Our Company
MediaWorks’ founders are like-minded business execs that put their best foot forward on every job. We deliver measurable results, care about the effectiveness of every dollar spent, and monitor the success of each campaign plus, we promise you’ll have fun working with us and our team along the way!
MICHELLE PENNINGTON is a creative thinker and has a passion for a job well-done. Her extensive knowledge of the media and two decades of experience, from the inside out, gives her the ability to build effective media plans for clients that deliver results. A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Michelle’s start in the business world with Fortune 500 companies Kellogg’s and Pepsi-Cola gave her a great foundation for her career. She developed a new retail program with Kellogg’s resulting in million dollar sales increases in Phoenix and later developed a co-op ad program for Pepsi accounts that increased Pepsi sales in the non-traditional category by 50% and steered Pepsi promotions in a whole new direction.
Michelle joined the Phoenix powerhouse station, KTAR News/Talk Radio where her think-outside-the-box mentality resulted in the development of vendor programs which multiplied client’s ad dollars. Her goal to learn the TV end of the business led Michelle to join the NBC affiliate in Phoenix, KPNX TV12, where she continued her success in creating effective TV ad campaigns and strong promotions for clients, while managing a multi-million dollar client base. In 1997 Michelle’s desire to offer clients “more bang for their buck” led her to form MediaWorks along with her partner, Dede Wathey. The company specializes in media planning and buying and their innovative approach and savvy business sense offer clients an excellent return on investment by providing media that works.
DEDE WATHEY is one of Arizona’s leading media professionals! She brings a wealth of knowledge and most importantly, results for clients and their projects. A 1984 graduate of Arizona State University she began her media-buying career working for Faber & Associates in 1985, a Tempe-based advertising agency. She developed and managed multi-million dollar advertising accounts in key markets across the country, most specifically in health care. Among her clients were, Denta Health, 20/20 Eyecare and First Chiropractic. Dede was instrumental in helping these respective companies achieve market-wide recognition and enhanced visibility. In addition to media planning and buying, Dede has a keen understanding and sense of importance for advertising research and analysis.
With an innate ability to understand client needs and strong negotiating skills, she went to work for KTAR Radio, one of the Southwest’s most listened-to stations, and quickly became one of 620 AM’s top account executives. There she created additional revenue through vendor programs and promotions. After a 10-year career in radio sales, Dede’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to form MediaWorks in 1997 and, with her partner Michelle Pennington, has brought about increased awareness and revenue for their clients. From print to broadcast media, Dede Wathey and MediaWorks deliver.
In 2008, MediaWorks took on another project and joined forces with Passport Media to launch LaFusion, American Life, Latin Style! an entertainment and lifestyle TV show highlighting the Latin and Hispanic flair in America. As media specialists for LaFusion TV, Dede and Michelle helped launch the brand and put LaFusion onto the airwaves of Phoenix with plans of syndicating across the country.
