Pre-Testing Is Now a Strategic Priority
The 2026 USC Annenberg Global Communication Report asked global communications professionals to identify the actions that will have the strongest impact over the next five years.
From Guessing to Knowing
The USC Annenberg report found that 69% of global communications professionals believe messages should be thoroughly pre-tested. But until now, pre-testing meant expensive focus groups, slow turnaround times, and results that were outdated by the time you got them.
SmartFocus changes that equation.
With SmartFocus, you can:
- Test in minutes, not weeks. Run a full audience simulation in the time it takes to schedule a meeting.
- Test confidentially. No need to share sensitive messaging with external research firms or focus group participants.
- Test iteratively. Refine your message through multiple rounds of testing without blowing your budget or your timeline.
- Test at scale. Simulate reactions from dozens of audience segments simultaneously, not just one or two.
37% identified "testing messages with synthetic audiences" as a high-impact action.
It's not a nice-to-have anymore. It's how the best communications teams are preparing for a world where every word is scrutinized.
By the Numbers: The Case for Synthetic Audience Testing
37%
of global communications professionals say testing messages with synthetic audiences will have a strong impact over the next five years
76%
say scenario planning should be conducted more often
69%
say messages should be thoroughly pre-tested
88%
say relationships with outside organizations need more careful vetting
92%
believe polarization isn't going away anytime soon
88%
of communications professionals plan on dedicating more resources to AI innovation and ethics