Author: citizen

At a time when the simple act of flying the rainbow flag is being banned across North America and there has been a sharp uptick in countries around the world criminalizing 2SLGBTQIA+ people, it’s important to be able to look back on queer history in Canada and cherish the work that’s been done to secure our freedoms while continuing to work towards a more equitable society. The best way to argue that we deserve a place in the present is to understand that we’ve always been here, and always will be.

This year for Pride, I wanted to honour the site of Canada’s first Pride on Toronto Island back in 1971, which also happens to be the oldest surviving queer space in Canada. The goal: to create a permanent art installation of a 600 metre rainbow along the road where those brave trailblazers walked so we could run.

Called “The Long Walk To Equality” the purpose of the installation is to prompt reflective thinking and honour for the past as people move along the road now redone in the style of the Progress Pride flag. It would be the longest rainbow of its kind in the world, and one of the largest outdoor painting projects ever undertaken by surface area in North America.

No small feat. To do so would require every skill I’ve ever learned across a decade of creative work. Here are the four major takeaways that every creatively inclined person should keep in mind for their projects at work and beyond.

1. Find good partners

I partnered with Pride Toronto as a non-profit trustee to assist with fundraising efforts, bringing the loop from that first Pride in 1971 to the present day.We connected with tenacious individuals and businesses that have previously supported the community through Pride month messaging, and put together an Avengers level team of donors from a variety of different sectors to put together the funds needed to accomplish it.

The lesson here: Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone (or send off a LinkedIn message) to get things moving.

2. Learn as you go

Just like every project at work, I got to learn so much through the process in order to reframe that information and apply it in new ways. Here, I was able to learn about all different types of paint and what’s suitable for ecological safety, and what type of application processes could make the rainbow even more vibrant (or if it was even possible).

Using learnings from City of Toronto community consultation, the project was able to be made even better by gaining support and momentum along the way. The insights found during the outreach stage weren’t unlike the findings that strategists gather to strengthen creative ideas.

3. Expect the unexpected

As we’ve all experienced with deadlines and deliverables looming, there were a few bumps on the road (no pun intended). While last minute changes from clients on work projects can feel insurmountable, we generally go with the flow and work with what we can — which was the best attitude to have when the rainbow road ran out of paint and got delayed by weather.

During the first installation day, we realized that there simply still wasn’t enough available paint in Toronto to get it all done on time. We powered ahead, but a torrential downpour prevented additional paint supplies from making it to the island. The finishing touches were rescheduled and we moved ahead with the existing launch date to get the important message out before Pride month.

For those who braved the storm, there was a feeling of closeness crowded under umbrellas. Along with the media we’d invited, the Deputy Mayor along with Mayor Olivia Chow made it out for the ribbon cutting, and the Mayor said it best: “You can’t have a rainbow without a little rain.”

4. Enjoy it while you can

And, as soon as the ribbon was cut on the installation, something amazing happened. The skies cleared up and the sun came out. More and more people who had been storm-stayed on the mainland trickled in to walk along the road.

There was a feeling of joy in the air, and the important message about protecting queer history was out in the world. While that post-launch glow can dissipate pretty fast when it’s time to tie up loose, it’s important to soak it in while it’s there.

It’s my hope that with this project, people will walk along it and feel others walking with them — the ones who fought for their rights in 1971, the ones who planted the seeds of the queer community a century ago, and the ones who are yet to come. For the people right now who are in those places where they aren’t allowed to be themselves or fly a rainbow flag, I hope this road can be something to look forward to.

I can’t wait to keep walking with them in search of a better tomorrow.

About the Author:

Travis Myers is an Associate Creative Director at Citizen by day and advocate for the preservation and celebration of queer history by night.

Global communications agency, Citizen Relations, announces the appointment of Dominic Cleall as Vice President of Digital Strategy, Europe, based out of the agency’s London office. Dominic’s remit includes digital and intelligence program growth in the UK, Germany and in Europe.

