The DMA will fund and support Race Equality Matters’ campaign to empower ethnic minority employees and help the organisation to provide insight, tools, and resources to drive change. The trade body will also be involved in ‘The Big Promise’, where organisations make a public and measurable commitment to create a positive change, and will hold a series of ‘Safe Space’ discussions to drive dialogue between ethnic minority employees and senior leaders.

“The DMA is committed to creating meaningful change to achieve racial equality in the data and marketing industry and society more broadly. A key motivation behind this partnership is to help continue our work in ensuring that the creative, data and tech industries are both accessible and inclusive from the classroom through to the boardroom,” said Rachel Aldighieri, Managing Director at DMA. “Diversity and inclusion are key tenets of intelligent marketing that puts people first. In order for our industry to better serve the customer, it is vital that the workforce is truly representative of them – something that’s front and central to the DMA ethos.”

Race Equality Matters was founded four months ago by Green Park and The Collaboratory in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement and the DMA is the latest of UK firm to pledge its support, following in the footsteps of the likes of BT, Kick It Out, and Diversity UK.

The organisations will come together to fund resources and activities throughout the UK’s first Race Equality Week, which will be held between 1 and 7 February 2021. The week aims to unite UK firms and individuals to address issues surrounding diversity and inclusion in the professional world.

“Following the Black Lives Matter protests and the disparity of impact the COVID pandemic has had on ethnic minority communities, the UK is beginning to face truths about its relationship with race. With organisations and individuals more open to have honest conversations, we have a real opportunity to turn this moment into meaningful change for the future of the workplace and wider society,” said Raj Tulsiani, CEO and Co-founder of Green Park.

“We are grateful to have Data & Marketing Association’s support and look forward to collaborating through Race Equality Matters to empower ethnic minority employees and provide organisations, networks and individuals with the insight, tools and resource to drive effective action for sustainable change.”

The post DMA partners with Race Equality Matters to drive racial equality in the workplace appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Now TV brings in Schwartz as director
Jamie Schwartz has joined Sky’s online subscription television service, Now TV, as Director of Brand, Marketing and Merchandising. Reporting to Managing Director Marina Storti, he will be responsible for core brand development and guardianship, marketing strategy and campaigns, media planning, as well as PR, social, editorial, and in-product merchandising.

Schwartz arrives at Now TV from Universal Pictures International, where he served as Executive Vice President of Marketing for Focus Features and was responsible for devising and implementing theatrical film release plans, international marketing strategy and campaigns, PVOD / VOD release strategy, and creative development. Prior to this, he held senior positions at The Weinstein Company, Momentum Pictures, and AMV BBDO.

“I am delighted to be joining Now TV. As films move from screen to stream, I’m excited to do the same,” said Schwartz.

Ainley to take up CEO role at Ericsson
Ericsson has appointed Katherine Ainley as Chief Executive Officer for the UK and Ireland, effective 1 February 2021. She succeeds John Griffin, who will return to his role as Country Manager for Ericsson Ireland having acted in the CEO role since October.

Ainley will join Ericsson from BT, where she has held a number of senior executive positions since 2007, including the recent roles of Managing Director of Ventures in Enterprise and CEO of Tikit, a then wholly owned subsidiary of BT.

“Ericsson is at the forefront of 5G deployment around the world, playing an especially critical role here in the UK and Ireland where the technology is so important to the economic ambitions for both countries,” commented Ainley. “I am honoured and excited to be joining as CEO in February and look forward to leading Ericsson’s accelerated network deployment and opening up 5G as an exciting innovation platform for the future in partnership with all mobile network operators.”

McCann makes series of promotions
Chris Macdonald has taken on the role of Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at McCann, while Harjot Singh has been promoted to Global Chief Strategy Officer and Singleton Beato to Global Executive Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer.

Macdonald, who previously served as President of Advertising and Allied brands for McCann, will now focus on leading the advertising network, along with Singh, previously Chief Strategy Officer for McCann Worldgroup EMEA.

“I have been lucky enough to work for McCann in many different roles over the last 15 years,” said Macdonald. “McCann has an incredibly rich history of creativity and innovation, partnering with some of worlds biggest and best brands and is full of fantastically talented people. I look forward to building the best future for our clients, partners and all our people around the world.”

Beato joined McCann Worldgroup as Chief Diversity & Engagement Office in 2017 and was responsible for designing and leading strategic workforce diversity and engagement solutions. In her expanded role, she will report directly to McCann Worldgroup Chairman and CEO Bill Kolb.

In addition to the above promotions, Kate MacNevin, the MRM CEO, will add the title of Chairwoman.

Henderson and Hallahan join Blippar US leadership
Blippar, an augmented reality technology company, has hired Carla Henderson as Vice President of Brand Partnerships and Jack Hallahan as Executive Vice President or Partnerships. Both will report to CEO Faisal Galaria and work closely with US Chief Commercial Officer Keith Curtin.

Henderson built Blippar’s West Coast partnerships team in 2017 before relocating from Los Angeles to London for another gig. She now returns to Blippar to work with clients in both the US and UK. Before re-joining Blippar, Henderson held positions at LiveSmart, Vibrant Media, and True(X).

“I am thrilled to be back on the Blippar team,” said Henderson. “The company is a true pioneer in AR and uniquely placed to be a market leader as the technology is now entering the mainstream. With so many new clients on-board, Im excited to help them use Blippar’s technology to stand out from their competitors and meet their consumer engagement goals in highly creative, and unique ways.”

Hallahan has over two decades of partnership experience. He was previously Senior Vice President of Partnerships at Celtra, where he grew sales six-fold in his territory. More recently, he was Vice President of Partnerships at Thunder, where he introduced an account-based model to the sales team that delivered a 200 per cent increase in revenue.

“Audience engagement now calls for innovation more than ever before, making it an exciting time for AR technology,” commented Hallahan. “I’ve had my eye on Blippar for a long time, so I’m looking forward to using my broad range of experience to help its clients leverage AR in their businesses.”

DAZN adds Segev as CEO
Shay Segev and James Rushton have been named as Co-Chief Executive Officers at sports streaming platform DAZN.

Segev will join DAZN in the coming months from Entain. He will work alongside Rushton, who has been Group Acting CEO since June 2020. Rushton was previously Chief Revenue Officer, where he oversaw all market launches and revenue management functions.

“It is incredible to be given an opportunity to lead a business with global reach and ambition as well as the technology and resources to deliver sports to the world,” said Segev. “This role allows me to combine my passion for sport and transformative technology to disrupt and improve the consumer experience.”

Rushton added, “Having been intimately involved in DAZN since its conception, I am pleased and excited to welcome Shay and lead DAZN Group together as we enter the next exciting chapter in our evolution.”

