There is currently a self described “Procurement Intelligence Firm” circulating an RFI for an undisclosed healthcare marketer. The consultant is asking agencies to provide information—including information that may be deemed Confidential Information (CI)—as an initial step in a process of identifying agencies to participate in an RFP for a “Fortune 500″ healthcare account.

The 4A’s and the ANA Best Practice Guidance for Agency Search cautions against reviews for undisclosed marketers.

In the past, “consultants” have conducted RFI’s and RFP’s for undisclosed advertisers as a means to obtain information for the consultant’s database.

Without knowing the marketer, an agency cannot evaluate the potential merits of participating in an RFI or RFP; therefore agencies should proceed with caution when they are asked to participate in a process that does not disclose the marketer.

Tom Finneran
EVP, Agency Management Services, 4A’s