Category: News

Over the past few weeks, global marketing communication agency, Citizen Relations, has taken home wins across Canadian industry shows, the ADCC Awards and CMA Awards. 

The Canadian Marketing Association’s annual awards recognize the top Canadian campaigns and marketers of the year. In its 57th year, the 2024 show’s theme, “Boundless: The Future of Creativity,” focused on the constant innovation in marketing. Citizen’s Addy’s Crystal Ball campaign for SickKids Foundation won four awards across various categories: 

• Social Causes:
  • Public Relations – Gold
• Healthcare: 
  • Engagement – Silver
  • Innovative Media – Bronze
  • Public Relations – Bronze

The campaign, which is centered around the brave story of 13-year-old Addy and her crystal ball, has previously been recognized at the ILEA Espirit Awards. 

The ADCC Awards has been recognizing the best Canadian work in advertising and design for the past 75 years. At the 2024 awards, Citizen won two Silver awards for their Asshole Activists campaign for TUSHY in the following categories: 

• Experiential – Events 
• PR – Stunts/Events

The Asshole Activists campaign has been recognized for its uniquely bold and ‘cheeky’ approach at showcasing TUSHY’s bidet and gone on to have a positive impact on climate change. It has previously won awards at the CLIOs and Atomic Awards, along with being featured in PRovoke Media’s SABRE Global Top 40 Campaigns list and winning the Best In Show Platinum SABRE Award earlier in the year. 

A huge congratulations to both teams!

Last week, The Drum announced the winners of the global Drum Awards Festival 2024, recognizing the very best work in the world of marketing and media. Citizen’s “Undone” campaign for Intuit TurboTax took home two wins at the awards. The show, judged by a jury of 700 global marketing experts, awards work that exemplify ground-breaking creativity and strategic genius. 

Citizen won a Silver in the Advertising: Online Video – Long Form category and a Bronze in the Content: Video & Film category. The Undone campaign for TurboTax addresses the horrible stress and anxiety 85% of Canadian Gen Z face when it comes to taxes. How? In a medium that speaks to Gen Z best – a 9 minute psychological horror film. This innovative approach to addressing a complex problem is what has garnered industry appreciation for the campaign. 

Creative Directors, Jess Richards and Travis Myers, spearheaded the campaign, which most recently won at the Applied Arts Advertising Awards. 

“This was the concept we thought the client would never pick,” said Richards. “It was a true display of their trust in the creative process and we’re so grateful for this partnership.”

Speaking on the uniqueness of the campaign, Myers added, “Good creative makes agencies and clients uncomfortable. When you don’t paint by numbers, things can go very good or very wrong. This concept made us all uncomfortable in a good way, and in the end it made audiences uncomfortable in a good way too.”

The campaign was also the focal point of an episode of the Plus Company podcast, Partners in Possibility, hosted by Plus Co CEO, Brett Marchand. Citizen’s Chief Creative Officer, Josh Budd, joined Brett and Intuit Canada’s Head of Marketing, Gah-Yee Won, to chat about pushing creative boundaries and taking risks.

With Bluesky recently crossing the 20-million-user milestone, it’s no longer just a whisper in the tech world—it’s entered the mainstream conversation and marketing rooms worldwide. If you’ve been hearing about Bluesky (or its rivals, Threads and X—the platform formerly known as Twitter) and wondering what the fuss is about, you’re not alone. With frustrations brewing over X and a growing interest in decentralized platforms, Bluesky could be the breath of fresh digital air you (and your brand) need.

At Citizen we have been exploring and testing the platform steadily since its beta-launch, so let’s break it down for you so you can navigate these discussions with your team.

Decentralization: What Even Is It? And Why Should You Care?

Bluesky isn’t just another social media app vying for your attention. It’s built on the AT Protocol, a decentralized framework that flips the traditional social media playbook. Most platforms—like X and Threads—are centralized, meaning they’re tightly controlled by the companies that own them. Bluesky’s decentralized approach is more like a flexible playground where users and developers have greater control over their digital lives.