Parkinson to direct entertainment at OneFootball
Digital football media business OneFootball has announced Denise Parkinson as its Global Entertainment Director. Reporting to UK Sales Director Edward Desbois, she will be responsible for working closely with entertainment clients from the world of streaming, film, gaming and music to help them distribute their existing premium commercial content and create new innovative solutions.

Parkinson boasts more than 25 years of experience in the media and marketing industries. She previously worked as Global Entertainment Director at Telegraph Media Group and as Director of Marketing EMEA at Walt Disney TV.

“I am hugely excited to join OneFootball. It is a powerful, innovative brand with a young, passionate and engaged audience and I look forward to forming new partnerships with like-minded brands and advertisers,” said Parkinson.

Incubeta appoints Lehne as CEO
Lars Lehne has become Group Chief Executive Officer at Incubeta, a digital marketing services group. He will take over from Founder Alan Lipschitz, whose company Interface made the reverse acquisition of Incubeta Holdings in 2011. Lipschitz will move into the role of Chairperson on the Board of Directors.

Lehne, who has more than 30 years of industry experience, previously spent four years as Global CEO of Syzygy. Before that, he spent seven years at Google as Country Director Agency DACH and also held senior management positions at agencies including Maxus, GroupM, Carat, and MEC. Lehne is also a member of the advisory board for Yext and Betterplace.org and an angel investor in Claimini.

“I’m thrilled and honoured to be joining such a forward-thinking and innovative company. Incubeta has continued to grow during one of the most challenging years for the industry which is a testament to the quality and hard work of every team member across the globe. The company has flourished under Alan’s leadership and its a great privilege that he’s trusting me to take his dream forward,” said Lehne.

“As marketing continues to evolve at a rapid pace, it’s harder now than ever before for brands to connect with their customers. By integrating Media, Technology, and Creative in a seamless way Incubeta has developed the right services and products to help clients grow in a digital world. Incubeta puts the ownership of the customer experience back into the hands of its clients. I can’t wait to see what the next chapter for Incubeta looks like.” 

Povey to direct on marketing at Feefo
Feefo, a reviews and customers insights technology company, has recruited Keith Povey as its Director of Marketing. He will be tasked with developing Feefo’s marketing strategy as the company further develops its customer-based business intelligence platform.

Povey’s previous experience has seen him work at all levels of the technology industry, from startups to global enterprises including IBM, Verizon, SAP, and Cisco.

“This was an opportunity too good to miss,” said Povey, formerly Senior Director, Content, Digital and Demand generation at Optiv Inc. “I’m excited to help Matt West fulfil his vision for the company as the outstanding SaaS-based customer insights platform, delivering immense amounts of value to clients and consumers through the growing power of its smart data analysis and actionable intelligence. Feefo is entering the next stage of its evolution, and our marketing will look and sound materially different to match the scale of our ambition.”

Rightpoint brings in Zalewski as Europe MD
Marty Zalewski has been named as Managing Director of Europe at Genpact-owned global experience firm Rightpoint. He will lead efforts to build on the company’s organic growth in the region.

Zalewski brings over 20 years of experience in growth-focused innovation to his role with Rightpoint. His tenure includes work in consulting and private equity including founding The Mindful Eye.

Cooper and Gedman join Conjura as directors
eCommerce data specialist Conjura has added Adele Cooper and Paul Gedman as Non-executive Directors.

Cooper, who will support Conjura on sales, marketing, and HR, was most recently UK & Ireland Country Manager at Pinterest. Prior to that, she worked at Google and then at Facebook in both their European and US headquarters across a variety of sales, marketing, and operational roles.

Gedman will help Conjura evolve and extend its eCommerce platform services. He was CEO of the beauty, wellness and luxury divisions at the Hut Group for over eight years. Before that, he was Head of Online at Littlewoods Clearance.

“Adele and Paul are high-profile industry names in technology and ecommerce. Their arrival in the business is a huge endorsement of the potential that I and the senior team see in Conjura,” said Fran Quilty, Conjura CEO.

 “They join us ahead of bold expansion plans for 2021 as we scale up our operations and launch a suite of new products to broaden our platform offer for e-commerce clients. I know their experience will prove invaluable in helping us deliver on our growth ambitions.”

DMA makes board appointments
Tony Miller and Mandy Merron have been appointed to the Board at the Data & Marketing Association (DMA).

Miller, who will serve a three-term on the DMA Board, is currently Marketing Director of WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and has previously held senior marketing positions at Disney and Havas CX Helia.

Merron has been named as Treasurer, succeeding Peter Smithson. She specialises in corporate finance and also served as Treasurer of The Telephone Preference Service for seven years until 2011.

“Tony and Mandy’s experience and commitment to the data and marketing sector are already evident, which will make their strategic advice and industry knowledge a valuable resource for the DMA and its membership,” said Stephen Maher, Chair of the DMA Board and CEO of MBA. “I look forward to working together, utilising their experience and passion to support the DMA and our initiatives that promote intelligent marketing across our industry, from the classroom to the boardroom.”

Rumford arrives at ChannelAdvisor
ChannelAdvisor, a cloud-based eCommerce solutions provider, has named Amy Rumford as Vice President of Global Services. She will lead ChannelAdvisors Global Services team, which includes customer implementation, global technical support, account management, and managed services.

Before joining ChannelAdvisor, Rumford worked as a consultant for the manufacturing industry. Prior to that, she served as Vice President of Supply Chain Services for Advance Auto Parts. Rumford has also served in senior operations and transformation leadership roles at Google, Lenovo, and IBM.

“Im truly delighted to join ChannelAdvisors executive team, and I am eager to work alongside each member of our dynamic Global Services team,” said Rumford. “Its an exciting time in e-commerce, and ChannelAdvisor strives to be at the forefront of innovation. I will be laser-focused on the needs of our customers and ready to tackle challenges to help them sustain and grow their businesses and seize new opportunities.”

AdInMo announces pair of senior appointments
Joanne Lacey and Konstantine Rybnikov have joined AdInMo, an in-game advertising network, as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Engineering respectively.

Lacey, as well as overseeing operations, will be responsible for driving awareness of the mobile ad tech company and help deliver the company’s commitment to enabling a developer-first monetisation channel, while also leading AdInMo’s industry engagement programme. She joins from the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), where she spent eight years as COO and sat on their global board. Lacey’s other previous experience comes from her time at companies including DeltaDNA, Player X, and I-play.

Rybnikov will be responsible for leading the company’s SDK development and mobile optimised platform. Prior to joining AdInMo, he held senior development positions including SoundFlow and ThoughtLeadr.

