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. Confidence scores reflect internal AI response consistency, not statistical significance. Quantitative projections carry a ±15–20% margin of error. Treat findings as educated hypotheses to validate with real primary research, not as definitive measurements.

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Apparel repair, trade-in & reuse · PUBLIC RESEARCH BRIEF

PatagoniaWhat helps a worn jacket find its next useful path?

Patagonia's US Trade In page describes mail and store routes for eligible used Patagonia clothing and gear, with merchandise credit after inspection. Patagonia also offers repair guides and repair-service routes, while Worn Wear sells used gear. This creates a study about choosing among repair, trade-in, continued use and used purchase without assuming that any single path is right for every item.

Sources checked 2026-09-22 · 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.

For a Patagonia owner with a worn item, would starting with an eligibility-and-condition check or starting with a repair-versus-trade decision guide better lead to an appropriate next step? Use the actual item and allow continued use, repair, trade-in, return or recycling as valid outcomes.

Set up this study →

For an eligible Patagonia trade-in, would showing an estimated credit first or showing the inspection and condition checklist first produce more informed completion? Record estimate accuracy, preparation errors and acceptance after inspection rather than treating shipment as success.

Set up this study →

For a shopper considering Worn Wear, would organizing used options by verified condition and use case or by savings relative to current new alternatives better support a confident purchase? Use live inventory and do not imply identical availability, warranty treatment or condition across items.

Set up this study →

PROPOSED AUDIENCE

Who should weigh in?

US adults who own a Patagonia garment or pack that is worn, damaged, unused or no longer fits, plus shoppers considering used Patagonia gear. Include prior and first-time repair or trade-in users, store-near and mail-dependent participants, and different item conditions. Recruit adults only. Proposed groups; program eligibility must be verified item by item.

TWO TIME HORIZONS

Trial today. A habit tomorrow?

Near term · 0–90 days

Over 0–90 days, observe participants assessing real items, choosing a route and completing the relevant steps with an option to stop. Record eligibility, repairability, preparation, channel, final credit or repair outcome, returns and reasons for keeping the item. Do not count an ineligible shipment or unwanted purchase as circular use.

Longer term · 3–12 months

Over 3–12 months, follow repaired, traded and used-purchased items when participants consent. Measure continued use, repeat repair or trade-in, replacement purchases and satisfaction with the chosen route. Environmental impact needs a separate lifecycle method and cannot be inferred from program participation alone.

What would make the result actionable?

Use verified item type and condition, current program terms, authorized transaction or repair records and follow-up observations. Keep personal information and item photos private unless explicitly consented. Financial and environmental claims require observed costs, displacement and lifecycle inputs; a simulated preference cannot establish either.

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

Public sources

Patagonia US Trade In eligibility, channels, inspection and credit ↗Current product page; checked 2026-09-22

Patagonia Worn Wear repair options and guides ↗Current product page; checked 2026-09-22