I am using a client database. Can I still call and e-mail people? And from the other point of view - how do I recognize somebody's breaking my rights? Calm down and read!
Marketing has become much more sophisticated with the progress of new technologies.
The Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Marketing Age
Not only do marketers know WHAT customers want, they also know perfectly well WHEN they want it. Just try to leave an expensive e-shop without purchasing and you can be sure that super cool shirt will keep popping up absolutely EVERYWHERE.
"Sales!" "Black Friday!" "Your mum's birthday!"
Our e-mail boxes are overflowing with bulk messages, each of them trying to attract us with an original headline.
Sometimes it doesn't really work, sometimes it does. And sometimes we think "How do they even know it's my birthday?!"
The end of marketers?!
And this when GDPR kicks in. A new legislation with the aim to distinctly enforce the data protection for EU citizens.
We have already written a lot on the matter. See our articles about what changes GDPR brings, our GDPR vocabulary and about our GDPR compliant version.
Okay, so customers and their privacy have been taken care of. And the marketers? Is it still possible to collect data without ending up in jail?
Luckily, the answer is YES.
So how to do it right?
As for sending marketing messages, you can only do it now with consent of the individuals that provide their personal data for this purpose. That means the person has to be informed about the purpose his data will be used for.
The question is in which cases does the sender need consent of the third party whose personal data (e.g. email, telephone number), he/she is about to use for marketing purposes.
When you are sending messages WITHOUT consent, you need to justify it was due to a legitimate interest of the Controller. Consent is also not required when sending messages within business relations.
Don't forget to keep an eye for how long you got the consent and don't send marketing messages after it has expired! There are some consent requisites you need to follow, like it has to be given actively, the consent has to be informed etc.
Find more in our GDPR eWay-Book.
Don't freak out!
To sum it up, get ready for the new legislation, double-check you have followed all the steps necessary, but don't go too crazy. It can also be a good idea to use some professional help.
If you are running a company, it might be useful for you and your team to start using a CRM solution.
eWay-CRM has a brand new GDPR-compliant version 5.2 and you can even try it out for free!
Do you want to know more? Read our articles or check the videos!
If you want to know more about the GDPR topic, read an interview with our CTO Roman Stefko about the impacts of GDPR regulation on eWay-CRM development.
How to get client's consent is covered in our Academy article.
Or check our GDPR Webinar about how to keep calm and be GDPR compliant. With eWay-CRM!
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