“We’re delighted that Joanne and Kon have joined our team at this key growth period for AdInMo,” said Kristan Rivers, AdInMo CEO.

“Joanne is someone I’ve been lucky enough to work with at both Player X and I-play and have always appreciated the strategic focus she brings to every role. AdInMo’s team ramped up significantly in Covid times and having a powerhouse of industry knowledge and a management team that’s worked together several times is a unique advantage.”

Bue Schultz and Söderblom bolster Adnami management team
Ad tech company Adnami has added Thomas Bue Schultz as Chief Technology Officer and Carl Söderblom as Vice President of Operations.

Bue Schultz will lead the technical team and ensure Adnami remains commercially and technically ahead of the curve with its products, while Söderblom will be responsible for defining and streamlining processes and taking a strategic role in executing on the company’s international growth plans.

Bue Schultz joins from cVation, where he spent seven years building technical solutions for airports and the aviation industry as Vice President of Software Development. Söderblom spent more than 10 years at Mediaplanet, where he was UK Managing Director for three and a half years before becoming Global General Manager. Söderblom’s most recent gig was at Teads.

“Carl is an entrepreneurial business leader with over ten years’ international management, sales and marketing experience. His knowledge of building teams and current ad market trends is second to none,” said Simon Kvist Gaulshøj, Adnami CEO.

“And Thomas’ technical expertise, having spent over two decades building software solutions for a range of different companies, will help us to optimise our high-impact formats in order for us to maintain our market-leading creativity and impact.”

Admix expands commercial team
Michael Silberberg has been hired as Vice President of Global Agency Partnerships, while Alex Faust has been appointed EMEA Vice President of Ad Sales, at games monetisation company Admix.

Silberberg arrives after 14 years with Google across three continents, including five years in London as Head of Global Platforms Leadership for WPP, Dentsu Aegis, and other agencies. Most recently, he served as the cross-functional leader across the entire WPP-Google relationship.

“Since I was a kid reading William Gibson, I’ve been excited by the prospect of ads engaged with immersive digital environments,” said Silberberg. “I can’t wait to drive growth of Admix’s ecosystem that enables game developers to monetize their virtual environments with in-play engagements for gamers.”

Faust spent five years at Spotify, most recently as global leader of its international ad sales and brand partnerships team. Previously, he spent seven years at Microsoft across UK and Global roles.

“With gaming top of the league for audience engagement, we are witnessing the next big shift in media. In-play brings real value to all: brands, game creators and audiences, so the road ahead is incredibly exciting,” said Faust.

Johnston promoted to CEO at Poq
App commerce firm Poq has elevated Jay Johnston to the role of Chief Executive Officer, taking over from Co-founder Øyvind Henriksen, who will continue to play an active role in the platform roadmap and product development as Senior Vice President of Product Strategy.

Johnston, who was previously Chief Technology Officer, will also join the Poq Board together with Chief Financial Officer Euan Menzies.

“I am both delighted and humbled to accept the role and the responsibility of leading the great team we have at Poq. We achieved much to be proud of in 2020, and the scene is set for an even more exciting and ambitious year in 2021,” stated Johnston. “I look forward to building on these strong foundations in order to create a clear framework for the companys vision, plan, targets and accountabilities that will capture our growing ambitions and harness the opportunity to further grow our success in helping our clients create best-in-class mobile commerce apps.”

Gamma appoints Wade as CMPO
Chris Wade has been announced as Chief Marketing and Product Officer at unified communications provider Gamma Communications. Reporting to CEO Andrew Taylor, he replaces Alan Mackie who has decided to step down and retire.

Prior to Gamma, Wade served as Chief Product Officer at Aptitude Software. He held a number of leadership roles in strategy, product management and marketing in several different operating businesses within The Sage Group.

“It is an honour to succeed Alan, who has had an extraordinary tenure with Gamma,” Wade said. “I am proud to be joining the company during a period of such unprecedented change in digital adoption.

“Gamma is a truly innovative company full of knowledgeable and talented people. Our strong reputation in the market perfectly positions us to help businesses embrace digital innovation through the adoption of UCaaS. I will strive to continue building on the companys great foundations, while further fulfilling our ambitions in the UK and Europe.”

Pair join sales team at OnwardMobility
OnwardMobility, the mobile security company which is set to release a 5G Blackberry Android smartphone this year, has welcomed Géraud Boutibonnes as Vice President General Manager EMEA and Global Accounts (EU) and Matthew McFee as Vice President of Government Sales.

Boutibonnes is responsible for establishing and expanding OnwardMobility’s sales footprint within the EMEA region and brings extensive experience in building sales organisations and engaging EMEA carriers. For the past 10 years, Boutibonnes developed mobile broadband, CiOT, and delivered innovative solutions with global carriers headquartered in Europe as VP of global accounts and partnership in TCL.

McFee will be instrumental in positioning OnwardMobility’s BlackBerry devices as the most trusted and secure solution serving government markets around the globe. Having started his career with Motorola, where he focused on radio common carriers, federal government, and subscriber cellular, he was recruited by his customer, BellSouth, to lead the New Product and Services Development team in the US and eventually Bellsouth International in LATAM. McFee has also built and developed teams at Kyocera and Sonim.

“We continue to see increased excitement about our company and pent-up demand for our new robust devices, and the addition of Géraud and Matthew enables us to quickly ramp up our sales efforts throughout EMEA and with key government accounts,” said Peter Franklin, CEO of OnwardMobility. “Both Géraud and Matthew bring extensive experience in increasing wireless device sales in key markets and will be important contributors to bringing to market OnwardMobility’s global flagship device, a feature-rich, 5G Android smartphone that delivers on security and productivity.”

Contentstack appoints Ogidi to lead UK sales
David Ogidi has been selected to lead UK sales and partner operations at content experience platform Contentstack as its Head of Sales for UK and Ireland. Reporting to Director of Sales Wim van Horen, he will be responsible for both account management and new business development.

Ogidi’s previous experience includes stints as Director of Sales for EMEA at Mobify and Vice President for International Business Development at Contentsquare.

“Businesses across the UK are now keenly attuned to the importance of the digital experience. Indeed, for many businesses, the digital experience that a customer has is either the dominant, or only experience they will have of a business,” said Ogidi. “This means there is huge potential for growth as businesses invest in and optimise this critical aspect of modern commerce. Contentstack will bring its industry-leading innovation and white glove customer service to bear on these opportunities and I am excited to be part of that drive.”

Double boost for Digilant
Digilant, an omnichannel digital advertising services company, has announced Katie Gargano as its Product Marketing Manager and Matt Mahgerefteh as Manager of Analytics.

