Pretesting Ad Creative Without Public Exposure Using Syntheo

How a global consumer brand used synthetic personas to test storyboards before launch — and made the right creative decision, fast.

The Challenge: Gauging Creative Appeal Without Market Risk

A top-tier global consumer goods brand was preparing to launch a new video ad campaign aimed at health-conscious millennials in urban markets across Europe. Their creative team had developed three distinct storyboard concepts — each with a different emotional appeal and message structure.

Before committing budget to production and media placement, the brand wanted to gather early reaction metrics to understand which version resonated best. However, traditional concept testing presented two major obstacles:

• Speed: The client needed directional insights within 72 hours to meet an internal production deadline.
• Privacy: They could not risk leaking creative elements to the public or to competitors.

Running a full-scale survey or focus group wasn’t feasible. They needed a fast, secure alternative that could simulate how real consumers might respond — without publicly revealing the creative content.

The Solution: Syntheo-Powered Storyboard Testing

DataDiggers recommended using Syntheo, our AI-driven synthetic persona solution, to simulate early reactions from the target audience: millennials aged 25–35, urban, health-conscious, tech-savvy, living in Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

With no actual exposure of the storyboards to real consumers, Syntheo offered a unique advantage:

• No risk of leakage — storyboards remained confidential, assessed only within a secure, AI-driven environment.
• Persona realism — synthetic respondents closely matched real-world audience traits using extensive demographic, psychographic, and behavioral data.
• Instant output — initial reaction metrics and narrative interpretation were available within 48 hours.

Using Syntheo, we ran all three storyboard versions through scenario-based modules where synthetic personas "reacted" to each storyline and tone. These reactions were modeled across several dimensions:

• Emotional engagement (positive, neutral, negative)
• Message clarity and recall
• Brand fit perception
• Behavioral intention (likelihood to watch, share, or purchase)

The Outcome: Clear Direction Without Delay

The synthetic analysis revealed the following insights:

• Storyboard A triggered strong emotional engagement but lacked clarity around product benefits.
• Storyboard B was clear and consistent with brand values but scored lower in emotional appeal.
• Storyboard C — a hybrid emotional-rational script — achieved the best balance between engagement, clarity, and intent.

Armed with this insight, the brand confidently selected Storyboard C for production. They also incorporated specific tweaks suggested by the reaction metrics, such as adjusting the product reveal timing and rephrasing the closing tagline to maximize resonance.

Best of all, the entire decision-making process — from input to insight — was completed in less than 72 hours, with zero risk of public exposure.

Why It Matters

By using Syntheo, the client avoided costly mistakes and creative misfires, while maintaining total confidentiality and control. This case demonstrated how synthetic insights can de-risk creative decisions in the earliest stages — especially when time and privacy are critical.

For brands and agencies operating in high-stakes, fast-moving environments, Syntheo unlocks a powerful new approach to:

• Pretesting creative concepts
• Exploring early-stage messaging
• Simulating hard-to-reach audiences
• Reducing research cycle time and budget

About Syntheo

Syntheo is an AI-powered solution by DataDiggers, designed to generate credible insights using hyper-realistic digital personas. Built for early-stage testing and exploration, Syntheo allows you to evaluate creative strategies, messages, or innovations without the delays or constraints of traditional research. It’s ideal for hard-to-reach audiences, sensitive topics, and situations where time and confidentiality are paramount.

Syntheo is part of a broader synthetic intelligence suite from DataDiggers, which includes Modeliq for scenario testing and forecasting, and Correlix for bias correction and data augmentation at scale.

Why DataDiggers

At DataDiggers, we combine global reach, proprietary panels, and cutting-edge AI to help brands and agencies make smarter decisions, faster. Whether you're running full-scale surveys or early-stage simulations, our solutions — from Brainactive to Syntheo, Modeliq, and Correlix — deliver accuracy, agility, and trust in every insight.

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🔍 Want to learn more about how synthetic testing can work for your next campaign? Contact us today or explore more case studies at datadiggers-mr.com.