Building and executing go-to-market (GTM) strategies without reliable data and insights leads to inconsistent and often ineffective results. Even the most experienced teams struggle to make informed decisions without a structured approach or accurate information to guide them.

In B2B marketing, victory depends on having the right data and insights at every strategy development stage. When these elements are missing or disconnected, organisations face uncertainty, misalignment, and missed opportunities. When data is properly leveraged, however, GTM strategies become more focused, actionable, and impactful, enabling teams to drive better outcomes with greater confidence.

The Forrester Go-To-Market Architecture

To forgo the guesswork, Forrester developed the Go-To-Market Architecture, a strategic framework designed to help B2B leaders structure their GTM approach with precision. That’s where Acumen Intelligence comes in.

Acumen Intelligence equips leaders with the right data, insights, and decision-making across every layer of the GTM architecture, whether it’s understanding markets, decoding buyer behaviour, or optimising engagement. 

1. Market Strategy: Set the Direction with Data-Driven Confidence

At the highest level, market strategy decisions define where your business plays. Which markets should we prioritise? What growth potential exists in each segment? Which routes to market offer the best ROI?

To answer these, portfolio marketers and senior executives need access to:

  • Market sizing and forecasts
  • Segment-specific historical performance
  • Emerging trends and buyer needs

2. Buyer Strategy: Keep the Account at the Core

The next layer, buyer strategy, is where the GTM plan starts getting personal. Here, you define who you’re targeting, what they require, and how your offerings align with their business challenges.

This level relies heavily on qualitative insights, such as:

  • Buyer roles and influence in the decision-making process
  • Core business initiatives and pain points
  • Persona prioritisation

At this stage, it becomes extremely useful to have a unified view of the buyer landscape. This unified view is possible by combining:

  • CRM and sales data
  • Marketing system insights
  • Industry association benchmarks
  • Analyst insights

By mapping these data points together, there can be a deeper buyer understanding.

3. Engagement Strategy: Make Every Interaction Count

Your engagement strategy is where plans meet execution. At this stage, GTM teams decide how to connect with buyers across channels and touchpoints. It’s about precision, timing, and relevance.

Here, success depends on a mix of qualitative and quantitative insights:

  • Buyer behaviour and preferences
  • Channel performance metrics
  • Website engagement, content consumption, and conversion paths
  • Third-party intent signals

Your strategy can add an advanced layer of visibility here by incorporating:

  • Conversational intelligence: from sales calls and chatbots
  • Behavioural analytics: across web, email, and digital touchpoints
  • Third-party intent data: to track real-time buyer interest

Armed with this intelligence, your GTM teams can build personalised, scalable engagement strategies that meet buyers where they are, delivering the right message, in the right format, at the right time.

The Real Challenge: Overcoming Data Silos and Action Gaps

Many B2B organisations already collect a ton of data, but few know how to turn it into usable insight..

That’s why Acumen Intelligence isn’t just about more data. It’s about better decisions. It connects the dots across systems, stakeholders, and strategies, transforming scattered insights into a cohesive, actionable intelligence layer.

Conclusion

Smart GTM decision-making is a competitive necessity. When data and insights are embedded into every layer of your GTM strategy, market, buyer, and engagement, you create a resilient, adaptive, and growth-oriented foundation.

The Forrester Go-To-Market Architecture is a structured framework for busy B2B leaders’ decision-making. Once they recognise its value, it will naturally follow that they need a service provider like Acumen Intelligence to equip portfolio marketers with the data, insights, and tools needed to develop effective, results-driven strategies.