Legacy Agency Reinvented with Synthetic + Real Hybrid Methods

The Challenge: Modern Demands vs Legacy Limitations

A prominent legacy market research agency, well-known for its traditional CATI and face-to-face studies, faced growing pressure from clients demanding faster insights, cost efficiency, and access to hard-to-reach or early-stage segments — such as Gen Z investors, rural micro-entrepreneurs in Asia, or users of yet-to-launch apps.

Despite decades of experience and robust internal operations, the agency’s fieldwork timelines were often weeks long. Recruitment feasibility in niche or emerging segments proved difficult, and overheads from scripting, sampling, and translations eroded profitability.

Worse, declining response rates and panel fatigue made it harder to guarantee data integrity using only traditional methods.

The Solution: Real + Synthetic, Seamlessly Combined

The agency partnered with DataDiggers to explore a more agile, tech-forward approach that would not compromise on quality. Together, we developed a hybrid research model combining real respondent data from Brainactive and MyVoice panels with synthetic insights from Syntheo, Modeliq, and Correlix.

Step 1: Establishing a Real-World Baseline

Using Brainactive, the agency accessed deeply profiled, verified respondents from DataDiggers’ 2M+ proprietary panel members and 50M+ extended reach across 65+ countries. Brainactive’s intelligent assistant, Brainy, helped design and launch surveys with instant translations, quality checks, and advanced reporting — reducing typical scripting and launch times by over 50%.

All responses underwent multi-layer data validation: reCAPTCHA, digital fingerprinting, IPQS, and real-time fraud detection ensured the data’s credibility.

Step 2: Expanding with Synthetic Personas

For niche targets or early-stage product testing, the agency turned to Syntheo, DataDiggers’ AI-powered synthetic persona engine. Syntheo generated realistic responses based on credible, behaviorally accurate digital personas, built from historical data, behavioral models, and contextual cues — ideal for scenarios where real-world sampling was impractical.

This allowed the agency to simulate demand for concepts among unbanked users in sub-Saharan Africa, non-drivers under 25 in Western Europe, and crypto-curious teens in Latin America, all without depending on traditional recruitment.

Step 3: Forecasting and Scenario Testing

The agency also used Modeliq to simulate different market conditions, adjusting price points, ad messages, or usage environments to test which combinations yielded the highest purchase intent. Correlix was deployed to correct potential bias in small real samples and enhance datasets for robust, scalable modeling.

Results: Speed, Scale, and Strategic Confidence

Key Outcomes:

• Delivered insights for five pilot studies in under two weeks, where previous cycles took 6–8 weeks.
• Won two major client renewals thanks to innovative synthetic-real hybrid capabilities.
• Launched a new “innovation fast-track” service offering based entirely on the hybrid model.

Why It Worked: Trust Meets Technology

The hybrid model succeeded because DataDiggers ensured methodological transparency, data integrity, and flexible deployment. Synthetic insights were clearly labeled and modeled using ISO-compliant frameworks, ensuring clients never confused them with real-world sample data — but could still rely on them to forecast trends or simulate behaviors in challenging environments.

With GDPR compliance, ISO 20252:2019 certification, and AI-powered fraud detection, DataDiggers became a trusted innovation partner, not just a data supplier.

Client Testimonial

“We’ve been in market research for over 20 years, but this partnership changed how we think about insights. With DataDiggers, we unlocked new markets, new speeds, and new business. Our clients see the difference — and so do we.”
— Director of Research Innovation, Global Research Agency

Learnings and Future Plans

The agency now plans to scale the hybrid model into 20% of its global research volume by next year, with dedicated workflows for rapid concept testing, low-feasibility segment exploration, and pre-modeling simulations — all powered by Brainactive, Syntheo, Modeliq, and Correlix.

Let’s Reinvent Your Research Model

Whether you're a legacy agency looking to modernize or a brand seeking faster, deeper insights — DataDiggers offers real and synthetic solutions tailored for today’s research challenges.

👉 Explore Brainactive | 👉 Discover Syntheo
👉 Simulate with Modeliq | 👉 Enhance with Correlix
👉 Contact Us to Start Your Hybrid Journey