Ad testing.
Pre-test your ads before the media budget goes out. See which version wins, what people take away, and which group it loses, from simulated customers in minutes. Then hear real customers react in their own words.
In short
Good ad testing tells you which version wins, what message people actually take away, and who it puts off. Simulatte runs a visual test on simulated customers in minutes, a message test on the lines themselves, and AI-moderated interviews with real people for the finalist.
What ad testing is.
Ad testing, or ad pre-testing, means showing an ad, or several versions of it, to the people it’s meant for before it runs, so you put the budget behind the version that works. A useful ad test looks past “do you like it?” to what changes a decision: does it get noticed, is it clearly your brand, what message do people take away, and does it make them more likely to buy.
What to measure
- Attention. Would people stop for it, and what do they notice first?
- Branding. Do they know whose ad it is?
- Take-out. What do they think it’s saying, in their own words?
- Persuasion. Are they more likely to try or buy, and why?
- Who it loses. Which group reacts against it, before they see it in their feed.
Days on a panel, or minutes on simulated customers.
Pre-testing on a panel is accurate, but each round takes time and budget, so most teams test one finished ad late, when it’s too expensive to change. The cheaper move is to test early and often: rough scripts, storyboards and static versions, while they can still change.
That’s where simulated customers fit. Show every version, see which one wins and why, change it, and run it again the same afternoon.
A visual test in minutes, then real reactions.
Show several ads to simulated customers in a visual test; three ads to 30 people takes about 3–4 minutes. See which wins, what people noticed, what they think it says and who resists. Test the lines on their own in a message test: which one people believe, which makes them act, and who differs.
See an example
120 simulated customers · UK, UAE, US, GermanyThen take the finalist to real people. Simulatte’s AI interviewer shows the ad mid-interview and asks what people noticed, what they took from it and what they’d do next, in English, Hindi, Tamil, Arabic or Spanish.
A screen, not the final word. Simulated customers give you a direction and the reasons, fast. They are not real people, so check the version you’ll bet on with your own customers before launch.
Common questions
What is ad testing?
Showing an ad, or several versions of it, to its target audience before it runs, to find the version that gets noticed, is clearly branded, lands the right message and makes people more likely to buy, and to see which group it puts off.
How do I test an ad before launch?
Put the versions to simulated customers who behave like your buyers in a visual test, and test the key lines in a message test. You get the winner, the take-out and the group that resists in minutes. Then show the finalist to real people in an AI-moderated interview before the media spend.
Can I test ads at the script or storyboard stage?
Yes, and it’s when testing is most useful, because the ad can still change. Show a static frame, a storyboard or the script line itself, and re-run after each change.
How much does ad testing cost?
Panel-based pre-tests are priced per study. Simulatte is priced in credits, and every study shows its credit ceiling before anything runs, so you can test early versions you’d otherwise skip. Current prices are on the pricing page.
Is synthetic ad testing accurate?
Treat it as directional. Simulatte publishes blind tests against real outcomes sealed before predicting. Use simulated customers to screen and improve versions fast, and confirm the one you’ll spend behind with real people.