We update our blog with regular posts to keep you up to speed on the world of B2B data.
Posted on 17/01/2019 at 14:44By Corpdata
As many of our customers have told us, the process of applying updates to data can be difficult, time-consuming and error-prone. Despite this keeping data accurate is widely recognised as best practice, indeed GDPR places this as the fourth of it's six central principles. This means you expose your organisation to risk if you cannot demonstrate you are making reasonable efforts to keep personal data you process up to date.
At Corpdata we have always recognised the importance of accurate and up to date data, indeed it is one pillar in the excellent reputation our data has gained in over 25 years of business.
In preparation for GDPR, Corpdata took a market-leading, ethical and legal position, re-engineering our approach to B2B marketing data - we put compliance with the law at the top of the list. We also recognised our customers would benefit from being able to demonstrate they comply also. This motivated our new GDPR style license structure, which includes updates to the licensed data twice each month.
Corpdata has launched an API to help streamline and automate the update process for some customers. Version 1 is now available, and you can read the documentation here.
The API extends the other methods we have designed for updates, all of which suit differing client needs. For those of you using a spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel, often a complete updated file is simplest allowing you to simply replace all the original data with data in the latest state, while preserving the row order, so all notes added by you remain attached. For those who can easily implement single record updates, a file just showing updated data is often a more suitable option. Both of these can be provided using the API, indeed there are a variety of filters and options which enable your data update to be customised to suit your particular requirements.
If you have any questions about the API, or you would like it to be enabled for you, please contact your account manager by calling now on 01626 777400. You can also email them directly, or email sales@corpdata.co.uk.
No matter what you may think of Brexit its hard to deny that it is a current “big deal”. Hopefully whatever the future arrangements between the UK and our EU neighbours all will be well with you and your workplace.
One possible area of concern is Data, and specifically GDPR.
Leaving the EU with a deal should include enshrining the UKs commitment to personal data rights and allow a seamless continuation of the data related stuff we do in the EU. After all, our rules are currently identical to EU rules. Not surprising because GDPR came about to deal the emerging issues of the digital age and the explosion of the use of our personal data. In reality, any differences in the concept of what data protection should look like are largely just different flavours between the various countries.
The largest significant differences in original attitude being the way that commercial introductions are traditionally made (marketing), or the public attitude to state oversight.
For instance, in countries where they vividly recall living under an oppressive regime that used information unscrupulously to control its people, they tend to be more keen on strong personal protection. Whereas in countries lacking a recent history of this type of oppression, they are generally a little bit more accepting of the idea that “you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide”.
On the commercial side, there are differences between business culture and commercial norms. Some countries have much more of a history of personal connections being the way to grow your business, whilst others have a more marketing driven approach – they both have advantages and disadvantages, but it colours the perception of marketing . . . . and regardless, everyone is trying to come to terms with the changes that only started with the arrival of the internet.
So – the rules are likely to be very similar anyway, and in so far as they start being identical its hard to imagine that the UK would not fulfil the requirements of “adequacy” in the eyes of the EU, and similarly unlikely that the UK would not consider the EU to offer “adequate” data protection rules. HOWEVER . . . those assessments have not been done, and are not in place. Leaving with “NO DEAL” therefore would probably leave a period of time with a GDPR “gap” in our ability to comply.
A recent BBC article highlights some of the issues, in fact the ICO have created an area of their website aimed at helping organisations become more aware of potential implications of Brexit scenarios. This has links to several other pages and contains much helpful information.
Put simply though you might struggle to get data about EU citizens sent to you from the EU – even if its coming from a data centre, processor, or service provider that you pay to hold your business data for you. These problems can be overcome, but would need some preparation in advance in terms of putting changes in place to contracts. Done correctly, you could confidently continue to use the same provider.
If you have any concerns about any processors you use who may be located in the EU, or how to handle data about clients in the EU, or you have EU citizens on your payroll, or anything else that seems like it might be a headache . . Give Dept679 a call on 0800 2800 679 and have a chat about it.
(. . . and if you still don’t have your approach to GDPR properly considered and written down – call us even sooner)
Many businesses are finding their sales are languishing at the moment. A key challenge for any business is generating more sales, but that needs more enquiries, that can be expensive, often uncontrollable and may even feel risky.
If you are worrying about the potential risks that come with processing personal data, the Corpdata site only data file will enable you to contact organisations without using personal data. You can still benefit from Corpdata high precision targeting safe in the knowledge, data protection laws can have no impact upon you.
If your budget is constrained and sales are slack, Corpdata site only data provides a very cost effective, precision targeted list of companies; the list is a resource for your sales team to contact and find new business.
If you feel you are the mercy of the search engines, or you have no control over when customers may respond to your adverts, direct marketing provides a variable resource you can turn up or turn down. If you need more enquiries, simply do more direct marketing, if you feel swamped, slow it down a bit. Above all, building your understanding about how many initial contacts lead to new sales, will truly equip you to manage the future workflow.
Corpdata site only data enables you to target organisation that you can identify as being good prospects, including having a functional unit you prefer to speak to. Then contact the organisation, without asking for any individual, but addressing your approach to the function.
Take a hypothetical example. Imagine you sell computers mainly to people in the IT function. Corpdata can give you a carefully selected list of companies, including their phone numbers and site based email address where available, of organisations who have an IT function, who you normally have success with.
What's more, we can make sure they are all within 25 miles of you, or all involved in a certain industry, in fact almost anything you might imagine - this is the beauty of precision targeting.
Call 01626 777400 now to see how we can save you from GDPR headaches while growing your sales.
If you want to use direct marketing data with contact names, Corpdata can also provide these, and they are all GDPR compliant.
