- Citizen Inside has launched as a consultancy focused on helping firms modernize their in-house agency operations, according to information provided to Marketing Dive.
- The recent company, based in Minneapolis, is backed by private equity firm Keystone Capital and is an element of the Dawn network of independent specialist marketing services agencies.
- Industry veterans Jeffrey Gorder and EJ McNulty are co-founders and can lead the consultancy as CEO and chief creative officer, respectively. Gorder was previously North America chief growth officer at Oliver, which develops in-house agencies for brands like General Mills and Tractor Supply Co. McNulty worked at Wunderman Thompson, leading its in-house team at Best Buy.
Citizen Inside will concentrate on helping in-house agencies adapt their teams and workflows through the usage of technology and a creative-driven mindset. The news comes as reliance on in-house agencies has grown in recent times, a mirrored image of industry priorities equivalent to first-party data and quick-turnaround executions. That growth can be reflected in numbers just like the 82% of Association of National Advertisers members reporting use of an in-house agency in 2023. Yet, according to Citizen Inside’s founders, many in-house units are using operational models and capabilities that were built 10-15 years ago, and at the moment are in need of modernization.
“The proliferation of selling technologies, coupled with the necessity to generate a continuous stream of creatively-driven digital content, has resulted in the necessity for marketers to evolve their current models, whether which means relooking at their in-house agency or constructing a wholly recent in-house model,” said Gorder, in a press release provided to Marketing Dive.
Citizen Inside will launch as a member of the Dawn network, which is a portfolio of independent specialist marketing services agencies which have centralized data sciences, advanced analytics and economic measurement services. Citizen Inside will use those network resources to give clients access to technology and artistic production capabilities.
Additionally, Citizen Inside will harness the network’s $4.5 billion in global media planning and buying heft as a part of The Citizen Inside Media Alliance, with the goal of providing clients with access to media properties and capabilities at a worldwide level.
The consultancy goals to understand a client’s brand ecosystem before designing a custom model with makers and media embedded inside it. Citizen Inside will create and operate the in-house agency, using the network’s creative and media capabilities to create channel- and placement-specific creative in addition to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
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