Discover how agencies and consultancies are using Synth to generate deep cultural insights in days, not months— transforming their strategic capability.
Mid-sized Market Research Agency
End Client: New natural cosmetics brand (SMB)
The SMB had an excellent product, but their first social campaigns flopped. Engagement was low and they were ignored against established indie brands. The research agency needed to quickly diagnose why the message wasn't connecting—before the SMB burned through their launch budget.
The agency's Head of Research, acting as Simulation Director, designed a focus group with the Persona “Digital Urban Youth”. Her expert move was to use the Contextual Layerto simulate the real market: she assigned half the participants the Hidden Agenda "Brand-Anchored", programming them with loyalty to a competing indie brand.
The simulation was a revelation. "Neutral" participants found the product "interesting." But the "anchored" ones were brutal. Their rejection wasn't about ingredients, it was about authenticity. Using the language of their worldview, they called the brand's communication greenwashing vibes anda boomer brand trying to be woke. The agency discovered the product wasn't the problem—the tone of voice and visual identity felt corporate and inauthentic.
1. High-Value Strategic Recommendation:
The agency didn't deliver a simple report. They delivered a "Brand Authenticity Diagnosis" with concrete examples from the simulation—positioning themselves as a strategic partner, not just a data vendor.
2. Engagement Lift for the Client:
The SMB executed a full rebrand (new packaging, new tone of voice) based on the insights. TheirInstagram engagement rate increased by 450% the following quarter.
3. Efficiency and Profitability for the Agency:
The agency delivered deep cultural insight in under a week, enabling them to increaseproject capacity by 20% that year and significantly boosting profitability.
Boutique Market Research Agency
End Client: Family-owned gourmet products SMB
The SMB wanted to launch a new line of organic snacks to rejuvenate the brand, but they were completely disconnected from Gen Z. Their first campaign draft leaned on "tradition" and "family recipes." The research agency knew this was the wrong direction, but needed hard proof and fast insights to convince a conservative leadership team. A traditional study was too slow and expensive.
The agency's Head of Research, acting as Simulation Director, took control. Her experience told her the problem was cultural.
The simulation was eye-opening. Synthetic participants, speaking with the sociolect and values of their cultural "tribe," tore apart the "tradition" concept—calling it cringe and boomer marketing. They didn't just reject the message; they articulated what they did want: radical transparency in ingredients, an authentic sustainability story (not "greenwashing"), and a brand that "gets their vibe." The agency lead didn't just get a "no"—she got the complete instruction manual for how to connect with them.
1. Increased Project Value for the Agency:
Instead of a simple concept test, the agency delivered a "Generational Connection Cultural Analysis."This allowed them to bill the project with a 35% higher margin than a traditional focus group.
2. Risk Mitigation for the SMB:
The SMB avoided an almost-certain launch failure, pivoting their entire marketing strategy before investing in production and media.
3. Engagement Rate Lift:
The new campaign, co-created with Synth insights, achieved in its first month a300% higher social engagement rate than the brand's previous campaigns.
Product Innovation Consultancy
Sector: FMCG (Food) — Industry leader
Their client, a leader in the food industry, wanted to launch a new line of functional beverages but wasn't sure which positioning angle would work best: energy, relaxation, or focus. A wrong decision would mean millions lost in development and marketing.
The consultancy designed a synthetic focus group to test the three concepts. The Simulation Directorused the Contextual Layer with granular control: two participants were assigned theHidden Agenda "The Skeptic" and two others the Emotional State "Stressed" to simulate real consumer conditions (time pressure, skepticism about health claims).
The "energy" and "relaxation" concepts were torn apart by skeptics ("another sugary coffee") and stressed participants ("I don't have time for this"). However, the "focus" concept resonated unexpectedly. Participants linked it to the need to perform at work, seeing it not as a luxury but as a productivity tool.
1. Innovation Risk Reduction:
Two product paths that would have failed were discarded, saving an estimated 9 months of R&D and €1M+ in launch costs.
2. Higher Launch Success Rate:
They focused on the "productivity" angle, which led the product to exceed sales forecasts by 40% in its first year.
3. Speed-to-Market:
The strategic positioning decision was made in one week, instead of the 4–6 months a traditional multi-country study would have taken.
"In the final presentation, we revealed our 'secret weapon': we had validated our hypothesis in a human-behavior sandbox with Synth. We showed transcript excerpts demonstrating how our idea resonated with the client's cultural archetype."
— Planning Team, Top-5 Agency (Spain)
Outcome: This ultra-fast, data-backed validation was the decisive factor. The client saw it as a revolutionary way to de-risk marketing investment.
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