THIS IS THE #CITIZENSHIFT
A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AND EMBRACING THE EMERGING ERA OF THE CITIZEN
“The shift from Consumer to Citizen is a truly big idea. If you're in a position of strategic influence, I strongly recommend you engage with this and consciously explore what it might mean for your organisation."
Dame Fiona Reynolds, Former Director General, National Trust
ABOUT THE REPORT
What is the Citizen Shift?
The Citizen Shift is a strategic framework for understanding the transition from a 'Consumer' mindset to a 'Citizen' paradigm. It represents a fundamental change in the dominant role of the individual in society, moving away from passive consumption toward active, meaningful participation.
The Core Proposition
For decades, organisations have viewed people as Consumers, asking: "What can we sell to them?" The Citizen Shift prompts a radically different question: "What can we all participate in and contribute to?"
By shifting this perspective, organisations unlock a more generative platform for:
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Innovation & Strategy: Creating services people want to build, not just buy.
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Social & Environmental Justice: Empowering agency to solve systemic challenges.
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Economic Prosperity: Building resilient, purpose-led brands and institutions.
Explore the Framework
Originally published as a landmark report in 2015 and since evolved into a framework for action, our work on the Citizen Shift is divided into two areas to help you take action:
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Understanding the sociological and economic drivers of the Shift.
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A practical guide to figuring out what the Citizen Shift means for your organisation's culture, strategy, and impact.
Our work on the Citizen Shift has gained global recognition, most notably serving as the foundational research for the book CITIZENS: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us, authored by our co-founder Jon Alexander. At New Citizen Project, we continue to evolve this framework into the practical tools and strategies that move institutions from 'doing for' to 'doing with.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT 'THIS IS THE #CITIZENSHIFT'
"The world is in a mess. This mess originates from a distorted view of markets, of finance, of profits, of shareholder value and of the purpose of business. We need all of these to serve human purposes and the lucid and profound Citizen Shift agenda points the way ahead."
Mark Goyder, Founder and CEO, Tomorrow's Company
"It was Victor Hugo who said that no army can stop an idea whose time has come. He was talking about the Citizen Shift. Over the next 25 years, the levers of power in our society will pass to people who have made this shift. Those who currently hold those levers may want to tune in to this paper, to get a glimpse of what will follow them."
James Perry, Chairman, COOK and B Lab UK
"At the heart of Citizen Shift lies a vital, simple idea: that as a society we have a fundamental identity and this changes over time. The paper makes the compelling case that we are at the cusp of the next change - from being Consumers to becoming Citizens. By definition, it is in our hands as to whether we choose to participate as citizens and actively create a different, more positive society. I'm in, are you?"
Jonathan Wise, Founder and CEO, The Comms Lab
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