In this newly created role, Dominic will champion digitally-enabled, strategic solutions tailored to their roster of EU clients, including P&G, Trivium Packaging and Seat SA, as well as foster stronger collaborative relationships between the global and EU teams for enhanced digital outcomes. He’ll bring Citizen’s AI-enabled intelligence capabilities to Europe, helping to build compliant, next-level intelligence in paid, earned and owned. Boasting over a decade of extensive industry experience, Dominic has previously cultivated award-winning digital teams and collaborated with globally renowned brands across healthcare, technology, automotive, NGOs, FMCGs and beverages.

At his previous role as the Chief Digital Officer at Portland Communications, in addition to enhancing the digital operations and innovation within the agency, Cleall advised clients on how to strategically leverage digital marketing communications to convey their messages with impact.

“Citizen has an innovative approach to their digital product, which is taking their communications to new highs and bringing real value to clients. I’m excited to embark on this journey – let’s build this rocketship together!” said Cleall.

Bringing a wealth of knowledge in digital innovation and transformation, Citizen’s Chief Digital Officer, Crystalyn Stuart-Loayza, is confident Dominic will take the agency to the next step and bring something new to EU clients.

“Dominic brings modern product and practice development capabilities to our growing digital team. He’s eager to push boundaries and explore what’s next in the market, and has great POVs on how to leverage our North American services for European and global clients. We can’t wait to unleash the magic he’ll co-create for our agency and our clients,” said Stuart-Loayza.

Citizen’s digital practice focuses on bringing next-level solutions to consumers, rooted in the consumer mindset. From performance marketing to experience design, Citizen’s digital team is at the forefront of boosting earned media with digital communications, working alongside the PR and Media teams to give clients integrated solutions. To learn more about Citizen’s digital practice, click here.

Social media has become the ultimate accelerator for food trends. From Korean corn dogs going viral to Filipino silog breakfasts taking over our feeds, the speed at which these trends emerge, spread and die is unprecedented.

Citizen monitors the media landscape to distinguish between fleeting fads and enduring shifts in consumer’s behaviour, and TikTok provides a useful framework for categorising trends into three stages:

Moments

Common, short-lived trends that rapidly gain excitement, have a lifecycle of only a few days to weeks. Remember that “Nacho Tables” trend, where people constructed elaborate nacho displays on tables? A prime viral moment.

Signals

Signals are content patterns that reveal emerging behaviours and interests within specific food categories. They have a longer cycle, from months to a few years. The rise of Comfort Food Reimagined gourmet versions of classic comfort foods like mac and cheese with lobster or elevated Scotch eggs demonstrate this trend. It suggests consumers are looking for familiar flavours and comfort with a touch of indulgence.

Forces

Forces are the powerhouse of trends – enduring transformations that can last several years. Significant cultural shifts, influencing how consumers discover new products and how communities form around food. Plant-based diets and the rise of “food-fluences” promoting ethical eating habits are prime examples. The viral vodka pasta moment that started as a niche dish shared by l Gigi Hadid on TikTok in 2020, sparking over 12 billion views, rapidly gained traction that led to a force when Heinz recognised the immense interest, and collaborated with vodka company Absolut to launch Heinz x Absolut Tomato Vodka Pasta Sauce for consumers to easily recreate the viral dish. This didn’t stop there, restaurants also jumped on the bandwagon, with popular establishments creating their own versions and adding it to their menus. This further solidified the dish’s mainstream appeal making it a contemporary staple in the range of well-known traditional pasta dishes served at home and in restaurants globally. 

Citizen stays attuned to the rapidly evolving food landscape leveraging moments, signals, and forces. We tap into communities to identify a fleeting trend and build it into an enduring “Force” that can transform a category, reshape consumer perceptions, build community and fuelling brand growth.

Earlier this week, global communications agency, Citizen Relations, took home the gold cube at the 103rd ADC Awards in New York City for the Asshole Activists campaign for TUSHY. 

