Data protection and privacy consultancy

There's more to managing customer email list than knowing the Data Protection Act and the EU privacy regulations. What the law tells you is allowed may not be what is best for your customer.

A common sense approach to managing customer data will most likely put you on the right side of the law anyway. For example, under EU regulations, you shouldn't use anyone's personal address for sending them any marketing not related to their relationship with you - but that's really common sense. If a customer buys a book from your book shop, they may not mind you sending them an email telling them you are having a sale, but they would understandably be unhappy if you started sending them emails on behalf of third parties offering them insurance, holidays or car loans.

Just because someone gives you their email address, and just because they say you can send them "offers from carefully vetted third parties" (as it is commonly expressed) doesn't mean you should try to make money any which way out of their personal information. You will more likely devalue the relationship they have with you.

Professional, experienced direct marketers know about the importance of bombarding customers with too much communication, and with too much of the wrong communication. Large specialists don't come cheap, and for small businesses they can be prohibitive.

We can help small businesses to get a broad understanding of data protection and privacy issues and best practice behaviours. We can also suggest some ideas to help you develop a warmer relationship with your existing customers - hence earning more from them in the long run.