching.

Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR) Core Values

You're looking for a clear read on what drives a research and advisory firm like Forrester Research, Inc. beyond just the quarterly earnings report. Honestly, a company's core values are the bedrock that supports its strategy, especially when markets are volatile. For Forrester Research, these values aren't just posters on a wall; they map directly to their product strategy and financial health, which is defintely a crucial tie-in.

The firm has five core values that guide everything from their research methodologies to client engagement. These values explain why their full-year 2025 revenue guidance is projected to be between $395.0 million and $405.0 million, even amid market uncertainty, because they focus on long-term client relationships over short-term wins.

Client: We are customer obsessed.

This value means Forrester Research puts the customer at the center of their leadership, strategy, and operations. It's the driving force behind their entire business model, which is why they focus on contract value (CV) as a key metric. As of the end of Q3 2025, their contract value stood at $288.1 million, a number that directly reflects the ongoing commitment of their client base.

A prime example of this obsession is the Forrester Decisions platform. This flagship offering now accounts for approximately 80% of the company's total contract value, showing clients are consolidating their research spend into the most customer-centric product.

• Focus on client-first vision.
• Tailor consulting to diverse client needs.
• Accelerate client growth with actionable insights.

Courage: We are bold.

In the research world, courage means making a definitive call and standing by it, even when it's unpopular. Forrester Research's analysts are expected to make 'bold calls' in their research and analysis, which is what clients pay for-not hedging. This boldness is reflected in their proactive move into Generative AI. They didn't wait; they launched their own self-service generative AI tool, Forrester AI Access, to equip clients with trusted insights faster.

This strategic investment in AI leadership is a bold move to secure future growth, especially as the company navigates a challenging environment that saw Q3 2025 total revenues at $94.3 million, down from the comparable quarter in the prior year. You have to be bold to invest during a downturn.

Collaboration: We are always learning and teaching.

Collaboration is the engine for innovation, both internally and with clients. For a research firm, this means cross-functional teams and a continuous guidance model. Their consulting services are designed to work as an extension of the client's team, ensuring that the insights from their research-like the Total Economic Impact (TEI) studies-translate into tangible outcomes. This continuous feedback loop is critical for maintaining the high quality of their proprietary data, which is drawn from annual surveys of over 675,000 consumers, business leaders, and technology leaders worldwide.

Here's the quick math: better collaboration with clients means better data, which drives a higher perceived value in their offerings. If you want to dive deeper into how this value impacts their bottom line, you should check out Breaking Down Forrester Research, Inc. (FORR) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors.

Integrity: We do the right thing.

Integrity is non-negotiable for an advisory firm; it's the foundation of objectivity. Forrester Research maintains rigorous policies to ensure their research is independent and objective, meaning client companies cannot purchase favorable opinions or coverage. Their research methodologies, such as the Forrester Wave™ evaluations, are transparent and publicly available, ensuring consistency and trust. This commitment to objectivity is what allows them to act as a neutral party that both providers and buyers can trust, which ultimately protects the value of their brand and their intellectual property.

Quality: We set the bar high.

The commitment to quality is what differentiates their research in a crowded market. This value is demonstrated by their adherence to rigorous, unbiased research methodologies and the depth of their proprietary data. The focus on operational efficiency and quality control helped the company deliver an adjusted net income of $7.2 million in Q3 2025, a notable improvement over the same period in the prior year, despite the top-line revenue pressures. They set a high bar for themselves, and the market rewards that discipline with improved profitability metrics.

The next concrete step is for the Investor Relations team to clearly link the success of the Forrester AI Access rollout-a direct output of their Courage and Client values-to the Q4 2025 revenue forecast by the end of this month.