The ADC Awards, part of The One Club For Creativity, is the oldest continuously running industry award show and celebrates the best in advertising, design, photography and more, focusing on the artistry and craftsmanship of the work. Along with the coveted Gold Cube, Citizen took home the Silver cube and Merit award for Asshole Activists. The campaign won in the following categories: 

• Design For Good: Photography – GOLD
• Photography: Experimental – SILVER
• Photography: Nature/Landscape – MERIT

“Major shoutout to the whole team who worked their butts off for this. Luckily, while we may have photographed assholes, everyone involved was far from one,” said Shirley Xu Wang, Art Director, and Marly Dichter, Copywriter – the creative duo (affectionately known as Shmarly) on the campaign. “It’s definitely one we’ll tell the grandkids about – when they’re old enough. In the meantime, we’re loving seeing everyone’s reactions.”

Most recently, the Asshole Activists campaign took home the Best In Show – Platinum SABRE Award at PRovoke Media’s Innovation SABRE Awards, along with two other wins for Live Events & Boldest Campaign. The campaign has also been recognized at the SABRE North America Awards, Atomic Awards, SIA Awards and at the CLIO Awards.

Global communications agency Citizen Relations has been named Nestlé Canada’s new PR agency of record for its Confectionery business. The agency won the business in January 2024 and has ramped up work across multiple programs already this year.

The partnership had a fast and fantastic start this year with Citizen supporting the organization with media relations, both earned and influencer, on AERO’s Mind Bubbling campaign in addition to KITKAT’s NHL All Stars Weekend Activation, AI Activation and Ramadan Iftar Bar campaign.

In addition to the confectionery business, Citizen is supporting with PR on multiple brands across Nestlé’s business portfolio.

“There’s so much delicious potential we can unlock for a brand that’s a staple in almost every household,” said Jenn Duggan, President, Citizen Relations Canada (Ontario & West). “And we’re thrilled for the opportunity to partner with such a talented and passionate group of brand leaders.”

The global agency, with offices across North America and Europe, has seen recent success in the CPG space with award-winning campaigns at the 2023 Cannes Lions and Clio Awards. Along with Nestlé, the agency boasts an impressive list of Canadian clients including Molson Coors Beverages, Loblaws Company Limited, Coast Capital and Emirates.

Most recently, Citizen has been the highest ranked PR agency on two prestigious Creative lists in Canada – Strategy Magazine’s 2024 Creative Report Card and the Institute of Canadian Agencies’ 2024 Creative Power List. Last year, the agency was named Strategy Magazine’s PR Agency of the Year (Gold) and took home awards at Cannes Lions, The One Show, the LIA’s and the Webby Awards.

Global communications agency, Citizen Relations, had a stellar last week as they picked up awards across Canada and the US. At the Canadian Event Awards, Citizen took home two wins for campaigns in Toronto and Quebec, while the US teams picked up a Bronze Anvil Award at PRSA’s Anvil Awards. 

The Canadian Event Awards, held in Toronto, is presented by the Canadian Special Events magazine and celebrates the best in Canadian events and hospitality. Citizen was shortlisted in 13 categories, with 5 shortlists for their Highland Park Whisky 54YO Launch, and took home wins for:

• Best Public Experiential Marketing Event – Vizzybility Booth Experience for Molson Coors (Citizen/XM)
• Best Corporate Event – Groupe Touchette- 2023 Innovation Summit (Citoyen/XM)

“We’re honoured to have our global work recognized at the Canadian Event Awards,” said Kevin Wagman, Managing Director – Experiential. “It’s truly a testament to the way we bring innovation across multiple sectors in the experiential space for our portfolio of clients.”

While the Canadian teams were picking up their hardware, Citizen’s US team was doing the same at PRSA’s Anvil Awards! Their “I Buy My Own Batteries” campaign for Duracell x Ariana Madix – in partnership with VaynerMedia and EssenceMediacom – won the Bronze Anvil in Social Media, Multichannel Use.

“While this campaign was one that the team executed fast (moving at the speed of culture!), it has had a lasting impact,” said Aly Sturm, SVP at Citizen. “We’re thrilled with this industry recognition and are excited to continue our work with Duracell and agency partners.”

Hosted by the Public Relations Society of America, the awards have set the standard for industry excellence, and have long been considered the icon of the profession and the benchmark of outstanding performance in public relations.

Last week, both the PRovoke’s Innovation SABRE Award ceremony and PRovoke Media’s SABRE North America awards were held in New York City.  

