Author: citizen

Welcome to The Rundown by Citizen, a monthly round up of conversations that count. We’re offering bite-sized big thinking on recent headlines from around the world to help keep you in touch for your next water cooler, virtual boardroom or dinner party chat.

Are You On This Thread(s)?

When we opened Instagram to discover Threads was live, a ton of us (over 150 million to-date) downloaded and raced over to… well, we’re still not sure what we’re doing. We were, and still are, figuring that out together: people and brands alike. So far, we have a lot of questions, and a lot of ~energy~ when it comes to Threads, but there’s still a lot to be determined. Our digital team has shared some early thoughts on the platform’s trajectory and what it means for brands.

The Good:

Finally, a Twitter alternative with widespread adoption power and longevity potential thanks to its data and scale. This could mean alts like Mastadon and Bluesky and even Twitter itself become obsolete, or scale down in active usership to become more exclusive to specific interest groups. Zuckerberg’s commitment to keeping Threads a safe space has us hopeful that discourse here can stay friendly and productive.

The Bad:

The infrastructure potential may be there, but features today are pretty bare bones to-date. The speculation that Threads was rush-released to capitalize on Twitter backlash for capping the number of Tweets viewed per day is a sound strategy, but with access to Meta infrastructure, the expectation that Threads will scale features to make our experience more tailored and engaging is high – they need to work quickly. Talk about just how safe our information is with Threads is making headlines – this leads to questions about if and when the EU will allow the tech to go live in Europe.

The Crystal Ball:

The anything-goes experimentation phase has been fun, but users (especially brands and creators) will need to develop an identity and a compelling story if they want to retain  the engaged audience they’ve largely been gifted via Instagram. We follow the people we follow on Instagram for different reasons than those we follow or interact with on Twitter – keeping up with friends, family and creators through imagery is a very different use case and payoff than what will keep us coming back to Threads.

The Bottom Line:

If Threads plans to maintain an unprecedented active usership, which is already waning, we’re going to need more control over the content we see, and those who want to maintain engagement are going to need to adapt accordingly. Ultimately, time will tell how many of us are truly “pro-Threads” vs. just “anti-Musk”, and the proof will be in usership and engagement.

Get Your Brand In The Game

Remember when every brand became a tech brand? Well, we’re definitely on the upswing of this same trend in gaming. Brand integrations with Twitch and online games is nothing new. But, the brands and categories recognizing their opportunity to integrate are much broader than ever before: major beauty, food, and fashion brands, such as KFC and Gucci,  are seeing gaming as a first step into the Metaverse and a chance to make a powerful connection with audiences they’re working hard to engage.

The groundswell for brands to get into gaming is largely because the Gen Z gaming population extends far beyond what we tend to apply to a stereotypical gamer: research into US gamers found that 76% of them are following fashion brands and influencers, with 66% treating themselves to luxury branded products.

One of the most popular integration avenues is through the popular game Roblox: brands from NASCAR to Walmart and H&M are among the 37 brands who have collaborated in the space since 2021. This comes as no surprise for those eager to establish themselves prominently in the minds of Gen Zs: recent research states that as many as 84% of Gen Zs in the US play or have played Roblox.

When it comes to the payoff potential of gaming collaborations, it is definitely there given the sheer size of the audience: a recent Levi’s campaign to promote its 501 Jeans range across popular mobile saw great success with its efforts.  but the cost of investment is not low: setting up a world in the game could cost anywhere from $500K to $1 million and take between 4 to 8 months!

It’s clear that the ROI potential for brands who step into the gaming space exists, and that no longer applies to the typical like snacking and energy drinks. However, whether it’s worth the upfront investment still lies in determining a thoughtful approach and genuine connection that the game’s users will appreciate.

It’s Barbie’s World

More than 500,000 articles have been written about Barbie or with Barbie as the main subject since the announcement of the launch of the movie. However, only 1.4% of those articles have anything to do with the storyline of the movie or the movie trailer. The Warner Bros marketing team has taken all the most loved elements of Barbie and brought them to life. And just like Barbie, they brought some friends along for the ride too. Over 100 brands have signed deals with Mattel just around the name of Barbie for the launch of the movie. From NYX Cosmetics to ColdStone and Impala to Progressive Insurance it seems every brand wants a slice of the Barbie dream.

