Swayable

Generative AI is quickly becoming a new norm for creative experimentation and agile marketing programs. Marketers are using multimodal models to produce rapid prototypes in a matter of days. But understanding whether AI-generated content can drive brand lift requires testing it with real consumers. At the Quirk's Media Event in Chicago, Swayable CEO and Founder James Slezak unpacked key insights about how brands are using AI to dramatically speed up the brand development and lift measurement process. James spotlighted a new use case where Outlaw Sake—a sparkling sake brand in development—deployed rapid RCT pre-testing to quickly understand how its AI-produced ads impacted lift and authenticity. With this approach, Outlaw Sake created, pre-tested, iterated, and validated its creative in just four weeks. Here are some key takeaways from James’s session: 1. AI won’t replace consumers, but it can dramatically increase the efficiency of rapid creative prototyping—and testing and generating evidence of lift. 2. To create value, marketers must continually ground AI predictions in real consumer measurements, which have more validity than LLM-simulated responses. 3. Don’t trick the consumer. Pre-testing results revealed the Outlaw Sake ads that were transparent about using AI were deemed more authentic by respondents.   #QuirksEvent #QuirksChicago #AI #CreativeEffectiveness

Is your packaging helping or hurting your brand? Even small design changes can cost millions—unless you test before you commit. Check out this week's newsletter to learn more! #SwayableInsights #CreativeTesting

AI is reshaping the creative process—but how do we know if it's actually working? Marketers are rapidly adopting generative AI for faster concept development, but the question remains: Can AI-generated content truly drive brand lift? And can synthetic respondents replace real human reactions? Join James Slezak, CEO/Founder of Swayable at Quirks Chicago as he breaks down the real-world successes and failures of AI in marketing. Backed by gold-standard RCT lift measurements, this session will explore: - How AI is already driving creative prototyping efficiency - Why real consumer measurements remain essential for trust and impact - The limits of LLM-simulated responses—and why validation is key - Why top brands are investing in systematic, evidence-based AI + RCT pre-testing programs Date & Time: Thursday, April 3rd 9-9:30 AM CT Location: Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago, Room 4 https://lnkd.in/e3JAWyeb Not attending Quirks Chicago this year? Look out for the session blog and video in the coming days. #QuirksChicago

AI has emerged as a powerful tool for marketers. But how can brands validate whether the technology is helping them drive lift? At the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF)'s #ARFAxS conference, Swayable CEO James Slezak highlighted how brands are successfully using AI to speed up creative development and prove its value through rapid lift measurement. James spotlighted a key use case from our partnership with Outlaw Sake: the starter brand leveraged AI to reduce its content production and pre-testing timeline from four months to four weeks. Dive into our key takeaways for grounding AI in consumer metrics: https://hubs.ly/Q03dMmcN0 #AdvertisingResearch #CreativeEffectiveness #AI #Swayable

Thinking of redesigning your brands packaging? With Swayable, brands can measure how packaging affects consumer perception and purchasing decisions before going to market. Learn more below.

The Swayable team is excited to announce CEO James Slezak's appointment by the World Economic Forum to its Global Future Council on Information Integrity for the 2025–2027 term. Swayable was founded in dedication to a healthy, truthful and effective information ecosystem. We are looking forward to working alongside our peers in industry, academia and civil society to advance those principles through practical industry-wide action.

Influencer marketing has emerged as a core channel for brands to reach new audiences. What’s fueling the influencer boom—and proving it's worth the investment for marketers—is the ability to generate hard evidence that these partnerships are driving brand lift. Influential is at the forefront of data-driven creator marketing, having deployed rapid pre-testing of campaign concepts and messaging. This approach enabled Influential to develop an agile marketing framework, which the company has used to create relevant and authentic influencer campaigns for brands including Campbell’s and the NBA. As CCO Chris Detert put it: “We often say it’s a marriage of data, science, and marketing that really creates the best results.” Dive into our key insights for using rapid pre-testing to prove influencer impact: https://lnkd.in/er5x9vAY

Tomorrow at the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF)'s Audience x Science conference, Swayable CEO James Slezak, Ph.D. will take the stage to explore what gold-standard RCT lift measurements reveal about AI’s true capabilities in marketing and creative testing. His session, “Grounding AI in Human Truth: Getting Simulation Closer to Reality,” will break down what AI can reliably predict now, what still needs work, and where human intuition remains irreplaceable. Join us tomorrow—or keep an eye out for the session video! #AudienceXScience #AI #MarketingScience #RCTTesting

Considering changing your brand's packaging? Before you do, consider pre-testing your new design. Learn how a package redesign plummeted an iconic brand's market share in this week's Swayable Insights newsletter.

At SXSW, the future of marketing was clear: brands that test and optimize their creative in real time win. In our session, Winning With Rapid Pre-Testing: From Stadiums to Boardrooms, BSE Global's Darolyn Pierce and Influential's Chris Detert joined Swayable’s CEO James Slezak to unpack why data—not gut instinct—is vital to drive proactive creative decisions. From sports entertainment to influencer marketing, we explored how rapid pre-testing helps brands generate valuable insights to prove lift, create authentic moments, and stay ahead of the competition. Dive into our key takeaways from SXSW in our latest blog post: https://hubs.ly/Q03ckMnR0