Why People Don't Say What They Really Think (And What Qualitative Research Can Do About It)

Every commodity board has heard it: "Consumers care about sustainability." "People want healthier options." "Organic matters to our audience."

Then they launch the sustainable product, the healthier reformulation, the organic line—and sales don't match the research.

This is the say-do gap. And it's one of the biggest problems in consumer research today.

What Is the Say-Do Gap?

The say-do gap is the difference between what people say they value and what they actually do when making purchasing decisions.

In focus groups and surveys, people tell you:

•
They care deeply about sustainability
•
They prioritize health over taste
•
They're willing to pay more for organic
•
They read ingredient labels carefully
•
They avoid added sugar

Then they get to the grocery store and buy:

•
The cheaper option
•
The familiar brand
•
The thing that tastes better
•
Whatever's on sale
•
The product they've always bought

The gap isn't dishonesty. It's human nature.

People want to present themselves as thoughtful, values-driven consumers. They genuinely believe they care about these things. But in the moment of decision—standing in the aisle, pressed for time, comparing prices—other factors win.

Why Traditional Research Struggles with This

Traditional qualitative research—focus groups, in-depth interviews, even some online panels—has a built-in problem: social desirability bias.

When people know they're being observed, they perform. They:

•
Give answers that sound informed
•
Align with perceived social norms
•
Avoid saying things that might make them look bad
•
Overstate their interest in "good" behaviors (eating healthy, buying sustainable)
•
Understate "bad" behaviors (impulse buying, choosing based on price)

Even one-on-one interviews don't fully solve this. People still want to sound reasonable to the interviewer. They still edit their responses.

And on sensitive topics—health, money, sustainability, trust—the performance gets even stronger.

What Qualitative Research Actually Does Well

Despite these limitations, qualitative research is invaluable. Unlike quantitative studies that tell you how many people think something, qualitative research tells you why they think it.

Good qualitative research uncovers:

•
The language people use
(not the language you think they use)
•
Emotional drivers
behind decisions
•
Unspoken assumptions
that shape perception
•
Confusion or skepticism
around claims
•
The gap between what a brand says and what people hear

It's exploratory. It's nuanced. It gives you the context that numbers alone can't provide.

But to get real answers, you need to remove the performance.

How Synthetic Qualitative Research Changes the Game

Synthetic qualitative research—using AI-powered personas calibrated against real demographic, behavioral, and category data—removes the social pressure that distorts traditional research.

Here's why it works:

1. No Social Performance

Synthetic personas don't need to impress anyone. They can say:

•
"I know I should care about sustainability, but honestly, I just buy whatever's cheapest."
•
"When I see 'no added sugar,' I assume it tastes bad."
•
"I don't trust health claims. They all sound like marketing."

These are the thoughts people have but don't always say out loud in focus groups.

2. No Moderator Bias

In traditional research, even the best moderators influence responses. The way a question is asked, the follow-up probes, even the moderator's tone can steer answers.

Synthetic research is consistent. Every participant gets the same prompts. There's no inadvertent leading.

3. Exploration Without Hesitation

People in focus groups often self-censor. They won't admit:

•
They don't read labels
•
They don't know what "organic" actually means
•
They've never heard of your commodity
•
They think your claim sounds fake

Synthetic personas explore confusion, skepticism, and unfamiliarity without hesitation—because there's no ego to protect.

4. Speed Without Sacrifice

Traditional qualitative research takes weeks or months to recruit, schedule, conduct, and analyze. Synthetic research delivers qualitative depth in days—sometimes hours.

This matters when:

•
Policy shifts overnight (like FDA sugar regulations)
•
A campaign is already in motion but messaging feels off
•
You need to test a claim before it goes public
•
A competitor makes a move and you need to understand perception fast

Where Synthetic Research Fits

Synthetic qualitative research isn't a replacement for everything. It's best used:

Before big decisions: Test claims, messaging, or positioning before committing to production, packaging, or campaigns.

When traditional research is too slow: Get qualitative insights while decisions are still forming, not after they're locked in.

On sensitive topics: Explore health claims, pricing perception, sustainability skepticism, or trust issues where social desirability bias is strongest.

For international audiences: Understand how messages land in different markets without the logistics of global focus groups.

Alongside traditional research: Use synthetic research to explore early-stage ideas, then validate with larger quantitative studies.

It's not about replacing human insight. It's about filling the gap where decisions actually happen—between the big studies, when clarity matters most.

The Bottom Line

People don't always say what they really think. They want to. They try to. But social pressure, time constraints, and the desire to sound informed get in the way.

The say-do gap is real. And if your research doesn't account for it, you're building strategy on incomplete information.

Synthetic qualitative research removes the performance. It gives you access to the messy, unfiltered reactions that shape real purchasing decisions.

And in a world where policy shifts fast, scrutiny is high, and one wrong claim can backfire publicly—that clarity is worth its weight in gold.

Want to see how synthetic research works? Book a demo of Ditto and explore how commodity boards are using it to test claims, understand perception gaps, and make better decisions before going public.

Book a Demo → LINK