Here’s the kicker: on Bluesky, if you decide to hop to another app built on the same protocol, you can take your followers, posts, and data with you. Think of it as the freedom to leave a platform without losing your digital identity. Revolutionary, right? In a world where most social networks act like walled gardens, Bluesky’s model could be a game changer.

Why All the Buzz?

Let’s be honest: X has become… a lot. From Elon Musk’s love of drama (drama=engagement=$$) to its gradual transformation into a megaphone for polarizing agendas, many users and brands have quietly slipped out the back door. Bluesky offers an enticing alternative—a space that feels less like the Wild West and more like an intentional, thoughtfully designed retreat. For brands and leaders, it’s a chance to connect with audiences in a different way without the baggage of being tied to X’s controversies.

So – Should You Join the Bluesky Party?

Here’s the million-dollar question: where should brands focus their attention? The short answer is—don’t try to be everywhere all at once. A scattershot approach is a surefire way to burn through your budget. Instead, prioritize based on your audience, resources, and strategic goals.

BIG DISCLAIMER:

There’s a difference between claiming a handle and actively engaging on a platform. Even if your brand isn’t ready to dive into Bluesky, Threads, or X, it’s wise to claim your handles now to reserve your spot for future use. If you don’t, someone else might—and reclaiming it later could be expensive or impossible.

When considering whether to invest time and resources into Bluesky—or any platform—ask yourself these questions:

1. Have we claimed our handles? Future-proofing starts here.
2. Is our audience active on this platform? Bluesky’s 20 million users are notable, but still a fraction of Threads’ ~275 million and X’s ~600 million.
3. Are relevant conversations happening here? If your competitors or industry leaders are talking, it might be worth paying attention.
4. What unique experience can our brand bring to this channel? Decentralized platforms like Bluesky offer a different vibe—less polished and more authentic. How can you add value in this space?
5. What are the risks and PR implications? As with any emerging platform, consider how your participation (or lack thereof) aligns with your brand’s broader narrative.

Putting Bluesky Thinking in Context

Bluesky represents a shift in how social media could work—not just in user experience but in structure. It’s not just about chasing likes and retweets; it’s about rethinking the architecture of online communities. Whether you’re ready to jump in or just keeping tabs, understanding platforms like Bluesky can help you make informed decisions in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

In the end, the key isn’t to follow the buzz—it’s to find what aligns with your audience, goals, and brand values. Stay curious, stay strategic, and don’t forget to grab your handle.

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Welcome to The Rundown by Citizen – Connections edition! Our quarterly newsletter gives you a round up of the conversations that count. In honour of our latest Citizen Connections Report, this edition of the Rundown is all about social connection and Third Places. Check it out below and subscribe to our newsletter to get the full thing in your inbox!

What’s In A Third Place?

Popular sitcoms from the 80s to early 2000s often show that one hangout spot where the entire gang meets up after a long day at work – a breather between all their shenanigans. So what do Tom’s Diner in Seinfeld, Central Perk in Friends, The Max in Saved By The Bell or MacLaren’s Pub in How I Met Your Mother have in common? They all serve as a key Third Place for our beloved characters. 

Coined by American sociologist, Ray Oldenburg, in 1989, a Third Place is a physical space where a person spends time when not at home (the first place) or at work/school (the second place). It’s a place of belonging and ease, where people gather to relax in public, meet familiar faces or make new relationships. These third places are just as important to our lives as they are in those TV shows. With the world facing so many crises, the need for social connection is higher than ever. And yet, every day we see new headlines of shopping malls shutting down, coffee shops decreasing and movie theaters closing.

Last year, Citizen’s Connections Report found a clear connection deficit. The 2024 iteration found that more than half of the people surveyed feel less connected today than they did in 2023. 

