Four providers submitted production models to be scored on KS&R’s ECHO Index. All four succeeded on a simple study. A more complex study wasn’t as convincing.

SYRACUSE, N.Y., Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KS&R, a strategic consultancy and marketing research firm, today released The State of Synthetic, an independent evaluation of how faithfully synthetic data reproduces real human responses. The report scores production models from four synthetic data providers using the ECHO Index, KS&R’s patent-pending evaluation methodology. The evaluation focuses on sample boosting, in which a model generates new respondents for questions real people have already answered. The executive summary and full report are available to download at www.ksrinc.com/report/the-state-of-synthetic/.

Synthetic data is being sold faster than governance can be developed. Insights teams are under pressure to measure hard-to-reach audiences, move faster and do more with tight budgets. At the same time, providers often validate their own models and offer a single score as sufficient evidence. KS&R built the ECHO Index to give buyers a genuinely neutral view, and the firm has no synthetic products to defend.

“Knowing where synthetic data stands across the market shouldn’t sit behind a paywall. Most of the evidence today comes from the companies with something to sell, so we’re making ours free to anyone who wants it,” said Ben Cortese, PhD, Senior Vice President, Decision Sciences & Innovation at KS&R. “Synthetic data is viable when it is governed. Don’t buy the promise. Buy the evidence.”

The report also gives research leaders practical guidance for running a governed synthetic study, including how to budget for iteration and the questions to ask any synthetic data provider before buying.

What the evaluation found

LagrangeDATA, Livepanel, Simulacra and Lewsearch each generated a complete synthetic copy of two public datasets, one simple and one complex, and every submission was scored against a fit-for-purpose baseline generated from the real data alone. All four providers landed within the baseline for success on the simple study. On the complex one, all four initial submissions fell far outside it.

The full report goes further. It shows where each model broke down, how targeted changes moved submissions closer to the baseline, and why a provider’s subject-matter expertise made a measurable difference on certain questions. The results cover specific submissions on two datasets and are not a ranking of firms or a verdict on synthetic data as a whole.

Ongoing evaluation

The question KS&R hears most about synthetic data is how to know whether it can be trusted. Before relying on it, buyers should have it evaluated by a neutral third party. KS&R is continuing the evaluation.

Providers can have their models scored and listed in the ECHO Registry, and participating providers receive acknowledgement to use in their own marketing. Research and insights leaders can work with KS&R to decide where synthetic data fits, test data they have already purchased, or check a model before committing to it. KS&R is also extending the ECHO Index to digital twins and synthetic personas, with completion planned for Q1 2027.

The State of Synthetic executive summary and full report are available free at: www.ksrinc.com/report/the-state-of-synthetic/

To request an evaluation or discuss the findings, contact mailto:echo@ksrinc.com.

About KS&R

KS&R is a nationally recognized strategic consultancy and marketing research firm that provides clients with timely, fact-based insights and actionable solutions through industry-centered expertise. Specializing in Technology, Business Services, Telecom, Entertainment & Recreation, Healthcare, QSR, Retail & E-Commerce, and Transportation & Logistics verticals, KS&R empowers companies globally to make smarter business decisions. For more, please visit www.ksrinc.com.

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SOURCE KS&R