Author: citizen

Last week, The One Club for Creativity held their annual Creative Week in New York City, celebrating the global creative community and all their work with a series of showcases and events. 

Citizen took home the Silver Cube in Advertising: Design for Good for its work on the Reclaim Your Name campaign for Elimin8Hate at the 102nd ADC Annual Awards. The awards honour the best creative talent and groundbreaking work across various creative disciplines. Along with the win, Citizen received 12 shortlists (!!) for Reclaim Your Name, Cheetle in Cheadle by Cheetos and the Citizen rebrand. 

“Reclaim Your Name is such an important message and to see it reach new heights and reach more people is an extremely fulfilling moment. We hope it plays a small part in creating a culture of inclusivity for all, but especially the Asian community,” said Mike Lo Nam, Creative Director at Citizen, who worked closely on the Reclaim Your Name campaign. 

The week wrapped up with the 50th One Show awards, a celebration of the best of the best in the industry, making it The One Club for Creativity’s most prestigious and meaningful program. Citizen won two Merit Awards and two Pencil Awards at the show in the following categories:

• Silver Pencil in Out of Home: Experiential & Installations for Cheetle in Cheadle
• Bronze Pencil in IP & Product Design: Innovation & Transformation for Reclaim Your Name
• Merit Award in Cultural Diver: Pop Culture Impact for Cheetle in Cheadle
• Merit Award in Health & Wellness: Public Relations for Reclaim Your Name

The recognition for these campaigns is not just a big win for Citizen’s PR teams but also the Creative teams that took the work to the next level. Speaking on the wins at Creative Week, Abeer Verma, Creative Director, said, “This is a great representation of Citizen’s creative approach, and it’s a huge honor to see it validated by an organization that has set the global standard for 50 years.”

A huge thank you to The One Club for Creativity for recognizing this work and congratulations to the Citizens and client partners that made this possible!

Earlier this week, Citizen Relations took home awards at the PRWeek Global Awards in London for ReclaimYourName.dic and at Strategy Magazine’s Shopper Innovation + Activation (SIA) awards in Toronto for Cheetle in Cheadle.

The PRWeek Global Awards celebrated the best in global PR excellence, bringing together the brightest and most innovative minds from Europe, North America, LatAm and Asia. Citizen’s ReclaimYourName.dic campaign for Elimin8Hate won two awards and a high commendation in: 

• Brand Product Development – Winner
• Non-Profit – Winner
• Campaign of the Year – High Commendation

Across the pond in Toronto, Strategy’s SIA Awards celebrate the best new thinking in retail innovation and shopper marketing. The Cheetle in Cheadle campaign for PepsiCo Foods Canada won four awards in the following categories: 

• Small Budget, Big Award – Gold
• ROI – Gold
• Experiential – Silver 
• Overcoming Challenge – Bronze

2023 has already been such a standout year for Citizen. Jenn Duggan, President of Ontario & West, Canada, says “We’re honoured to have our Canadian work recognized across the globe and I’m incredibly proud of our teams.”

A huge thank you to PRWeek and Strategy for the recognition and congratulations to the Citizens and client partners who made it all happen!

One of my absolute favorite quotes that I find a way to weave into everything is “With great power comes great responsibility.” Now, I don’t think Uncle Ben meant this as the guiding force behind this dive into mentorship amongst women of color but just follow me here.

While the world of PR may be one of the few fields heavily dominated by women (shoutout to girls that run the world), only 10% of PR management roles are held by Black or African Americans. Given this harsh reality, it’s not uncommon to be the only woman of color at the table and in many instances, one of maybe five in the entire company. 

This brings me back to Uncle Ben’s insightful words. It took some years in the game to gain this mindset but what I found is there’s power in being the minority. In a conference room full of non-people of color, not only does your unique experience stand out, but you inadvertently gain the power to pave the way for others that look just like you – and there lies the responsibility. During my career, I’ve experienced a handful of different sized PR agencies and, after over eight years, have only crossed paths with two Black women in leadership positions. I vividly remember calling my mom after interviewing for a position at Citizen and sharing how excited I was to have met with not one but TWO women of color in mid and senior-level positions. Although Black and Latinx experiences are different, the thought of learning the ropes from women that likely had to overcome similar barriers was like hitting the diversity jackpot. 

