As we’ve all heard, GDPR affects your marketing AND sales initiatives in parallel.

• Read what you need to do here
• Read what you need to know below.
• Read how we help companies fasttrack GDPR preparations

Know the basics

The General Data Protection Regulation applies to any organisation that handles personal data belonging to EU citizens. Now this includes: contact names, job titles, email addresses and direct dial phone numbers of corporate records that you probably hold on your database for European marketing.

B2B Marketers seem most worried about the new regulation’s impact on email marketing.  So here’s our interpretation:

Individuals receiving your emails MUST be able to understand what personal data of theirs you process. They need to know why you process it and what your legal basis for doing so is.

If that legal basis is “legitimate interest”, explain what that “legitimate interest” is. This must be contained in your privacy notices (or privacy policy), which should be clear and concise. Decide if the use to which you put their data, is reasonably expected by them (based on your relationship with them). If you are able to demonstrate this you can continue emailing using reasons of “legitimate interest” as the basis for processing their data.

For businesses unable to identify the legitimate interest factor of their emails, they will need to use ‘consent’ (opt-in) as the legal basis for continuing with email marketing. Getting lists to consent (give permission to email) is a bigger challenge…

The other key factor with GDPR is that you need to highlight your mechanisms for opt-out. You need to bring this to the attention of every individual, in information that is prominently displayed and away from any other information. In a nutshell, that means if you are gathering new data that you intend to use for direct marketing, you need to let people know they can object from the start.

What’s the good news?

The GDPR doesn’t effect telesales unless you dial ‘personal mobile numbers’. B2B telesales is still an opt-out methodology, so you can call as many prospects that land on your website as you like provided they do not appear on local country ‘do not call’ lists.

Your marketing team will survive if they act now by auditing ‘what data you hold, where and why’. Prepare your database records, privacy policies and LIA forms for business continuity.

Of course, this is our interpretation of GDPR. But like it or not, GDPR is here to stay.

Read how our GDPR team can get your lists ready. Call +44 (0)1256 853357