Author: citizen

PRNews is celebrating the 75 most influential people in PR with their People of the Year awards and Citizen Relations is thrilled to announce that Toronto-based Senior Vice President, Carrie Makrigiannis, earned a place in The Mentors category. 

PRNews, an industry-leading source for education, inspiration, and recognition for the last 75 years, is recognizing the most innovative and inspiring communications professionals across a diverse set of categories ranging from Agency CEOs to Crisis Managers and DEI Champions to Public Affairs Leaders.

For The Mentors category, PRNews were seeking “an extraordinary leader who guides and motivates those around them and has had an outsized impact on the careers of their colleagues” – a definition Makrigiannis has more than lived up to in her 25-year tenure as a PR professional. Says a Citizen mentee of Makrigiannis:

“Carrie has been the most influential person in my career to-date and has had, by far, the most positive impact. I owe so much of where I am today to her guidance and support, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award.”

In addition to her support within the walls of Citizen, Makrigiannis has formally mentored with the Pinball Clemons Foundation and serves on Humber College’s Bachelor of PR Program Advisory Committee. Her work with aspiring youth in the industry is ongoing; in 2024, Makrigiannis spearheaded the first ‘Intro to PR Day’ at Citizen for Northview Heights Secondary  School students, in addition to sharing her expertise and advice with MBA students at Schulich School of Business. Alongside Makrigiannis’ personal mission to introduce the diverse field of communications to students at a young age, she plays an integral part of Citizen’s senior leadership team, overseeing the agency’s work with Loblaw Companies Limited brands including Joe Fresh, Shoppers Drug Mart, Real Canadian Superstore and President’s Choice. 

“In the 15+ years I’ve had a chance to work with Carrie, I’ve witnessed her incredible talent,  commitment and care as a mentor,“ shares Citizen’s Canadian President, Jenn Duggan. “She acts with compassion and pragmatism to build trusting and lasting relationships with each person she mentors.”

PRNews will bring together and celebrate the honorees of the awards on October 8 in New York City. Congratulations to Carrie for this award!

Last week, Citizen won big at the ILEA Espirit Awards with three wins for three different Experiential campaigns. 

Founded in 1987, the International Live Events Association brings together event professionals from over 35 countries to create some of the world’s most powerful events. This annual show honors all areas of live events including planning, production, design, and event management. Citizen campaigns consisting of integrated disciplines of XM, PR, Creative, and Strategy and took home 3 wins:

Best DEI Initiative: Vizzibility Booth – Molson Coors Beverage Company

Best Event that Makes an Impact or Gives Back:  SickKids Precision Health Care Launch – SickKids Foundation 

Best Marketing Campaign: Highland Park 54 Year Old Launch 

“Having our work recognized across three diverse and impactful campaigns at this global event is truly an honour,” shares Kevin Wagman, Managing Director, Citizen Experiential. “We’re tremendously proud to have our clients’ commitment to equality and accessibility acknowledged and celebrated.”

The Citizen Experiential team was recently recognized for its work at the Canadian Event Awards taking home two wins. Kevin Wagman was also honored for his commitment to the events industry being named to the 2024 Canadian Special Events Magazine’s “Top 25 Most Fascinating People in Events” list. 

Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is often stereotyped as a homogeneous group of digital natives, with similar attitudes and approaches to work, life, money and the world-at-large. However, this oversimplification overlooks the rich diversity within Gen Z. This generation, like those before it, is not a monolith; it consists of various personas shaped by distinct experiences, values, and interests. I’ve just scratched the surface with some of my own research but wanted to share my initial take on this dynamic cohort, outlined in the graphic below. 

Even among these few stereotypical attributes, it’s clear that Gen Z is a multifaceted generation, with diverse personas that defy simple categorization. Whether you are a marketer aiming to tailor your campaigns, an educator seeking to engage students, or a business leader looking to attract young talent, there’s lots to learn in creating more meaningful and effective interactions. As I dig in further, I’ll share more and please do the same in return — as I suspect this onion has a whole lot more layers to offer!

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Last year, Citizen Relations unveiled The Mods – the global communications agency’s first annual value awards. The awards recognize those Citizens who best embody the company’s core values: 

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

The winners won an all-expenses paid three days at any of the 10 Citizen offices across North America and Europe in addition to a donation to a non-profit organization of their choice. 

Hear about our winner’s experience below as we gear up for the 2024 MODs! 

