How to Predict Ad Performance Before Spending on Media
Launch day shouldn’t be surprise day.
Yet most marketers spend $50,000 on media before they know if their creative will work. When it flops, they blame the platform, the audience, the timing. The real culprit: they never tested the ad.
The Cost of Guessing
- $15,000 per panel study
- 6 weeks to get results
- 70% of campaigns underperform anyway
You can’t afford to guess. You can’t afford to wait. Here’s how to know before you spend.
Step 1: Upload Your Creative
Drag your video, image, or copy into Kettio. Edit in our canvas if needed. Takes 30 seconds.
Step 2: Define Your Real Audience
Not “adults 25–54.” Real segments:
- Moms 30–44, household income $75K+, buys organic, lives in suburbs
- Gen Z gamers, urban, spends on streaming, price-sensitive
- Retirees 65+, fixed income, values trust over trends
We build synthetic personas that match exactly. One thousand of them. Instantly.
Step 3: Get Predictions That Actually Predict
Our AI audience scores your creative on purchase intent, relevance, appeal. More important: they tell you why.
- “The product looks expensive for students”
- “The headline speaks to my exact problem”
- “I don’t trust brands that use stock photos”
Step 4: Iterate Before You Launch
Fix the issues. Test again. Confirm the fix worked. Launch knowing you’ll win.
Real Results
DTC skincare brand tested three concepts. Synthetic audience picked Concept B. Real campaign: Concept B delivered 3.2x ROAS vs. others. They skipped testing the duds and doubled spend on the winner.
The New Launch Process
Monday: Test 10 variations
Tuesday: Identify top 3
Wednesday: Refine based on feedback
Thursday: Final validation test
Friday: Launch with confidence
What You’ll Never Do Again
- Spend $50K to “see what happens”
- Wait 6 weeks for panel results
- Launch blind and hope
Bottom Line
Media is expensive. Testing is cheap. Predict performance first, spend second, win always.