Category: News

Welcome to the fourth edition of 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.

Tapping Into The Untapped

To say this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup sparked a lot of conversations would be an understatement. As with any sports tournament, controversies and upsets in the game dominated the news cycle. But one thing was clear – brands were finally recognizing the Women’s World Cup’s potential. And with good reason; research has shown that 45% of U.S. soccer fans were more interested in women’s soccer than they were a year ago.

Brands such as Visa, Volkswagen, Roblox and Adobe have all partnered with the U.S. Women’s Soccer team in various capacities to show their support of the tournament. Frito-Lay, the ‘Official USA Snack’ of the Women’s World Cup, even created a TV spot highlighting the passion die-hard soccer fans have – with a mom using Frito-Lay chips as stand-ins for soccer players to show her daughter how exhilarating the game can be. FIFA itself partnered with TikTok to put all its players under one roof – a strategic move considering 58% of female Gen Z fans call themselves “superfans” of the game and 56% of all fans say they would think more favorably of a brand that sponsored their favorite female players.

However, the sports – and soccer specifically – industry is riddled with debate on equal pay and treatment in the industry. And studies show us that fans of women’s soccer are much more interested in the inspirational stories and activism than the actual game. It’s no surprise that Orange France’s World Cup ad – which played on this exact insight – gained such popularity and resonance, with consumers and the industry alike. The ad begins as a reel of top moments from Kylian Mbappe & Antoine Griezmann, the country’s national team (male) players. It then goes on to show the footage has been edited to conceal the identities of the national team’s women players, Sakina Karchaoui & Selma Bacha.

This surge of popularity we’ve seen for the Women’s World Cup isn’t going to be an isolated incident. We see the same pattern developing for women’s basketball and golf, as well as sports that weren’t popular in North America. Now it’s just a waiting game to see which brands will seize the opportunity to create authentic partnerships before it just becomes the ‘trendy’ thing to do.

What’s CosMcs?

Embracing the adage ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,’ McDonald’s seems to have masterfully harnessed the art of nostalgic revival to invigorate their latest sales endeavors in the U.S. Nostalgia marketing, a crafty strategy that plucks the heartstrings of consumers by resurfacing vintage campaigns in contemporary plans, has proven to be a resounding triumph throughout the year. In fact, recent research has unveiled a remarkable statistic: a whopping 9 out of 10 individuals possess a fond affinity for the past. Giants of the corporate world, including the likes of Mattel with their Barbie resurgence and Rakuten with their ‘Clueless’-themed Super Bowl ad, have skillfully demonstrated that what’s old can indeed be new again. And now, with the debut of CosMc’s, McDonald’s is hoping to get a slice of the memory-lane pie.

McDonald’s dipped its toes in the nostalgia pool by resurrecting their well beloved purple blob mascot, Grimace. This character made a dazzling comeback, starring in a revamped version of The Happy Meal, complete with his own purple milkshake. As fervent admirers clamored for more (amassing an astonishing 3.3 billion TikTok views from videos showcasing the Grimace Shake), McDonald’s seized the moment and dusted off another beloved favorite from yesteryears: CosMc, the extraterrestrial icon of the ’80s who famously pined for McDonald’s iconic food.

Unlike Grimace, CosMc isn’t here for a quick cameo, his name will serve as a revival with a futuristic twist. CosMc’s anticipated return is to introduce an entirely fresh dining concept. Anticipated to kick off in 2024, CosMc’s establishments will sport a cutting-edge ambiance and aesthetic. The traditional expansive dining spaces will change to fewer seating options and less human interaction as the spotlight turns to digital ordering and delivery. At the helm of it all stands CosMc himself, the blast from the past hoping to boost sales and encourage a new way of food service. While mostly U.S. based publications have shared the news, the team at Mickey D’s is saying locations will have ‘limited geography’–let’s see if CosMc will make a global splash.

Luxury, But Make It Quiet

We’ve all heard about quiet luxury by now: from news headlines to TikTok and every medium in between, it’s safe to say this cultural concept is having a moment. That said, to call it a trend feels oversimplified and inaccurate. On the surface, quiet luxury is inconspicuous, logo-free and extremely expensive. But If you observe brands that have been touted as arbiters of quiet luxury like The Row, Totême and Max Mara, cornerstones of their identities are timelessness and a reputation for quality and mastery of craft. Not exactly trendy, right?

According to founder & CEO of Sinclair Kiri Sinclair, “Two macro factors have crossed over to propel quiet luxury into the spotlight. The current economic situation and a conscious movement towards sustainability. Quiet luxury is basically the opposite of fast fashion. It focuses on craftsmanship, quality materials and a subtle design elegance.” It also comes with a knowing nod, the feeling that those who know, know.

