While the Information Commissioner's Office has given b2b marketers guidance on interpreting GDPR, it is up to email and digital marketers to put the guidance into practice.
Electric Marketing and all readers of this blog know that we must inform data subjects that they are included on our mailing lists, that they must be given an opportunity to opt out and that we must make our (compliant) privacy policy easily available. But there is no standard template on how marketers communicate this. So far, we all agree that it goes right at the end of the email and definitely beneath the call to action.
How much detail should we include on our marketing emails? Should we make our statement easy to understand or confound the reader with a paragraph of techy legalese?
Companies are solving this problem in different ways, most of them reflecting the types of people who work in their industry.
This one is edgy and pithy and comes from a trendy content and ideas agency
We know you and thought you'd be interested to hear from us.
I found this one from the security industry
We are sending you this email as you have signed up to receive information from us in the past or we have very good reason to believe our content is entirely relevant.
I like the use of ‘very good reason to believe’ and 'entirely'. It has a nice echo of a constable presenting evidence in court.
Here's one from a media company; it is short and easy to read. If there was a link to their privacy policy on the email, it would tick all the boxes.
Why are you contacting me? This email was sent to lists@electricmarketing.co.uk because we believe the content to be relevant to you in your professional or business capacity. We respect your privacy and you may unsubscribe at any time by clicking here.
This email from DXP, a techy phone system company, mangles the language but the technology is great.
To not receive further information regarding this click here. If you wish to read our privacy statement, click here.
It clicks through to a super tool where you can object to all the different Rights as defined by GDPR; Right to erasure, right to access, right to object to processing and right to restrict processing. Click the link for whatever it is that is riling you the most or if you are very cross, click all the links. But there is no link to their LIA. Shame! DXP continues with this statement which veers towards legalese but is pretty good.
We have processed your information based on our legitimate interest, and the legitimate interests of your place of work and owner of the domain we have contacted. You have been processed regarding work related matters and not a personal matter. Our legitimate interest does not in any way undermine your right to object, erasure, portability etc...
GDPR has not touched every company. These guys are still pushing out bland sales emails to 10,000 people with the warning that their message may contain ‘confidential information’. Really? Who puts 'legally privileged info" in a marketing email?
This message is intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by reply email and confirm that it has been removed and any hard copies made destroyed from your system. If you are not the named addressee this email and its contents must not be, copied, disclosed or otherwise used or distributed.
When I write a marketing email, the last thing I want is for the recipient to "remove and destroy" my email. I want you to forward it on to anyone who might be interested in buying mailing lists and spread the word that we're open for business. This is out-of-touch, lazy email marketing. And it comes from a recruitment agency.
The ideal email sign off is one that keeps you within the law but does not encourage your data subject to unsubscribe. I'll let you know when Electric Marketing uncovers the perfect formula.