It wasn’t until I started working with other women of color that I realized – it’s much easier to thrive in white spaces when you can learn from and have a community with someone with shared experiences. While I can’t fix the diversity disparity within the industry I can make myself available as a resource for current and future generations of Black (and BIPOC) PR professionals. With so few women of color in leadership positions, mentorship opportunities come far and few between. As a Black woman, I’ve made it my responsibility – see what I did there – to show up as a mentor, confidant, and an advocate for women of color whenever possible. Mentors are often seen as someone who is significantly more advanced in their career but I’ve learned that guidance can also come from your peers and even colleagues that are only slightly more advanced than you. To remix what the late great Aaliyah said years of experience ain’t nothin’ but a number. 

I like to tell myself that I walked so that they could run, but the reality is I was just figuring things out by myself – one self-help article and even a good cry at a time because I didn’t have a mentor for so long. Here are some things that I picked up along the way and make it my business to share with my mentees:

• Don’t be afraid to negotiate: the wage gap is already big enough, don’t undervalue yourself to seem friendly. Work with your mentor on the best verbiage but let’s not leave money on the table out of fear. 
• Show up as your full self: We spend more time at work than we do anywhere else, no need to hide parts of you. More often than not it’s your distinctive flair that might put you ahead 
• Share your ideas: Sitting at the big kids’ table (aka brainstorms and status calls) can be daunting but don’t let that stop you from sharing your big, small, and outrageous ideas. The smallest idea can morph into an award-winning campaign
• Asking for help is OK: Flagging that you need help doesn’t equate to an inability to do your job. It takes great strength to recognize and ask when help is needed

There’s still so much for me to learn, accomplish and pass down but as long as I can be at least an honorable mention in someone else’s growth trajectory then it’s safe to say that I fulfilled my sista’ly responsibilities. 

About The Author: 

With over 8 years of experience, Stephanie is a publicist and influencer strategist that has connected the dots for major brands across industries such as Olay Body, Courvoisier, Champion, Old Spice, Chapstick, and more. Her impressive experience spans across campaign development and execution, media relations, copywriting, influencer strategy, and talent engagement. Originally from New Jersey, Stephanie headed across the bridge to St. John’s University, where she gained her undergraduate degree in public relations with a minor in business administration. Stephanie prides herself on being well-connected, well-respected, and passionate about representation and inclusion in all aspects of life and was awarded PRovoke Media’s Young Changemaker award in 2023 for her work in the industry. 

The world of influencer marketing has seen rapid change in the last decade. And last month, our SVP of Creator Marketing, Neil Mohan, suggested that maybe more influencer marketing isn’t what every brand needs. Instead, brands need to re-evaluate how they do influencer marketing. 

A key step in that re-evaluation is understanding how the definition of influencer is changing, even today. In our latest Digital Provocateur LinkedIn Live session, Mohan and Crystalyn Stuart-Loayza, Citizen’s Chief Digital Officer, discussed how modern influence is being re-defined and how brands need to rethink their approach and understanding of influencers.

• Influencer Segmentation: The different type of influencers and what motivates them to create content
• Algorithms To Focus On: Follower count is no longer the benchmark; algorithms now favour recommended content, search and paid media
• Creative Capability: Instead of focusing solely on the impressions, brands need to find ways to insert their products into the creative capabilities creators have
• The Purchase Funnel: While creators are incredibly successful at building awareness for a product, they are equally successful at the lower end of the funnel i.e. impacting purchase decisions
• AI Is The (Upcoming) Creator: AI is being used to make virtual creators who act as regular influencers and are a great way for brands to develop their own personas

The full LinkedIn Live session is available on Citizen Relation’s LinkedIn page and to learn more about dComm3, click here or email digital@citizenrelations.com

The Canadian Event Awards were held in Toronto last night and Citizen Experiential’s team took home two big awards – Best Brand or Product Launch for their Hop Valley Bubble Stash Smash event in Toronto & Vancouver and Best Experiential Marketing Event for their VinFast US Showroom Launch event in California.