Gargano will act as a liaison between sales, marketing, and product. She brings experience from her previous position as Supervisor of Digital Planning at Harpoon Digital. Prior to that role, Gargano worked at Church Hill Classics as a Marketing Coordinator.

“I’m thrilled to join the Digilant team to collaborate seamlessly with the marketing, sales and product team. Connecting our internal strategies, we can maximize growth and increase performance,” stated Gargano.

Mahgerefteh’s most recent experience was as Marketing Technology Manager at Cox Communications, where he was responsible leveraging data and leading marketing campaigns across multiple channels, including display, email, social media, video, and web. He has also held analytical and leadership roles at Wells Fargo, BlackLine, Viking Cruises, AEG Presents, Teleflora, Globe Life, and Nielsen Company.

“With a passion for ingesting large and various data sets, I’m excited to share my expertise with the Digilant team,” said Mahgerefteh. “As Digilant is focused on accelerating growth, I believe we’ll deliver optimal performance by leveraging a programmatic strategy and measuring analytics on all channels.”

Organic turns to Sereg on project management
Nora Sereg has joined digital agency Organic as Digital Project Manager. She will specifically oversee projects within the Sainsbury’s Group Account following the agencys recent appointment by Sainsburys to oversee the brands SEO. She has been tasked with focusing on building the PMO at Organic and embedding project management practices across the wider team.

Sereg joins Organic after leaving her role as Senior Project Manager at Water Babies.

“I enjoy working in a dynamic environment and empowering teams to deliver consistent, quality work has always been my passion,” said Sereg. “My motivation comes from working with highly skilled, vibrant individuals, and I work and live by the belief that in life there is always room for improvement. I’m enthusiastic to be a part of the Organic team, as I share the Organic values and I stand for what they represent.”

Mundra takes charge of partnerships at White Rivers
Digital marketing agency White Rivers Media has appointed Varun Mundra as Head of Client Partnerships. He will work to drive strategy-led creative innovations and their integrations across digital channels.

Mundra has previously worked with Dentsu Webchutney, Jack in the Box Worldwide, Ogilvy, and Isobar to build brands such as Visa India, Surf Excel, CEAT Tyres, Vaseline, Tata Motors, Knorr, Danone India, and Siyaram’s.

“While the digital advertising industry – along with the world – undergoes a drastic change and disruption, it’s a privilege to join White Rivers Media. I have seen the agency grow over the years, and was deeply impressed with their cutting-edge creative and martech innovations. I see White Rivers Media as a delightfully challenging assignment; an energetic, ever-growing team, where I could utilise all my learnings and experiences with Brand Building, Account Planning, and Management. I look forward to greatly promising times, where we define all that digital can and will be, together.”

Five9 opts for Murphy as CMO
Genefa Murphy has been hired as Chief Marketing Officer at Five9, an intelligent cloud contact centre provider. Reporting to CEO Rowan Trollope, she will partner with the other members of the executive team to continue to evolve the company’s brand and reputation in the Cloud Contact Centre as-a-Service space.

Murphy joins Five9 from Micro Focus where, as CMO, she led a worldwide team who drove brand, core messaging, influencer marketing, regional and global campaigns, digital demand and sales, and technical enablement.

“As a technologist and as a consumer, I was attracted to Five9 as their solutions are truly at the heart of what matters – bringing people and technology together to help create engaging customer experiences in an efficient and effective way,” stated Murphy. “This in turn allows Five9 customers to create brand intimacy and loyalty which will allow them and Five9 to be successful in today’s digital economy.”

The post Movers and Shakers: Now TV, Ericsson, McCann, Blippar, DAZN, and more appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Starcom promotes Kula to managing partner
Starcom has promoted Claire Kula to managing partner. In her new role, she will be charged with leading strategy across UK clients including Lidl, AXA, Alcon and Novartis. She will also continue to oversee a team of communication planners, as well as the broader team of product and activation specialists to deliver exceptional client understanding, idea generation, and media planning and activation for these accounts. She will also develop accelerator projects to help sustain and win future clients.

She started her career in digital media 15 years ago, joining Publicis Media in 2008 as digital strategy director for P&G, where she was awarded ‘Digital Wonderperson’, the P&G Media client team’s highest honour. She has also held roles within the Publicis Media Content team as senior client services director. During this time, she enhanced and fostered organic growth across key global clients including McCormick, Colart, Citigold and Citi Private Bank. Most recently, she has helped retain and grow Publicis Groupe’s Power of One proposition for AXA.

Supporting other working parents to thrive in this industry is a subject close to Kula’s heart. She is part of a community championing Starcom’s ‘Becoming’ initiative, which helps rebuild confidence for new and returning parents at work.

She said: “I am thrilled to have been appointed to managing partner. I look forward to redefining the way we drive value and new commercial solutions for our clients. Having had two beautiful babies during my time with the company, I think I’m a great example of Starcom supporting and promoting parents into key leadership positions. I certainly have not been held back by having a young family, working a four-day week and I’m very excited for what this year will hold.“

Klimaszewski joins ‘Moment marketing’ firm Aki Technologies
Mobile marketing firm Aki Technologies has appointed Stephanie Klimaszewski as its VP of marketing. In this role, Klimaszewski will grow the marketing team, support new product launches, and collaborate with brand clients to demonstrate how ‘moment marketing’ ultimately wins customer attention and affinity.

Previously, Klimaszewski led marketing at Kiip (now NinthDecimal) and, more recently, served as marketing director for JustAnswer, an expert marketplace that has connected more than 16m people worldwide with doctors, lawyers, and other expert professionals. She also worked for SpinMedia (now Billboard) and Townsquare Media.

“Stephanie is a pioneer in moment marketing and was responsible for much of the early innovation in the space when she led the marketing team at Kiip,” said Aki Technologies CEO and co-founder, Scott Swanson. “She’s a true thought leader that knows how to bridge creativity with technology to help brands capitalize on the opportunity around personalized advertising. We are thrilled to have her energy and expertise at Aki Technologies.”

Klimaszewski joins Aki during a time of growth. The company, which uses artificial intelligence to predict when and how a mobile consumer is most likely to respond to a marketing message, hired its first CRO last year and has plans to hire more than a dozen people this quarter. Aki now has offices in San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.

Briggs takes up data strategy role at Quantcast
Audience intelligence and measurement firm Quantcast has appointed Louise Briggs as client partnerships director. Reporting directly into Ben Murphy, Quantcast’s UK managing director, Louise will be responsible for advising and guiding Quantcast UKs clients on data capabilities to develop their digital advertising strategies.

With nearly 18 years of experience working for global ad tech companies, Briggs joins Quantcast from RadiumOne where she led the company’s sales and account management teams.

