Chart of the Day: Just 30% of marketers have completed a full audit of their data-collecting methods

Data protection is hardly brand new, but new EU law and news of data breaches from the social media giants Facebook meant that everyone and their grandmother (who you have to generously keep showing how to check her emails) know about GDPR. How companies gather, store, and handle their customer’s data has never been under more scrutiny. Naturally, marketers across the globe have followed suit and completed full audits of the technology and communication channels they use to collect their customers’ data. Right? Well, research from CMO Council tells us that 30% of them have. Big gold star to them because it’s extremely likely that a review of your current methods will yield possible improvements for how your company handles data. You won’t necessarily find…

The introduction of GDPR may have temporarily isolated the EU customer base

Another day, another GDPR post. This is not to be taken as tongue in cheek, it is the result of a grand change in the laws that govern data privacy in the EU. These changes are having an effect not only on EU borders but around the globe. I’m going to be looking at a few examples of how GDPR has caused the global digital landscape to change. [si_guide_block id="99357" title="Download our Premium Resource – GDPR Briefing for marketing professionals" description="Our round-up and recommendations on practical steps to comply with European Union data protection and privacy legislation."/]

The fear factor

GDPR has struck fear into a lot of businesses that fall inside the EU borders with the idea of costly lawsuits being the main deterrents. It would be crippling to a lot of businesses in a PR sense and in turn, a…

Examples of GDPR compliant privacy notices and email opt-in forms

We've now been covering the implications of the GDPR for marketers and their audiences since 2015 on Smart Insights with many articles contributed by guest experts specialising in privacy law for marketing. Initially, there was a lot of speculation and it was difficult to provide practical examples since ultimately what businesses need to know is to how to update their forms for collecting email addresses and the copy explaining consent for communications in their privacy statement. As the Information Commissioners Office provided more guidance there were some simple sample examples provided in templates, but these didn't cover the range of situations where businesses in different sectors needed to implement them. Today, as we fast approach the deadline, we can learn from the examples of larger companies who have implemented new forms and privacy notices. We don't know they are GDPR compliant in…

Reworking your acquisition plan, beginning with your subscribe forms, will help you do a better job of connecting with customers and launching email conversations

We've been hearing many conflicting stories about how well EU marketers are preparing to handle all the many changes that GDPR will bring to their acquisition. So, we decided to see for ourselves. Now the verdict is in: Some retailers will be ready to go on May 25, when GDPR goes into full effect. Some need to do a little tweaking. The rest? They'd better read our report: Preparing for GDPR - The State of Retail Email Subscribe Forms, which is applicable to all sectors, to see what they must do now to update their practices. But doing this work does have a major upside: Reworking your acquisition plan, beginning with your subscribe forms, will help you do a better job of connecting with customers and launching email…

Why we should all be excited about GDPR

Taking the digital world by storm, ‘GDPR’ is the buzzword on every reputable company’s lips – and as we approach the final quarter of 2017. With circa 75% of all data predicted to be rendered obsolete, the ICO’s upcoming changes to current data protection regulations is the biggest news to hit our industry in over 20 years; and as a result, our generation of modern professionals are fighting to ensure they achieve compliance – or at least dodge monetary penalties. But in the rush to avoid being hit by the significantly increased fines of up to £17 million, or 4% of our turnover for the previous year, are we forgetting about the bigger picture of GDPR? The ICO’s UK Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, stated that in attempting to safeguard ourselves from any negative repercussions, “we risk losing sight of what this new law is…

Chart of the day: A third of British people will exercise their right to be forgotten after GDPR comes into force on May 25th, 2018.

The research, conducted by media agency The7stars, found that a third of British adults plan to exercise this right after the European Union General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) come into force. The survey was conducted with over 1,000 UK residents and found that 34% want to use the regulations to stop companies from using their data for marketing purposes. Data protection and privacy are clearly quite big concerns for customers. The right to erasure of data applies to marketing data where there is "no compelling reason" (according to the ICO) for the data to be held for longer and is not required for processing, or in other words, it is no longer needed based on the fact the individual may not be using that service anymore (for example). Less…

Chart of the Day: What are the biggest barriers to GDPR compliance? Part 2 of 2

What happened last time?

Like mentioned in part one of this series, 'Death, Taxes and GDPR', we looked if companies are going to be compliant by 25th May 2018 when the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in all 28 countries in Europe. We are now going to look into what is actually stopping companies from meeting the deadline.

The majority are struggling

We understand that most are struggling with meeting the deadline. But what is it that they are struggling with? The chart below displays the recent research by the IAPP and TrustArc, who surveyed nearly 500 privacy professionals in the US and EU. The first barrier hindering the US is the complexity of the law (38%), while a quarter (25%) of companies surveyed the EU have an inadequate budget. The second reason for…

Chart of the Day: How far towards GDPR compliance are you? Part 1 of 2

Death, taxes and GDPR

I like to think that if Benjamin Frankin was alive today, he would agree that there are now three certainties in life. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in all 28 countries in Europe on 25th May 2018.

But seriously, folks ...

... how compliant are you really? Are you leaving it until the last minute or are you already sorted? Recent research by the IAPP and TrustArc, surveyed nearly 500 privacy professionals in the US and EU have discovered some worrying statistics. 84% of U.S. firms say they’ll be compliant by 25th May, while more than one in four EU organizations don’t have confidence they’ll be fully compliant. This is very alarming. Next week I will be looking at what…

Fines for companies breaking anti-spam rules reach new highs

The Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO) has the power to issue fines of up to £400,000 to companies that fail to comply with data handling and antispam law and it’s a power that they’re increasingly willing to wield. [si_guide_block id="99357" title="Download Premium Resource – GDPR briefing guide" description="Our round-up of the best guidance on the latest European Union data protection and privacy legislation and how it affects you and your business Are you ready for the GDPR? The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) comes into force in all 28 countries in Europe on 25th May 2018. It has been agreed by the EU in this directive and how it must be implemented to remain compliant differs according to interpretation in different countries."/] Since 2015, The ICO has issued fines of over £8.7 million to UK organizations that have broken the rules. 104 separate…

The 25th May 2018 marks the day that GDPR comes into force around Europe, and it's about to change the way many of us do business

A recent session I attended brought home not just the stark realities of the fast approaching GDPR, but also the plethora of unanswered questions that need addressing. In this article, I’m going to be addressing some of the key issues we may be presented with, in the run-up to May 25th, whilst providing you with some actionable takeaways to make the transition as smooth as possible. [si_guide_block id="99357" title="Download Premium Resource – GDPR briefing guide" description="Our round-up of the best guidance on the latest European Union data protection and privacy legislation and how it affects you and your business Are you ready for the GDPR? The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) comes into force in all 28 countries in Europe on 25th May 2018.…