Media Center

Citizen Inside Launches to Transform the In-House Agency Model

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Citizen Inside, a new company poised to transform the in-house agency model, announced its launch today. Backed by private equity firm Keystone Capital, the company is focused on modernizing in-house agencies and teams. With its technology-first, creatively-driven mindset, Citizen Inside crafts and leads teams and workflow systems that maximize brand opportunities. Based in Minneapolis, Citizen Inside is led by industry veterans Jeffrey Gorder as Co-Founder, CEO and EJ McNulty as Co-Founder, Chief Creative Officer.

“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. “We believe that marketing leaders who embrace new technologies and make strategic decisions to retain their scalable content and embed media IP within their organizations will have a measurable competitive advantage. Citizen Inside is a partner that can create and maximize these opportunities, while delivering an efficient and modern approach.”

While in-house agencies are rapidly on the rise (the ANA reported that 82% of their members have in-house agencies in 2023), the majority utilize operational models and capabilities built 10 - 15 years ago that desperately need modernization. The Citizen Inside team begins its process by understanding a brand’s current ecosystem and then designs a custom model with makers and media embedded at the core. The firm then creates and operates the in-house agency. By focusing on combining best-in-class creative and media capabilities, Citizen Inside’s technology-enabled methodology allows for channel and placement-specific creative, increasing efficiency and effectiveness, ultimately leading to outsized results.

Citizen Inside launches as a member of the Dawn network, a portfolio of leading independent, specialist marketing services agencies with centralized data science, advanced analytics, and economic measurement services. The firm taps into the vast, fully integrated resources of the network, including its robust technology and global creative production capabilities. Most significantly, Citizen Inside harnesses the $4.5B global spend of the network’s media planning and buying firepower via The Citizen Inside Media Alliance, giving its clients immediate media access and capabilities at a global scale.

Prior to co-founding Citizen Inside with McNulty, Gorder was OLIVER’s Chief Growth Officer in North America. There, he helped launch their in-house consulting practice for the North American market and led in-depth organization development, technology, and workflow consulting initiatives for numerous Fortune 500 companies, and built multifaceted in-house agencies for brands, including General Mills, CompTIA, Tractor Supply Co., Goldman Sachs, and Central Garden & Pet. Earlier in his career, he spent over 12 years at advertising and branding agency MONO, where he held various leadership posts, including Chief Growth Officer and Managing Director of the agency's San Francisco office, supporting brand clients including Target, Google, Walmart, Apple, MolsonCoors, Riot Games, and PepsiCo.

McNulty previously spent 12 years at Wunderman Thompson, most recently as Executive Creative Director, North America, spearheading creative efforts for a variety of top brands, including Best Buy, Sherwin Williams, Chevron-Texaco, and Kyndryl. McNulty led and developed Wunderman Thompson Inside’s in-house agency team for Best Buy. The 140+ department of creatives and strategists was built specifically to execute digital content campaigns across multiple platforms, create multiple branded partnerships, and market vast product lineups. McNulty’s groundbreaking AI-powered tool for coatings manufacturer Sherwin-Williams, “Speaking in Color,” was the first ever Creative B2B Grand Prix awarded at The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.

“We are excited about the vision that Jeffrey and EJ bring to Citizen Inside. Their wealth of experience, expertise, creativity and drive are a winning combination and exactly what we look for in our partners, ” said Bill Sommerschield, Managing Director, Keystone Capital.

Contact Information:

Bill Sommerschield
(312) 219-7973
bsommerschield@keystonecapital.com

Brian Prendergast
(312) 219-7968
bprendergast@keystonecapital.com

Patrick Helle
(312) 219-7963
phelle@keystonecapital.com