Our Virtual Audiences learning curve

What are Virtual Audiences and why did we explore them?

Virtual Audiences are AI-simulated, human-enriched models that mirror real consumers complete with names, jobs, lifestyles, and decision-making styles. They help us dig into thoughts, feelings, and behaviours in a way that is quick, contextual, and surprisingly human. Whether we are exploring new innovations, refining communication ideas, or shaping brand strategy, Virtual Audiences help us move from question to clarity more quickly.

Building a method that felt rich and reliable took time. We experimented with setups, creative techniques, and cultural nuances until we found the right balance. That learning curve became just as valuable as the method itself.

‍

The learning curve

The exploration phase: Finding the possibilities, finding the boundaries

Our journey began with a simple question: what can Virtual Audiences do? To answer it, we experimented widely with different audience setups, new ways of prompting emotional depth, and creative exercises to understand both the potential and the limits of the method.

One of our early tests explored how to build Virtual Audiences around specific demand spaces. Instead of grouping people by broad demographics, we created audiences that reflected concrete moments and needs such as on-the-go energy or evening relaxation. This approach allowed us to test ideas with consumers who truly represented the mindset and context of a specific consumption moment, which resulted in sharper and more actionable insight. Additionally, we tested broader exploratory topics to see how far the virtual setting could stretch while still feeling authentically human.

We also discovered a clear boundary around recency: Virtual Audiences do not yet reflect recent topics or developments. This makes them less suited for trend research, emerging behaviours, or the impact of recent brand, packaging, or communication changes, which typically require at least six months before they surface reliably in the virtual environment.

Each exploration, successful or not, helped us refine the method and shape the roots of what Virtual Audiences would become.

‍

The validation phase: Putting Virtual Audiences to the test

Once we had a foundation, we needed proof. We began running parallel studies: Virtual Audiences first, then traditional qualitative fieldwork. And here’s where the magic happened: the patterns aligned.

In one early project exploring consumer usage and perceptions of both classic and plant-based product options, the themes emerging virtually strongly mirrored what surfaced later in in-home interviews. This gave us confidence: Virtual Audiences were reflecting real human truths.

We expanded into storytelling, projection work, and even early B2B audiences. In a multi-country exploratory brand strategy study, working with Virtual Audiences helped us uncover early attitudes and behaviours ahead of moderation, making the live sessions afterwards more focused and productive.

But this phase also revealed limits. A highly specific Gen Z audience in one Dutch city lacked enough underlying data, showing that ultra-narrow micro-segments need reinforcement from traditional methods. Together, these lessons showed us not only that Virtual Audiences worked, but how to make them work at their very best.

‍

The development phase: Turning confidence into capability

With a validated approach, we expanded the complexity of what Virtual Audiences could handle.

We introduced multi-country audiences, exploring cultural nuances in topics like health and naturalness. These early explorations helped define the strategic themes that would later feed into large-scale quantitative studies. We also moved into concept testing and campaign pre-tests, allowing teams to refine ideas before traditional qualitative validation.

In a strategic project for an insurance company, Virtual Audiences brought consumer segments to life and revealed their motivations and decision drivers. In the final workshop, the virtual segments even “joined” the room to answer client questions, adding a memorable human layer.

An even more complex example was a multi-layered study for a major retailer, exploring how shoppers navigate a category and how the retail environment could better support their choices. This required several interconnected studies with different Virtual Audiences, each addressing a specific research angle. Running these in parallel showed how Virtual Audiences can effectively tackle layered, system-wide challenges.

By this stage, Virtual Audiences were nolonger an experiment, but had become a powerful qualitative partner.

‍

Where we are today and what comes next

Today, Virtual Audiences can support nearly everything from multi-country explorations to shopper insight work, early concept and communication refinement, and upstream hypothesis building. With each project, they become richer, more nuanced, and more powerful in practice.

We are also exploring what lies ahead: ethnographic-style interactions, dynamic environments such as cafés or bars, and early testing of how they respond to moving imagery that could lead to more immersive commercial pre-tests.

These are possibilities for the future, yet they show the direction we are heading. As we shape that next chapter, we would love to hear your thoughts: What would you like to see added to the Virtual Audiences platform?

‍

Ready to explore your own Virtual Audience?

Virtual Audiences plug easily into your next innovation, concept, shopper, or communication challenge. They offer a fast, rich, and flexible way to listen and move from questions to clarity.

Reach out to your Haystack contact to discover how we can tailor a Virtual Audience to your needs.

Let’s make your audience virtual and your insights unmistakably real.

‍