• by Jeff Broudy , September 3, 2014

Clients often ask consulting and advertising firms, "why should I hire you if you are working with my competitor(s)?"

The answer is always the same: We value your business and we’ve constructed elaborate Chinese Walls to prevent the leakage of ideas, customers or work product from one team to another. After all, we have the brightest, most creative people working hard to serve your interests. We’ve seen pictures of the Great Wall of China from space so it goes to show that the walls must be formidable.

But almost daily we hear stories about the breaching of these walls. JP Morgan Chase and Barclays Bank are but the most recent examples. The wall was breached and the information shared, allegedly by low level operatives. Management is aghast and appalled by this stain on their credibility.

How did the breach happen? Honestly, it’s just too tempting to peek over the wall. The potential benefits outweighed the risk of breaching the walls: competing strategies could be assessed, clients urged to strengthen their position, personal failure can be avoided, riches can be made.

We know human nature is curious and motivated by recognition and reward. How many people unconsciously look over shoulders to read emails, glance at their neighbors notes, check out their competitors' desk, linger over visitor logs? People do it because it’s just too tempting. Admit it, you’ve done it, too. Add reward to the mix and it’s irresistible.

We know as long as there are ten foot walls, someone will find a twelve foot ladder.

What is our policy? How is our wall stronger? As an organization, United Incentives simply won’t work for clients who compete in the same space. We give all of our focus to one client in each category. Instead of building walls we build solutions.

Have you ever been faced with this conflict? What would you do?