Marketing professionals have never had so many options for reaching the right customers with the right messages at the right times. They’ve also never faced so much risk for doing their jobs.
Data technologies that provide marketers with valuable insights about customers are governed by strict privacy laws with stiff penalties for noncompliance. Companies in every industry are already coping with the California Consumer Privacy Act and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. Major economies like Brazil and India are following suit with their own comprehensive data protection laws, further complicating the privacy landscape.
The constant stream of new regulations means marketers can unwittingly expose their companies to risk simply by sending an email or trying a new analytical platform.
“Privacy and marketing are constantly bumping against each other. Marketing wants to use new adtech products to reach new audiences and learn more about them, but as soon as they bring in a new technology or make a change as simple as adding a cookie, they create privacy risk,” said Noga Rosenthal, CIPP/E, CIPP/US, chief privacy officer and general counsel at TV advertising sales and technology company Ampersand.
With a staff trained in privacy compliance, marketing organizations can reduce the risk of penalties and damage to reputation. They can also forge deeper, trusting connections with customers.
“Customers value judicious use of data within a relationship of trust. That trust is based on having the appropriate security, privacy and ethical controls in place to protect personal information,” said Gilbert Hill, CIPM, CEO of TapMyData, a developer of customer rights and identity management software and a member of the Data Marketing Institute UK’s Responsible Marketing Committee. “When we treat consumers with respect and outline the benefits to them of capturing their data, we’ll be pleasantly surprised with their reaction. Smart brands are able to do that in clever, nuanced ways that bring customers closer.”
Privacy-savvy marketing departments can thrive in this environment. They can use the consent request process to communicate their value to consumers. They can build trust by clearly explaining how they collect, secure, use and dispose of personal data. They can reduce costs with sound data management practices. Deep privacy knowledge is the key to unlocking that value.
The International Association of Privacy Professionals whitepaper “The Marketing Professional’s Guide to Vital Privacy Knowledge” is a detailed examination of privacy’s role in digital age marketing. It includes a knowledge map detailing the privacy skills required for 16 specific marketing functions. Use it to help plan privacy training for individual marketers and marketing teams. Download your copy today.