Many leaders in the quiet luxury category  sell products that have been flying off the proverbial shelves for years without significant changes. Fashion is the industry where quiet luxury is most visible, but the brands being spotlighted through the lens of quiet luxury are characterized by a luxe quality and an intuitive understanding of their consumer, two qualities that extend beyond fashion.

While not all trends should be jumped on, and the concept of quiet luxury can’t be adapted precisely for every industry and brand, there are a few guiding principles that quiet luxury can teach us, to help build trust and long-term relationships with consumers in a time of economic challenge, minimalist and sustainable ideals, and digital overwhelm.

Legacy isn’t built overnight: None of the leaders in the quiet luxury movement are brand new, skyrocket success stories. Taking the time to build a brand that serves your audience intuitively and consistently is the only way to build trust and establish lasting relationships that will make you a leader in your space. It’s a long game: Max Mara and Apple will say it’s worth it.

You can’t outmarket quality: Consumers are looking for products that can stay with them for years to come. The old adage “they don’t make them like they used to” really hits home for folks right now. Sustainability is a driving force for retailers like TheRealReal and Depop, but it’s also about finding classics that are built to last: pieces literally made just like they used to be.

Show, don’t tell: The first half of quiet luxury is the most adaptable part of this concept: stop yelling about what you can do for people. Just show us: anecdotal third party storytelling, bringing your product or service to life in an immersive and relatable way, can connect with people beyond the data.

While quiet luxury is the phrase on everyone’s lips, the qualities that brought this concept to the forefront stand the test of time. And there’s something we can all learn about what consumers are loving about this movement, regardless of their budgets.

Include & Adapt

One in six  people worldwide live with a disability. Levels of physical, cognitive, sensory, and mental ability differ from person to person; some disabilities are physical and visual, while others are  invisible. But what remains consistent  is that these individuals are often left out of mainstream experiences like shopping and fashion. Not many marketers would actively leave 16% of their target audience out of their advertising and sales plans, yet this is the case almost daily. What stores and brands fail to realize is the average shopping experience has many triggers for those living with these conditions. Bright lights, loud noises, distractions, and heavy social interaction can spark an episode or just throw a day off. It even becomes  difficult for caretakers to manage guidance while shopping. Over the past few years, more brands and designers have stepped up globally to be more inclusive and are setting the tone for others moving forward.

According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, 97% of Gen Z shoppers visit brick and mortar stores. This group is demanding more from the brands they frequent and some are listening. Some stores are offering “sensory-friendly” store hours to be able to give those with visible and invisible disabilities a more enjoyable and inclusive shopping experience. During these hours shoppers can expect reduced noise and lights and sometimes reduced number of customers. While establishments like museums, aquariums, and movie theaters have been offering sensory hours for quite some time now, marketers at brands such as Walmart are realizing these blocks of time are beneficial to the shoppers and to the company’s bottom line. But when customers arrive to shop, will they find adaptive clothing if needed as well?

Up until recently, that was a tall order. Fashion brands from high-end designers to department stores just made clothes for fully able-bodied people. Those living with any kind of physical disability or injury were left out of the conversation. On the off chance that clothing was made for them, they were still left out of the marketing plan and were  nowhere to be seen in advertisements. Today, brands such as Target, Skims, and Kohls are incorporating fabrics like velcro and magnets into their designs to create ease when dressing and undressing. Models reflecting real life consumers  have been brought into campaigns. With Gen Z focused on brands showing their advocacy rather than just talking about it, these changes and improvements will hopefully ignite a brighter future for both customers and the bottom line.

Can We Keep It Real?

According to a recent survey commissioned by Simply Spiked Lemonade™, just over half of Canadians 19+ have lied to avoid conflict or protect someone’s feelings. The new-to-Canada beverage, on the other hand, is all about what’s real, all the time.

Earlier this year, Simply Spiked Lemonade™ launched its iconic lineup of coolers in Canada, made using REAL fruit juice, with three distinct flavours: Signature Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, and Blueberry Lemonade. The brand partnered with Citizen Relations to launch the beverage in Canada. Leaning on the insight that Simply Spiked exists to deliver unapologetic realness, they created the Keep It Real Can: the world’s first lie-detector-in-a-can, to help Canadians to serve up some cold hard truth.

To kick off the campaign, Citizen captured some Canada-wide data to find out if there’s anything Canadians won’t do to be nice. As a country that’s famous for being polite, data suggests the country is split on if it’s worth being a little less than real to keep the peace.