Jordan Hernandez, Associate Director, Content Marketing (New York City)

Trip to: Vancouver

Non-Profit Organisation: Party With Purpose

During my second day as a Citizen in September 2022, I can remember sitting at lunch and brainstorming the idea of a Citizen value award. One of our leaders said “What if they get to spend a few days in a city where we have an office?” As a fresh employee the thought of this breezed right on by as I was focused on the new journey ahead of me. Never did I imagine that journey would include that exact trip that was once just a passing thought.

Citizen struck me as a company from the beginning of my time with the agency solely based on its values of ‘Champion Equity’, ‘Set the Standard’, and ‘Do What’s Right’. While I may not have articulated my personal values in that exact same way, they are ones that I strive to live by daily. Knowing that my co-workers, in less than a year of working together, saw this in me is the true prize. But adding on a trip to a new city never hurts 🙂 It means so much to me to make connections and really get to know my colleagues even if they are nearly 2,500 miles away. This trip allowed that.

Out of nine other Citizen offices, I chose to visit Vancouver, British Columbia. Truly, I do not know many people who have even been to Vancouver and I didn’t know much about the city before scouring TikTok to learn about all the hot spots in town. In our day to day it’s sometimes hard to imagine the impact our work and way of working could have across the continent, but spending time with Vancouver Citizens allowed me to truly feel the #OneCitizen love and our mission to produce great work globally. I am still feeling inspired from the knowledge and dedication I witnessed in the office and am bringing that spark back to NYC with me.

Vancouver is a beautiful city, one that I will now recommend to anyone I know looking to plan their next trip. After five days I enjoyed fresh sashimi, blindly went into climbing Grouse Grind (if you know, you know), ran along the Seawall, walked to lunch in a little rain, ate donuts, and just enjoyed the laid back nature of the city. I chose this location without knowing too much and left with such a love for it. Thank you Citizen and the city of Vancouver for an incredible experience. I will be back!

Annie Robitaille, Account Manager (Montreal) 

Trip to: Los Angeles

Non-Profit Organisation: La rue des femmes

My MOD’s trip destination choice was an easy choice: there’s no place quite like LA! My trip to the LA office was an incredible experience filled with beautiful weather, amazing people, and a city that’s as dynamic as it is sprawling. Even though it was a short trip, I managed to soak in everything LA had to offer, making the most out of every moment!

One of the most rewarding aspects of my trip was visiting the LA office and meeting the team. Their innovative, passionate, and welcoming nature, combined with a laid-back West Coast attitude, made every interaction a joy. Witnessing their seamless collaboration and dedication firsthand was truly inspiring, and I’m eager to incorporate their work style into my own projects. 

But it wasn’t all work and no play! LA’s cultural vibrancy is unmatched. From the iconic Hollywood sign to the serene beaches of Santa Monica and the over-the-top streets of Beverly Hills, I took every opportunity to explore. Every evening, I had so much fun testing out the best terraces and sipping on delicious Palomas. The local nightlife truly added an extra layer of enjoyment to the trip.

I can’t thank Citoyen enough for providing me with this fantastic opportunity. The LA team made me feel incredibly welcome, and their warmth and hospitality turned a work trip into a truly memorable adventure. Thank you all for making my time in LA so enriching and unforgettable. This experience will stay with me for years, and I’m already looking forward to the next visit!

Paige Caldeira, Senior Account Manager (London)

Trip to: Toronto 

Non-Profit Organization: LaunchGood campaign for the MATW-Project

The most common conversation starter I had in Canada was ‘Why Canada?’ and even more frequently ‘Why Canada in the middle of Winter!?’. But despite temperatures being in double-digit minuses, I would still pick Canada in the winter in a heartbeat! 

My MOD’s trip to Toronto was an unforgettable adventure filled with breathtaking landscapes, wonderful people and a city that’s so culturally vibrant, with so many things going on, I was constantly at a loss as to how I would fit everything in on my bucket list in such a short trip! Visiting the Toronto office and meeting new Citizen colleagues, gaining insights into the wonderful world of Molson (thanks for the merch!), was just the cherry on top of this MODs trip. The Toronto team is a dream team, seriously! It was great to be an outsider looking into such a well-oiled machine and seeing their passion for excellence and teamwork! Let’s not forget their buzzing weekly status’ and being put in the hot seat… I promise adult fun-houses are a thing in the UK! You all made me feel so welcome and brought all the vibes.

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Citizen for providing me with this incredible MODS opportunity and giving me the chance to explore and discover the beauty of Canada, along with meeting so many incredible people in the Toronto office. I want to thank you all so much for making me feel so welcome, included and heard in the Toronto office and for making my office experience (and social!) super special. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience and it is one that I’ll remember for the rest of my career!

“That intersection of brand strategy with big, bold, magnetic ideas that not only drive and captivate attention, but also deliver results.” 

