Clients Demand More Info, But Deutsch Won't Tell All

How much information about an agency’s operations is a client entitled to? At what point does an agency say, “None of your business”?

Clients have been requesting what several agencies characterize as propriety information, and some shops are providing it, likely under pressure to preserve client relationships and win business when there’s little to be had. Deutsch, however, proved willing to lose an account rather than divulge certain details to Pfizer, and the two parted company last week.

During a yearlong contract re-negotiation with the New York client, Deutsch was asked to agree that it would provide, if requested, information such as the salaries of staffers working on Pfizer brands Zyrtec, Zoloft and Bextra, and the profit margins on other accounts, sources said.