She said: “At Quantcast we’re conscious of the challenges that marketers and their agency partners are facing in an increasingly complex digital landscape. By working closely with our clients we will continue to develop bespoke insights and marketing solutions that not only deliver performance, but also align with our clients’ desired business outcomes. I am excited to join the team and look forward to working with our partners throughout 2020 and beyond.”

Medialab hires Parker
Independent data marketing firm, Medialab Group, has appointed former Publicis executive Steve Parker to the newly-created position of executive director. He will take a place on the board, into whom he will directly report.
Parker is widely known for his 20 year career within Publicis Groupe rising to co-CEO at Starcom .

Media Group UK, before relocating to Dubai to help create Publicis Media as CEO of Middle East & North Africa. A highly respected leader, he has a track record of new business success, developing digital-based performance marketing units and building strong, transparent media owner partnerships.

MediaLab CEO Marcus Orme said “We are absolutely delighted to have Steve commit to our team, and have thoroughly enjoyed his involvement and contribution over the last few months. Steve has outstanding experience in the data and tech arena and a stellar reputation for driving high levels of valuable growth through trusted relationships, and he will help the Medialab Board to deliver transformative outcomes for organisations we believe in. It is a real statement of our growth, ambition and culture that we can attract someone of Steve’s reputation to our business.”

The appointment comes on the back of significant new business and organic growth for Medialab in 2019, culminating in six key account wins, the most recent of which was the £30m SunLife insurance business.

Jones takes up publisher development role at Telaria
Telaria, the software platform that optimises yield for leading video publishers, has hired William Jones, as head of publisher development, EMEA. 

Jones will work closely with Telaria’s expanding network of premium video publishing partners to help maximize the value of their inventory. With more publisher clients exploring emerging revenue streams and developing sustainable (Connected TV) CTV and streaming businesses in EMEA, Telaria’s addressable advertising solution, Audience Connect, is designed to provide publishers with complete choice and control on a deal-by-deal basis.

As commercial director at Digiday Europe, Jones was responsible for growing revenue across the publisher’s portfolio of display, content and events, building its profile in Europe and managing all commercial EU staff.

He said: “It’s an exciting time to join Telaria, I’m looking forward to combining my skills and experience with Telaria’s innovative technologies and customer-centric ethos, empowering publishers to unlock the value of their premium video inventory across mobile, desktop and CTV.”

Two senior hires for digital ad trade body, IAB UK
IAB UK has hired Elizabeth Lane in the newly-created role of head of research and measurement and Dominic Tillson as head of industry relationships and initiatives.

Lane joins IAB UK from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) where she led research and analysis for media and creative policy. Prior to this she worked at the BBC and Ipsos MORI. In her new role, she will oversee the IAB’s research strategy, including the launch of major insight projects in 2020.

Tillson, who has worked in digital advertising for over 20 years, joins from Inskin Media, where he was most recently director of marketing and insight. His new role will see him work with the IAB’s Steering Groups to shape and deliver member-led projects and increase member involvement with IAB initiatives. Antonio Forte joins Tillson’s team as industry initiative’s executive, having previously worked at Wavemaker.

“It’s great to have Elizabeth and Dom onboard as we start 2020,” said IAB UK CEO, Jon Mew. “Dom’s work in ad tech, not to mention first-hand experience of being an IAB member, makes him uniquely placed to lead our membership initiatives. Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s time spent at the DCMS is invaluable when it comes to understanding the political context of our industry and creating research projects that resonate with both policy makers and the media industry.”

Bazaarvoice appoints Nealon to CEO role
Bazaarvoice has appointed Keith Nealon as its CEO. In his new role, Nealon will draw on over 20 years of experience with high-growth technology companies to help take Bazaarvoice into new markets and areas of innovation. Nealon assumed his role as CEO on January 1st, 2020, and is based out of Bazaarvoice’s headquarters in Austin, Texas.

Joe Davis of Marlin Equity Partners has served as CEO since Marlin Equity acquired Bazaarvoice in February 2018; he will transition out of the CEO role and return to his original role as operating executive.

“Keith is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with a strong track record leading successful, client-focused growth,” Davis commented. “His technology and go-to-market experience is the ideal match for the business needs of Bazaarvoice. With expansion into international markets, acquisitions of new solutions, and organic roadmap acceleration over the last two years, Bazaarvoice is positioned for continued growth, and we look forward to Keith driving exponential success for the business and its clients.”

Most recently, Nealon was the Chairman and CEO of financial technology platform Vyze, which was acquired by Mastercard in April 2019. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at both private and public technology companies, including Adaptive Insights, Eloqua, ShoreTel, Conductor, and NaviSite.

The Independent bolsters its US team
The Independent has hired Katie Davies as US Editor and John T Bennett as Washington DC Bureau Chief.

Davies returns to The Independent, where she previously worked on the news desk in London until 2012. She has spent the past seven years at MailOnline in New York, rising to the position of senior editor and helping to grow its digital audience in the US.

Bennett joins from Roll Call, where he has been White House correspondent for four years, having specialised in political analysis and reporting throughout his career.

In a change of role, Richard Hall will be relocated from his position as Middle East Correspondent in Beirut to become a Senior US Correspondent in New York.

“As President Trump moves from impeachment to re-election campaign, and with an unprecedented focus on the climate crisis, the year ahead offers The Independent a golden opportunity to establish a reputation for truly independent, free-thinking journalism within the most dynamic news market of all,” said Christian Broughton, editor of The Independent. “I can’t wait to work with Katie again, give John a broader platform on which to share his outstanding analysis, and provide Richard with a new territory for his endless energy and commitment to finding truly remarkable stories.”

Thorn returns to Tag in strategy role
Tag, a global creative production partner to brands and agencies, has appointed Kevan Thorn to the role of chief strategy officer. Based in London, he will work alongside the company’s regional CEOs, and report to Tag CEO David Kassler.

Thorn spent 10 years as CEO of Hogarth Worldwide and was one of the founding partners of the agency in 2008. Prior to Hogarth, he was managing prtner of Hub+ (now EG+) part of the Omnicom Group, and had previously worked for Tag from 2000–2005.

Tag CEO David Kassler said: “We’re delighted to have Kevan back with Tag. As we step into the new decade we are building the best team in the industry and we’re proud to be attracting such high-calibre talent. Kevan’s deep industry knowledge and expertise will help to expand our Creative Production business helping brands to make marketing more effective and efficient by transforming content production.”

DMA announces board level changes
Stephen Maher, CEO of MBA, has been named as the new chair of the DMA Board, with VerveIQ founder & MD Pipa Unsworth named as deputy chair. The pair are also joined by two newly-elected additions to the DMA Board in Cordell Burke, creative managing partner at Up There, Everywhere, and Firas Khnaisser, head of decisioning at Standard Life.