Additional shortlists include:

Best Event Design/Decor Under $50,000

Citizen Experiential and Citizen Relations for Loblaws PC Holiday Preview

Best Corporate Event $350,000+

Citizen Experiential and Citizen Relations for VinFast US Showroom Launch Event

Most Outstanding Event $350,000+

Citizen Experiential and Citizen Relations for VinFast US Showroom Launch Event

The event is the most coveted night in the Canadian event industry that recognizes the industry’s best of the best innovation and achievements. Kevin Wagman, Managing Director of Citizen Experiential, says, “It’s an honour to be recognized – our industry has been through so much these past few years and to be back in full swing and receive these accolades just energizes us to push the boundaries [in the event space] even more.”

A huge thank you to Canadian Special Events for recognizing Citizen Experiential’s hard work and creativity and congratulations to the team!

PRovoke Media’s Innovation Sabre and Sabre North America 2023 Awards were held in New York City yesterday and it was a big day for Citizen.

The Sabre North America awards are one of the biggest nights in the PR industry in the US/Canada, recognizing the best of the best. For the first time, Citizen took home the Consumer Agency Of The Year award, shortlisted amongst Praytell, Havas Formula, Coyne PR & Hunter. On the win, Nick Cowling, CEO, said, “This has been another inspiring year for Citizen. This award represents the well deserved recognition for our people, our work, our clients and our growth – while we were already proud of Citizen’s momentum, it’s always appreciated to have the industry confirm it.”

Along with this AOY win, Citizen also won the following awards: 

• Word of Mouth: Cheetle in Cheadle campaign for PepsiCo Foods Canada
• Software & Services: ReclaimYourName.dic for Elimin8Hate 
• Public Education (Non-Profit): ReclaimYourName.dic for Elimin8Hate

Citizen was also shortlisted for: 

• Cause For Alarm for Kidde in Inclusive Marketing
• Don’t Sweat The Meat Sweats for Old Spice & Arby’s in Integrated Marketing
• Get It Girl for Champion in Marketing To Women
• US Grand Store Openings for VinFast in Retailers

Earlier in the day, the Innovation Sabre Awards were held, which celebrates the full breadth and scope of cutting edge work being done in the industry, along with the innovators making it happen. Citizen’s Chief Creative Officer, Josh Budd, took home the Creative Professional of the Year award. The agency also won awards for The Super Legit Book of Really Real Egg Facts for Egg Farmers of Canada in Combating Disinformation and for the Ugly Truth Holiday Sweaters campaign for Canadian Mental Health Association in Persuasive Content.

A few weeks ago, PRovoke Media also named Citizen as the “Best Agency To Work For” in the Mid-Sized Agency category, a recognition of the company’s vibrant employee culture, inspiring leadership team and focus on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). 

A huge thank you to PRovoke Media for the recognition and congratulations to all teams!

Introducing Rundown, your new monthly round up of conversations that count by Citizen. 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.

Moonrise

Fleece, hoodies and… crackers? Patagonia recently purchased a cracker company, Moonshot, as part of its commitment to counterbalancing a food system that is “extractive and destructive”, and we love to see this unexpected move. Moonshot uses regenerative agricultural practices, and buying them represents a chance for consumers to help catalyze a market shift. As we all know and appreciate, Patagonia doesn’t always follow conventional thinking – and this proves once again that brand values will always win.

Fly away

Remember news without Twitter? Neither do we. In a powerful move, NPR, BBC and CBC have all “paused” or left Twitter completely in an effort to assert editorial independence. With the platform’s valuation at half of what it was last year, blue checkmarks have disappeared and advertisers are now required to pay for verification even to run an ad. Losing major users is no doubt a hit to the platform’s reputation and legitimacy, and we’ll continue to watch this space to help brands navigate it.