Global communications agency, Citizen Relations, had previously picked up nine Innovation SABRE wins , including a win for Chief Creative Officer, Josh Budd, for Creative Professional of the Year for the second year in a row. At the live ceremony, Citizen’s Asshole Activists campaign was revealed as the winner of the Best in Show Platinum SABRE Award.

At the evening North American SABRE awards, Citizen continued the celebration with an additional two awards in the following categories: 

• Consumer Products – Asshole Activists (TUSHY)
• Guerilla Marketing – Keep It Real Can (Molson Coors Beverage Company). 

The agency was also shortlisted for Consumer Agency of the Year, along with four award shortlists including: 

• Beverage – The Molson Exchange (Molson Coors Beverage Company)
• Financial Services – Talk Money To Me (Coast Capital)
• Consumer Marketing (New Product) – Cup Noodles Gets In On The Breakfast Club (Nissin)
• Guerilla Marketing – SickKids VS: Heal The Future (SickKids Foundation)

The two winning campaigns showcase the innovation Citizen is bringing to client work. The Keep It Real Can campaign for Simply Spiked saw the first-ever lie detector in a can – which uses galvanic skin response technology and heart rate monitors – amass exponential growth, making it the fastest product launch growth in Molson history. 

The Asshole Activists campaign for TUSHY, which most recently won Gold at the CLIO Awards and SIA Awards, takes on a unique and bold approach to bring attention to and honour bidet users. 

Global communications agency, Citizen Relations, was thrilled to win Gold for Original Idea for their Asshole Activists campaign at Strategy Media’s Shopper Innovation + Activation awards last week. The awards recognize breakthrough achievements in retail innovation, brand activation and creative commerce. 

The Asshole Activists campaign for TUSHY attracted eco-conscious consumers and honoured bidet users with a photo exhibit of “asshole activists.” The unique campaign has been lauded for its bold approach – which didn’t shy away from making people uncomfortable – and has already received industry-wide recognition this year. 

Most recently, the campaign won Gold at the CLIO Awards and Atomic Awards along with shortlists at the upcoming PRovoke Media’s Sabre North America Awards and the PRWeek Global Awards. The campaign also won at PRovoke Media’s Innovation SABRE Awards, along with the Best In Show Finalist spot for the Platinum Sabre Award. 

Aside from the recognition and momentum the campaign has built, Citizen is most proud of  the positive impact the campaign has made on climate change.

In an era where people are bombarded with an unprecedented volume of marketing messages, the demand for brands to stand out by demonstrating authenticity and emotional intelligence has never been higher.  The consumption landscape is continually changing; people are just not swayed by the dry, factual benefits of products alone. Instead, they are searching for deeper connections and meanings in their commercial exchanges. The cure for your factual content is, of course, infusing the human element into your marketing strategies. Otherwise known as Human-centric marketing, it goes beyond the mere use of relatable language and imagery; it strives to embed a company’s values and ethos into every communication effort. This is not a simple alteration of existing strategy, but a foundational transformation in the core of how businesses present themselves. 

There’s a growing skepticism towards corporate messaging. In response, personalized, story-driven content — grounded in authentic experiences and values— is proving far more effective in building brand loyalty and advocacy. 

Narratives that resonate on a human level often lead to more meaningful audience engagement. In fact I would argue that one person’s story is even more meaningful than a story about a group of people.   I’d urge you to find a story that identifies, and/or celebrates something that’s irresistible – relatability.  This can be done in so many ways.  Brands who wants to attract more talented people should share the spotlight with employees that embody the culture. If you want to deliver on product benefits, then tell the story of how one of your customers experienced it. And if you’re you wnat to discuss the reputation of your company, then tell the story of individuals that saw the community improve.  By illustrating how the collective experiences of individuals contribute to a brand’s story, you reinforce the idea your product, service or company itself is relatable. 

There’s a number of brands that come to mind that have embraced this strategy – Patagonia, Snap, McDonald’s among others. Companies that focus on transparency, embrace their role in society, and infuse their communications with the real-life stories of those they touch, typically enjoy enhanced trust and stronger customer loyalty. And the endurance of this trust isn’t only anecdotal; it is supported by consumer behavior studies and marketing industry reports, time and time again. 

