Juliana Soto von Arnim
Junior Digital Creative

“So, what do I do now?”...That’s the question that you as a marketer might be asking yourself after the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force across Europe and the UK in May. The law that aims to give citizens more control over their data and to create a uniformity of rules to enforce across the continent, is set to cause a huge storm in the future: post-GDPR campaigns aren’t going to collect as much data as before, or it might be better to stop running lead generation campaigns because no one is going to submit their email after needing to agree with all those required policies.

But there’s no need to panic, this regulation isn’t as severe as it sounds.

Marketers need to only worry about data permission, data access and data focus on their campaigns:
 

1.   Data Permission

With GDPR you need to make sure that your audience wants to stay in contact with you. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that by filling out a form that says, “By signing up, you agree to our Terms and have read our privacy policy”, they want to stay connected. Ask them to specifically opt-in using easy-to-understand text, to your newsletters and emails by ticking the boxes. Check the examples below:

2.   Data Access

Part of the control of this new law is allowing individuals to access or remove their personal data collected by companies. As a marketer, you need to make sure that your users can easily access and request copies of their personal information, as well as an opt-out for its use.
 

3.   Data Focus

This is where you, as a marketer, need to ask yourself, “What data do I really need?”. GDPR requires you to legally justify what data you are storing on your users and why, as well as how you are using it. So, if you want to avoid unnecessary justifications, focus only on the data that you really need.
 

Without a doubt, GDPR will impact B2C marketing strategies. The good news is that this legislation is a great opportunity to build stronger relationships with the people engaging with your brand.

Gain insights about your audience

When creating lead generation strategies, instead of implementing a simple yes or no tick box, you can provide a range of options to find out what your audience is interested in. Through consent, you can collect insights that not only help you share information with them about topics that really interest them, but also segment your audience into focused communication groups.

Here's an example from Waitrose, part of the John Lewis Partnership, when registering for an account. While the user consents to receive updates from Waitrose, John Lewis or John Lewis Financial Services, the company identifies what their audience is interested in receiving.

More effective email marketing

The unsubscribe link within an email allows your audience to manage their email preferences. Giving them the freedom to turn communications on or off, helps you keep what’s relevant to them up to date, and allows you to target them with more specific or relevant campaigns.

In this case, Amazon notifies their audience about purchases, shipments, and delivery delays by email, text message, or the app.

Build brand loyalty and trust

GDPR no longer allows you to contact your audience for marketing purposes unless you have their permission to do so. Be open, honest and transparent. Give them a reason to share their personal information with you. Building brand loyalty and trust comes through projecting transparency about who you are and what you’re doing with their data.

How can Whichit help build a loyal customer base?
 

Whichit gives you the perfect tool to create a successful marketing campaign that appeals to your customers while protecting their data. At the same time, you as a marketer, get to build a strong loyal customer base.

Whichit interactive ad units help you generate new customers and strengthen existing relationships by analysing actual user behaviour and intent, as well as perception and attitude towards your brand, to inform your current and future marketing strategies:

Collect valuable information, not personal information

Whichit collects user preferences and behaviour without asking for Personal Identifiable Information (PII).

Transparency and Clarity

Whichit captures only the PII the user has agreed to share after opting into required consent forms, such as email addresses.
 

Give the power to the user

All users can request copies of the data stored within the Whichit for Advertisers platform and have the right to be forgotten i.e. remove all data entries upon request, which will increase trust and create more valuable connections with the brand.

References

MacDonald, S (2018, June 4).   GDPR for Marketing: The Definitive Guide for 2018

Gravicus (2018, March 2). A Marketers Guide for GDPR