Brands must foster a culture that values data protection and privacy

As consumers continue to become better-informed about their data rights and how their data is being used, brands need to ensure that data and privacy becomes an integral part of their vision and business strategy. Data is an asset, so ensuring that they act ethically and effectively sustain data privacy management is paramount. Businesses can do this by fostering a culture of data protection.

Defining a culture of privacy

A company's culture determines (and empowers) how people make decisions across the business. With privacy at the top of the agenda, organizations must ensure that every member of their team considers privacy in their decision-making. From marketing and sales to human resources and operations, data impacts every role within a business. Privacy and data protection need to be built into the company culture.

A strong culture of data protection aligns people, processes and technology capabilities, and encompasses data security and privacy, to support overall business strategy. By adopting a culture of privacy, brands can create a competitive advantage with trust and transparency at the center of their approach and customer experience. By aligning data protection with strategic goals, organizations can break through the noise and position themselves as trusted brands that put consumers at the forefront of operations.

With data privacy now going beyond just consent and opt-ins, brands can give users full access and control over their personal data and privacy preferences. With all employees and touchpoints optimized for data protection, consumers will have more input into their digital experiences and better insight into how their information is used to tailor communications and help them receive a personalized experience.

Access to this valuable data will allow brands to make better-informed decisions with confidence that this supports their organizational strategy and business goals.

Transforming the culture for success

How do brands change their organization's perceptions to ensure that people, processes, and technology are all aligned? Businesses must ensure that everyone is on the same page and that their data leaders are continually engaging with key stakeholders to educate and clarify the benefits of data privacy. It’s important to learn from the past, to see what efforts have been made, what worked, and what challenges had to be overcome.

Businesses can get new or different perspectives from other team members in departments across the organization. These people will have unique expertise, insights or experience that can help build a solid strategy that becomes the backbone of a privacy culture. Marketers, for example, interact with consumer data daily and will leverage this information to provide tailored communications. They will have a solid understanding of customers’ expectations which can be shared to help define vision and objectives.

Brands need to take responsibility for educating their teams on how data privacy affects their day-to-day roles and the impact that it can have on the wider business. By training them on the new business processes, a culture of data protection will start to flourish. The team can also get involved by being invited to think critically about data privacy and collaborating with other departments or colleagues to scope potential problems and suggest solutions to overcome these challenges.

Looking to the future

Brands that embed data protection in their organizational culture will build a foundation that seamlessly protects consumer privacy. Not only does this enable them to strengthen customer loyalty with improved transparency and trust; it ensures that they can use data collected to its fullest potential.

A culture of data protection is built on a shared understanding of how consumer data can be used to support business objectives. For organizations yet to create a shared vision of data privacy, now’s the time to step up. It’s imperative that organizations prove that their processes and technologies keep customer data safe.

For more on how the world of data-driven advertising and marketing is evolving, check out our latest Deep Dive.