This is how Vice President, Marketing, Molson Coors Beverage Company, Leslie Malcolm defined the term “creative excellence” at the top of Citizen Relations’ LinkedIn Live on Creative Excellence in PR. Her conversation with Citizen’s Chief Creative Officer, Josh Budd, moderated by Citizen’s Vice President, Joe Cariati, gave a sneak peek behind the longstanding and successful partnership. 

After being ranked the top PR firm on both Strategy’s Creative Report Card and the ICA Creative Power Rankings list, picking up a gold for Strategy’s PR Agency of the year, bronze at Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year awards and winning over 100 industry awards in the last year from top shows such as Cannes Lions, The One Show and the CLIOs, Citizen has a few things to say on the topic of creative excellence! These wins validate the hard work behind the scenes of starting with a creative idea and formulating it into powerful campaigns that overdeliver on brand KPIs.

Our panel shared how the alignment of goals is crucial for a strong partnership, ensuring a win for both the brand and the consumer engaging with the campaign. They discussed ways to creatively get the viewer to feel something magnetic, while ensuring KPIs are still met, how the partnership between client and agency allows the brand to creatively tap into cultural moments and even shared a new framework for measuring creativity. Head over to our LinkedIn page to watch the entire conversation. 

Last week the Global Influencer Marketing Awards were hosted in London and Citizen took home a Gold award in the category of Most Effective Collaboration or Partnership. The “I Buy My Own Batteries’ campaign for Duracell and partnered with Essence Mediacom and VaynerMedia to take a historically low-interest category like batteries to new heights with reality star Ariana Madix.

The Global Influencer Marketing Awards honors individuals, campaigns, and teams that have pushed boundaries and delivered excellence. Citizen’s campaign took home the top honor in this category which shines a spotlight on outstanding influencer campaigns and collaborations from around the world, celebrating innovative projects that push boundaries and make a significant impact in the influencer marketing space.

“This campaign continues to show that the combination of right partnership and a timely moment in culture can be magic,” said Aly Sturm, SVP Citizen Relations and PR lead for this campaign. “We’re thrilled that Duracell and our partners have been recognized for the campaign’s success once again and are honored to be included in such a powerhouse lineup of nominees.”

The campaign has received a number of accolades over the last several months including a top prize at the Ragan PRDaily Media Relations Awards, an honorable mention at the PRWeek Awards, a bronze at the PRSA Anvil Awards, and shortlists at the Innovation Sabre Awards and Cannes Lions.

Welcome to The Rundown by Citizen – the Gen Z edition! Our quarterly newsletter gives you a round up of the conversations that count and this month we’re decoding Gen Z. Sign up below to get the full newsletter!

Decoding Gen Z: Unboxing A Generation

An emphasis on understanding the newest generation to enter adulthood is nothing new, in fact it’s growing as they gain more buying power. So, how do we connect with Gen Z? We know that in order to build trust with the most tech savvy and skeptical demo, we need to invest where they’re invested. But generational labels come with pitfalls – not only do they suggest stark differences between generations that aren’t as distinct as they make it seem, but Gen Z labels risk us painting everyone in the most diverse and nuanced generation yet with the same brush.

Dr. Philip N Cohen, Professor of Sociology at University of Maryland states that generational naming means “imposing qualities on diverse populations without basis, resulting in the current widespread problem of crude stereotyping. It’s pseudoscience.”

So as we examine Gen Z, we need to remember that cohorts and shared experiences are much more valuable to recognize and examine. This is a long-term and evolving practice, not a code to crack. The bottom line for brands? Tapping into values, beliefs and passions that align credibly with brand purpose is how we earn our place in culture.

​​​Connected vs. Connecting: The Gen Z Value That Spans Generations

A common objection to the argument that Gen Z is fundamentally different is that those moving through early adulthood now will become like their parents as they age. Yes, they will change as they earn more, have families, or buy homes, but this generation will remain unique.  They are the first digital natives and were impacted by COVID-19 at a much more critical age than older generations. As a result, they are exhibiting certain behaviors that will compound to create distinct differences in how they age: for example, U.S Gen Zers are 45% more likely to invest than millennials and 2.2 times more likely to invest than Gen Xers were 21, respectively, according to research from Oliver Wyman.

The way that this generation has grown up with the world at their fingertips has made the way they experience social and economic shifts and upheaval, environmental stress and information overload particularly acute. As such, the way they get information (using TikTok as a search engine, for example) is unique.

