Looking for a Christmas PR Survey? You're Too Late.

If you are starting from scratch in November and looking for a Christmas survey to build a PR or marketing campaign around, my advice is simple: it's too late.

I would put that budget and energy into a New Year 2027 angle.

I learned this the hard way at Edelman

During my time at Edelman, I pitched survey findings to reporters only to learn that their holiday stories were already wrapped up weeks — and sometimes months — in advance. Some were heading out on vacation for weeks. Others were covering for short staff. I was thinking about the story we wanted to tell, but their calendars had already moved on.

That experience has stayed with me. When you are planning seasonal research, the date that matters is when a journalist needs the findings. Work backward from that, including time to develop the questions, review the results, and prepare the pitch.

The Christmas work started months ago

Brands that planned ahead have already identified media targets, explored survey story angles, approved questions, and gathered their findings. Their PR teams have shaped the results into pitches and started conversations with journalists.

The Christmas stories you see in December may have started while everyone else was thinking about summer vacations. By November, well-prepared teams are following up on stories they have already pitched and secured.

A fast survey in November does not give you that time back.

An omnibus will not rescue the campaign

At this point, someone usually asks whether a quick consumer omnibus survey could solve the problem.

I would not recommend commissioning one now just to rescue a Christmas campaign.

Getting answers quickly is only one part of the job. You still need a question worth asking, a clear connection to your brand, and findings that give a journalist a reason to care. Then comes reviewing the results, agreeing on the story, preparing materials, and pitching the right people.

An omnibus can be useful when it fits a tight timeline, but choosing it because the calendar year is ending puts speed ahead of the campaign. I would rather help a client plan something useful than rush a study around a deadline we should already have worked toward.

Look beyond Christmas

New Year 2027 gives you a different starting point. What are people planning to change? What are they reconsidering? Where do their ambitions run into everyday obstacles?

A financial services brand could explore which expenses people want to reduce and which they will protect. Healthcare research could investigate what would make it easier to schedule an appointment people have been putting off. A workplace brand could ask what employees want to change about their working day.

Those are starting questions, not findings. The next step is to choose the audience, discuss the media opportunity, and give the research a clear purpose. Our PR survey research starts with that conversation.

Give the next story room to develop

A New Year angle still needs planning now. Identify the publications and journalists you want to reach, work backward from their deadlines, and leave time to turn the findings into a useful pitch.

If January is tight for the story you have in mind, look further into 2027. A customer question, an industry event, or a change in buying priorities can give your brand a reason to contribute well beyond the holiday season.

My recommendation is to move on from a new Christmas survey this year. Put your next investment into original insights your team has time to use well.

Talk with CITE about the next story you want to tell. Let's plan the research while there is still time to build the campaign around it.

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Andrew Edwards is the founder and CEO of CITE Research, an independent market research firm founded in 2015. Drawing on experience at Nielsen and Edelman, he helps brands use original research for PR, thought leadership, marketing, and business decisions. His work spans technology, cybersecurity, financial services, healthcare, and the future of work.