Personal data has been given a much broader definition under GDPR
Personal data is any information relating to an individual. It used to be contactable information like names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. It now refers to anything that can be traced back to an individual, including IP addresses and cookie IDs.
What are the biggest impacts on marketing?
For years, marketers have had clever ways to obtain personal information. This helped them analyse and profile information to identify an individual or an organisation’s interests. This is all about to change under GDPR. Consent will now be required to use a person’s data in any way, shape or form. The person has to be fully aware that they’re allowing you to use their data, and they have to perform an “action” to give their consent – like tick or check a box. It also needs to be made clear how their personal data will be used.
Organisations will need to prove how they have obtained consent - if they cannot do this they will most likely be fined. Marketers must therefore align themselves with the GDPR principles to avoid penalties. When running a campaign or competition, you can only use the information for that purpose—using an individual’s data for another purpose will require further consent from them. This proves to be bad news for marketers as they are used to growing their databases using these methods.
Your current marketing databases will need to be cleaned and regularly reviewed to ensure you can identify if consent has been granted, whether it is being used for legitimate purposes, what data has been collected, and whether or not that data is accurate.
Consent plays a huge part in digital and direct marketing, as the Data Controller and processor has to adhere to a defined set of rules. Many marketers will need to reassess all of their databases and best practices to ensure they meet with the regulation.
GCL can help you ensure GDPR compliance by supplying you with new, fully compliant, opted-in data. If you want to know more about GDPR and how effectively managing data can keep you compliant, download our guide.
