How many UK consumers do I need to interview to make my research viable?

There is not necessarily a minimum amount of people that needs to be surveyed to make a  consumer research project viable, as sample sizes are almost entirely dependent on the purpose of the research. If for example you are looking to develop a piece of research into a storyline from a PR perspective, your sample size will need to be large, as journalists and bloggers will very rarely comment on research that has been carried out on small groups of people.

If, however, you are looking to use this research internally to target a specific niche audience and work out what will aid your own success, your research will be viable even with a very small number of respondents.

From our own experience here at Arlington, general sample sizes for a media-based research project tend to be more successful if your sample size is made up of more than 2,000 respondents, yet this is not a necessity as National media will want different sample sizes compared to trade and vertical publications.