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Topic: Conflict of Interest?
| Author | Message |
| 2girlspr | Posted – 5/22/2007 2:00:15 PM | show profile | email poster I have been working freelance for over a year for a juniors clothing line... doing pr. I have been approached by another juniors brand about doing pr. It's not a direct competitor but definitely in the same market. I have no agreement with original client about this and it would be a great opp. What do I do? Would it be a conflict of interest to work for both? Is it even clients business what other projects I have on my plate? There are agencies that specialize in a type of PR, couldn't I rationalize this the same way? |
| judithn2003 | Posted – 5/22/2007 4:41:44 PM | show profile This is a hard one.... When I was a young PR-ist, I was working as a consultant for a well known Boston agency. At the same time I was asked by another agency to come on board to pitch a new account for them. After pitches took place I learned We were shortlisted for the business. Around the same time I found out the first agency, the one I was consulting to, had also pitched the new account and was also on the short list. Boy do I wish I never asked who else was on it! I'm a real girl scout. Honesty is the best policy, and all that. So I told the woman I was working for at the first agency that we were competing for the same account. I was very quickly fired from that consulting gig. Such is the reward for being honest. No, like you I did not have any kind of written agreement or non-compete. I might have gone on working for them for a long time if I hadn't learned that they were working for the same new client as I was, and if I had not told them. I think in business people play fast and loose and many people would have kept their mouth shut. Here's how I saw it. I personally knew that if I were in their position and found out someone I had consulting for me was working on getting the same work I was pursuing, I'd be pissed. In the end, I was honest and they were pissed off anyway. Seems you can't win! I did what was hard but what was in my opinion right, and I got fired. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that you might think about telling them because it seems like the right thing to do, but if you do that don't be surprised if they see it differently and fire you, even if you think you're doing the right thing. |