Citizen conducted a national media relations campaign using these stats, resulting in a vast amount of media hits and unprecedented amount of broadcast coverage, with hosts and producers alike using the can on colleagues to create hilariously truthful segments across the country. Partnering with influencers, the brand took to the streets of Vancouver and Toronto, asking the public some real juicy questions and using the can to see if they were telling the truth or trying to fake it.

Quickly and swiftly brought to life in both cities, this attention-grabbing tactic was just what the brand needed to stand out in a crowded space with presence on Love Island Quebec, dOOH billboards across the country, and presence at the Calgary Stampede, Osheaga, and Toronto Festival of Beer. How’s that for keeping it real?

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

A career is never a linear line moving easily from one step to the next. But finding a company that allows for growth, continuous learning and an abundance of happiness makes it all worth it. That’s exactly what our Novice to Now, Part 2 features have found in their time with Citizen. With tenures spanning over 30 years between the two, Managing Partner, U.S. Growth & West Coast Operations, Erin Georgieff, and Senior Vice President, Ive Balins, have found their homes at Citizen. We sat down with them to learn about their start at Citizen and how they both landed in California after a career north of the border.

A new job often creates distinct and lasting memories. Despite starting years apart, Erin and Ive both had unique and impressionable starts at Citizen. Almost immediately after joining, Ive was invited for a coffee chat with then-VP and General Manager, now-CEO, Nick Cowling. This simple gesture illustrated Nick’s commitment to establishing genuine connections with every team member, irrespective of their level, fostering an environment of inclusivity and openness. “I remember thinking to myself, “Wow… this agency truly prioritizes its people.” Moments like these prove why Citizen was named a 2022 Best Place to Work by PRWeek and PRovoke Best Agency to Work for 2023.

Erin dove right into the work when she started, recalling a memorable debut campaign for Polaroid at The Oscars. “It was a large team and we did a campaign called the ‘Polaroid Paparazzi’. The team dressed in full silver suits and silver wigs to walk the Red Carpet,” she laughed.

But PR wasn’t always the plan for either; it was journalism. Their mutual love for storytelling and writing, combined with curious minds, made journalism seem like the obvious choice for a career. Ive knew she enjoyed the communications field, but did not see herself as a journalist. Erin was lured into the field when a PR firm was looking to bring a strong writer and storyteller onto their team. Once they were immersed in their field interests- events, marketing, and storytelling –  they were hooked.

Now that they knew their field, interest to go stateside began brewing. “I’ve always wanted to live in California since I was a little girl,” Erin said with a huge smile across her face, diving into memories of her dream. The same sentiments were true for Ive – but with family in Canada, the decision to move to America wasn’t easy. “Many hard conversations and sacrifices” were part of the decision making process. Erin had just purchased a home in Toronto when an opportunity to move to a new company and new country presented itself. She initially wrote off the idea but when a job offer in California came through for her husband, the stars aligned and the rest is history.

While Ive’s move to the US was while she was at Citizen,  Erin moved over to Citizen -then Payne PR – once she was already across the border in 2000. But both had to learn an entirely new landscape.

“When it comes to PR, the playbooks are the same, but the playing fields are different. Not only in size and scalability, but also with U.S. brand budgets often driving global market decisions and strategies – a responsibility that gets me so excited,” Ive shared about the difference between working in each market. However, she feels that the robust North American perspectives that are brought together with the collaboration between the Canadian and US Citizen offices is what leads the company to award-winning work. Erin reminisced on a Citizen career moment that was pivotal to her growth in her new territory: her first hit in USA Today. It was for Dockers Mobile Pants and she used the cheeky subject line, “How much RAM is in your pants?” to reel in the toughest tech journalist in the country at the time and land the exclusive. The story appeared on the front page of the tech section the next morning.

“For me, as a Canadian coming here and trying to meet the media and learn a whole new market, this was a big deal” she said.

Ive and Erin have enjoyed countless shining moments throughout their longevity at Citizen . Erin shares her pride for the work she and the team have been able to accomplish with Old Spice over the last 13+ years, helping in their transformation from an “older man’s deodorant” to a younger audience and, perhaps most importantly, helping it become a billion dollar brand. Ive has been able to make lifelong connections with her US clients, even participating in a Tough Mudder race with one. “It’s always rewarding when you have an opportunity to drive business results beyond sales,” she shared.