Barbie has been a worldwide phenomenon since her inception with Mattel back in 1959. Fast forward to 2023, and consumers are still obsessed. Even if they weren’t, this launch makes it hard to at least not engage.  Marketing behind the Barbie movie is now allowing consumers to live exactly like Barbie in every part of their lives. Barbiecore hit the scene a few years back in fashion and has been ramping up to this moment. Now the notion of ‘think pink’ has gone beyond a full outfit in Barbie’s favorite color and can be seen in everything from beverages like Swoon, vacation spots on AirBnB, sauces at Burger King, and home screens on Google. The marketing for this movie is actually everywhere!

A smaller brand whose products may never have been seen in a larger store or online can now align with a huge name that will get top viewing. The star studded cast, hype from the original Barbie product, and a leading woman director have made connecting with Barbie in 2023 a no-brainer for brands. But the brand that will ultimately make out the best from this is indeed Barbie. With billions of impressions and mentions combined, Barbie is being talked about by a diverse array of media outlets and audiences. Dolls still fly off the shelves and after this movie, it is safe to say that they won’t be stopping anytime soon.

Maybe It’s… Fake?

The odds are high to have already seen the latest campaign from Maybelline for its Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara. Video of the activation has over 60,000 views on TikTok alone. Two of the most iconic UK images of a red double-decker bus and the tube can be found taken over by a huge version of Maybelline mascara in the video on TikTok and Instagram feeds. This campaign may now have consumers rushing to the comments before ever believing an out-of-home activation again.

A great mascara should make it difficult to tell if eyelashes are the real deal or a good set of falsies. So when this exact notion was given in a brief, the team went full steam ahead. Through the use of CGI technology, Maybelline created a very realistic version of their product overtaking London. The caption subtly gives away the actual reality “All it takes is a few coats to take your lashes on a ride to a surreal world,” It begs the question if Maybelline was forthcoming enough about this activation or if CGI imagery of this nature is harmless.

CGI and other AI softwares are allowing advertisers to really flex their creativity and take a campaign to the next level without breaking the bank. Brands can do a simple retouch to a photoshoot with CGI or create a whole new planet. The options are endless. When used responsibly, brands can still get an authentic message across with CGI. On the other hand, false claims can easily be made or messages misconstrued when taken too far. In Maybelline’s case, consumers were not too upset and experts shared that more people would likely engage with this campaign online than they would in person. An answer to the question of diving into deep fake territory is hopefully around the corner.

Batteries > Being Basic

Vanderpump Rules has been on the scene for quite some time now, but it has been all the rage over the last few months with notorious quotes turned into memes and a twisting storyline that was developing by the hour. Cast member Ariana Madix was the focal point of a few recent pivotal arguments and a cheating scandal – dubbed “Scandoval” – with ten-year boyfriend Tom Sandoval. Following the drama and subsequent breakup, Sandoval shared his feelings on Madix not appreciating his contributions to the household in a clip that would go on to get 96,000 views on TikTok, where he said he was always the one to buy common household items, such as paper towels, toilet paper, and batteries. Influencers jumped on this, creating videos of their own, and one video in particular titled ‘How to Not Get Cheated on 101’ prompted Duracell to comment “Guaranteed to last 10+ years, unlike Tom”, which received over 12,000 likes. With the cultural moment, conversation brewing, and the show in season, Duracell knew it was time to strike. In partnership with VaynerMedia and EssenceMediacom, the team at Citizen Relations got to work on activating the brand in an authentic, yet unexpected, way.

A quick-turn combination of social media posts and commercial slots featuring Madix and timed to align with the Vanderpump Rules reunion was the way in. Fans who were deep in the drama immediately understood all of the references, and those who didn’t quickly got up to speed. The content, in which Madix says “I’m done with anything basic…I buy my own batteries now, and I prefer Duracell,” was picked up by a variety of news outlets including PRWeek, USA Today, and Insider – amassing 80 total pieces of coverage and 5.39 billion earned media impressions. The social content alone received over 19 million views, 7,000 comments – including ones from notable brands closely associated with the comments made by Sandoval such as Bounty and PaperMate – 95,000 shares on Instagram and TikTok, and brought Duracell 3,600 new followers across TikTok and Instagram.

This was a can’t-miss moment for the brand and was brought to life in only a few weeks. With a finger on the pulse and consumer attention all in one place, Duracell was right in the middle of the drama, in the best way possible.

Want to know more? Get in touch at marketing@citizenrelations.com

Citizen’s Digital Strategists reflect on the impact of the Threads launch and how Threads can integrate with existing marketing strategies.