I truly believe the current market dynamics call for a revival of the human element in marketing. By emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence, empathy, and authenticity in brand narratives, brands can have more substantial & more enduring customer relationships. It’s time to recognize that the true power of a brand lies not in the products or services it sells but in the human connections it fosters and the community it builds.

In the era where businesses are continually searching for competitive edges, AI integration isn’t just a futuristic concept; it’s a present-day necessity.  While I know the premise isn’t new,  I continue to find so much promise in the advent of AI in business.  These intelligence machines can help refine operations and offer predictive analytics, aiding in superior decision making. So admittedly, I often find myself trying to prognosticate how this technology could reshape my business – in public relations and communications.  

I’m pretty sure a leading answer lies in personalization and precision targeting. AI-driven tools have the uncanny ability to sift through extensive consumer data, unraveling patterns and preferences that might be invisible to the human eye. This means that PR strategies can now be tailored to incredibly specific audiences, ensuring that messages resonate on a more personal level. This would clearly result in campaigns that are more effective, engagement rates that go through the roof, and an ROI that puts a wide smile on any CFO’s face.  But I believe crafting bespoke content is just one facet of the AI prism. The technology also takes on the mantle of an impartial analyst, deciphering market trends, and consumer feedback. This results in communications that not only speak directly to the customer’s desires but could also adapt dynamically to the shifting moods of customers. If I think about the sphere of diversity and inclusion, you have to believe AI’s potential can profoundly remodel the recruitment process. By deploying algorithms that are designed to ignore the likes of gender, age, race, and ethnicity, companies can combat the entrenched unconscious biases that often plague hiring decisions. This breakthrough could lead to workforces that truly reflect the diverse fabric of society, fostering innovation, empathy, and a multitude of perspectives within the corporate environment – and deliver spectacular skilled candidates that would otherwise be overlooked. 

As they say, with great power comes great responsibility. No doubt ethical dimensions tag along with AI integration. Issues such as data privacy, the potential for machine-based profiling and other biases, and the displacement of jobs by automation necessitate a well-thought-out ethical framework. 

Lots would agree that AI is not a replacement but a supplement to human intuition and creativity.  In the communications world, like many others,  a synergy between man and machine offers a potent combination. Creative campaigns conceived by humans but enhanced by AI’s analytical prowess mark the future of the industry. Employee communications and employer branding too, would have a future where the insights are sharper, strategies more nuanced, and narratives more compelling and relevant. Moreover, the broader impact on workforce dynamics is significant. While AI could potentially streamline certain job functions, leading to workforce reduction in some areas, it also opens up a realm of new, previously unimagined roles. We’ve already seen the demand for AI specialists, data scientists, and ethical compliance officers is on the rise – jobs that embody the interplay between humanity and technology. But I also believe new roles that harness human creativity and innovation will start to show up — while AI can aggregate and conceptualize, it’s humans that will contemplate what’s next and leverage the machine to make it happen…  Just Imagine a corporate panorama where decision-making is informed by data-driven insights, biases in hiring are obliterated, and inclusion is the bedrock of every team. That would be pretty sweet and AI is the potential architect of this vision. 

It would be so easy to suggest every business needs to embrace the AI wave thoughtfully and ethically. But with tens of thousands of new “AI companies” popping up, it’s really difficult to decipher which ones to use and which ones to avoid. While the industry is in its infancy and booming, it’ll be difficult for many years, so I’d suggest experimenting – identify your needs first and find a solution that fits. Don’t lock in long term with anyone, because who knows what kind of revolutionary system or tool will arrive tomorrow. But make no mistake, you shouldn’t wait, or you risk becoming irrelevant and fast!

With its unparalleled ability to personalize, analyze big data, and enhance workplace diversity, AI is not merely a disruptor; it’s a catalyst for a more inclusive and efficient future. As we drift further into the digital age, the companies that will stand tall are those that wield AI not as a tool of convenience, but as a cornerstone for innovation and equity.