GDPR, it's not so bad.

I did promise myself I would not write anything on GDPR. I never realised there were so many experts in GDPR, did you?

Being in the profession of growing clients businesses I need to be studied and well read, this GDPR thing is going to have an impact on the mix of strategies. 

I have been to plenty the events around the GDPR stuff that is coming. I am still not much the wiser - it's all a bit vague like the steering and brakes on an American car.

There is a load of focus on fear, the doom, woe and litigation, the right things to do, but no one is looking at the upside and how to embrace the change which was already happening anyhow.

Even after being invited to the top law firm events, with partners presenting their skills and their team's tenacity, to save us from being fed to the hungry data compliance dogs that will be unleashed to bite all us non-compliance sinners on the ass.

For instance, I thought this was a straightforward question from the audience, a CEO of large organisation sitting next to me at a GDPR event asked: "Is an extensive and valuable archive of incidental photography for a client going back to the 1970's classed as personal data? Law firm: "Um er, yes maybe, could be.” 

There is not much in the way of ‘right or wrong’ commitment on this. It is all in the grey area of "we think" or "there has not been a legal test case yet" or " . . . if it's for a legitimate business reason, it could be OK?"

Not that helpful then.

I will keep going to the events and reading to get a good picture, a complete flavour allowing me to wade through the contradictions, conjectures and rampant paranoid speculation.

GDPR is not a bad thing though if it stops some of the more unscrupulous stuff. Call centres 'hard sell' targeting the vulnerable, the old, and coercing, the dropped calls and that is not acceptable. You can set the hungry lions on those guys. 

I think the right to be forgotten is a good thing, not a day goes by when I think I would just like to get in a camper and go off-grid and not get PPI calls.

I get the distribution of data without permission, which is rife.

It's fun to mess with the database people though, if you have not done this once in your life, you have not lived!

Fill in data capture subscriptions with some fictitious data for fun. Like Mike Hunt or Jenny Tailor, and tick the box. "I do not wish my details to be passed on to selected third parties." 

Guess what; we get calls for Mike Hunt and Jenny Tailor the very next day from about something completely unrelated, phone contracts, life insurance, IT support, printer supplies . . . recruitment consultants - with the best new to the market candidate, exhibition space . . . So much for ticking the box and plainly and saying no?!

I will go to hell for this and many other things, I am sure of it I can smell the burning.

So, despite some of the vagueness of the GDPR thing, it looks like the consensus from the top is direct marketing cold contacting people to introduce your wares or services is closing down with a thud, with some potentially scary fines to be had.

It is the end of the Glengarry Glen Ross steak knives or Cadillac approach. Everything changes and we need to prepare for the change, but to what? My humble opinion, the zeitgeist has already begun shifting strongly to an inbound preference and influential peer recommendation. 

It is working for my clients as we committed to this many years ago and the result was worth the effort and the results when done properly company-wide can be outstanding. Consumers will decide are you are 'worthy' on a multiple touch point merit opposed to being pressured into buying something. The shallow, insincere and fakers are quickly discarded.

So consider the following:

You are already part of the 'glass economy' if you like it or not. 

It means investing in genuine attraction.

You are going to have put some effort into your brand value perception.

You are also going to have to think seriously about your differentiation.

You are going have to think about your audiences.

You are going have to niche more.

You and your organisation's behaviours are (United Airlines take note)

You are going to have to think about laser defining your brand value proposition and creating outstanding customer experiences.

You are going to have to connect all your marketing activity, think congruence.

You are going have to create genuine and compelling content.

You are going to have to invest in your online real estate, not just a website.

You need to think about influence.

GDPR is just about a change in approach, and you know what on balance, I think it will make the world a better more creative, diverse and innovative place. The great stuff is floating to the top the unscrupulous rubbish sinking to the bottom. 

Where good brands, small and big rise to the top on merit, not on how aggressive the direct marketing is. 

OK, so how do you know when you have got it right?

No if's no but's, none of the usual marketing professional excuses, save them I have heard the lot over the years. It always boils down to this. The increase in demand for your products and services and the ability to put up your prices accordingly.

So, GDPR just might be the appropriate and positive kick up bottom we all need to think inbound.