Even before Meta launched Threads on July 6, 2023, brands have shown a longing for a Twitter alternative. In 2022, Elon Musk was put in the spotlight for allowing hate speech to percolate on Twitter, leading to 625 top advertisers to pull spend from the platform and leaving many reflecting on whether it’s ‘safe’, or even worth it, to remain on Twitter.

Touted as Twitter’s rival, Threads is a text-first platform designed by Meta that allows users to share what’s on their mind, in 500 characters or less. Because of its seamless integration with Instagram, Threads allows for cross-sharing across the two platforms, ultimately keeping conversations and engagement flowing within Meta’s house of brands.

And while there are no ad capabilities on the platform just yet, we anticipate that Threads will eventually jump on the ad train, and will someday be incorporated into Meta’s Business Manager.

Our Vice President of Digital Strategy, Laura Brown, and our Senior Manager of Digital Strategy, Samantha Flores, sat down to chat about what Threads could mean for brands.

Samantha: If you had five minutes at the start of your next client meeting to give a few key takeaways about Threads as consult, what would they be?

Laura: Well, the first is search functionality. Currently, there is no way for brands to search for specific conversations or hashtags on the platform. You’re really limited to looking up people or brands based on their handles, and right now, verified users show up first in search. This gives a really exciting opportunity to test and learn how the algorithm works, and see what you can do to make your content and account stand out and be seen above the rest.

On the flip side, this makes it difficult for brands that operate in a more regulated space to track conversation and cover their bases with things like reporting incidents to regulatory governing bodies (think Pharma).

The second thing that I’m curious about is the lack of ads on the platform. Within the next few months, Threads will be at a critical junction to determine how it will monetize the platform versus how it will deliver the text-first experience that so many users are excited about.

Early adopters have plenty of other ad-free zones, like Discord or ad-discouraged zones like Reddit, they could retreat to if needed – so I think this point of determining the format to drive revenue will be a crucial decision for Threads’ success. And ultimately how we use the platform.

S: Those are terrific takeaways, and great jumping-off points for strategy development especially as so many brands are naturally looking for ways to drive revenue on all channels. I’ll be interested to see what brands choose to focus on the connection with consumers, versus which brands will maintain a level of voice just to keep the lights on, while ads run in the background.

How do we at Citizen anticipate brand and consumers interacting on Threads? Should we jump on it now?

I know we’ve done some terrific work for our clients in terms of taking a hard look at who they’re engaging with from a community management standpoint, and why. Ultimately, there are a few factors that go into that counsel – what are your thoughts as it relates to Threads?

L: I think this is what our Digital Strategy team loves about their work, right? Getting to spend time daily with consumers, whether it’s mining for conversation insights or direct interaction; this is a focus of what we do and is part of our formula when making the decision to jump on, or sit out of a channel.

When looking at Threads, right now the brands that we’re seeing winning in the space are the ones that are taking their authentic brand voice and having actual real conversations with their audiences. It may be satirical gifs or back-and-forth threads, but what consumers are showing an interest in right now is authenticity. And being able to speak to a brand on a platform where the whole idea is to talk to each other – not at each other via ads.

I’m interested to see how long this level of authenticity continues, and whether the interactions between brands and consumers shifts as Threads gets its sea legs.

S: I couldn’t agree more. I think the unknown, and exploring the waters – to go along with our theme here – is part of why I was drawn to Threads. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say a few of the accounts I looked up first were the ones that had a history of being flippant and a bit risque.

But we know this model of being a part of the consumer community is not what all brands look for, nor what all brands should do. So I think that’s where the strategic counsel comes in, where you look at the brand’s ecosystem, really identify where you want the brand voice to land on our sliding scale, and then see how community engagement and these new channels fit – or don’t fit – into that mix.

L: Exactly, and that’s where our Citizen perspective comes in. Right now, we’re looking at Threads from two angles for our clients.

The first is the opportunity for short-term test and learn strategy. This is terrific for a brand that does lean a bit closer to being a member of their own consumer community, and wants to immediately own conversation. What’s exciting here is that you can take existing messaging and strategies, try them out on Threads, and have this inform a longer-term strategy. You can also throw other strategies to the wind and try something completely new on Threads as well – that’s the beauty of a net-new platform.

