Search Russell Research

Find a solution, case, or article

Enter at least two characters to search the site.

    Press Esc to close. Use Ctrl/⌘ K to search from anywhere.

    Russell Omnibus

    A National Omnibus That Fields Twice Weekly

    The Russell Omnibus is a national online survey of 1,000 US adults with two fielding windows every week. Add questions to an upcoming wave and receive results in days, with questionnaire consultation and 35+ standard demographic and geographic data cuts included. Custom banner cuts may be added.

    Shared fielding costs

    Participating clients share the cost of the national sample and pay according to the questions they add.

    Quality controls follow the full-study process

    The Omnibus uses Russell's respondent validation, fieldwork, processing, and delivery controls.

    The Survey Runs on a Twice-Weekly Schedule

    The national survey is already scheduled and your questions join an upcoming wave. The recurring fielding calendar is what makes a quick national read possible.

    Every wave

    Two fielding windows every week

    1. 1

      Questions close

      Your finalized questions are locked into the upcoming wave alongside other participants' modules.

    2. 2

      The wave fields

      A fresh sample of 1,000 US adults completes the survey online.

    3. 3

      Data tabulations delivered

      You receive data tabulations with 35+ standard demographic and geographic data cuts; custom banner cuts may be added.

    If the module misses one cutoff, another entry window follows within days.

    One Wave, a Recurring Placement, or a Dedicated Study?

    The right choice depends on how often the measure is needed, who must answer, and how much room the questionnaire requires.

    Woman speaking on a mobile phone in a colorful room

    Single-wave insert

    Use one wave for a focused national question such as a message check, concept screen, awareness read, or market pulse. The standard output is a set of toplines with data cuts.

    Recurring placement

    Repeat the same measures across waves to see whether awareness, sentiment, or behavior changes. This provides trend lines without requiring a full custom tracker.

    Dedicated study

    Use a dedicated study for low-incidence audiences, complex choice exercises, longer questionnaires, or questions that need their own sample and design.

    If a question does not fit the Omnibus, Russell will say so and recommend a dedicated study.

    Question Formats and Add-Ons

    Standard question formats fit easily into a wave. Work that needs heavier design is scoped separately.

    Method

    Standard question module

    When it helps

    You need a national read on a focused question within days.

    Business decision

    What does a national consumer sample think about this question?

    Method

    Image & concept exposure

    When it helps

    An idea, pack, or visual needs a directional screen before deeper testing.

    Business decision

    Is this worth developing further?

    Method

    Message & claim battery

    When it helps

    Several claims or messages need a quick appeal and believability read.

    Business decision

    Which message should lead?

    Method

    Tracking placement

    When it helps

    A measure needs to repeat across waves to show movement.

    Business decision

    Is awareness, usage, or sentiment actually changing?

    Method

    Public-release module

    When it helps

    The finding is meant to be published, pitched, or cited.

    Business decision

    Can we say this publicly, with methodology to back it?

    Findings Russell Has Published From the Omnibus

    Russell also uses the Omnibus for its own published research, including the recurring COVID-19: Its Impact on Everyday Life series fielded throughout 2020 and 2021. Published findings include the study methodology.

    View Case Studies

    What Clients Receive

    The standard output is concise, with additional analysis available when a placement develops into a larger program.

    Data-cut tabulations

    Results cut by 35+ standard demographic and geographic variables, with any agreed custom banner cuts.

    Trend view

    For recurring placements, wave-over-wave trend lines on every repeated measure.

    Public-release methodology note

    For publishable studies, a disclosure-ready summary of field dates, sample, and method.

    Question record and readout support

    The approved wording and response options, plus researcher help interpreting results when needed.

    Pricing and Publication Questions

    When is the Omnibus a good fit, and when do we need a dedicated study?

    The Omnibus suits a focused question that a national adult consumer sample can answer, such as awareness, reported behavior, or a reaction to a short message or concept. Russell's published Black Friday study used it to examine shopping plans, information sources, and reasons for participating. A dedicated study is more suitable when you need a narrowly defined audience, a long questionnaire, or a complex testing design. We review the decision and the evidence it requires before recommending a placement; a quick survey is useful only if it reaches the relevant people and asks enough to answer the question.

    How does shared-cost pricing work?

    Participating clients share the cost of fielding the national survey, and your price depends on the questions you add and their format. Questionnaire consultation and 35+ standard demographic and geographic data cuts are included. Share draft questions, any images or concepts, the intended audience, and the output you need so we can quote the actual placement. Custom banner cuts, additional analysis, and repeat waves should be discussed when scoping the work. A short question list alone may not describe all the programming or analysis the study needs.

    Do we need finished questions before contacting Russell?

    No. Bring the decision you need to make, what you already know, and any draft questions or materials. Questionnaire consultation is included. We help translate the brief into wording and response options that participants can understand, with attention to recall periods, assumptions, and whether each question asks one clear thing. If you plan to publish the results, share that intention before fieldwork so the questions can address the claim you want to investigate. Final wording and materials need approval before the module joins a wave.

    How quickly can our questions field and results arrive?

    The survey fields twice every week, with results delivered in days. The appropriate wave depends on when the questions and materials are finalized and what programming and output the placement requires. Tell us your decision or publication deadline at the start; we will confirm the available fielding window, approval cutoff, and delivery timing for that placement. Two weekly windows do not mean every request can enter immediately. Allow time for questionnaire review and approval, especially when several stakeholders need to agree the wording or a visual needs revision.

    Can we study a particular customer group or local market?

    It depends on how many relevant people the national sample is likely to include. Each wave surveys 1,000 US adults in total; that is not 1,000 people in every age group, location, or product-user group. Additional qualifying questions may help identify an audience, but they do not guarantee enough responses for useful analysis. We assess the expected subgroup size and the comparisons you need before recommending the design. A local market, specialist occupation, or uncommon purchase may require a dedicated sample instead of an Omnibus placement.

    What will we receive, and what are data cuts?

    The standard output is data tabulations showing how participants answered, with 35+ standard demographic and geographic data cuts. A cut shows the responses for a particular group so you can compare it with others. Custom banner cuts may be added where the necessary information is available and the sample supports them. We also retain the approved question wording and response options. Discuss any additional interpretation or presentation needs when scoping the work. In reading the tables, check how many people answered each question and subgroup; a percentage based on few responses needs particular care.

    Can we repeat questions to track change over time?

    Yes. Recurring placements can track measures such as awareness, sentiment, or reported behavior. Keep the core wording, response options, and audience definition consistent so differences between waves are easier to interpret. Russell's COVID-19 everyday-life series combined repeated questions with topical modules as circumstances changed. Each Omnibus wave uses a fresh sample, so the comparison concerns responses across samples rather than changes within the same individuals. We consider sample sizes and field dates when interpreting movement; a difference between two waves does not by itself establish that a campaign or event caused it.

    Can we publish the findings?

    Yes. Tell us before fieldwork so the questionnaire and reporting can support public use. Public-release placements include methodology details such as field dates, sample size and composition, and question context. The published claim should reflect the actual wording and the people who answered it: a result among category users should not be described as a result among all adults. Russell's published Omnibus articles show examples of findings with methodology notes. Report intentions as intentions, distinguish subgroups from the full sample, and retain qualifications that affect the meaning of a finding.

    Plan your research

    Explore tools selected for this research. Browse all research tools and calculators.

    Have a Question for an Upcoming Wave?

    Share the question and timing. Russell will confirm whether it fits the Omnibus, help with wording, and identify an upcoming fielding window.

    Add a Question to an Upcoming Wave