Youth Is Wasted On The Young

We’re in the midst of a cultural shift towards age inclusivity. Whether it’s talking about menopause with radical openness, speaking out against age discrimination, age ambivalence is getting its moment in the zeitgeist. April’s edition of Vogue Philippines features Apo Whang-Od, a 106 year old Indigenous tattooist and community leader, on its cover. For the fashion world, notorious for perpetuating a singular notion of beauty, the move (along with this one!) shows that Vogue is still vanguard, and signals a call for change.

The New Breakfast Club? 

File under “don’t knock it til you try it”. Our US client, Nissin Foods, launched its Cup Noodles Breakfast flavor and it’s taking the US by storm. That’s right, it’s breakfast – sausage, eggs, pancakes and maple syrup flavoring – in a cup. With noodles. As firm believers that a little maple syrup can make almost anything better, we love to see it. Check it out here.

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

Last week, Citizen Relations won the Webby Award for the Best Social Impact Campaign for their work with Elimin8Hate, on the ReclaimYourName.dic campaign. To win this award, from those who honor the best of the Internet, is a huge moment of pride for the agency. 

In light of a rise in anti-Asian hate, Citizen developed the first custom dictionary plug-in of 8,000+ Asian names to remove the red underline non-Anglicized names get in word processing softwares in an effort to help Asians ‘reclaim their name.’

The impact of this campaign shines a light on all three of Citizen’s values to “Champion Equity”, “Set the Standard” and “Do What’s Right”. 

Just this week, the ReclaimYourName.dic campaign was shortlisted in the Public Service and Multicultural categories at Strategy Canada’s 101st Marketing Awards, alongside the global viral sensation Cheetle in Cheadle campaign in the Advertising and Digital categories. 

2023 has been an unprecedented year of wins and accolades for Citizens, including PRovoke Media’s Best Agencies To Work For win earlier in the month and multiple award wins from the Innovation SABRE awards (North America), The Applied Arts Awards, the Atomic Awards, the IABC Ovation Awards and The Clio Awards, along with shortlists (winners still to be announced) from the North America SABRE Awards, the PRCA Awards, the Canadian Event Awards, The One Show, The ADC Annual Awards, the PRWeek Global Awards and finally, Campaign Global PR Agency of the Year.

Never have consumers held brands to a higher standard. So to win their loyalty, brands have to raise the bar – they need to drive more action, greater change and equitable opportunities to get consumer’s votes and loyalty. Our PR experts, Teri Akahoshi, Senior Director in LA and Shona Wercholuk, Associate Director in Vancouver, share their thoughts below!  

1. Consumers Are People Not Targets

Consumers are more likely to support brands that represent them, advocate for their values and authentically serve their community. Win the hearts and minds of purpose-driven younger and more diverse consumers with effective programs that drive social impact and offer true, long-term solutions grounded in the brand’s purpose.

2. Be Authentic & Transparent

90% of consumers said they’re looking for authenticity when deciding what brands to support. (Source) To truly resonate and create loyalty with consumers requires authenticity. In addition to inclusive marketing initiatives that support society, brands need to look internally, supporting diversity, equity and inclusion within their workforce. Today’s consumers are extremely savvy, and this message starts from within an organization. It’s important to actually live what you say and steer clear from tokenism. 

3. Take Action & Accountability

Demonstrate your commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in action first, then messaging. Audit your brand playbook and be intentional with the media publications, reporters, influencers, KOLs, and partners you bring onboard to ensure coverage, content and deliverables offer unique and authentic touchpoints, messaging and perspective for a more inclusive and diverse program.

In 2022 Citizen was named a Best Place to Work (PRWeek) and just a few weeks ago, the Best Agency to Work For (PRovoke Media) – these recognitions are especially meaningful to us as it reflects the special culture we work hard to create and maintain every day. We have multiple Citizens who have been with us for nearly 20 years and many who have “Boomeranged” back to us after realizing just how green the grass truly is at Citizen!

In part 1 of ‘From Novice to Now’, meet long-standing Citizens, Shannon Suggett, Josie Haynes and Aly Sturm who are sharing everything from their best moments to what keeps them going when times get tough.
 

