B2B MARKETING AND GDPR IN 2019 A RELIABLE GUIDE

As organisations and marketing teams adjust their practice to comply with GDPR, it seems that B2B marketing is still a grey area for many. Our guide is intended to clarify the requirements for you and clear up confusion.

We see three common themes emerging.

1. Most marketing teams were - quite rightly - focused on their B2C activities when GDPR was introduced, and many did not address B2B at this stage due to time constraints. This was a good decision as B2C databases present a higher risk to organisations because they contain a lot more personal data and, in most cases, these databases are significantly larger. Taking a risk-based approach meant prioritising B2C activities, but it is essential to address B2B
2. Some marketing teams decided to take a one size fits all approach. The assumption here was that the same procedure implemented for B2C would apply to B2B. This could be an effective strategy in the short term when time was limited, but in the longer term it means restricting your B2B marketing activities and losing out on opportunities. This is a good time to go back and review your B2B marketing as a separate activity, opening up those opportunities for your business.
3. A small minority of marketing teams think that their business marketing does not involve personal data and therefore there is nothing they need to do. A small percentage of this group may be right, but this is highly unusual and you should revisit your B2B marketing activities and ensure that they are Business email addresses are personal data, and if you have not considered this before, you should make an urgent assessment of your B2B marketing activities!

Does any of this apply to your business? If it does, read on to find out how we can help.

Here are a few golden rules to dispel any misconceptions around B2B marketing:

1. Business contact information can and does contain personal data and therefore the GDPR applies.
2. You should not apply the same rules to your B2B marketing activities as you do to your B2C marketing activities.
3. B2B marketing is usually lower volume and risk than B2C marketing but there are risks that need to be managed appropriately.
4. You need to establish a clear legal framework for your B2B marketing and ensure that all of your marketing activities are in line with this legal framework.

You can download our B2B Marketing guide here and get your B2B marketing activities on track for GDPR compliance.