Kekst

What Kekst does

Kekst CNC is a global strategic communications consultancy founded in 1970 and headquartered in New York, operating as a subsidiary of Publicis Groupe. The firm employs 300 professionals across 15 offices spanning the United States (New York, Dallas, Washington D.C.), Europe (London, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Stockholm), the Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh), and Asia (Tokyo, Seoul). It serves clients ranging from startups to the largest global corporations, providing counsel during high-stakes situations including M&A, IPOs, crisis management, cybersecurity incidents, shareholder activism, corporate governance, and regulatory matters. The firm was ranked Band 1 worldwide by Chambers and Partners in 2026 for both Crisis Communications and Cybersecurity Communications.

The firm's offering spans 17 specialist practice areas, with adjacent products including the Kekst CNC Creative sub-brand for visual and design services and a Research, Analytics and Insights practice that produces proprietary reports such as the 'Global Institutional Investor Survey on Japan' and 'AI as the New Proxy Advisor.' The 'Above the Noise' video series extends the firm's thought-leadership footprint. The underlying technology stack is not proprietary; the firm explicitly describes its value as 'human expertise, judgment, insights, and data-led analysis rather than proprietary technology platforms.' AI is used as an analytical input (notably in proxy-vote and shareholder-communications research) rather than as a productized capability.

Revenue is generated through professional services: retainer arrangements and project-based engagements priced on scope, complexity, and duration. Go-to-market is direct, with senior advisors and integrated expert teams engaging corporate leadership and boards. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated on an engagement-by-engagement basis.

Name

Kekst

Legal name

Kekst CNC

Website

https://kekst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kekst CNC is a global strategic communications consultancy with 300 professionals across 15 offices, serving startups to multinational corporations in M&A, crisis management, cybersecurity, IPOs, corporate governance, and shareholder activism as a subsidiary of Publicis Groupe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Communications Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Security Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory (BPAKADAG)

Keywords

• Strategic communications
• Crisis management
• Corporate reputation
• Investor relations
• Public affairs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting: Professional consulting services providing strategic communications counsel to corporate leaders facing high-stakes situations including corporate governance, M&A, crisis management, IPOs, and reputation management. Revenue is generated through retainer arrangements and project-based engagements with enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kekst CNC is a global strategic communications consultancy that provides expert communications counsel to corporate leaders facing high-stakes situations such as M&A, IPOs, crisis events, shareholder activism, cybersecurity incidents, regulatory matters, and litigation. The firm is paid through retainer arrangements and project-based engagements, with 300 professionals across 15 global offices combining judgment, insights, and data-led analysis to protect and enhance corporate reputations.

Product overview

Kekst CNC is a global strategic communications consultancy offering advisory services across multiple disciplines including crisis management, corporate governance, financial communications, cybersecurity, and M&A advisory. The firm operates as a unified consultancy with 300 professionals across 15 offices worldwide. Key offerings include specialized advisory services (Crisis and Issues Management, Cybersecurity, Financial Communications, M&A, Research/Analytics), a content series (Above the Noise), and a creative sub-brand (Kekst CNC Creative). The firm also publishes research reports such as the 'AI as the New Proxy Advisor' analyzing AI's impact on shareholder communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crisis and Issues Management Communications counsel provided to corporate clients during high-stakes situations, disruptions, and reputational threats. Designed for corporate leaders who face crises with little margin for error and need integrated crisis response support.
• Cybersecurity Communications Strategic communications support for cybersecurity incidents, data breaches, and security-related reputational matters. Designed for enterprises facing cybersecurity events that require coordinated external and stakeholder communications.
• Mergers and Acquisitions Communications Communications advisory for M&A transactions, integrations, and divestitures. Designed for corporate deal teams who need counsel on announcement strategy, employee communications, and stakeholder messaging across the deal lifecycle.
• Corporate Governance and Shareholder Activism Strategic counsel on corporate governance matters, shareholder engagement, and activist defense. Designed for public-company boards and management teams facing governance events or activist campaigns.
• Financial Communications Investor relations counsel, earnings communications, and financial messaging strategy. Designed for CFOs, investor relations officers, and corporate finance teams who need to manage communications with the investment community.
• Initial Public Offerings Communications Communications advisory for companies undertaking initial public offerings, including pre-IPO positioning, investor education, and post-listing communications. Designed for issuers, underwriters, and IPO readiness teams.
• Research, Analytics and Insights

Quantifiable outcome

• Band 1 worldwide ranking for Crisis Communications and Cybersecurity Communications
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Publicis GroupeflagshipOthersKekst CNC is part of Publicis Groupe, a global leader in communications. This corporate ownership provides the firm with global scale, resources, and integration within a major communications group while maintaining its brand identity and specialized strategic communications focus.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sard Verbinnen & Co: Specialist strategic communications advisor to corporations, boards, and financial sponsors on crisis, M&A, and special situations. Highly comparable in senior-led, project-driven model for high-stakes engagements.
• Edelman: Largest independent global PR firm with strong corporate-reputation, crisis, and financial communications practices serving enterprise clients. Comparable to Kekst CNC across crisis, M&A, and corporate reputation work.
• Brunswick Group: Global strategic communications advisory focused on M&A, crisis, shareholder activism, and IPO communications for large multinational corporations. Directly comparable in service mix, client base, and senior-led engagement model to Kekst CNC.
• FTI Consulting (Strategic Communications segment): Operates a large global strategic communications practice advising on crisis, financial communications, M&A, and public affairs. Overlapping service lines and global delivery make it one of the closest functional comparables to Kekst CNC.
• APCO Worldwide: Global strategic communications and public affairs consultancy advising corporates on M&A, crisis, and government-related matters. Closely comparable in practice mix and multinational client engagement.
• Abernathy MacGregor Group: Boutique strategic communications firm specializing in M&A, shareholder activism, and crisis advisory for U.S. corporations and financial sponsors. Direct competitor in the activist defense and transaction communications niches.
• Joele Frank: U.S. strategic communications and investor relations advisory specializing in M&A, shareholder activism, and crisis situations. Comparable in financial communications and activist defense service lines.

Emerging players

• Teneo: Global advisory firm combining strategic communications, management consulting, and financial advisory services for CEOs and boards. Comparable in senior-led C-suite advisory model, particularly around CEO transitions, crisis, and special situations.

Broad incumbents

• Hill+Knowlton: Global PR firm within WPP offering corporate, crisis, public affairs, and financial communications at greater scale. Overlaps with Kekst CNC across most practice areas but is broader and less specialist.
• FleishmanHillard: Omnicom-owned global communications network with strong corporate reputation, crisis, and public affairs capabilities. Comparable service breadth but positioned as a holding-company incumbent rather than a specialist advisor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kekst-and-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kekst