On the other hand, for brands who do want to sit back and watch things unfold a bit, that’s an option as well. There are so many industries, like we mentioned before, that are highly regulated, or who have a niche consumer base, and simply need time to see how the platform matures before diving in. For those clients, our Citizen team is consistently monitoring shifts and dynamics on the platform, and plan to bring insights into 2024 planning which is right around the corner.

S: I’m glad you mentioned that because I think there is this feeling of ‘we need to be everywhere all at once’ sometimes, with so many platforms. But at the end of the day, each platform operates like its own ecosystem – regardless of how connected the back-end is.

Finding the right platform for your brand’s goals, voice, and community sometimes means sitting things out and allocating resources elsewhere versus diving in.

L: One-hundred percent.

S: Well Laura, as always, it was so fun getting to dive into the details of strategy with you. I’m really excited to continue sharing this information with our clients, and continuing to track how the Threads platform evolves.

For anyone Interested in discussing Threads and how (and if) your business should jump on this new platform, please reach out to the Citizen Relations Digital Strategy team at citizendigital@citizenrelations.com.

About The Authors: 

Laura Brown – VP, Digital Strategy

Laura brings 15 years of experience in advertising and public relations agencies. She leads teams to develop digitally-led creative communications campaigns, channel plans, influencer marketing campaigns, paid media plans, community strategies and content development.

Samantha Flores – Senior Manager, Digital Strategy

With experience building digital ecosystems that include both paid and organic initiatives, Samantha focuses on identifying the middle-ground between consumer needs and brand goals in order to design impactful touch points across key markets. Samantha has led the day-to-day operations of major brands including Ingredion US/CAN, ViiV Healthcare, AstraZeneca, STIHL USA, John Deere, and YKK AP, and has led full-scale launches for highly regulated medications including BREZTRI Aerosphere and APRETUDE (cabotegravir).

We’ve been in full-innovation mode augmenting our work with AI-based automation, building new workflows and even platforms to help improve our work.

Now it’s time to ready our people for their role in shaping what’s ahead. 

First, rewind to the start of web 2, circa 2000s when we started evolving into the synchronous social web.

Brands had no idea what they were doing. We spent 50% of our time consulting marketers around what’s ahead, but we spent the other parts with legal and regulatory helping to build early ethics policies and processes. The rest was left to work with employees, teaching the skills of next, a mix of tech, community savvy, creative and data. It was thrilling, and scary and it’s happening again. No colleges had courses to support these new skills. So, we went to professors and helped build the curriculum. We pushed in on classes and sponsored challenges. We had to build the stabilizers along with the innovation. 

So, fast forward, present day. AI, ML, GPT abound. Change afoot. Workforce 3 ahead.

So, here’s what we’ve learned about where to start: 

1. Guidance

Some people think regulatory and legal makes things harder, but when you’re dealing with new platforms, new channels, new robots to tame, a good set of policies, procedures and review support goes a long way. Work with your legal team, get outside counsel. Help inform, educate and test with one another. Stabilize while you build skyscrapers.

HOT TAKE: We keep up with Davis and Gilbert’s thought leadership regularly because they always include regulatory updates, but also case law. We also love what our friends at All Tech is Human are doing with bringing legislation, regulators and big tech together to address issues in ethics.

2. Workflows

Document and codify your workflows and tool uses so you can train them. Yes, tech changes daily, and there’s a new generative tool for just about every use case, so don’t overcommit to any tool, focus on the workflow and the ways to automate or enhance with AI.

HOT TAKE: Build a step model with interchangeable tools so teams can test and land on the best platform.

3. Start Up-Skilling

Upskilling is the  concept of identifying how roles will shift based on new automated info, time spent or new needs to support AI efforts. Then, remap the roles of humans in this process. For example, we have put together a list of some of the shifts we’ve begun to re-skill:

• From designer to systems designer, ready to help develop brand look, tone and feel that can be managed through new production models, including training. Generative tools.
• From UX designer to UX professional, understanding the way experiences are evolving but moreover how we create personalized and game-changing experiences from data.
• From AAE’s manually auditing news coverage, to trends analysts able to configure and read high volumes of conversation, search data and trending subjects  and find trends/forecast the future.

HOT TAKE: Start up-skilling as part of regular biannual reviews, and daily teaching, not as a major workforce shift. A former CCO of mine told me, “don’t spook the talent”. And I agree, no reason for us to all lean to one side of the boat at the same time, let’s up-skill as we evolve, but never, ever forget about the importance of bringing our people along.

The best thing about Workforce 3 is the opportunity to grow, evolve and elevate in a profoundly important way. And here we are, creating an ethical tech future our children will be ready for!