As his tenure begins, Maher said: “I am so delighted to be taking up this new role at such a vital time for the DMA and our 1,000 members who represent the UK’s leading brands and their marketing services partners. We will look to further extend and raise the profile of our industry expertise and training around data ethics and martech, as well as foster even greater industry diversity and inclusion from the classroom to the boardroom.”

Pipa Unsworth, new deputy chair of the DMA Board said: “Though technologies like AI and data-driven marketing are prominent trends in our industry, our members are equally focused on people – building diverse teams and flexible, inclusive environments that enable the kind of creativity and innovation that delights us all as consumers. The DMA provides leadership and support across all these areas and it’s a privilege to help lead the agenda forward as we enter a new decade.”

Maher and Unsworth succeed Mark Runacus, co-founder and planning partner at Wax/On, and Caroline Worboys, COO at Outra, who took up their posts in 2017 and helped steer the DMA through a significant period of change for the association and the industry it represents. This has included helping the data and marketing industry through the biggest legislative change in a generation, with the General Data Protection Regulation that came into force in May 2018.

Both Runacus and Worboys have also supported the DMA team through its rebrand in 2019 that saw it become the Data & Marketing Association, including the Institute of Data & Marketing and DMA Talent.

Burke and Khnaisser have both been elected to three-year terms on the DMA Board. They will be filling the positions left by Gavin Wheeler, CEO at WDMP, and Michelle de Souza, chief data officer at Age UK.

Bounteous goes for experience
Chicago-based digital agency Bounteous has hired Marc Blanchard as its first chief experience officer. The move marks the agencys latest strategic move in recent months, as it continues to win clients and add to its leadership team in response to growth.

Blanchard is responsible for leading Bounteous’ Experience Design practice and joins SVP of experience design, Amanda Ruzin, to set the strategy for the XD practice, one of Bounteous’ fastest-growing practices.

“Marc is a savvy designer, strategist, and thought leader, and we’re elated to have him join our team at Bounteous,” said Keith Schwartz, co-founder and CEO of Bounteous. “Our design practice competes with the very best firms in the world, and Marc will continue the efforts of shaping those offerings and momentum.

“In partnership with Amanda, and the rest of our leadership team, Marc will sharpen our experience strategy; help develop creative engagements that drive value for our clients; and excite, challenge, and deepen our teams.”

Blanchard is a creative lead and experience designer with a 20-year track record of crafting digital brand experiences for global brands such as IBM, Intel, Charles Schwab, and Nike. Previously Global head of experience design at Havas, Blanchard is a recognized thought leader in using data and AI to power experiences, and has been a guest lecturer and adjunct professor at both NYU and Columbia.

Blanchard cites a transformative shift in marketing and heavier engagement than ever before in brand experiences from apps to online to retail. Marketing has grown beyond storytelling to create valuable experiences that people need at every stage of their customer journey, and in response, organizations are evolving their talent, type of work output, and types of engagements with clients.

“Marketing is evolving from making people want things to making things people want,” he said. “To own the conversation, our clients need different processes, different types of research, different ways of working. Its important today to have people in place who understand user experience, who are highly valued in the organization, and who use deep user research that empathizes with people to organize their work.”

Saskin takes up CX role at Selligent
Omnichannel marketing and experience cloud platform Selligent has hired Matthew Saskin as vice president of customer experience. Saskin will help drive Selligent’s growing CX business, working with its channel and technology partner community to enable businesses to deliver powerful end-to-end customer experiences.

Saskin brings more than 15 years of CX and digital strategy experience to Selligent, most recently serving as VP and general manager of Dimension Data’s Customer Experience practice for the Americas. While there, he defined and executed against a multi-year growth plan, which led to substantial growth in professional, managed, and cloud services bookings.

Prior to his role at Dimension Data, he was global practice director at managed services provider, IPsoft, where he spearheaded its unified communications and contact centre managed services practice, growing revenues from $0 to $20M ARR within two years.

He said: “I’ve always had a passion for using technology to deliver transformational business outcomes. I am very excited to join Selligent to usher in the next wave of experience-driven solutions. For years, organizations have struggled to break down silos across channels and functions to deliver end-to-end experiences – until now. I look forward to working with the Selligent team to drive change across the industry with their game-changing platform, and witness its growing impact in helping organizations deliver high-quality experiences.”

Pierce promotes Kelley to MD role
Pierce Global, an experiential agency within Omnicom Experiential Group, has promoted Mike Kelley to managing director. In this role, Kelley will lead Pierces vision, as well as the agencys strategic service offering.

Kelley, formerly of Gatorade (PepsiCo), was previously acting as the agencys executive vice president, heading up Pierce Client Engagement and Strategy teams. During his 20-year tenure at Pierce, he has also led teams on both the operations and client engagement side of the business, responsible for integrated experiential programming for top companies and brands including CitiBank, Diageo, Heineken USA, Kraft, Lidl USA, Post Foods and Unilever.

“I am thrilled to be asked to lead the agency,” said Kelley. “We have a team poised for growth, and the industry is in the most dynamic phase its ever been – the value, impact and influence of brand experience has never been greater”.

Two senior hires for DivvyCloud
DivvyCloud, which provides security and compliance automation for cloud and container environments, has appointed Brandie Kalinowski as vice president of people and culture and David Geevaratne as vice president of North American sales.

Kalinowski will focus on recruiting, engaging, developing, and retaining a highly skilled and motivated workforce. Previously, she was the head of people operations at Etsy, where she and her team were dedicated to aligning the company’s People Programs and processes with dynamic business and growth strategies by focusing on information systems and analytics, business partnership and customer service, and total rewards.

Geevaratne will oversee the enterprise sales strategy to promote growth and customer satisfaction. He brings 20 years of sales and marketing experience in cloud and technology solutions. He most recently served as general manager and market leader for SoftwareONE, in Switzerland, and was an integral member of the North American leadership team.

“We are thrilled to have Brandie and David onboard,” said Brian Johnson, DivvyCloud CEO and co-founder. “Our team grew by more than 110 per cent in 2019, and we plan to double it in 2020. Brandie’s expertise will help us proactively align the people team strategy with the company roadmap. Davids sales leadership and his strong background in building top performing sales teams will help DivvyCloud achieve its growth goals.”

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The survey of 206 respondents, mainly from marketing teams, found that increased productivity (47 per cent) and enhanced creativity (38 per cent) are the top reasons for brands choosing to in-house key marketing functions. However, just 32 per cent of brands say they have achieved increase productivity, while only 27 per cent say the same for creativity.

