PR agencies and third-party research suppliers may be playing nice with each other in supporting lofty goals (i.e., industry-wide measurement models designed to improve the
overall reputation and effectiveness of the PR industry). But competition for client dollars gets a bit more ruthless where the rubber hits the road.
Although many agencies contract with third-party firms for services, others have begun to develop inhouse research capabilities (perhaps, in part, as a preemptive strike
against competition from management consulting firms). PR firms profess to have a leg up in marketing measurement services, in that they know their clients best and can offer "one
stop shopping." Research suppliers, in turn, snipe that agencies that measure the effectiveness of their own work are operating with a serious conflict of interest.