So how do Third Places fit in all this? According to Citizen’s research, Third Places play a critical role in closing the connection gap and the need is clearly there. According to Vox, Third Places allow people of different backgrounds to cross paths and build ties. Around 83% of Citizen’s survey respondents said they have at least one Third Place but 74% of those found something missing in their Third Place and 65% can’t find one that’s right for them.

Why the disparity? Our needs from a Third Place in 2024 are different and much more nuanced. 

1. With the growing closure of global offices and a shift towards hybrid working, our “second place” has deteriorated. This is widening the gap between a first and third place, where people in the workforce today don’t have as many opportunities to build social connections with those around them 
2. Men and women want different things from a Third Place. Women want to relax & escape responsibility while men are actively seeking new connections and belonging in a Third Place. 
3. Younger generations have a notably higher need for Third Places than others, despite being the most online generations. So much so that they are the most willing to make quality of life sacrifices to save Third Places including giving up social media, sex and dining out.  

While this is just a slice of the findings, the 2024 Citizen Connections Report makes one thing clear: Third Places are integral for brands to build deeper connections with their consumers.  

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Here’s a sneak peek!

Gen Z: How the “homebody generation” forges meaningful connections IRL

Gen Z is redefining social connection by turning their homes into personalized “third places,” hosting everything from dinner parties to book clubs while blending physical and digital experiences. Learn what’s driving this shift and how brands can adapt.

Parks and Green Spaces: The Untapped Third Place

Parks and green spaces are emerging as vital “third places” beyond home and work, offering brands unique opportunities to create community impact through inclusive programming and digital engagement while serving as natural equalizers across demographics. Discover how brands can leverage green spaces to build authentic community connections.

How Brands Can Become Today’s Modern Connectors

In today’s digitally isolated world, innovative brands are reimagining their role by creating meaningful “third places” that foster genuine human connections, proving that their greatest value isn’t in what they sell, but in the relationships they enable. See how brands are bridging the digital-physical divide to build community.

We live in a world overflowing with digital content. Every minute, 16,000 TikToks are uploaded, 500 million tweets are sent out, and countless other pieces of data are created. This presents a massive opportunity for brands to glean insights into consumer behavior. But how do you make sense of all this unstructured data?

That’s where conversation mapping comes in.

Conversation mapping is a systematic approach to quantifying and qualifying cultural conversations by using a mix of online listening and news media intelligence. It allows brands to pick apart how consumers react to specific moments and how they talk about their experiences.

Why Conversation Mapping?

Conversation mapping enables brands to:

• Cut through the noise and identify genuine opportunities for connection and growth.
• Develop more effective communication strategies by gaining a deep understanding of their audience and what matters to them.
• Identify white space and develop messaging and strategies that are relevant, current, and differentiated.

Key Trends:

• A growing recognition of the value of unstructured data and the insights it can provide.
• The rise of sophisticated tools and techniques for analyzing this data at scale.
• A shift from simply tracking mentions to understanding the nuances of conversation and using that knowledge to develop more effective marketing strategies.

Click here to get more takeaways like this from Citizen’s Annual Forward Forum virtual seminar.

As the marketing landscape continues to fragment, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for brands to create cohesive and impactful campaigns. Brands need to orchestrate their efforts across various channels to ensure their message is heard and resonates with consumers.

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

IMC involves coordinating a unified message across all channels to create a seamless consumer experience. Brands that implement IMC often see a higher ROI due to the synergistic effects of coordinated campaigns.

Why IMC Matters

• Consistency Builds Connection: Focusing on a few consistent, long-term RTBs (Reasons to Believe) increases the value of marketing communications.
• Efficiency and Resource Allocation: A consistent and seamless experience across channels can lead to increased customer satisfaction and lifetime value. A unified strategy often leads to more efficient use of resources.
• Enhanced Brand Equity: Brands like Coca-Cola and Nike have successfully implemented coordinated editorial strategies, leading to increased brand engagement and stronger market presence.