As Pride Month, a time when the LGBTQIA+ community celebrates communal diversity, acceptance, and most importantly, equality for all, winds down, I’ve been reflecting on some of the recent news we’ve been hearing regarding the community. Like many of you, I sometimes take our ideals of pluralism, diversity and inclusion for granted, but what we’ve been recently witnessing firsthand has been truly an unsettling time for trans rights and queer visibility in product branding and advertising. From Bud Light to Target, companies are facing a wave of anti “woke” rhetoric that has been fueling toxic conversations about the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community to live safely without fear of hatred or violence.

I must be honest, as a cisgender, straight, white, male, I have no understanding or experience whatsoever of how it feels to have to hide who you are out of fear or concern that others will stare, make snide comments, verbally abuse you or worse. However, in listening and learning from our colleagues from the LGBTQIA+ community, you can clearly see the hate that’s been brewing towards that community – and it’s coming from multiple places. As marketers and communicators, we’re also readers and creators of public opinion. Our campaigns are depictions of how our societies are moving the needle on many social, economic and cultural issues, from climate change to social justice, and our work reflects the voices of our customers.

On the surface, it seems like our societies were becoming more accepting, and the LGBTQIA+ community was feeling increasingly comfortable and confident being publicly and fully themselves.

Yet, there’s been a very concerning groundswell of extremist rhetoric against LGBTQIA+ communities in both our societies and policies. In 2023 alone, more than 400 of pieces of anti-trans/anti-gay legislation filed in the US. Some weeks ago, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) officially declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the US for the first time in its more than 40-year history. In the UK, the conservative government blocked Scotland’s gender recognition legislation, which would allow people to change their legal gender without a medical diagnosis.

And in Canada, while the governments have so far been more liberal in nature regarding the  LGBTQIA+ community from a legislative point of view, the level of comfort and safety for the community has become worse. There’s an active movement to spread hate and misinformation from anti-LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups. Further proof of the backlash comes from Statistics Canada, showing between 2019 and 2021, there was a 64 percent uptick in hate crimes targeting sexual orientation.

Any decent marketing strategist will tell you pandering to a minority for the sake of clout or ‘perceived’ sales without an authentic commitment to your company’s values, will always backfire.

However, when done with authenticity, value based campaigns that legitimately support the communities they’re targeting are fundamentally rhetoric-proof.

“The goal is to make ‘pride’ toxic for brands,” is what one commentator said on Twitter. In the case of Target and Bud Light, in my opinion, caving to bigoted pressure is what cost them the negative brand recognition. We all know social media can feed on and promote outrage and the acknowledgement, even from a vocal few, will continue to reinforce those bad behaviors and fuel the conversation to keep going.

The reality is that for every Target and Bud Light, there are many brands like Reebok, Nike, Calvin Klein, The North Face, and Disney and many more doing the right thing. They have all taken a stand to defend the values of their marketing campaigns; values of diversity, inclusion and equity.

Make no mistake, standing up for what you believe in, even as a multi-billion dollar corporation, is not for the faint of heart. But if we’re ever going to have a hope for equity, we have to make sure the ones who are causing the issue, the ones spreading the misinformation and the ones creating the coalition of hate realize they are the ones who need to change.

We all know the old adage misery loves company. Let’s not allow that to happen.

We need to do more to change the current narrative about the LGBTQIA+ community.  Yes, we have to continue to make noise with our local representatives and elected officials, we should donate to advocacy groups and we can continue to educate ourselves and those around us. But, I believe the most important thing we can do is to be a proactive ally – and I do mean proactive. We need to keep talking to our customers, shareholders, and other brand constituents with value based campaigns. But we also have to push back – against any aggression, regardless of how small, so it doesn’t go unmatched and become something bigger.

In the same vein, I also believe we need more voices – more white, straight, cis-gender voices – to speak up more often. We cannot let the community that’s being targeted by hate be the only ones advocating for their rights. As Helen Keller said so famously, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much,” and progress towards equity is going to take everyone.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023 last week was whirlwind. From seven shortlists, which resulted in two wins, to a re-creation of the Cheetle statue in Cannes, this was a record-breaking year for Citizen.

And while seeing the work recognized on such a global platform – amongst the best of the best – is a great honour in itself, Cannes is about an entire industry of creatives and marketers coming together, learning from each other and basking in all the inspiration found on the French Riviera.

