Why Synthetic Humans Are About to Transform B2B Marketing Research

Throughout our careers in B2B marketing, one challenge has remained constant: truly understanding our audience. We’re not talking about basic demographics or firmographics - we mean really getting to the heart of how they think, what keeps them up at night, and what drives their decisions. Sure, if you've got deep pockets, you might commission extensive interview programs with senior decision-makers. But let's be honest - most of us don't have that luxury. And even if we did, getting access to these busy executives is increasingly difficult.

Why Traditional Research Falls Short

Here's a startling statistic that changed our perspective: less than 1% of the world's population actually agrees to take part in research. And even when they do participate, we're not always getting the full picture. People often struggle to articulate why they really like or dislike something, instead giving answers they think they should give. They're not psychologists analyzing their own decision-making processes, after all.

Enter Synthetic Humans

This is where synthetic humans come in - and no, it's not as sci-fi as it sounds. In fact, the Marketing Research Society recently published a paper concluding that synthetic human research is "as valid, if not more valid than real humans." That's a bold statement, but it's backed by data.

Breaking Down the Technology

Let us demystify what we mean by synthetic humans. At its core, this technology allows us to create high-quality, qualitative research at scale, quickly and cost-effectively. Using AI, we can build detailed avatars of target audiences that synthesize millions of data points into coherent, actionable insights. We're not trying to predict what specific individuals think - instead, we're modeling how people in particular situations, with specific circumstances and constraints, are likely to think and behave.

Why This is Revolutionary

The power lies in AI's ability to project empathy through different lenses. We can build in cognitive biases, geographic nuances, cultural contexts, and more. Take a cybersecurity company that's been a market leader for 15 years but is facing new competitive pressures. We can model how their target customers view them, taking into account market position, recent reputation issues, competitive dynamics, and countless other factors that influence decision-making.

The Validation from Industry Leaders

This isn't just my opinion. Gartner predicts that "by 2025, 25% of B2B enterprises will be using synthetic personas for strategic marketing research, leading to more accurate customer journey mapping and go-to-market strategies." This adoption rate speaks volumes about the technology's potential.

Real-World Impact

The applications are transformative. Instead of relying on limited, potentially biased human research, we can now test hypotheses across a vast range of scenarios and contexts. We can understand how different audience segments might react to new messaging, product features, or market changes - all before investing significant resources in campaign development.

Cost and Speed Benefits

The efficiency gains are remarkable. What once took months of interviews and hundreds of thousands in research budget can now be accomplished in days or weeks at a fraction of the cost. But it's not just about saving time and money - it's about getting better insights that lead to more effective marketing strategies.

The Future is Already Here

We believe synthetic humans will be as commonplace in marketing departments as CRM systems within the next few years. The ability to quickly generate deep, nuanced audience insights is too valuable to ignore. The technology is already proving itself, and early adopters are gaining significant advantages in understanding and connecting with their audiences.

At Ada, we're excited about this transformation in market research. As part of our commitment to helping marketers create more relevant, personalised content, synthetic humans are part of our next phase of development. Because ultimately, whether you're using traditional research methods or synthetic humans, the goal remains the same: understanding your audience deeply enough to create marketing that truly resonates.

The question isn't whether synthetic humans will become a standard tool in B2B marketing - it's whether you'll be ahead of the curve or playing catch-up when they do.