Forrester Research has named Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, Publicis Sapient, and PwC as leaders in The Forrester Wave: Global Digital Experience Agencies, Q4 2019 report.
The companies were rated on their ability lead with experiences and follow through with transformation; bring creative thought and expression to differentiate their brand experience; integrate a portfolio of strategy, design, data, technology and program services; and the ability to deliver consistently in every region they inhabit.
Forrester included 14 service providers in this assessment: Accenture, Capgemini, Cognizant, Deloitte, EPAM, IBM, Isobar, MRM//McCann, Publicis Sapient, PwC, TCS, VMLY-R, Wipro, and Wunderman Thompson.
Accenture was one of the brands named as a leader.
According to Forrester, "Accenture Interactive scores well in several strategy factors, including vision, partner ecosystem, client co-innovation, and employee experience. Reference customers like Accenture's partnering ability and breadth of services."
"They would welcome improvements in the cohesiveness across the firm's acquired companies and even stronger program management. Accenture is a good fit for large companies, particularly in sectors like banking, hospitality, and telecommunications — where experiences are the driver of business transformation — but less so for companies with a more modest appetite (or budget) for transforming their business models.
Accenture Interactive CEO Brian Whipple comments, "Winning in today's digital world is about creating great experiences. The convergence of marketing and technology enables brands to create new types of brand experiences that set themselves apart. We believe this Forrester report recognises the strategic work we do with clients in furthering their experience transformation agendas.
Of Deloitte Digital, Forrester says that the company is building from strength to focus on co-innovation and business creation.
"Compared with other service providers we evaluated, Deloitte Digital has higher customer adoption and ratings of its experience design, content services, analytics, and client portal or app services. It has good adoption of creative services, customer data, and commerce as well.
IBM was recognised for its ability to focus on business reinvention through design thinking.
"Compared with other service providers we evaluated, IBM iX has higher customer adoption and ratings of its experience design, analytics, and artificial intelligence and machine learning services. It has lower adoption of its content services," Forrester notes.
"IBM iX is a good fit for existing clients that seek to build a digital innovation pipeline or for new clients that need scale and a broad set of capabilities; it's not as good of a fit for one-off marketing engagements.
Forrester recognised Publicis Sapient's comparatively higher customer adoption and ratings of its customer experience strategy and insights, experience design, product engineering, and technology services. "It has good adoption of its content and emerging touchpoint services as well.
"Publicis Sapient scores well for employee experience in our strategy assessment. It is weaker when it comes to client co-innovation and partner ecosystem."
"Publicis Sapient is a good fit for companies that need consulting services and experience transformation, but not for companies that seek only a project-level engagement.
Forrester adds that PwC "has a unique approach to business transformation with a robust ecosystem".
"Compared with other service providers we evaluated, PwC has higher customer adoption and ratings of its experience design, privacy and compliance, and program management services. It has lower adoption of its customer data and technology services," Forrester states.
"PwC Digital Services scores especially well for partner ecosystem in our strategy assessment. It ranks in the middle of the pack in client co-innovation and employee experience.
"PwC is a good fit for existing clients that need deep trust and security skills and those ready to make experience-led transformation their strategy, but less so for firms transforming on a budget.
