BMMA Lunch: Can Synthetic People Tell Us Something Real?

What happens when the people you’re researching aren’t actually people?

Synthetic audiences are opening up new ways to explore ideas, test hypotheses and bring audience perspectives into the marketing process. But how much should we trust them, and where are they genuinely useful?

This session will cut through some of the hype, explaining what synthetic audiences actually are before exploring potential applications and examples from live projects. We’ll look at where they can add value, where they can’t, and what we’re learning from putting them to work in the real world.

We’ll share some of the answers we’re already finding, from the use cases that are proving most valuable to the practical lessons emerging from live projects, before opening up the conversation for questions and discussion.

The speakers

Doug Johnson: Brand Strategy Director, Threepipe Reply.

Doug leads brand and strategy at Threepipe Reply, bringing together audience insight, strategic thinking and creative ideas to shape more effective marketing. He works closely with technical and data teams on the development of Reply’s synthetic audience offering, helping translate the technology into practical marketing applications and embed audience insight more deeply into planning and testing. His work covers a range of industries and use cases, including product development, campaign effectiveness, digital experience, brand understanding and purchase barriers.

Laurent Deramaix: CEO, Reply Belgium.

Laurent is the CEO of Reply Belgium, where he leads the company’s growth and strategic direction across the region. He drives Reply’s mission in Belgium through several entities active in generative AI, risk management, change and transformation, and Microsoft technologies. Laurent is widely recognized for his leadership, strong client focus, and dedication to delivering impactful, future ready solutions. He also served as Reply’s Global Microsoft Alliance Partner.