Synthetic market research vs focus groups
Focus groups and synthetic research answer different questions. This page sets out where each is stronger, so you can pick the one that fits the decision in front of you.
Side by side
| Focus group | Synthetic research (SimuTarget) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to result | Weeks: recruiting, scheduling, analysis | Minutes |
| Cost per study | Recruiting, venue and moderator fees for every session | From $4.99 for a 10-persona test |
| Sample size | Usually 6–10 people per session | From 10 personas up to 2,000 per test, depending on plan |
| Markets | One city per session | Turkey, the US, Europe and MENA from the same screen |
| Repeatability | A new study each time | Run again with a changed message in minutes |
| Privacy | Real participants, consent and data handling | No real respondents, no personal data collected |
| Depth | Follow-up questions, body language, group dynamics | Written reasoning per persona, no live probing |
| Surprise | People raise things nobody asked about | Limited to what the personas are asked |
Where focus groups are still the better tool
- Early exploration, when you do not yet know what to ask.
- Physical products people need to hold, taste or try.
- Sensitive topics where a moderator’s judgement matters.
Where synthetic research is the better tool
- Choosing between finished versions of a message, an offer or a creative.
- Checking a campaign across several markets at once.
- Decisions that have to be made this week, not next month.
- Frequent, small tests that would never justify a recruited panel.
Using both
They work well in sequence: synthetic tests to narrow ten ideas down to two, then a focus group or a live test on the two that survive. The expensive method is spent on the options that deserve it.
How the personas are built
SimuTarget draws each panel from a pool of over 1 million AI consumer personas. Every persona has 34+ attributes, including age, income, education, buying style and personality traits based on the Big Five model, with behaviour patterns specific to its region.
Questions
Can synthetic research replace focus groups completely?
No. It replaces the part of the work where you compare finished options and need an answer quickly. Open-ended exploration and anything that depends on physical experience still call for real people.
Is any personal data involved?
No real respondents take part, so no personal data is collected from participants. The personas are synthetic.
Try a synthetic test on your next campaign. Get started