What a Conflict of Interest Really Means in PR

“Conflict of interest” is one of those phrases people love to throw around—especially in public relations. It sounds serious—and it is—but it’s also one of the most misunderstood concepts in our industry.

Too often, someone hears that a consultant or agency represents two clients in the same space and immediately cries, “That’s a conflict!”

But here’s the truth: working for two organizations that do similar things isn’t automatically a conflict of interest.

Competition Isn’t Conflict

Let’s start with what isn’t a conflict

If you’re a PR professional working with two similar businesses, that’s not necessarily a problem.

In that situation, the companies might not love the idea of sharing an agency or consultant. They might even have policies against it. But that’s their choice, not an ethical violation on your part. It’s competition, not conflict.

A conflict of interest only exists when your work for one client directly compromises your ability to serve another.

Conflict Is About Opposition

Now let’s talk about what is a conflict.

Imagine you’re working for a tobacco company whose goal is to market cigarettes—and at the same time, you’re advising a congressman who’s trying to ban cigarettes. Those two clients are in direct opposition.

In that situation, your work for one undermines your credibility and effectiveness with the other. Worse, you’d have access to privileged information—strategies, messages, and intentions—that could be used against either side. That’s where the real conflict lives: when your work on one side affects your ability to operate fairly or objectively on the other.

That’s why conflicts of interest aren’t about similarity, they’re about opposition. Two clients can exist in the same general space without colliding—unless they’re on opposite sides of a fight.

The Zero-Sum Test

Here’s the way I think about it: “If one client has to lose for the other to win, that’s a conflict of interest.”

That’s what we call a zero-sum game: where success for one side automatically means defeat for the other.

If you represent two restaurants in the same town, both can thrive. More people dining out helps both. That’s not a conflict.

But if you represent a company pushing to build a shopping center and another group fighting to stop that exact project—that’s a conflict. Because only one side can prevail.

When your clients’ interests are zero-sum—when winning for one inherently means losing for the other—you can’t serve both without betraying trust somewhere along the line. That’s the cleanest test there is.

How to Manage Perceptions

Of course, sometimes perception matters as much as reality. Even if there’s no true conflict, a client might still feel uneasy if you represent a similar organization. The key is to be transparent.

Be upfront about your existing relationships. Explain the guardrails you’ve set—confidential file systems, different team members, strict information walls. When clients understand that you take confidentiality seriously, they’re more likely to trust that their interests are protected.

Why It Matters

Getting this right isn’t just about following ethical rules—it’s about protecting your reputation. The minute someone questions your objectivity, your credibility takes a hit. That’s why it’s so important to know what “conflict of interest” actually means, and not to overuse it when it doesn’t apply.

Our industry runs on trust. Clients trust us with sensitive information, and reporters trust us to be truthful and clear. Misusing terms like “conflict of interest” dilutes their meaning and muddies what ethical communication really looks like.

The Bottom Line

A conflict of interest isn’t about working with similar organizations.

It’s about working with opposing ones.

You can represent two brands that compete for customers.

You just can’t represent both sides of the same issue.

So before you label something a conflict, take a closer look.

Ask whether your work truly puts you on both sides of a fight—or whether it simply places you among peers in the same field.

Because in PR, conflict of interest isn’t about similarity—it’s about opposition.

And knowing the difference keeps your integrity intact