Key Trends

• A shift from a siloed to an integrated approach to marketing, where different channels and teams are working together to create a unified brand experience.
• A growing focus on the customer journey, with brands needing to understand how consumers interact with their brand across multiple touchpoints.
• The use of data and analytics to measure the effectiveness of IMC campaigns.

Challenges of Integrated Marketing

• Disparate frameworks for journey and measurement can make it difficult to track progress and results.
• Teams often work in silos, with experts focusing on their specific areas rather than collaborating on a holistic strategy.
• Creating a unified, singular framework and personalized RTBs for specific audience challenges requires careful planning and coordination.

Solutions

• Build a culture of test and learn.
• Develop “anchorable devices,” such as a shared brand narrative or visual identity, to help unify marketing efforts.
• Clearly define goals and roles for each team and individual.
• Break down agency overlaps and build holistic strategies and solutions.
• Create expert teams where roles and outputs are defined, and team members are “tapped” at various points in the project process.
• Plan collaboratively and align on core goals across all teams and departments.
• Cross-share data to ensure everyone has access to the same information.
• The goal of integrated marketing is to empower experts to activate and drive measurable results for the business.

By taking a more orchestrated approach to marketing, brands can create campaigns that are not only more effective but also more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable.

Click here to get more takeaways like this from Citizen’s Annual Forward Forum virtual seminar.

Last year, global communications agency, Citizen Relations, introduced their annual value awards, The Mods, celebrating those Citizens who embody the company’s three core values of a Modern Citizen: 

• Set The Standard
• Champion Equity
• Do What’s Right

Those who truly walk the talk on Citizen’s values – both in their work and with their colleagues – are anonymously nominated by fellow Citizens, who are then shortlisted and scored by a judging committee. Three winners were selected for 2024, winning an all-expenses paid three days at any of the 10 Citizen offices across North America and Europe.

Meet our 2024 winners: 

1. Sol Carmona, Director, Creator Marketing (TOR)

Sol, who’s originally from Argentina, has been at Citizen for 1.5 years on the agency’s Digital team and is known to be a problem-solver by her peers. One nominee said, “Sol is so excited to learn and to help others learn – she constantly has an open door and is sought by colleagues at all levels for their opinions on available tools to solve problems and industry best practices. She enjoys offering advice, not for her ego but for how it impacts the agency.” 

When asked about how she approaches her work, Sol said, “As someone who moved to Canada at age 12 and didn’t know any English and had to sit in a classroom where I had no idea what anyone was saying to me, I know how important it is to be seen with compassion and understanding and to feel valued and respected.” 

Congrats Sol! 

2. Samantha Flores, Director of Digital Strategy & Consumer Advocate (NYC)

Samantha has been a pivotal part of the Digital team at Citizen for the past 1.5 years and her nominees applaud the empathy and care she brings to her work. One nominee says, “Her contagious positive energy and commitment to producing the best work possible makes me excited to come to work every day and do my very best.”

When asked what it means to be a Director at Citizen, Samantha said, “Not only are we meant to literally direct the programs. but we’re also meant to direct the growth and opportunities for the people on our teams; we’re meant to find those areas of inspiration and where people have passions and really bring that to the forefront.”

Congratulations Samantha!

3. Chloe Magliato, Associate Director (NYC)

A Citizen for the past 4 years, Chloe is known to go above and beyond for those around her and always strives to champion equity for those around her. One nominee says, “As a member of the EDI Committee and a dedicated growth coach, Chloe creates an environment that is a comfortable safe space where her team can talk openly. She listens to questions, needs, and feedback and always does her best to address them.”

When asked what it means to be a Citizen for her, she said “To me, being a Citizen means showing up – being gentle, honest and thoughtful. But it also means I can be tenacious, I can be scrappy and I can encourage an excellent standard of work as a trusted leader.”

Congratulations Chloe!

