What to ask a marketing agency before you trust them with your customer database

If you’re considering working with a marketing agency, or already do, it’s inevitable that you will be sharing sensitive client information with them.

It's therefore crucial to ensure that they are not only compliant with the UK’s data protection framework, but they also understand how to use and protect the personal information that you share.

Here are some important questions to ask:

1.?????? Do they have an up-to-date privacy notice?

2.?????? Are they registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for data protection? ?

3.?????? Does your contract with your marketing agency address data protection and GDPR?

4.?????? If your existing contract does not address data protection and GDPR, have you put a separate Data Sharing/Processing Agreement in place?

5.?????? How are you going to share your database with your marketing agency??

6.?????? Have you been asked to “prove” you have consent of the individuals on your database?

7.?????? Have you carried out a Legitimate Interest Assessment with your marketing agency to ascertain any impact on the individuals on your email list?

8.?????? Have you checked which email system (Mailerlite, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Salesforce) will be used??Is this your own account or that of the third party?

9.?????? Can you be confident that the agency will not use your data for their own purposes and are holding it securely?

10.?? When the contract ends, will your agency comply with the terms of your sharing agreement/contract?

This might seem a lengthy list but it’s worth remembering that any data breach caused as a result of work done by a third party on your behalf could have serious repercussions for not only them but also your company in terms of reputation, and potential fines.

Ticking all of these boxes will give you the peace of mind that all your data sharing and communications is being carried out responsibly and within GDPR rules. It’ll also help you to select a good agency to work with; if they can demonstrate a solid understanding of and compliance with GDPR, they’re far more likely to be skilled at creating targeted, effective communications for you.

If you’d like to understand more about each point above, why not download my free ‘Questions to ask your marketing agency about GDPR’ guide?