Kekst
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
Kekst firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Kekst industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Kekst is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices15 records
Markets served
Kekst business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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
Kekst product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Kekst
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kekst technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Kekst partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Publicis GroupeflagshipKekst 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
Kekst competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Kekst social profiles
Digital presenceKekst financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kekst leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Kekst funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kekst M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kekst
What does Kekst do?
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.
Is Kekst a public or private company?
Kekst is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Kekst founded?
Kekst was founded in 1970. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Kekst based?
Kekst is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kekst make money?
One revenue line is on record: strategic Communications Consulting.
Who are Kekst's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sard Verbinnen & Co, Edelman, Brunswick Group, FTI Consulting (Strategic Communications segment), APCO Worldwide, Abernathy MacGregor Group and Joele Frank. Teneo is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Hill+Knowlton and FleishmanHillard.
Does Kekst have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kekst.
What industry is Kekst in?
Kekst's product category is Strategic Communications Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAOAL, Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory), with a secondary code of BPAKADAG, Security Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.