Have you started your Marketing Spring Clean yet? GDPR is just 12 months away!

The biggest shakeup for marketers, clients and agencies is now just 12 months away when the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force across the whole of the European Union from the 25 May 2018.

Despite Brexit, the UK Government have confirmed that it will be fully implemented in the UK along with a new E-Privacy Regulation that will replace the existing Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation (PECR). And then there’s the Digital Economy Act 2017 that’s just got the Royal Assent and touches direct marketing with a Code of Practice overseen by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Marketers should not leave the changes required by these laws to others as they directly impact most marketing plans. A real Spring Clean of current plans and processes is required advises Ardi Kolah LLM, Executive Fellow and Co-Director of the GDPR Transition Programme at Henley Business School and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Data Protection & Privacy.

“Up to now, marketers have been processing personal data of customers, clients and supporters under the Data Protection Act 1998 but they must now consider how this can be done lawfully under the GDPR. This requires you to be totally transparent and fully accountable. Failure will create a significant risk to business continuity and could result in a fine from the ICO of up to 4% of your global turnover or €20m, whichever is the greater,” warns Kolah.

A recent survey of 900 business decision makers reported in MarketingTech showed with 47% of respondents feared that they won’t be able to comply with the GDPR by 25 May next year and 20% of businesses felt that this failure to comply could shut them down,

“What this survey illustrates is that Data Controllers and Data Processors must get a firm handle on where the personal data is within their organisations, the legal basis for processing that personal data, the various personal data types and the commensurate risk they carry to the rights and freedoms of people (aka Data Subjects) and the steps they need to take now to mitigate those risks and to be compliant with the GDPR.”

Kolah says it’s not too late to do something about this and will be describing what steps marketers should take right now – with the option of training support from Henley Business School – at a special invitation-only Breakfast Briefing on GDPR organised by PromoVeritas on 12 July 2017 (8.30am-10.00am) at Langan’s Brasserie in Mayfair, London W1.

To reserve your free place (early booking is strongly advised), please contact Abi Roman, Marketing Manager, PromoVeritas on +44 (0)20 3325 6002 or email abi.roman@promoveritas.com