competitive conflict
A situation in which an agency serves, or might serve, two clients that compete directly, raising confidentiality and loyalty concerns.
Definition
Competitive conflict arises when an agency works for two businesses that compete in the same category. The worry is that confidential plans, data or priorities could leak, or that one account might receive weaker attention. Clients often ask for category exclusivity and agencies may need to decline pitches. Some conflicts are managed with separate teams and firewalls, particularly in large agency groups. Raise the question early in any selection, and put the agreed approach in the contract along with confidentiality terms.
In a sentence
The agency declined the pitch because of a competitive conflict with an existing client.
Separate teams and strict file access managed the conflict.
