NEW YORK: Citizen Relations has hired former Edelman Digital global head Kevin King as its global chief digital officer.
King is set to start in the newly created position on December 3. Based in the U.S., splitting time between New York and California, he will report to global chairman and CEO Daryl McCullough.
King will be responsible for bolstering Citizen’s digital and marketing communications in the U.S. and internationally, as well as leveraging assets within the Vision7 International and BlueFocus networks. He will also contribute to growing capabilities in digital issues management, content, social, and paid media, and other strategic leadership areas. King will work with Citizen’s network agencies to identify and apply best practices and lead deeper synergies and collaboration group-wide.
"Everything about Citizen, Vision7, and BlueFocus, everything they are doing was really interesting to me with the acquisitions they’ve made and the investment hires they are making. It seemed like an agency that was doing some smart things and was on the way up," said King. "It seemed like a great time to join them and jump along for the ride."
Citizen Relations acquired The Narrative Group, a contemporary lifestyle agency specializing in experiential and influencer marketing, last September. That same month, We Are Social and Citizen Relations announced plans to join a newly formed marketing services group after an agreement between their China-based owner BlueFocus and data analytics firm Cogint. The deal did not move forward, said McCullough.
King left Edelman this summer after nearly 15 years at the firm. He said that he helped Edelman Digital grow from nothing to $200 million in revenue. "That growth was fun," King said. "Getting in at Citizen and Vision7, focusing on doing that growth again, got me excited."
Thomas Crampton, global principal at Ogilvy Consulting in London, is set to succeed King at Edelman starting in January. Crampton is joining the firm as global chair of its digital practice, based in London.
This story was updated on November 20 to correct information about the planned marketing services group.
