Mekky Media celebrates sixth anniversary, doubling revenue on top of last year's record-breaking gains
Mekky Media Relations Inc. is marking six years in business this June with news that it has doubled its revenue since last year, grown its team to nearly 20 staff members and added to a long list of high-profile clients and national honors. This successful trajectory is a continuation of the agency's rapid growth since media/PR veteran and Mount Prospect resident Michelle Mekky launched the business with just one client in 2016.
Mekky Media's expansion over the past year comes on top of last year's record-breaking revenue gain and reaching the milestone of becoming a seven-figure business.
"I'm incredibly proud and grateful that we continued our growth trajectory over the past year, especially given that the business climate continues to be challenging," Mekky says. "Increasingly, we are finding that our creative work and powerful results are in demand. My talented team is the best in the business, and I think this is only the beginning for us."
Mekky Media - a member of the Forbes Agency Council and Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) - was established to provide PR strategy and media relations, media training, event promotion, social media strategy and influencer outreach. To meet demand, the agency has added integrated digital and PR programs, personal branding and internal communications, and has increased its media training capabilities.
Mekky says she is particularly proud that her Chicago-based agency has continued its national and international expansion. The agency now works with author and advocate Chelsea Austin and DLD Accountancy, LLP in Los Angeles, White Shark Media in Miami and Nicaragua, global experiential marketing agency Impact XM in New Jersey, and skincare expert Leah Chavie in Florida.
In addition, over the past year, the agency has partnered with major brands like Red Bull Great Lakes Region, Westfield Old Orchard shopping center, FAN EXPO Chicago, Knot My Boat Charters and the Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, to name a few. Mekky Media also has continued to be a leader in nonprofit PR, with clients like Chicago Scholars, Chicago Lights, Start Early and its new partner Hands of Peace. The agency continues to work with valued industry-leading partners such as Wealth Management Group and Abt Electronics.
Mekky says membership in the International Public Relations Network (IPRN) has expanded Mekky Media's international capabilities. "Thanks to our active involvement in IPRN, we are able to connect and partner with agencies around the globe," she says, adding that these relationships were enhanced with Mekky Media's participation in IPRN's Annual Congress in Lisbon last year.
Leading into its sixth anniversary, Mekky Media also has added to its long list of national honors, being named to Expertise PR's list of Best PR Firms in Chicago for the third time and winning the Bronze Stevie Award for 2022 Media Relations Campaign of the Year in recognition of innovative, long-standing work with Abt Electronics. And Michelle Mekky received the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, Niles West High School in Skokie, Ill.
Mekky Media's staff additions included the hiring of the agency's first media manager, Ellie Heckman, a broadcast journalism veteran who worked as a Fox Business Network producer for more than 14 years. Heckman covered national business stories and produced live shots from the Chicago Board of Trade.
"Ellie has vast media experience and an insider's knowledge of the business, as well as financial background, media connections and storytelling skills," Mekky says. "We are thrilled to have her join our team and help expand our media training segment of the business, as well as our abilities to successfully pitch and land coverage in national media for our clients."
"I've worked with Mekky Media on Fox Business segments in the past and was always impressed by the team's professionalism and PR skills," Heckman says. "I'm honored to join the agency and bring my media background to help achieve powerful results for clients."
Another highlight of the past year is Mekky Media's continued focus on being an innovative employer and workplace. Mekky has implemented a hybrid staffing and work model – full timers are mixed with freelancers, and team members increasingly are returning to the office, utilizing an alternating schedule of in-person work days. "I think we did a great job of team building while we worked remotely, but now that we are coming together more frequently, I'm seeing a new level of bonding and collaboration that I think will take our work to the next level," she says.
In addition, the agency continues to focus on promoting a healthy culture, with social outings and a series of wellness events that focus on things like yoga, mindfulness and meditation.
"We have a close-knit team, and everyone is invested in the success of the agency," Mekky says. "I look forward to building on all of the positive momentum. It has been an incredible six-year journey so far, and I know there are many more successes to come for Mekky Media and for our clients."