That said, when it comes to finding meaning beyond information, our human need for connection and belonging continues to transcend age groups. In fact, our own reporting found that nearly 9 in 10 people across generations agree that it is important to spend time with people and be connected socially – this ranged from 87% among Gen Z and Gen Xers, to 88% among millennials and 91% among Boomers. This shared value is distinct, and could be the reason we’re seeing and embracing more intergenerational friendships and relationships beyond our family dynamics as well.

Reinforcing the idea that Gen Z is completely unique causes many in this generation to feel they can’t relate to or learn from other generations, which is risky and untrue. In fact, the numbers show that Gen Z beliefs, values and concerns overlap quite a bit with millennials as it relates to the economy, the environment and our social and cultural futures. Studies on intergenerational relationships in the workplace and beyond also prove that valuable learning can flow both ways, to enormous benefit for those on either end of the age spectrum – so getting over similarity bias is crucial. Researchers from the University of Arizona and Duke University found homophily “limits people’s social worlds in a way that has powerful implications for the information they receive, the attitudes they form, and the interactions they experience” which can impact personal development, mental wellbeing, and even work performance and professional growth.

The age ranges we use to define generations are arbitrary and in most cases, still being debated. While each generation is impacted by the events that shaped society during the formative years Gen Z is currently in, we remain more alike than we are different when it comes to our human need for connection, and the benefits of extending these connections beyond our generational walls.

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The Challenge of Organic Social Media

When our brand partners approach us with requests for organic social media strategies, we often find that these efforts lead to a dead end. In today’s content-saturated world, organic social media may seem essential, but when compared to other marketing efforts, it quickly becomes clear that the returns often don’t justify the investment.

This is particularly true for channel by channel content calendars that emphasize constant publishing by large teams with numerous approval stages. These over-processed approvals, costly time investments, and poorly measured social media programs often fail to demonstrate significant impact.

For years, our platform partners have told us:

• Organic Reach is Limited
• Fans ≠ Business Value
• Engagements are Habitual, Not Intent-Driven

Despite these warnings, many strategies still focus on measuring Engagement Rate (ER) and Fan Growth.

Rethinking Organic Social Media Strategy

It’s time to elevate the conversation around organic social media. How can we create utility for the followers who genuinely engage with our brand? What value can we deliver that demonstrates real impact? How can we accurately measure this impact?

Introducing SearchFirst Content Planning

At Citizen, we go beyond traditional editorial calendars, basic success metrics, and siloed channel experiences. Instead of chasing trends and hoping for viral success, we’ve reimagined organic social media content as a tool for utility, informed by consumer behaviors and integrated into the customer journey.

By leveraging user-intent signals, organic search query research and online conversation mapping, we’ve developed a process that transforms typically disposable content into high-quality, evergreen material. This content has a longer shelf life and is readily discoverable by our audience as they search for valuable information on their path to purchase, re-purchase, and brand loyalty.

The Benefits of a Strategic Approach

This strategic shift changes everything. Rather than spending more and more dollars on throwaway content, we’re forging an intentional path for content planning, production, and deployment. This leads to more meaningful engagements that address the customer’s needs and priorities over a longer period.

And when integrating this critical user-intent research across core marketing channels in Earned, Paid and Owned, it can maximize the impact brands have on capturing consumer attention that leads to action. 

For example, when we know a brand offers a unique value proposition that is validated by user-intent research, we should aim to infuse those keywords and phrases into our Earned pitches to secure headlines and articles that will validate the brand’s differentiators, become discoverable for those searching, and ultimately resonate with what people are interested in through their digital searches. This is one of the ways we’ve seen SearchFirst work for us beyond the walls of organic social media content planning.

We’d love to show you how this approach can benefit your brand. Reach out to us at citizendigital@citizenrelations.com to start the conversation.

About the Author

Ben has over 15 years of experience in creating and deploying integrated marketing campaigns. His journey spans from early days social media to Web3 and AI, always focusing on delivering value for brands and enhancing customer experiences. He leads with strategic purpose, relentless curiosity, optimism, bold ideas, and a constant pursuit of better results.

Last week, global communications agency, Citizen Relations, won PR agency of the Year – Bronze (2023) at Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year awards. The awards, held in London, recognize and celebrate innovative agencies in the marketing industry from around the world, including the US, UK, Japan and Australia.  

“Our journey over the last five years has been a steady one – the growth is more than impressive and this award is recognition of that,” said Nick Cowling, who was named the agency’s CEO in 2019. “But there are countless others and this win belongs to all our Citizens.”

The win comes off the heels of a historic year of international industry recognition and a year of double digit growth, when the industry was mostly flat or shrinking. Along with being named Strategy’s 2023 PR Agency of the Year – Gold, making PRWeek’s Great Places to Work list in 2022 and 2023 and wins at Cannes, The One Show, the LIA’s and the Webby Awards, Citizen was the top ranked PR agency on two prestigious Creative lists in Canada – the Institute of Canadian Agencies’ Creative Power List and Strategy’s Creative Report Card.