We asked our Citizen Cannes-goers to share their best picture from the week with us – here’s what they had to say!

Abeer Verma – Creative Director

“Only Spike Lee would start an acceptance speech with “The fact that I’m up here is an accident…” and end it with “Keep doing your thing”. A storyteller still very much in love with their craft. Also, a lesson is personal branding and style.”

Nick Cowling – CEO

“Having our name on seven shortlists and walking away with our first agency-led Lion (x2!) is tough to beat – but I have to say, seeing the Cheetle statue getting its own Cannes badge was pretty cool! What a week.”

Shirley Xu Wang – Art Director

“This was definitely one of the most creative talks I went to – it was a musical! The artistry was incredible and they delivered such a great message on how our voice is everything when it comes to creativity. And the fact that I was learning from incredible creatives from Japan shows how Cannes brings so many people together from around the world.”

Jenn Duggan – President, Ontario & West, Canada

“Hearing from inspirational global leaders and brands in a room full of marketing and creative experts was incredible. Here, Estee Lauder’s Global Changemaker, Amanda Gorman, is speaking on how Personal Impact is Personal and it got me thinking about how Citizen’s impact goes beyond our clients and partners; each one of us has an impact on our community around us – whether at work or outside.”

Mike Lo Nam – Creative Director

“Left Cannes with one of the best pieces of advice I could ever get from a jury – “Don’t look at winning work. But look at those that didn’t win. And try to understand why they didn’t.”

Alex Green – Vice President

“Seeing our work on the boards with the best of the best from around the world was truly a humbling and inspiring experience for me. It gave me a new outlook on the type of work I know Citizen can and will continue to create in the future.”

Josh Budd – Chief Creative Officer

“Cannes is all about the work… but it’s also all about concentrated time with colleagues and clients. This picture is from a dinner with Citizen, PlusCo colleagues, and Citizen clients where we spoke about our ambitions for the next year and how we’re going to get there. Guards are down, no one is running to pick up kids/walk the dog, and everyone is inspired and motivated by the same work and the same standards. That’s the magic of Cannes.”

The sun was scorching on the French Riviera for the 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Citizen also flew in hot, earning six shortlists for their Cheetle in Cheadle campaign and ReclaimYourName.dic campaign before the week officially kicked off!

On Day One the agency, alongside client PepsiCo Canada, took home both a Silver and a Bronze Lion for Cheetle in Cheadle – Citizen’s first agency-led Lions! Another shortlist was quickly added for ReclaimYourName.dic, a non-profit campaign with partner Elimin8Hate.

By the end of the week, Citizen earned a total of 7 shortlists with 2 wins, marking a memorable midpoint to a historic year.

Wins:

– 1 Silver – Cheetle in Cheadle for OUTDOOR: Ambient Outdoor

– 1 Bronze – Cheetle in Cheadle for OUTDOOR: Special Build

Shortlists:

Cheetle in Cheadle

• DIRECT: Ambient Media Large Scale
• SOCIAL/INFLUENCER: Single-Market Campaign
• SOCIAL/INFLUENCER: Organic Reach & Influence

ReclaimYourName.dic

• PR: Cultural Insight
• SUSTAINABLE DEV GOALS: Reduced Inequalities

“The Cannes Lions Festival is the undisputed global benchmark for creativity, so to be recognized is a tremendous honour for our agency and partners,” commented Citizen CEO, Nick Cowling. “Yet, in many ways, I feel like we’re just getting started with this new evolution of Citizen.”

Neither campaign is a stranger to award accolades in 2023; these two Lions are in addition to nearly 40 others for the year, including hardware from the PRWeek Global Awards, PRovoke Media’s North American Sabres, The One Show, the Clio Awards, Strategy’s Marketing Awards and more. ReclaimYourName.dic was included in Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas list alongside a Webby Award win.

Citizen is grateful to the teams behind the winning campaigns, the clients who trusted them with the vision, and to the jury at Cannes for the incredible global recognition.

Welcome to The Rundown by Citizen, a monthly round up of conversations that count. We’re offering bite-sized big thinking on recent headlines from around the world to help keep you in touch for your next water cooler, virtual boardroom or dinner party chat.