Despite a fair number of businesses seemingly not benefiting from in-housing, 86 per cent are currently in-housing and plan to continue to do so in the future. At the same time, 87 per cent are committed to maintaining the same level of agency investment.

37 per cent of respondents have concerns about creating an ‘echo-chamber’ of ideas by in-housing. There is also a worry about the absence of agency expertise in technical areas including CRM and experience management (41 per cent) and search engine optimisation (37 per cent).

The biggest challenges facing brands when looking to create an in-house marketing function are limited budget (41 per cent) and having to adopt new technology (35 per cent), though 69 per cent are heavily focused on investing in new technology for in-housing. Moreover, 17 per cent of brands cite a need for appropriate collaboration and communication tools specifically.

“In-housing is not a binary choice. It’s not either/or. Our research shows one in 12 organisations are using what we have called a ‘blended’ strategy – combining the two,” said Tim Bond, head of insight at the DMA. “The key for brands, whichever strategy they choose, is clear: bringing any marketing function in-house is just the first step. To achieve the results brands set out at the beginning of this process means investing in the skills, talent and technology within their organisations. The brands that are able to drive collaboration in this changing environment will be the ones that ultimately succeed.”

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“Big tech companies do have the opportunity to use people’s data in very powerful ways,” says John Mitchison, director of policy and compliance at the DMA (Direct Marketing Association). Seeing the negativity of this power, regulators have been working hard across the world to get a handle on the way the likes of Facebook and Google conduct business – with varying degrees of success.

“They have been reined in by regulators like the ICO,” says Mitchison. “Of course, the change in the law earlier this year with GDPR has forced not only Facebook, but Google and others, to rethink how they’ve been using data. And I think that will continue as well. We certainly haven’t seen the end of that, these are just the first steps of these big organisations either making voluntary changes, to further tighten things up, or they will be forced to do it by regulators or by future legislation, such as ePrivacy.”

Though big tech firms are being slowly reeled in by authorities across the world for their handling of data, the issue extends further to the astronomical amount of data they hold on people.

Mitchison questions how much of this data the likes of Facebook and Google really need. “It’s going further than you need to do, just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should do it,” he says.

“I have a smartphone and I know, when I download an app, there’s often requests for permissions that don’t seem particularly pertinent to the app that I’m downloading – and sometimes I say yes, and sometimes I say no, and sometimes I don’t look at it that closely and just say yes because I want to use the app. I think companies have got away with that in the past.”

With the implementation of GDPR, however, we should begin to see the volume of data in possession of tech firms reduce markedly.

“Now that the people’s eyes are on it and the legislation has been tightened up with GDPR, the focus is now on those apps and they will have to close that down,” said Mitchison. “And, it’s not just in these types of apps, it’s across all of digital marketing where that has run away – the whole business of behavioural tracking, ad retargeting, real-time bidding for ads that show up on your screen, the way that data has been allowed to be shared or sent out to different companies for them to do various profiling. Again, it’s just been tightened up. People didn’t really know that was going on. You can do that kind of ad targeting without that much data being thrown around.”

Research conducted since the implementation has shown that major tech firms may still be falling short of the criteria set out by GDPR. Alongside this, tech giants – most notably Facebook and Google – have been hit with 10s of billions of dollars’ worth of lawsuits alleging that the companies are in breach of various aspects of the regulation.

GDPR has changed the approach to privacy policies because, in the past, “you had to have one, but it was written in legal language, it was 200 pages long, everything was buried in there,” according to Mitchison. Now, these policies “are no longer solely for the protection of companies, they are there to inform individuals.”

“I think that some of the bigger organisations have made movements in the right direction but would be fairly surprising for them to have it all perfect in the first attempt,” he said. “I think we’ll see them make future amends and that may be because people put pressure on them or it might be because they’re required to by regulators.

“I’ve seen images online of people who’ve printed out all of the privacy information and it’s a stack of paper, two-feet high – that doesn’t come up to the standard of GDPR. It has to intelligible, accessible, and understandable by the users that use the tool. That may be a difficult ask for some of those companies, but they’re going to have to get their heads around it eventually.”

Much of the difficulty experienced by companies around GDPR is down to the fact that data is now controlled, at least in theory, by the user.

Previously, tech firms have had an almost free rein to do as they please with the personal information of users. GDPR has “flipped that on its head,” in Mitchison’s opinion.

“Prior to GDPR, companies saw personal data as their own – something that they controlled, something that they had the rights over,” he adds. “They owned the data… Now, personal data is a person’s personal data. So, it has to be presented in a customer-focused way. All of that information in a privacy policy has to be presented to somebody so that they can understand it and they’re aware and fully informed.”

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According to the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) latest report into GDPR, there is worryingly still seven per cent of organisation that have no plan in place for GDPR. However, on a more positive note, 68 per cent of marketers believe their employer is either on track or ahead of schedule and 81 per cent are confident in their own understanding and preparedness for when the regulation comes into forces.

The DMA also found that 52 per cent of marketers believe that the benefits to the consumer outweigh the disadvantages to businesses when it comes to GDPR.

 “It is encouraging to see that GDPR awareness and preparedness is at an all-time high, with marketers increasingly optimistic about the benefits of the new legislation,” said Chris Combemale, CEO of the DMA. “GDPR is a fantastic opportunity for organisations to build consumer trust and highlight to their customers the benefits of sharing their data. Organisations should use it to build a culture within their business of putting the consumer first and improving their experience.”

Another worrying stat is that 27 per cent of marketers have had no specific GDPR training yet, with 34 per cent feeling more training was required. 54 per cent of those surveyed are confident they have received enough training.

“GDPR is a watershed moment for organisations as they strive to make data protection a core brand value. That journey won’t end on 25 May and industry professionals must continue to learn and adapt as they – and their consumers – get to grips with the new legislation. Therefore, ongoing training and support is essential for organisations to reap the rewards of GDPR,” said Combemale.

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With GDPR on the horizon, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Acxiom decided to join forces to find out how consumers feel about the data they share and is collected by companies. The research, which has been collected over a five-year period, shows that – though in the short-term consumers may be worried – long-term sentiment hasn’t taken a hit.

The research found that 61 per cent of consumers are already happy with the amount of personal information they share. Perhaps the most significant finding is that attitudes among 55 to 64-year-olds have improved in a big way – with 63 per cent saying they are happy with the amount of data they share, compared to just 47 per cent in 2012. 88 per cent of those happy with their data output cite transparency as one of the keys for their increased trust.

“GDPR comes into force next month and our research shows that consumer attitudes are already changing in a way that makes us optimistic,” said Chris Combemale, group CEO of the DMA. “GDPR establishes a level of transparency and honesty about how data is collected and used, which will be essential to continuing to build and maintain trust between businesses and consumers. This trust is central to data exchange and showing the value to both the business looking to prosper, and the customer looking to benefit.”

