STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN -- (Marketwire) -- 11/09/12 -- 'Public relations' is deemed to be the most important component of the promotional mix by those in the United States whose roles incorporate marketing, including the use of channels such as social media and search engine optimization (SEO). This was the finding of a study carried out by Cint, a global provider of technology to gain market insight. The survey, undertaken in 2012, investigated people's attitudes regarding the practice of marketing and gauged opinions of the sector as a whole.

A total of 486 people, all of whom had previously undertaken market research, were polled from the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden and Germany. 36 percent of those surveyed in the US cited 'public relations' as the most important function within marketing, followed by advertising (27%) and social media (21%). The opinions of those in the US vastly differed from their European counterparts, with British and Spanish respondents believing advertising was most important. Social media was considered most useful in Germany and Sweden.

Hilary Shapiro, Global Marketing Director at Cint, comments: "It is interesting that over a third of qualified respondents in the US placed such importance on public relations as a tool for promoting their products or services. Despite the growth of 'new media,' channels including online community establishment, search engine optimization and social media, the traditional practice of media relations is still considered to play a significant role.

"When commencing this study, as with any piece of market research, it was essential to reach individuals most applicable to our requirements. We easily identified professionals from each country through Cint Access, the DIY market research solution, and received results in hours. Marketing specialists should be utilizing such tools in order to obtain the opinions of their target markets as well as to develop their marketing strategies more effectively."

The study was carried out using self-service sampling solution, Cint Access, which allows users to deploy an online survey to double opted-in, verified individuals matching their exact profiling requirements in less than seven minutes. Cint's range of market research tools offer businesses and brands access to the opinions of over 7.5 million people in 50 countries. These individuals are recruited through hundreds of reputable panel owners like publishers, local media outlets, brands and non-profits.

To find out more about Cint's range of consumer research solutions, please visit www.cint.com.