Know Better, Do Better

As the old adage goes, when we know better, we do better. A flurry of recent research and warnings paint an alarming picture when it comes to social media and mental health, particularly that of young people. We know that the earlier kids get smartphones, the worse their mental health as adults (source). We know that as social media use has risen, so have self reports and diagnoses among adolescents of anxiety and depression (source). To be clear, there is data that points to positive impacts of social media too – like finding community or achieving a goal together – but heavy screen time generally displaces activities like sleep, exercise and social connection that are vital to developing brains. As communicators, we see a role for brands to step in and step up. L.L. Bean quit social media for May, opting instead to challenge its customers to more outdoor time in nature, while TikTok has launched mental health resources and toolkits. Brands can and should be conscious of social media’s impact, and we’ll continue to advise clients on creating spaces online that foster connection and shared experiences, letting kids be kids.

Crocs And Birds

When Crocs announced a delay in its net zero commitment, Allbirds quickly jumped in to offer up its tools, tactics and strategies in helping them get there. Allbirds, who (coincidentally?) has the world’s first net zero shoe coming out next year, is notoriously transparent and went as far as sharing an email address on LinkedIn to explore partnership with Crocs. With “climate change” being cited as a top concern among consumers, Crocs may be onto something with this approach. Crocs is already full steam ahead, but we love to see openness and collaboration to raise the bar for the industry.

Let’s Be Real

More proof that brand vulnerability breeds fandom. Instead of defending why Align leggings are worth the cost, Lululemon stepped directly into Gen Z and invited anyone with a dupe to trade it in for the original at its “dupe swap”. Gen Z are more likely than any other group (24%) to want people to notice what they’re wearing which has made the dupe trend prominent within this age group. Lululemon is proving that while luxury brand knockoffs are nearly perfect these days – the real thing matters.

You’re Flushing

For centuries menstruating bodies have not seen options for flushable pads. Until now. London based brand Fluus learned that 0% of period products on the market are labeled as flushable, yet 30% of them end up in drains and pipes. Because of this, an estimated 28,114 tonnes of waste is generated annually from menstrual products in the UK. With Fluus products boasting a patent-pending microplastic free biodegradable technology, this is helping to move in the right direction of making periods less harmful. The brand hopes this is just the first step in moving towards less plastic products ending up down the drain and in landfills.

Influencer: Redefined

The world of influencer marketing has seen rapid change in the last decade. Maybe more influencer marketing isn’t what every brand needs. Instead, brands need to re-evaluate how they do influencer marketing and understand how the core definition of an influencer has evolved. Our Chief Digital Officer, Crystalyn Stuart-Loayza, and SVP of Creator Marketing, Neil Mohan, discussed how modern influence is being re-defined in our latest LinkedIn Live. Watch it here.

Want to know more? Get in touch at marketing@citizenrelations.com

Strategy’s 101st Marketing Awards on June 6th brought together Canada’s creative best of the best at the Art Gallery of Ontario, celebrating work that has made an impact, not just in Canada, but across the world. Two Citizen campaigns were awarded 10 golds, 1 silver and 1 Best in Show, placing Citizen in 3rd place for medal count amongst all agencies.

“Multicultural casting is not multicultural marketing.”

Bobby Sahni said it best when introducing the Multicultural category, where Citizen’s ReclaimYourName.dic campaign for Elimin8hate was the most awarded of the evening, taking home 10 Golds and a Best In Show in the Multicultural and Public Service categories. Recently earning a spot on 2023 Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas list, the custom plug-in dictionary of Asian names is now being added into current and future Microsoft 365 application updates. The campaign took home awards for:

Public Service Category:

• Gold – Campaign led by PR
• Gold – Integrated Campaign
• Gold – Online

Multicultural Category:

• Best of Show Public Service
• Gold – Digital
• Gold – Integrated Campaign
• Gold – Online Film
• Gold – Out-of-Home

In the Advertising and Digital categories, Citizen’s Cheetle in Cheadle campaign for Pepsico Canada continues its winning streak, bagging 2 Golds and a Silver. A murmur of recognition could be heard through the crowd upon announcement, a reflection of the incredible reach this cheesy 17 foot tall statue achieved globally. Cheetle in Cheadle took home awards for:

Advertising Category:

• Gold – OOH Ambient Large Scale
• Gold – OOH Experiential
• Silver – PR Community Building

Digital Category:

• Gold – Social Media

“We’re proud to have our work celebrated alongside the best our country has to offer,” says Citizen’s Chief Creative Officer, Josh Budd. “The Marketing Awards is further recognition of the effort, energy, and ambition coursing through the agency and every one of our Citizens these days…and this momentum is continued fuel for us to achieve the mission we’re on for consistent excellence in earned-first creativity.”

