OE Module 01
Mary Jones is the Director of Communications for a Catholic hospital located in a
small urban area. Hospital management desires to develop a broad three-year health
care services awareness campaign for the marketplace to highlight the services and
values of the organization and patient care. Ms. Jones has been given the
responsibility for developing the RFP for this project, the solicitation of bids and the
recommendation to senior management of an advertising firm to develop and implement
this marketing campaign. Ms. Jones’ initial search for qualified firms to whom the RFPs
will be directed has revealed that there is only one advertising firm in the local
marketplace. It is a medium size advertising firm that has a sizable client list in the local
market. Other alternative advertising firms are located more than 100 miles away from
the hospital in a larger metropolitan area. A partner in one such company happens to be
Ms. Jones’ father. Rather than seek a proposal from the local advertising company
alone, the RFP was issued to that company and to two other advertising firms in the big
city. Responses from the three solicited firms revealed that the big city firms have
submitted proposal substantially more expensive than that of the local firm. A review of
the firm’s credentials reveals that the local firm and one of the big city firms have
provided advertising services to the Planned Parenthood organization in those
respective markets.
What issues confront Ms. Jones in this process?
How should she proceed?