51 per cent of respondents said viewing data is essential to the smooth running of the modern economy, up from 38 per cent in 2012.

Meanwhile, the number of consumers unconcerned about the privacy or exchange of their data has increased from 16 per cent in 2012 to 25 per cent this year. This figure rose to 38 per cent among younger respondents.

“It is good to see consumers taking data privacy seriously, though it’s important to understand, they do vary in terms of how they view this subject,” said Jed Mole, European marketing director at Acxiom. “The clear trend is towards greater real-life acceptance of data exchange as part and parcel of everyday life. This is good news for marketers who believe in data ethics and adopt the highest standards in data-driven marketing. Using data to drive more transparent value, treating people as individuals while giving them control especially as we enter the GDPR era, is key to achieving the win-win businesses and consumers really want.”

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According to DMA’s (Direct Marketing Association) latest email benchmarking report, most opened emails came from travel at 21.1 per cent, utilities at 15 per cent and retail at 14.9 per cent. Travel and utilities also enjoyed the highest click through rates of 2.5 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively.

On the other end of the spectrum, not-for-profit, publishing, and finance emails were the least opened – all coming in under 10 per cent, while their click through rates were all under 0.9 per cent.

The report also looked at B2B and B2C emails, finding that B2B emails have a higher open rate at 22 per cent compared to the 18.7 per cent of B2C emails that are opened. Despite this, B2C emails experience 57 per cent more unique clicks than B2B emails. B2C comes in at 2.3 per cent versus 1.3 per cent for B2B.

“It’s always insightful to see a comparison across industries for email performance,” said Jenna Tiffany, a member of the DMA email council’s research hub and founder & strategy director at Let’sTalk Strategy. “To add context, a large percentage of utilities emails sent are statements or bills, as a result they generate a high open and click rate as customers click to check them. Talking more generally, offers do still play a key part in B2C email content, which typically drives a higher open and click rates. This is especially true with more frequent purchases, unlike in B2B where the purchase cycle is longer.

“It’s also important to take into consideration when comparing B2B and B2C emails that, typically, a higher proportion of B2B emails are follow-ups or ‘FYIs’ to a conversation that’s recently taken place – such as after a telephone call – which require no action from the recipient, hence the lower click rate.”

The DMA also found that consumers estimate they open between 28.4 per cent and 50.08 per cent of their emails, as opposed to the true figure of 14.2 per cent, showing customer perception differs greatly to the true figures experienced by marketers.

Don’t forget to enter the Effective Mobile Marketing Awards. Weve extended the final deadline to 18 August, but times running out. More details here.

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New research from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), which boasts more than 1,000 companies as members, has found that only 54 per cent of businesses feel they will be ready by this time next year – down from 68 per cent in February. Perhaps more worryingly, 24 per cent of companies have yet to start a GDPR plan.

Awareness of the GDPR sits at 96 per cent, however, the number of marketers that personally feel ‘extremely’ or ‘somewhat’ prepared fell from 71 per cent to 61 per cent.

“Despite high levels of awareness, with a year to prepare for the new laws, the number of businesses that believe they will be ready in time has dropped to just over half,” said Chris Combemale, CEO of the DMA Group. “Recent announcements and guidance from the ICO have caused much concern, that the interpretation of the laws is overly strict, penalising the companies most committed to best practice, honesty and transparency. What the industry needs is balanced and fair guidance from the ICO and Article 28 Working Party. With just 12 months to prepare we need this guidance urgently if we’re expected to be ready in time.”

The DMA’s research also found that marketers’ perceptions of how the GDPR will affect them have changed – with those believing the will be ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ affected rising from 44 per cent to 54 per cent. The biggest concerns of these marketers being consent, legacy data, implementing a compliant system, and profiling.

The DMA also reports that, since the Brexit vote, a net nine per cent of marketers said trade within the UK had decreased, while a net eight per cent said it had decreased within the EU and only two per cent believe trade with non-EU countries had increased. 93 per cent of marketers understand that the GDPR will happen regarding of the decision to leave the EU.

“As Britain’s role in the world changes, we must look at a global approach to free trade with free movement of data at its heart and the UK at the centre,” said Combemale. “Britain, as the leading digital economy, is well placed to be this global centre of innovation, skills and competencies driving global economic growth. But we need clear guidance from regulators or risk the consequences come 26 May 2018.”  

Consumer credit reporting agency Equifax understands the importance of businesses understanding the potential consequences.

“The one year countdown to the implementation of GDPR brings an even greater responsibility to ensure security is first class,” said Steve Martin, data protection officer at Equifax, speaking of telco operators in particular. “A data breach under the regulation may result in heavy fines of up to either 4 per cent of global revenue or €20m, whichever is higher. The financial risk is significant to telco operators. Strategies need to be implemented to ensure appropriate management of data, including how it’s transferred, shared, stored and recovered.  

“At the heart of the change is more transparency for consumers; companies must provide clear communication detailing how they manage and protect data from the outset. To avoid confusion, win consumers’ trust, and ensure data can continue to be used effectively, all parties in the data sharing chain need to work together to agree a common approach for privacy notices,” Martin continued.

“The financial penalty for a breach is high, but telcos mustn’t lose sight of the benefits of GDPR. It brings an opportunity to improve the public’s understanding of how their information is used and kept safe, and their rights to access, control and correct information held on file. To ensure this is achieved, companies must strike the right balance between compliance and a consumer-friendly approach.”

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According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), which has more than 1,000 companies as members, overall marketers with ‘good’ GDPR awareness rose by 13 per cent to 66 per cent, but B2B marketers continued to feel unprepared when compared to a year prior. 28 per cent of B2B marketers feel unprepared – down only two per cent year-on-year – while only 15 per cent of B2C marketers felt unprepared – down from 32 per cent.

“May 2018 should be a date that is in every marketer’s diary,” said Chris Combemale, CEO of the DMA group. “It is concerning that only half of our industry feels their businesses are prepared for the new rules and not that many more believe they will be ready in time. The finish line for GDPR readiness is fixed and the risk to businesses of not being compliant is significant. Our advice is to continue preparations in earnest over the coming year. Not making it across the line in time is not an option.”

In addition to the lack of preparation, the DMA’s research found that the biggest concern about GDPR was consent, with 70 per cent of marketers stating so. Consent is followed by legacy data at 50 per cent and profiling at 37 per cent.

As a result of these concerns, the biggest priority for businesses is ‘conducting impact assessments’ – with 42 per cent of marketers ranking it on top – followed by ‘giving data subjects greater control of their data (36 per cent) and revising their data policy (31 per cent).

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