Healthcare marketers have a problem: patients say one thing in research and do something completely different when choosing care. Focus groups and surveys capture stated preferences, but they miss the silent decision filters that actually drive behavior.
That’s where synthetic audiences come in.
What Are Synthetic Audiences?
Think of them as AI-powered simulations of real patient decision-making. Unlike static personas that describe demographics, synthetic audiences interact with scenarios and reveal how people actually navigate healthcare choices. They test hundreds of decision paths to uncover barriers traditional research can’t find—especially the ones patients don’t even realize exist.
Real Results: A Case Study
When WAX partnered with a North Carolina behavioral health organization on a brand assessment, we deployed synthetic audiences to navigate the patient journey online. The insight? Medicaid recipients were silently filtering out the organization because coverage information wasn’t prominent enough on the website. The information existed, it just wasn’t easy to find.
In focus groups, Medicaid patients never mentioned this barrier. They didn’t consciously recognize it. But synthetic modeling revealed it was eliminating the organization from consideration before other factors even came into play. Result: lost patients and revenue.
Why This Matters
Healthcare decisions carry emotional weight. Patients face stigma, confusion, and complexity. What they tell you in a conference room doesn’t always match what they do at 2am on their phones, searching for care.
Synthetic audiences bridge that gap. They extend—not replace—traditional research, revealing patterns impossible to test with real participants and predicting behaviors before you invest in campaigns.
The Bottom Line
Done right, synthetic audiences turn complex data into empathy-driven understanding. They amplify human insights rather than replacing them, helping healthcare marketers get closer to what patients actually need.
Want to learn more about how synthetic audiences can transform your healthcare marketing strategy?Read Amanda Herriman’s full article on SHSMD.
Author Credit: This article summarizes insights from “Synthetic Audiences: A New Lens for Understanding Healthcare Consumers” by Amanda Herriman, Director of Strategy at WAX Healthcare Marketing, originally published on SHSMD.
