Founded: 1986 by Michael Kempner
Current name: MikeWorldWide (MWW)
Headquarters: New York, NY; Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Additional offices: Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., London
CEO and founder: Michael Kempner
Ownership: Independent
Category: Independent public relations and integrated communications
Overview
MikeWorldWide — known in the industry as MWW — is one of the largest independent public relations firms in the United States. Founded in 1986 by Michael Kempner, the firm has operated continuously as an independent agency for nearly four decades. MWW competes across earned media, corporate communications, public affairs, crisis management, sports and entertainment, and integrated marketing.
The firm rebranded from MWWPR to MikeWorldWide in recent years, reflecting an expanded service model and a broader integrated communications offering.
History and Ownership
Kempner founded the firm in 1986 in New Jersey, building it into a Top U.S. PR Agency by O’Dwyer’s rankings over the following three decades. Unlike many of its contemporaries, MWW has remained independent throughout its history — never acquired by WPP, IPG, Omnicom, or Publicis.
The firm’s main New Jersey office is in Hasbrouck Heights, relocated from East Rutherford in January 2024 after thirty years in the previous location. Its New York office anchors the firm’s primary U.S. operations.
Key Milestones
2024: Launched Everywhere, a boutique social agency for mid-market brands.
February 2025: Fully acquired Berk Communications — a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle PR firm that had been an MWW affiliate since 2015. The acquisition brought 30-plus staff and made MWW one of the largest sports PR practices in the country.
May 2025: Launched PRISMA Labs.ai, a proprietary platform combining public relations, AI analysis, and strategic marketing intelligence.
2025–2026: Acquired HudsonLake, a change management and workforce communications firm with 25 years of operational history.
2026: Won PR Agency of the Year at the American Business Awards.
Services
MWW operates across corporate communications, crisis and issues management, public affairs, consumer marketing, sports and entertainment, health and wellness, and technology. The Berk acquisition deepened the sports and entertainment practice. The HudsonLake acquisition added employee, labor, and change management communications.
PRISMA Labs.ai serves as the firm’s in-house analytics and AI platform, designed to measure reputation performance and inform communications strategy.
Leadership
Michael Kempner remains founder and CEO. The firm has continued to recruit senior practitioners from competitive agencies, including hires from KWT Global, BENlabs, Praytell, and former R&CPMK staff in 2024 and 2025.
Awards and Recognition
MikeWorldWide is recognized by O’Dwyer’s as a Top U.S. PR Agency. The firm won PR Agency of the Year at the 2026 American Business Awards and has been a Bulldog PR Awards winner across multiple categories. Its work for Thrivent earned Gold in Best Media Relations Campaign at the 2025 Bulldog PR Awards.
EPR Coverage
Everything-PR has covered MikeWorldWide and its predecessor MWWPR since 2009. For the full archive see everything-pr.com/tag/mww.
