• by Rakhi Patel , November 13, 2018

As the race towards better customer experiences continues and consumers become more conscious of their data than ever before, brands can set themselves apart by making privacy central to the customer experience.

Since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect last May, marketers must get up to speed quickly on the requirements and risks associated with managing consumer privacy.

How are marketers’ roles evolving in the new era of GDPR?  

Marketing responsibly is no longer a trend, but rather a differentiator

Become friends with your legal and engineering teams to get a solid understanding of the privacy tool capabilities in your products.

Connect with your legal team and Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) to ensure data-driven marketing practices are in line with legal requirements, and your terms of service and privacy policy. Create tools that sales can leverage by illustrating how privacy management differentiates your product or service.

Know how your organization processes requests from consumers, so you can accurately reflect that in your materials and respond to any request you may receive. Personalize experiences with privacy in mind.

Understand how privacy impacts the customer experience

Once you understand how GDPR will impact your team, it’s vital to determine how to approach GDPR pillars like data minimization and consent management in a way that heightens — not detracts from — brand experience.  

For data-driven marketers, being GDPR-ready can seem especially daunting, even counterintuitive. However, there’s an opportunity to adopt the new compliance requirements and navigate the intricacies of GDPR by approaching the changes to better their businesses, build trust with their customers and provide enhanced digital experiences.

The role of data controller (any organization or brand that collects data from subjects for marketing and optimization) is a privilege, not a right. Consent is the cornerstone of GDPR, which means that consumers must actively opt in to a brands’ use of their data, putting the onus on businesses to value customer information and deliver great experiences.

If adopted successfully, GDPR compliance can help brands build trust and deepen relationships, while lessening the risk of losing that crucial consent and making the opt-out process as seamless and positive as opting in; it may be your last chance to leave an impression.

The right of a data subject to erase/delete (often referred to as “right to be forgotten”) and access data held by the controller is another important aspect of GDPR. Understand how your organization handles receiving these requests and how these requests are processed and managed from receipt to response following completion.

Make better use of customer data

GDPR has made the definition of personal data more expansive. Consult your legal team to understand how that expanded definition may impact your business and marketing strategy.

Remember, personal data is exactly that: personal. It’s an opportunity to get to know your customers better, and as the ecosystem continues to trend towards data minimization, it’s increasingly critical to make sure you’re using every piece of information you collect on your customers to surprise and delight them.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid of GDPR. Embrace it as a chance to enhance both the way your business operates, and to deliver better, differentiated experiences for customers.