GDPR - We've got it taped

We’ve all been bombarded this week by last minute emails about GDPR and many of us are enjoying playing the Dragon’s Den game of “sorry, I’m out”. Possibly the largest mass ‘declutter’ in corporate history.

It’s amazing how few organisations have reminded me who they are in the email. Call me a fickle, but I don’t remember the name of every company I’ve ever interacted with. SPG, your local solicitor, would be more useful than just SPG - and give them a fighting chance of being accepted as relevant. If I did my will with them ten years ago, I might want to stay in touch - but I may also have forgotten their name.

I have also found it fascinating, not to say a little scary, to find out just how many organisations’ databases I was sitting on.

Of the many who tell me “This email is being sent to you as you have opted in to marketing newsletter emails during the checkout process”, I suggest most mean “This email is being sent to you as you failed to opt out of marketing newsletter emails during the checkout process”. There’s a difference.

GBnametapes.co.uk were one such example. I am fairly certain that I’ve never been itching to join the name tape community and confess I hadn’t realised I had. Thankfully, I’m not aware of receiving a single email since having the tapes made when my (now teenage) son was in Reception Class.

But I come here to praise them, not to bury them. Not only was their email short and humorous, they were also one of the only companies to offer me a 20% discount code, to thank me for reading to the end. I was so impressed by their positive approach to this mass mailing bonanza, I almost opted in. Almost.