As we kick off PRIDE Month, we recognize that Pride means a lot of different things to a lot of people and there is no one experience that defines the community. Today, we hear one of those experiences from our Managing Director, Experiential, Kevin Wagman, as he shares what PRIDE means to him and how he celebrates in Toronto, Canada.

I consider myself at this point in life to be an “OG” – Original Gay.  (Really, that’s just an age thing.) And with my OG status, I’ve been afforded certain privileges over the years, which I have come to embrace.

A few privileges that come to mind include being at Toronto PRIDE in the ’90s before it was mainstream and just a handful of blocks of Church Street, watching the PRIDE flag raised at City Hall in Toronto for the first time in 1993 on the “courtesy flagpole” and finally, watching the movie Torch Song Trilogy at the Carlton Theatre back in high school – the first time I ever saw a gay content movie (though full of stereotypes) with characters and actors that were “like me”.

After 28 years of celebrating Toronto PRIDE, and having the privilege of seeing our community grow, it’s amazing how different it’s looked over the last few years. From no parades in 2020 to being fully ‘back outside’ last year, this year, I’ve reflected on what PRIDE actually means to me.

1. PRIDE is about acknowledging the choice of freedom that I have. I’m privileged  to live in Toronto, a city that celebrates our history and preserves our landmarks, even if just recently
2. PRIDE is about being able to wear whatever I like and not be judged for it – including very short shorts and very tight Ts (in the ’90s, at least). Fashion is such an integral part of queer culture, whether it’s in the form of drag, camp fashion or gender-fluid clothing.  In the  words of Ru Paul “we’re all born naked and the rest is just drag”
3. PRIDE is about family, not just the ones you’re born into, but the family that you choose  – my friends who love me unconditionally (and ok, let’s be honest, sometimes with conditions). Our chosen family are the community that rejoices with and for you – especially in those times we’ve had to hide who we are
4. PRIDE is about acknowledging that while we revel in recent medical vaccine breakthroughs, every year more people around the globe – including my friends – continue to contract HIV, and worse, are stigmatized for it despite leading perfectly normal lives
5. PRIDE is about recognizing that identities are constantly evolving and there’s always room for more. I used to belong to the LGB community which is now  the 2SLGBTQI+ community and hey – the more the merrier.  It’s about realizing that there is space for everyone on this colourful spectrum and no one experience is taking away from another

Right now, the community is going through a tough time around the world. We’re seeing growing intolerance and bigotry, even with something as simple as PRIDE decorations. So I understand if ‘privilege’ isn’t a word that immediately comes to mind for many this month. But we can’t forget how far we’ve come and to celebrate the strides the community has made – and it’s made MANY.  So this OG feels privileged.

However you choose to celebrate, have a fabulous PRIDE month!

In 2022, Elimin8Hate – the advocacy arm of the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) – developed the world’s first custom dictionary plug-in, ReclaimYourName.dic, of over 8,000 Asian names that removes the red underline marking it a typo, in partnership with Citizen Relations. Today, the initiative has been recognized by Microsoft and is being added into current and future Microsoft 365 application updates, including Microsoft Word. The dictionary is a much-needed first-step in creating a culture of belonging  and inclusivity for all – and a great way to celebrate Asian Heritage Month!

The campaign, which has received a multitude of accolades over the past few weeks, supports Elimin8Hate’s mission to dismantle and eliminate anti-Asian racism around the world. Adopting an anglicized name is a common practice for Asians but instead of making things easier for them, emotional wellbeing suffers, often accompanied by a loss of identity. Seeing a red underline marking your name as a typo is one example of softwares we use saying: If you’re Asian, you don’t belong. Elimin8Hate’s ReclaimYourName campaign stepped in to show action and support for Asians by normalizing their names. For Microsoft, the world’s biggest tech giant, to take this step is a huge win – not just for the campaign, but for creating an inclusive experience for all.

“At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” said Chris Barry, President, Microsoft Canada. “We are intentional about using our global reach to drive positive change in the communities where we live and work. Billions of people use Microsoft apps every day for work, school and life and initiatives like Elimin8Hate’s ReclaimYourName dictionary will help make that experience more inclusive for everyone.”

Along with a recent Webby award win and multiple One Show, Clio, ADC, PRWeek Global and Sabre awards, the campaign was featured in Fast Company’s list of World Changing Ideas for 2023 in the Workplace category.