Digital Marketing - Study Notes:
Data ethics
Data ethics refers to the ethical considerations that apply when collecting, using, and sharing data. This includes ensuring data is collected fairly and responsibly, people’s privacy is being protected, and that you’re being transparent about how you use their data. Fundamentally, data ethics are guidelines that govern how an organization handles both customer data and wider societal data.
Data ethics has a direct relationship with the core principles of data governance and corporate governance as a whole. Both data ethics and data governance outline a series of best practices for every business to ensure that quality, privacy, security, compliance, and transparency standards are being met. In many ways, the standards of operating a digital business are tied to data ethics, as both create a principled and ethical approach to business and data.
Ethics charter
As well as considering the legal requirements for data protection, it’s important to create and follow an ethics charter for how data is handled by your marketing team and in the wider organization.
Let’s consider some of the best practices you should include in a data ethics charter.
Typically, your data should:
- Be used fairly and lawfully.
- Be used for limited and specifically stated purposes.
- Be used in a way that is adequate, relevant, and not excessive.
- Be kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary.
- Be kept safe and secure.
- Not be transferred outside the governing jurisdiction without adequate protection, such as the European Economic Area, for example.
Data ethics has a direct relationship with the four core goals of data governance: quality, privacy, security, and compliance. By following these best practices, you ensure that privacy, security, and transparency standards are met.
Certification
Demonstrating professional competency in data protection and protecting the privacy of customers is becoming increasingly important for digital marketing leaders and strategists. Given the potential risks for individuals and organizations if they make mistakes, or behave unethically – including fines and financial penalties – this area is becoming increasingly important.
Gaining a professional certification is a great way to demonstrate competence. Completing a rigorous data protection program such as the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification is worth considering for any digital marketing leader, manager, or strategist.
The typical steps involved in becoming a certified data protection professional include:
- Choosing a governing body
- Understanding the process
- Beginning to comply
- Undertaking and passing the certification test
- Undergoing regular audits to maintain your certification
Getting a data protection or privacy certification will also help your business move forward by publicly demonstrating a commitment to fair and ethical practices. It’s Important to note that as data protection legislation changes, you’ll need to keep up to date with the latest developments in local and international requirements.
Providing ongoing training in data protection is a must for any digital marketing team to safeguard the data of the organization’s customers, and to ensure the business meets its statutory requirements.
Back to TopCathal Melinn
Cathal Melinn is a well-known Digital Marketing Director, commercial analyst, and eommerce specialist with over 15 years’ experience.
Cathal is a respected international conference speaker, course lecturer, and digital trainer. He specializes in driving complete understanding from students across a number of digital marketing disciplines including: paid and organic search (PPC and SEO), analytics, strategy and planning, social media, reporting, and optimization. Cathal works with digital professionals in over 80 countries and teaches at all levels of experience from beginner to advanced.
Alongside his training and course work, Cathal runs his own digital marketing agency and is considered an analytics and revenue-generating guru - at enterprise level. He has extensive local and international experience working with top B2B and B2C brands across multiple industries.
Over his career, Cathal has worked client-side too, with digital marketing agencies and media owners, for brands including HSBC, Amazon, Apple, Red Bull, Dell, Vodafone, Compare the Market, Aer Lingus, and Expedia.
He can be reached on LinkedIn here.
Kevin Reid
Kevin is a Senior Training Consultant and the Owner of Personal Skills Training and the Owner and Lead Coach of Kevin J Reid Communications Coaching and the Communications Director of The Counsel.
With over twenty years of experience in Irish and International business with an emphasis on business communications training and coaching, he is a much in demand trainer and clients include CEO’s, general managers, sales teams, individuals and entire organisations.
With deep expertise in interpersonal communication through training and coaching and in a nurturing yet challenging environment, Kevin supports teams and individuals through facilitation and theory instruction to empower themselves to achieve their communication objectives. This empowerment results in creativity, confidence building and the generation of a learning culture of continuous self-improvement.
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
- Critically analyse the process of using analytics tools to create insights
- Critically evaluate the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) tools in enhancing marketing strategy
- Evaluate Customer Relationship Management (CRM) data and its use in informing business decisions
