What is synthetic research?

Synthetic research uses AI-powered personas that simulate how real buyers, customers, or market segments would respond to your research questions. It produces directional signal — insights to sharpen your hypotheses — before you invest in real primary fieldwork. Gather Synthetic runs AI-moderated interviews across any audience archetype in minutes, not weeks.

How is synthetic research different from real research?

Synthetic research generates directional signal using AI personas, while real primary research collects data from actual people. Synthetic pre-research is faster (minutes vs. weeks), cheaper, and ideal for hypothesis generation and stakeholder alignment. It is not statistically valid and should be used to focus and prioritize real fieldwork, not replace it. Gather offers both synthetic pre-research and real AI-moderated interviews with actual respondents.

What types of research can Gather Synthetic run?

Gather Synthetic supports 14 study types: Brand Perception, Product Feedback, Concept Testing, Competitive Intelligence, CX/NPS Deep Dive, Messaging & Claims Testing, Win/Loss Analysis, Market Segmentation, Pricing Research, Ad & Creative Testing, Customer Journey Mapping, Feature Prioritization, Churn & Retention Analysis, and Audience Discovery.

How much does synthetic research cost?

The first 5 synthetic interviews are free. After that, B2C audience interviews cost $0.50 each and B2B audience interviews cost $5.00 each. There is no subscription required.

How accurate is synthetic research?

Synthetic research is directional, not statistically accurate. Predictive accuracy and a statistical interval are only shown when established for the specific result. Treat findings as educated hypotheses to validate with real primary research, not as definitive measurements.

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Warehouse membership & value communication · PUBLIC RESEARCH BRIEF

CostcoWhich membership benefit makes Costco's value easiest to judge?

Costco's current membership page describes Gold Star, Executive and Business memberships, shopping in warehouses and online, household cards, a satisfaction guarantee and additional Executive benefits and services. This brief tests how prospective and renewing members can compare options without turning a hypothetical estimate into financial advice or a promised saving.

Updated 2026-09-28 · Simulation results not yet generated

Test a question in Gather ↗Explore fictional demo →

CHANGE ONE THING. LEARN WHAT MATTERS.

Three questions for the GTM team.

When comparing Costco Gold Star and Executive memberships, would a projected personal-value summary or a feature-by-feature comparison make the tradeoff easier to understand? Use synthetic spending and label estimates as hypothetical.

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At Costco renewal, would a synthetic usage recap or a forward-looking benefit preview better help a member decide what information still needs verification? Do not use a real member account or recommend a financial decision.

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For Costco services and additional benefits, would a relevant shortlist or the complete available catalog improve discovery without hiding restrictions? Hold eligibility and service availability constant.

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PROPOSED AUDIENCE

Who should weigh in?

North American adult household and small-business shoppers who are considering, renewing or evaluating a Costco membership or tier. Include a range of warehouse access, visit frequency and synthetic spending patterns. Proposed audience; no savings, upgrade, renewal or revenue outcome is implied.

TWO TIME HORIZONS

Trial today. A habit tomorrow?

Near term · 0–90 days

Over 0–90 days, test tier-comparison, renewal and benefit-discovery prototypes with synthetic household or business profiles. Measure comprehension, incorrect savings inference, tier-choice confidence and overlooked restrictions. Do not enroll, renew, upgrade or collect payment.

Longer term · 3–12 months

Over 3–12 months, follow approved cohorts through changing household needs and renewal cycles. Examine realized versus expected benefit use, upgrade regret, household sharing, service discovery and seasonal variation. Savings, renewal or revenue claims require observed records and appropriate controls.

What would make the result actionable?

Use versioned membership terms, verified eligibility rules, synthetic spending and independently checked calculations. Show exclusions and uncertainty, include low-use and no-upgrade cases, avoid predictions or financial recommendations and require human review before live presentation.

A Gather simulation returns hypothetical customer reactions. Quantifying revenue, traffic or retention needs actual business inputs and validation against observed behavior.

About Costco

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