Does the GDPR Recognise Differences Between B2B and B2C Marketing?

Does the GDPR recognise differences between B2B and B2C Marketing?

Pre-GDPR law has a clear line between B2B and B2C marketing, but will this line be preserved under the GDPR, or will it be eroded?

The GDPR concerns two things - personal information and processing.

So this question comes down to whether it's possible to identify a specific person from their business information.

For example, let's consider a large retail company. Let's call them Tesbury's. You want them to adopt your product.

The Tesbury's procurement department is large, with several hundred people. Because of this size, it may be possible to send information to a 'Procurement Manager' or similar, but because there are several people who hold that post, it may not be possible to specifically identify one person.

Consider this another way, in a small business there may be a single procurement manager in a business, meaning that it is possible to specifically identify someone through their job title.

But, but for those engaged in B2B marketing, this may be the best hope. Most B2C and B2B data used in direct marketing is personal data and so the GDPR applies in the majority of cases.

With the GDPR now just over a month away, it is important you and your business are ready for the upcoming changes in the law. The IDM offers a Professional Certificate in GDPR to help you prepare.

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