A successful PR survey is a fast, cheap way of getting your name - or your client's - in front of people. We can interview 1,000 people in a few hours if necessary, making sure your story is fresh, topical and ahead of the competition. Prices start at £780, and we can get a PR survey live within an hour of your call. Below are some hints and tips we think will help you get the biggest PR bang for your buck...

Make it fun - the great British public enjoys venting its spleen. We see it all the time at work, in the bar, on the bus and all over social media. People tend to do it even when no-one has asked them to, because they enjoy it. So do invite them to let you know what they really think. They seldom disappoint!

Prove a point - there are certain assumptions that we all hold to be true, and if we are told we are right, we appreciate the affirmation. Traffic wardens are evil, everyone else's ring tone is irritating, the Queen is wonderful and a walk in the British countryside is one of the great things about living in this country. A PR survey that generates headlines proving a point we all like to make will usually get results.

Don't be afraid of controversy - if you want the media to pick up your story, make it newsworthy. A story saying most Brits obey the law isn't interesting. But add up everyone who goes 1mph over the speed limit, eats a grape before the checkout, parks on a yellow line, ‘borrows' a pen from work and so on, and we have a story proving we are a nation of lawbreakers.

Topical is good - one of our PR clients saw an opportunity when an Icelandic politician stated he would ban pineapple from pizza! We turned round a survey within 3 hours showing that the British public are big fans of pineapple on their pizza. The PR company got the rebuttal into the media when the original story was still fresh in everyone's mind. Then their client - a supermarket chain - started making pineapple-only pizza! This is a typical example - among many - of how agile, real-time PR work can pay off. We do it all the time.

Sex sells - so do football, the Royal Family and celebrity. Brits love to talk about the weather, family, food, holidays and so on. If your objective is to get your client's name into the media, find a story that people want to hear in preference to one your client wants to tell.

Think laterally - if your client sells cars, you don't have to run a story about cars. Maybe they offer a 10-year warranty - think of a story about the top 10 items that people find least reliable. Or maybe your client sells washing up liquid. Get some opinions on how people think about restaurants serving food on slates, wooden blocks and bricks.