Forrester's Social Media Practice Adds Klaviyo Veteran Kate Winick

Forrester Research has hired Kate Winick as a principal analyst covering social media, pulling her from leadership roles at Klaviyo and Peloton where she ran social media, content, and editorial strategy. The hire deepens the firm's B2C marketing coverage at a moment when platform economics are shifting under brands.

The 15-year marketing veteran's background includes both brand-side work and a stint as a writer and editor, a combination Forrester says gives her a distinct view of how content, creators, and consumer behavior intersect. Her arrival comes as Forrester's own data shows Facebook still commanding the social media field: 63% of US online adults use it at least weekly, up a point from last year's benchmark survey.

Social media has changed shape since Forrester began tracking it. The social graph gave way to algorithmic feeds. TikTok pushed every platform toward short-form video. Creators became distribution channels in their own right. Social commerce turned feeds into storefronts. Consumer conversations migrated from public posts to private messages and group chats. AI is now reshaping how content gets created, discovered, and distributed.

Winick's research agenda tackles the questions those shifts raise for B2C marketers: how to balance organic and paid social investment, what role creators should play in the marketing mix, which platforms deserve budget, and how to tie social engagement to business results. She also covers the technology layer, from social media management suites to influencer marketing, social listening, and analytics platforms.

"I'm not an advocate for social media over human connection," Winick said. "I'm an advocate for social media as a part of our entertainment consumption and community building as an essential part of human existence."

Forrester clients can schedule guidance sessions or inquiries with Winick starting today. Her first Forrester blog post, covering whether Myspace is really making a comeback, is live now.

Forrester Research trades on the Nasdaq under FORR. The company has been expanding its analyst bench across marketing and technology coverage areas over the past year.