Consultancy for in-house agencies launches to update aging model

Dive Brief:

Citizen Inside has launched as a consultancy focused on helping companies modernize their in-house agency operations, according to information provided to Marketing Dive.
The new company, based in Minneapolis, is backed by private equity firm Keystone Capital and is part of the Dawn network of independent specialist marketing services agencies.
Industry veterans Jeffrey Gorder and EJ McNulty are co-founders and will 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.

Dive Insight:

Citizen Inside will focus on helping in-house agencies adapt their teams and workflows through the use of technology and a creative-driven mindset. The news comes as reliance on in-house agencies has grown in recent years, a reflection of industry priorities such as first-party data and quick-turnaround executions. That growth is also reflected in numbers 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 are now in need of modernization.

“The proliferation of marketing technologies, coupled with the need to generate a continuous stream of creatively-driven digital content, has resulted in the need for marketers to evolve their current models, whether that means relooking at their in-house agency or building an entirely new in-house model,” said Gorder, in a statement 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 that have centralized data sciences, advanced analytics and economic measurement services. Citizen Inside will use those network resources to give clients access to technology and creative production capabilities.

Additionally, Citizen Inside will harness the network’s $4.5 billion in global media planning and buying heft as part of The Citizen Inside Media Alliance, with the goal of providing clients with access to media properties and capabilities at a global level.

The consultancy aims to understand a client’s brand ecosystem before designing a custom model with makers and media embedded within 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 as well as increase efficiency and effectiveness.