The agency also continues to bolster its leadership teams, including additions of VP Vanessa Birze & Executive Creative Director Mark Mason to the creative team, the appointment of Dominic Cleall as VP, Digital Strategy, Europe and the appointment of Kelly Harrington as SVP, Integrated Solutions. The agency’s Managing Director, Experiential, Kevin Wagman, was recently featured in the Canadian Special Events Magazine’s list of Top 25 Most Fascinating People in Events. 

The agency has kept the momentum going in 2024 with a new PR AOR win for Nestlé and 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. 

This May, we launched our inaugural Citizen #MoveInMay Challenge, marking Mental Health Awareness Month in the US and Mental Health Awareness Weeks in Canada, the UK and Europe. Citizens logged over 193,000 minutes of activity across the months and reported enjoying the collective push to get out and move at lunchtime. May has become a month to reflect, individually, as organisations and as an industry on our mental health and our approach to managing it. The PR industry has a poor reputation when it comes to mental health – which has not improved according to this month’s research from the PRCA and CIPR which found that 91% of UK PR professionals experienced poor mental health at some point in the past year, and 58% citing workload stress as a significant contributing factor. As the leader of our Global Wellbeing Committee, I was troubled to read this but not surprised; post-pandemic we’re all feeling the effects of the world seeming to spin just that little bit faster. The pace, the open lines of communication, the always-on ‘mentality’, the volume of people collaborating across time zones. It’s a heady mix.

With so much to reflect on and to act upon, here’s where my head’s at on the topic of workload stress (acknowledging that our lives outside of work carry their own weight): 

On an individual level – we can start by becoming more in tune with our stress levels and recognising when our resources are running low so that we can self-manage. The kicker with experiencing stress is that it impacts our choices, tipping us towards poor decisions instead of those that will replenish us. I can say that, for all my good intentions of leading by example, May was not a great month for me and my exercise, water intake, diet and sleep all suffered.  

Understand what self-care looks like for you, work out your non-negotiables (e.g. 8 hours of sleep, daily exercise) and schedule time for it. Most companies offer wellbeing related benefits (we offer wellbeing apps, personal days, access to talking therapy) – find out what you have access to before you need it. 

On an agency level – the pace we work at means we’ll always be working under pressure but perhaps it is how we respond to that pressure rather than the pressure itself which is important? My colleagues know that I demand client excellence and, yet, my favourite motto is, “It’s PR, not ER”. It is possible to deliver with excellence and not engender stress and fear in our teams. Our vision at Citizen is for our agency to be a mentally healthy workplace where everyone feels comfortable, able and equipped to have conversations that count. This sounds easy but is anything but. We must enable and equip our people to have the conversations they need to; these can include communicating a mistake, asking for help, sharing difficult feedback, having any type of difficult conversation, disclosing our mental health status, spotting the signs of someone struggling and knowing how to broach the conversation. 

Managing staffing levels, optimising workflows and embedding good project management practices are our daily bread but so is empowering our people to say what they need to in order to deliver with excellence. I am a big supporter of people doing Mental Health First Aid training* (we had over 50  people trained in the last year alone), it’s hugely helpful as is manager training, how to have difficult conversations and  negotiation training – invaluable for enabling practitioners to address budgetary conversations with clients. 

On an industry level – let’s all take a moment of self-reflection and think about what actions we can take individually and collectively to make this incredible, dynamic, powerful, exciting industry a brilliant place to be and work. I’ve been in the industry for twenty something years and have experienced the worst of workplace practices, the worst of my own lack of boundaries, the worst of juggling parental responsibilities – I know what bad looks like and I don’t want that for me, my people or anyone else in communications. 

I don’t have the answers but I think a good place to start is ensuring that people know they can disclose poor mental health (not to mention mental health conditions which I’ve not touched on here) without fear of judgment or penalty. If we can truly create an environment where people are comfortable, able and equipped to talk about their mental wellbeing and the listener is equipped for the conversation, we might just be surprised by the positive impact on our people, our agencies and our industry.

*Resources: 

Mental Health First Aid England – https://mhfaengland.org/

Mental Health First Aid Canada – https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/what-we-do/mental-health-first-aid/ 

Mental Health First Aid USA – https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/ 

About the Author: 

Jules Day, Deputy MD of Citizen London & Head of Citizen’s Global Wellbeing Committee, is an agency leader who feels passionately about creating a mentally healthy workplace.