Anticipation and excitement are in the hearts of both professionals as they see what the future holds for Citizen, with global growth and new business development happening at breakneck speed. Ive wrapped up their feelings for the future perfectly – “…having the opportunity to intersect culture, challenge boundaries, and impact real people is something that ChatGPT can’t do, and I’m here for it!”

Standing out in a competitive and crowded space is not a new challenge brands have to tackle, but the rise of so many different social platforms (hello, Threads!) and the popularity of short-form content has made it even more tough in 2023. The way to cut-through the clutter is to have a finger on the pulse when it comes to who your audience is, what the current trends are, and paying attention to the ever-evolving media landscape. Take Cup Noodles for example. There’s been an ongoing conversation about consumers’ disappointment with McDonald’s discontinuing their all-day breakfast. Cup Noodles took notice and  forged a connection with fans by installing a pop-up outside of McDonalds and offering free Cup Noodles breakfast (yes, you read that right!) to New Yorkers once the breakfast menu switched over to lunch. Both media and hungry folks alike were thrilled with the brand understanding and filling a need.

At Citizen, our teams have an earned-led approach that helps them build campaigns from the ground up so they can capture the right audience at the right touch points. Here are some key tips we use:

1. Be Timely:

Staying up-to-date on current events and trends helps us find the right opportunities to bring our brands into the conversation authentically. Joining the conversation at the right time and in an authentic manner is the key to getting noticed. For our client, Kidde, we saw news coverage about Black communities being disproportionately affected by fatal residential fires recently. In response to the startling statistics, we launched the Cause For Alarm campaign to address the gaps in education and access to fire safety measures.

2. Drive Urgency with Limited Edition Programs:

It’s basic economics – when supply is low, demand goes up! Limited edition programs and products follow the same concept – they’re prioritized as they seem more newsworthy and exciting, tapping into the FOMO audiences have. When we launched a limited-edition line of road trip scented candles for Super 8 hotels, it sold out in minutes with the limited quantity and pre-launch buzz it generated.

3. Have A Strong CTA:

It’s important to give consumers a reason to be excited about your brands and give them an incentive to engage with it. When there’s a chance of getting something back – whether it’s a good deal, limited-edition offers, tickets to an event – people are more likely to interact with it. In summer 2021 as consumers were starting to dip their toes back into travel, we developed the #HotwireHotelGoals challenge for travel client Hotwire, which gifted one lucky TikToker with a $50,000 luxury getaway, complete with a private jet.

4. Tailor Your Pitch:

When it comes to breaking through the noise, you cannot use a one-size-fits-all approach. Each pitch you send out needs to be customized to that outlet and its audience. What’s relevant to a national news outlet will not be relevant to a local beauty page, which is why we tailor our communications strategy to deploy different pitches to different verticals on every campaign and initiative.

5. Use A Wave Approach:

Create a wave of earned media touchpoints to lengthen the window of coverage for your story. Considering longevity from the onset and identifying timely opportunities to show up over the course of six months to a year is a great way to broaden opportunities of getting noticed by media and consumers alike.

6. Be Authentic:

Consumers are media-savvy and know when brands are phoning it in – and they do not care for that. Consumers want to be spoken to in a manner that is authentic and transparent so brands that genuinely stand behind something meaningful will always pull loyalty. It’s crucial for your brand values to be crystal clear and consistently communicated in your strategy.

7. Partner With Experts:

Partnering with other like-minded brands or experts is a great way to amplify your message, increase your credibility and reach a wider audience. When working with partners, it is important to choose those that are aligned with your brand and that have a similar target audience. For its #PowerSafely and #BitterIsBetter initiatives, Duracell teamed up with trusted pediatric voices at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), as well as Dr. Jen Trachtenberg and Dr. Tanya Altmann, to educate parents and caregivers around lithium coin batteries, potential dangers, and what to do in the event of an accidental ingestion — ultimately urging them to make the switch to Duracell lithium coin batteries with bitter coating.

8. Leverage Data:

Data can be a powerful tool for telling your brand story and having primary data adds a layer of credibility to that story. By conducting surveys or leveraging internal insights that support your story, you can gather data that is unique to your brand and helps you stand out from the competition. In a recent campaign for La Quinta by Wyndham, we issued a nationwide survey to better understand some of the challenges faced by families when planning a trip. Not only did it reveal that the brunt of vacation planning continues to fall disproportionately on moms (more than 60%), but 78% of moms admitted they’re more tired after a family vacation than before they left, suggesting that the family vacation isn’t really a vacation at all. This insight helped us launch a content series dedicated to helping support moms while planning a family getaway, so they could spend more time relaxing, and less time stressing.

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