Zappi makes its proprietary data work for you: Introducing the Normative Data Agent for AI-powered ideation

Traditional ideation can be slow, expensive and disconnected from what actually matters. In fast-moving markets, timelines are tighter and the pressure to deliver something new—quickly—is constant. Teams are stretched, and the creative process hasn’t always adapted to the speed of the world around it.  Workshops are resource-intensive. Brainstorms circle back to what’s familiar. 

Consumer data is everywhere, but connecting the dots to uncover the right insights for ideation is hard. The result? Ideas often feel disconnected from consumers and what’s happening in the market right now.

The world moves fast—consumer behavior can shift overnight—yet traditional innovation processes haven’t kept pace. And too often, the creative spark that drives bold, breakthrough ideas gets buried under layers of process and pressure.

Zappi changes that—combining the right data, agentic technology and expertise into a seamless user experience.

Our AI Concept Creation Agents offer something no other solution can: relevant consumer insights fused with your brand’s knowledge and delivered through an intuitive, chat-based interface—giving you a faster, smarter way to create breakthrough ideas.

We’re excited to introduce the Activate It Normative Data Agent—a powerful addition to our AI Concept Creation ecosystem. Launching August 13, this new agent gives teams instant access to category-level insights, removing the need for pre-existing custom data builds to access our AI ecosystem for content creation.

Teams in Food, Beverage, Alcohol, Personal Care and QSR categories in the US and UK can now generate high-quality, insight-backed concepts from day one of using Zappi.

Zappi's AI Concept Creation Agents are a set of specialized AI agents within the broader Zappi Marketing Agent Ecosystem, purpose-built to streamline and accelerate the product concept creation process.

These agents combine a brand’s existing consumer research, brand assets and testing data to generate innovative, insight-driven concepts aligned to brand-specific guidelines.

Brands can configure up to 10 custom AI agents tailored to specific needs, such as brand, category, compliance, audience and feasibility. Each agent plays a distinct role—from Creative Agent to Best Practice Agent to Customer Data Agent—collaborating within a secure environment that protects sensitive brand information. A Facilitator Agent guides the experience like an expert workshop lead, while outputs can be pushed directly into Zappi’s testing and validation environment for immediate feedback.

The system is designed to be customizable, collaborative and intelligent—backed by a flexible subscription model that adjusts to the needs of your business.

The result: faster ideation, higher-quality concepts and a more efficient path to innovation. And now, with the introduction of the Normative Data Agent, those benefits are reinforced and accessible even sooner.

Until now, using Zappi’s AI Concept Creation Agents required a brand to have already built a custom data asset—typically, at least 20 tested concepts in a category. But not every team has that at the ready, especially those exploring Zappi for the first time.

That changes with the launch of the Activate It Normative Data Agent. This new agent leverages Zappi’s normative data across key categories to jumpstart your idea generation by surfacing insights on what’s worked in the category and market

Releasing August 13, the Normative Data Agent unlocks instant access to Zappi’s curated normative data across select categories—Food, Beverage, Alcohol, Personal Care and QSR in the US and UK—so you can begin ideating right away, without waiting on a data build.

The agent offers high level broad category insights based on performance of individual Zappi tags on country/category level (e.g. which flavors or claims are performing best vs worst). It’s fast. It’s secure. And it dramatically lowers the barrier to experiencing what makes Zappi’s agentic system truly differentiated. 

It’s the easiest way to get started with Zappi’s concept creation ecosystem, while still grounded in real consumer behavior.

The Activate It  Normative Data Agent and the Activate It Customer Data Agent are designed to work together—not compete. If available, you can use one or both! The Normative Agent provides broad, category-level insights that are perfect for early-stage ideation or trial use. The Customer Data Agent, on the other hand, delivers deep, granular insights based on your own concept testing, giving you tailored recommendations and also why ideas work or don’t.

Together, they create a full-spectrum view of relevant concept testing data—blending tag-based trends and specificity for more confident decision-making.

While traditional brainstorms are stuck in the past, AI tools promise the future…but rarely deliver it.

Generic tools lack the nuance of your brand. They aren’t built on real consumer data. They generate disconnected outputs that feel clever but lack commercial viability. They also lack the optimization for best practices related to concept creation and ideation. 

This is where Zappi bridges the gap. Our agents are specialized with the expertise we know is needed for good ideation processes to work. We offer a data-backed, insight-driven and brand-specific solution that integrates seamlessly into your workflow. Our intuitive interface is also designed for marketers, not engineers. And because we combine your data with ours—and let you guide the agents—you get ideas that are not just smart, but actionable.

Our agents ingest your brand’s guidelines, tone and positioning, combine it with your concept testing data or normative insights, and deliver a steady stream of new ideas. This isn't a black-box AI that hands you generic outputs. You interact with the agents through an intuitive chat-based interface, giving input, asking for iterations or using them collaboratively in workshops. With every interaction, the agents get smarter—and so do your ideas.

“AI doesn’t replace human intuition—it amplifies it.” McKenzie Davis, Split Director of Professional Services

With Zappi, creativity and data move in sync.

Data becomes your edge. Zappi delivers granular, actionable insights via a connected learning loop—leveraging prior testing results or normative benchmarks to spark and refine ideas. Agents combine Zappi’s domain knowledge with your internal expertise and give you an experience that feels more like working with a team than a tool.

We’ve built our AI Concept Creation Agents in collaboration with some of the world’s best innovators to create a smarter, more holistic system for ideation. The expertise is woven in, almost invisible.

If you already have testing data with Zappi, your agents will tap into those insights directly. If you haven’t yet, the Normative Data Agent brings powerful, category-level intelligence to your fingertips. No lag. No heavy setup. Just better ideas, faster. 

The Activate It Normative Data Agent officially launches on August 13. Shortly after, we’re kicking off a limited-time free trial available for existing customers and paid pilots in eligible categories available starting September 1st. (This will be available for teams in Food, Beverage, Alcohol, Personal Care and QSR categories in US and UK markets). It’s the easiest way to experience the power of AI-powered concept creation without the time or cost of a full data build.

For existing Zappi customers only, or those in a paid pilot. The free trial will go live Sept 1 and remain open to participants through the end of the year. Participants will get access for one month before requiring a subscription add-on to continue use. You get a “quick start” to access the default agents and a standard setup. There is no customization or guided setup/onboarding.

Who is eligible? Any Zappi customer who looks to create new Food, Beverage, Alcohol, Personal Care or QSR products for the US or UK market, given that this is the scope of our Normative Data Agent.

If you’re already a Zappi customer and meet the criteria listed above, you can sign up for free here. 

Not yet a Zappi customer? Or not in an eligible category or market? Contact sales for a demo today.