The subjects vary from whether women prefer chocolate to shoes; what colours people like to wear or what are the most exciting features of a mobile phone.
The PR Survey – far different to the scientifically researched survey carried out by major research organisations – has been a staple diet of the media for many years and it is invariably public relations specialists who provide these items.
But the appetite for them never lessens within the media for one very good reason – people love to hear them and they are exactly the stories that they go home and chat to their family and friends about in the evening.
For every person who might read or hear about such a survey directly there are another eight who hear about it from their friend or even from strangers they encounter. We just can’t resist passing lifestyle trivia facts on to others!
Back in the heady days of the 1980s I worked in an Absolutely Fabulous style agency where a survey could be conducted by just asking around the office; ringing a few mates and getting the cleaner to chime in with a view.
The media got wise to such antics and now insist that the survey has to ask 1,000 people – even if it isn’t particularly scientifically carried out. So for some time, when required, Empica has sent people out with clipboards – and yes roped in relatives and the cleaner – until the magic number is reached. It takes time and effort to get 1,000 I can tell you having found 1,000 “Yummy Mummies” and 1,000 people who have visited a chiropractor!
Thankfully we now have those wonderful social networking sites and we are seeking 1,000 people who live in the South West of England and have an opinion on something to join our regional “Opinion 1,000 Club” on Facebook. The club, when it reaches 1,000, will mean we have on tap people ready and willing to provide answers to those important lifestyle questions for our clients – we even plan to bribe them with prizes.
Opinions are sometimes vital, sometimes fun and sometimes purely so that the public can say “fancy that”…but hopefully they will always be a good source of interesting material for the media.