Shannon Suggett – Executive Vice President, Orange County

Shannon Suggett  is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with 23 years of experience at Citizen. She has led successful campaigns for clients in diverse industries, including consumer packaged goods, healthcare, and spirits. Her expertise includes strategic planning, media, social engagement, partnerships, and crisis management. Shannon’s impressive client roster includes P&G brands, Toshiba, Verizon, and more. She is known for her strategic approach, creativity, and exceptional results-driven mindset, making her a trusted leader in the industry.

Citizen Relations: “Calm”, “Curious”, and “Confident” are words that have been used to describe you by your colleagues. When starting out 20 years ago, would you say you were the same way? What has changed or stayed the same in your approach to the work? 

Shannon Suggett: When I started my career, I was definitely curious. I sat in a cubicle surrounded by offices where a lot of action was always happening. I started to jot down phrases or acronyms I’d hear throughout the day and then do my own research to connect the dots. That curiosity has stayed with me throughout my career as I have pushed myself and my teams to think smarter and dream bigger.  When it comes to being calm, I often played it “cool under pressure” when I started out, but definitely have more tools now to keep things together when times get tense.  And I am confident in the ability of my teams, in the agency’s capabilities and my leadership to deliver the very best work and counsel, every day.

CR: It seems like you have seen and done a lot over the last 20 years, and all in one spot. Impressive! What keeps things interesting for you day to day and how has your relationship with Citizen grown over the decades? 

SS: I said this recently in the Global Town Hall and it’s true – I’m just as motivated and challenged today as I was when I showed up on day one. From tacos to burgers, pet food to X-ray machines, toothpaste to supplements, or whiskey, noodles and shopping malls, the variety of clients has kept me engaged and invigorated. My relationship with Citizen continues to grow every day, and my relationship with the people and the culture we have built is truly what has kept me here for so long. Citizen is a special place that I am proud to be a part of.

CR: Even though you have been at Citizen consistently for 20 years, you have certainly seen changes in the industry overall. What have some of those been like? 

SS: It’s been exciting to see PR become a must-have in the marketing mix, not just a nice to have. We still have to sell it, but showing brands the power of PR and how it can drive business results has definitely evolved. 

CR: And after taking a look back, let’s chat about the future. What are you most excited about for your upcoming years at Citizen? 

SS: Our continued growth, the expansion of new practice areas and being a small part of the journey of the Citizens around me has me energized and excited for all that’s ahead. Choosing to stay with one agency for your PR career isn’t for everyone – I get it – but for me, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Josie Haynes- Senior Vice President, Toronto  

Josie Haynes has more than 15 years of experience developing integrated communications campaigns for some of the world’s most iconic brands. She has a reputation for delivering insight-driven breakthrough campaigns that drive conversation and that lead to real business impact for her clients. Her work is not only recognized internally through new business wins and growing client mandates, but externally through countless industry awards.

CR: Tell us when you started at Citizen and what roles you have held while here. 

Josie Haynes: I started at Citizen (previously Optimum PR) as an intern in 2007. I was promoted to senior vice president in 2022 and I’ve held every role in between!

CR: Wow! It has been quite some time. Growing a career from an intern to an SVP at the same company isn’t too common in today’s workforce. What has made you stick around? 

JH: In my opinion, people change jobs when they stop being challenged, inspired or supported. And while I won’t pretend that things haven’t ebbed and flowed in these three areas over the past 15 years, I will say that whenever I started to get the itch to move, something happened that made me want to stick around longer to see how it played out.

Whether that was winning a new client that I wanted to work on, launching a new Citizen offering that I wanted to learn more about, or working with a new colleague or leader that made me feel valued, there always seems to be something happening at Citizen that keeps me excited to be part of what’s next.  

CR: Last year was definitely filled with lots of those exciting moments for you. You won over a dozen industry awards, 15 to be exact. Congrats! Which are you most proud of and why? 

JH: Last year, one of the campaigns we were successful in winning many different awards for our Ugly Truths Holiday Sweaters campaign in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). 

