“PSST – Wanna buy a database”?

by Andy Flinn of RDS Global
9 November 2017

Over the many years we all know that databases “migrate” from one company to another, by means of an errant employee moving jobs, friends who want to help, or accidental acquisition.

There aren’t many companies and if you’ve been in business a while, many business owners, who have not encountered the opportunity to increase your marketing reach by using “borrowed” data.

There may have been legal spats if the originator can be bothered, but once the data has been moved on, there is little that could be done in reality. All of this is about to change with the GDPR, due to come into force on 25 May 2018!

From this point on, it is a matter of law as to how data is controlled and moved, and it has a revenue earning (self-financing through fines) police force attached called the ICO (Information Commission Office) It will be their job to identify, prosecute and fine those delinquent businesses who flout the new laws.

Between now and 25 May 2018, all businesses have the legal responsibility to become compliant to the new rules and regulations, or suffer the unwanted attention of the ICO.

GDPR is broad and deep and changes the way that marketing can operate. Data is now the gold dust of your company, and the old ways of sharing ad hoc, are now over.

For Marketers, this presents a significant headache in the next 6 months. The need to identify the source of all existing data across the company, understand if they have legal permission to process this data post May 2018, and then tap dance through the maze of new regulations that control how marketing data is to be used, when, by whom, and for how long.

Your positive actions will lead to compliance, brand enhancement, customer confidence and retention and attraction of your staff across the business.

Get it wrong, or simply not be bothered, and the results could be catastrophic, as customers refuse to deal with a non-compliant supplier, staff lose confidence in their employer, and heaven forbid the ICO catch you out and punitive fines are levied.

This is not just about marketing data, it covers all data wherever it is in the business. However, marketing is the shop window of any business, and can drive a business success if data management is done correctly.

So, how will you respond to the next person who asks you ….. “psst – wanna buy a database”?  


For information about the BMF's GDPR and CYber Audit Service click here