It’s been a busy few weeks for Citizen Relations! The global communications agency has taken home wins across the globe (and across disciplines!) at the DigiDay Awards, Applied Arts Awards and PRovoke Media’s Global Sabre Awards 2024.

Citizen’s campaign for Duracell, “I Buy My Own Batteries,” in partnership with VaynerMedia and EssenceMediaCom, won at the DigiDay Awards in the Best Use of Influencer Marketing category. The campaign notably features Vanderpump Rules breakout star, Ariana Madix, and has previously won at the Global Influencer Marketing Awards, Bronze Anvil Awards, Innovation SABRE Awards and the PRWeek Awards. 

The Applied Arts Advertising Awards celebrate innovation and creativity in Canada and beyond, where Citizen’s “Undone” campaign for TurboTax won in the “Branded/Sponsored Content, Long” category. The campaign features a short horror film depicting the very real tax anxiety so many Canadians face – a true testament to the team’s innovation. 

Rounding up the wins is Citizen’s “Asshole Activists” campaign for TUSHY, which got the #14 spot on PRovoke Media’s Global SABRE Awards in the Top 40 Global Campaigns list! The campaign, which has been lauded for its bold approach, has previously received recognition at the CLIO Awards, the Atomic Awards and won the Best in Show Platinum SABRE Awards! Along with the recognition, the campaign has made a positive impact on climate change efforts. 

These wins highlight the global agency’s diverse capabilities and portfolio of campaign work, across its global offices. A big congratulations to all the teams for the recognition! 

For the second year in a row, Citizen celebrated a PR AOY win at Strategy’s Agency of the Year (AOY) Awards – this time taking home the Silver award! In its 35th year, the AOY Awards are Canada’s most prestigious awards, recognizing the top creative, digital, PR, media, and design agencies in the country for their excellence, creativity, and impact. 

“This Silver win is a testament to our momentum at Citizen and the excellence we deliver for our clients,” shared Jenn Duggan, who recently expanded her role to President, Canada. “It’s a win for every member of our team & our partners, and we couldn’t be prouder.”

It’s the second year in a row making Strategy’s PR AOY podium for Citizen, a reflection of the agency’s building momentum and growth.  This year’s win, up against 12 other standout PR agencies, comes after another awards filled season for the agency, including a Global PR Agency of the Year (Bronze) win at Campaign, wins at the Atomic Awards (including the Public Service Grand Prix), PRovoke Media’s Innovation SABRE and North America SABRE Awards, CLIO Awards, Canadian Event Awards and the ADC Awards. 

A huge congratulations to all of the shortlisted agencies & to the entire Canadian Citizen team for another incredible year.

The majestic Rocky Mountains provided a stunning backdrop for The Gathering 2024 conference in Banff last week, where marketing leaders from across North America came together to share insights, forge connections, and explore the future of brand building. As a title sponsor, Plus Company played a pivotal role in facilitating meaningful discussions that will shape the industry’s trajectory.

SickKids VS Mimics

A highlight of the conference was having Citizen’s Managing Director, Josie Haynes join the stage with Kate Torrance, VP, Head of Brand, Content & Communications at SickKids Foundation. Kate’s session focused on the critical importance of continuous reinvention in maintaining market leadership, sharing both inspiring and heart-breaking stories behind SickKids monumental fundraising efforts that have completely broken the mold for non-profit marketing worldwide.

Unveiling the 2024 Citizen Connections Report

The conference served as the perfect platform for Citizen to launch their 2024 Connections Report. This year’s study unpacked the topic of social connection with 4000 people around the world, delving into the crucial role social connection and specifically ‘Third Places’ play in modern brand strategy and consumer engagement approaches.

Looking Forward

The Gathering proved to be more than just a conference; it was a testament to the marketing industry’s commitment to evolution and adaptation. The insights shared and relationships formed during these special few days in the mountains will undoubtedly influence marketing strategies and brand initiatives for 2025 and beyond.