Earned-Media Research
Studies designed around timely communications questions using neutral questionnaires and appropriate audiences.
Industry expertise
PR & Communications Research
Original research that gives communications teams stronger stories, credible statistics and evidence their audiences can use.
What CITE provides
Research designed for communications teams
CITE Research designs and conducts original quantitative and qualitative studies for PR agencies, communications teams and the brands they support.
We help shape the research question, develop a neutral questionnaire, reach the right audience, manage fieldwork and quality review, analyze the findings and deliver media-ready statistics with transparent methodology.
PR Survey ResearchAt a Glance
Clients
PR agencies, corporate communications teams and marketing organizations
Audiences
Consumers, business decision-makers and specialized professionals
Options
Custom surveys, omnibus research, qualitative and benchmark programs
Timing
From several business days to several weeks depending on scope
Deliverables
Findings, methodology, data, story angles, reports and presentations
PR research capabilities
Thought Leadership
Original evidence for executive platforms, reports, category narratives and analyst conversations.
Research for AI Visibility
Clear, attributable findings and accessible methodology designed to create useful source material for online discovery.
Multi-Channel Activation
One study can support a report, press release, webinar, LinkedIn series, presentation and sales materials.
Survey Analysis and Story Development
Turn existing data into clear findings, credible narratives and communications opportunities.
Agency Collaboration
CITE can work directly with internal teams or alongside a client's PR agency throughout research design and delivery.
Research and Communications Experience
CITE founder Andrew Edwards has worked in survey research at Nielsen and public relations at Edelman. That experience informs both how studies are designed and how findings are prepared for communications use.
Research conducted by CITE has contributed to client coverage in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, USA Today, CNN, TechCrunch and industry publications. Findings have also supported content presented at CES and AWS re:Invent.
How It Works
Define the communications objective
Align on the audience, hypothesis and intended uses.
Design and conduct the research
Develop the instrument, recruit participants and manage fieldwork.
Analyze the story
Identify defensible findings, differences and potential angles.
Deliver and activate
Provide findings, methodology and guidance for relevant channels.
From Communications Objective to Research Activation
Communications objective
We define the audience, business objective, initial hypothesis and intended uses of the research.
Research design and fieldwork
CITE Research develops a neutral questionnaire and sampling plan, then conducts fieldwork using appropriate recruitment and data-quality controls.
Analysis and story development
We identify defensible findings, relevant subgroup differences and potential story angles without forcing the data to support a predetermined conclusion.
Reporting and activation planning
We deliver findings and transparent methodology documentation, along with guidance for using the research across relevant communications, marketing and sales channels.
Case Study
Hotwire
Turning Travel Research Into National News
CITE Research surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults for Hotwire examining attitudes toward luxury hotels and travel costs. The findings helped turn a promotional campaign into national coverage from Forbes and USA Today.
View case studyRingCentral
Quantifying the Cost of Workplace App Overload
CITE Research surveyed 2,000 knowledge workers across the United States, United Kingdom and Australia for RingCentral. The research found that 69% of workers lost up to an hour each day navigating between apps—giving workplace app overload a measurable, media-ready cost.
View case studyPR research questions
What is a PR survey?
A PR survey is original research designed to produce credible, media-relevant findings that can support earned media, thought leadership and broader marketing.
How do you design a survey for earned-media relevance?
Media-relevant research begins with a timely question, a clearly defined audience and a neutral questionnaire. CITE Research works backward from the communications objective and initial story hypothesis while allowing the findings to support, complicate or challenge that hypothesis. Coverage remains an editorial decision and cannot be guaranteed.
Can research support AI visibility?
Potentially. When original research is published online and receives authoritative third-party coverage, those pages may become sources that search engines and AI systems discover or reference. Clear findings, transparent methodology and consistent attribution can improve discoverability, but no research firm can guarantee inclusion in AI-generated answers.
How many respondents does a PR survey need?
Consumer studies often use approximately 1,000 or more respondents when national-level findings are required. Specialized B2B studies may use smaller, carefully qualified samples. The appropriate sample depends on audience incidence, intended claims, desired precision and the subgroup comparisons required.
Can CITE Research guarantee media coverage?
No. CITE Research can design research for media relevance and provide findings and methodology documentation for communications planning, but editorial coverage remains at each publication’s discretion.
Who owns the survey data?
Data ownership and permitted uses are confirmed in the engagement agreement. See Research Data Ownership for CITE Research’s approach.
What is the difference between an omnibus and a custom PR survey?
An omnibus survey combines questions from multiple clients in a shared field period, while a custom study is designed around one organization’s specific audience, research question and intended uses.
Can CITE Research work with our PR agency?
Yes. CITE Research can collaborate with internal communications teams and PR agencies on objectives, research design, reporting and activation planning.
What methodology should accompany published survey findings?
Published findings should include clear information about the audience, fieldwork timing, sample size, methodology and relevant limitations so readers can evaluate the research appropriately.
Does CITE Research pitch journalists directly?
CITE Research focuses on research design, fieldwork, analysis, reporting and activation planning. Media-relations responsibilities are defined with the client and PR agency before a study begins.
Ready to Build Research Your Audience Trusts?
Tell us your communications objective. We'll design credible research around the audience, evidence and story your campaign needs.