The Ugly Truths Holiday Sweaters campaign was developed on the heels of an employee survey that found the majority of Citizens named mental health as a cause they cared deeply about. Knowing how important mental health is to our team, we put our strengths to work and developed a creative, earned-first campaign that would create a positive impact for those facing mental health challenges. 

The campaign was born out of the insight that while the holidays are widely considered a time of merriment and joy, for the one in two Canadians who suffer from anxiety, depression, or loneliness, it’s not the most wonderful time of the year. With media narratives focusing on more festive topics, the half of Canadians who experience the challenging realities of the season are left feeling alone. We needed to create space for a different conversation and used Canadian media and social influencers to give more time to the “ugly” side of the holiday season, so those suffering knew there’s support available.

Using our “ugly” sweaters as a trojan horse, we were able to see a 9% increase in Canadian conversation around mental health during the holidays when compared to the previous year. And while we partnered with CMHA on the campaign, the entire program was created, funded and produced by Citizen. We were so proud of the real, tangible impact we were able to make which is probably why winning the gold award for Business Impact in Healthcare at the Canadian Marketing Awards was the one I was most proud of.
 

CR: You’ve accomplished so much, but it seems like there is still so much fire left in you. What gets you the most excited when thinking about the future of the public relations industry at large? 

JH: The opportunity PR has to continue to grow its share of the marketing mix and take the lead seat at the IAT table. There’s a reason why people use PVRs, pay more for streaming services and press “skip ad” on YouTube. We don’t want to be talked at. If brands want to get our attention, they need to engage us in the conversation. As PR professionals, this isn’t “new news” – we’ve been doing this forever. But with brands seeing a decline in how effective traditional one-way advertising can be, they are looking to shift their dollars to two-way communications approaches. Advertising agencies are quickly trying to adapt their creative thinking to match, but the truth is PR agencies will always do it better and this is our time to shine.

We’re already seeing a shift in the agency model with PR agencies being asked to do more of the strategy and creative thinking work. I think this will just continue to happen more and more, opening up budgets and opportunities for PR to show what it’s really capable of – making true business impact.

Aly Sturm- Senior Vice President, New York City  

Aly Sturm has nearly 20 years of experience in corporate communications, consumer PR, and issues and crisis management, with a focus on food and beverage, health, CSR, and CPG industries. She currently leads the Duracell, Carrier and P&G Ventures Corporate Communications accounts. Prior to her current role, Aly was the Senior Manager of External Communications at Nestlé Waters North America for three years, where she oversaw issues and crisis communications, external corporate communications, and digital channels. 

CR: You are what we call here at Citizen a ‘boomerang’ meaning you were here, moved on, and then came back. How has your perspective of Citizen changed from your first stint to now?  

Aly Sturm: I’ve brought a new perspective with me as I’ve come back to Citizen – that of being a client. During my 3 year Citizen hiatus, I went in house, where I WAS the client. I have a whole new appreciation for the everyday internal pressures a client faces, making me a far more empathetic agency partner – trying to think ahead of what will make their life easier, how to answer questions before they have to ask, and sometimes most importantly – how to be a trusted shoulder to lean on.

CR: We couldn’t keep you away for long! Surely there was something so great that you really missed, right? 

AS: My coworkers! Citizen is my second family – I’m so incredibly lucky to have a group of colleagues that care so deeply for and about each other.

CR: Great Citizens are a constant in the organization, but how have you seen the agency grow since the first day you walked through the doors? 

AS: Citizen has only flourished year over year – we’re even more cohesive, strategic, creative and fun than we were when I left. Our client base is stronger and more diverse than ever. And, we’re leaning into expanding our offerings to make earned work even harder for our clients – through stronger creative, digital and integrated marketing.

CR: That’s great! So many expansions in the works. What are you most excited about for the future of Citizen? 

The plans we have in place for our clients this year are the strongest yet, and the teams are excited to dig in and get the work done. We’re also growing our client base at an impressive rate in all sectors. And, personally, I’m thrilled to be able to add more corporate communications clients and projects to our roster. I strongly believe that corporate comms and brand comms work better together – and more and more clients are seeing the potential that can bring. The future for Citizen is bright!