Data Management & Analytics:
What Are the GDPR and Privacy Requirements for Marketing Data?
Build trust and stay legal. This playbook translates GDPR, ePrivacy, and state privacy laws into practical steps for consent, cookies, data subject rights, data sharing, and international transfers—so campaigns stay compliant and effective.
For marketing, comply by establishing a lawful basis per purpose (consent or legitimate interest), capturing granular opt-in/opt-out with audit trails, honoring data subject rights (access, delete, opt-out), limiting collection/retention, securing processor contracts (DPAs), and managing cross-border transfers with Standard Contractual Clauses and documented assessments. Put it into practice via a preference center, consented tagging, and request workflows.
Privacy First Principles for Marketers
Privacy Landscape at a Glance
How GDPR compares with CPRA/CCPA and ePrivacy for common marketing tasks.
| Topic | GDPR (EU/EEA/UK variants) | CPRA/CCPA (California) | ePrivacy (Cookies/Comms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawful Basis | Requires a basis per purpose (consent, contract, legitimate interest, etc.). | Focus on notice + right to opt-out of “sale/share” and limit sensitive data use. | Sets consent rules for cookies and electronic communications. |
| Email Marketing | Usually consent; B2B may rely on legitimate interest where appropriate and allowed. | Permitted with notice; must honor opt-out and do-not-sell/share signals. | Often requires opt-in for marketing emails/texts; varies by member state rules. |
| Cookies & Ad Tech | Consent if cookies are not strictly necessary; tie to personal data processing. | Provide “Do Not Sell/Share” and honor opt-out preference signals (GPC). | Prior consent for non-essential cookies (analytics/ads) in most jurisdictions. |
| Data Subject Rights | Access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection. | Know, delete, correct, opt-out of sale/share, limit sensitive data use. | Complimentary to GDPR; focuses on communications confidentiality and consent. |
| Transfers | SCCs/adequacy + transfer risk assessments and safeguards. | No geographic transfer regime; contractual and security expectations apply. | Not transfer-specific; look to GDPR for cross-border rules. |
Your 90-Day Privacy Enablement Plan
Operationalize privacy without slowing down marketing.
Phase 1 → Phase 2 → Phase 3
- Days 1–30: Foundations — Map processes and systems; define purposes & lawful bases; implement a consent banner and server-side consent log; publish a privacy notice and email preference center; appoint owners (Legal, Security, MOps).
- Days 31–60: Controls & Vendors — Execute DPAs with key platforms (CRM, MAP, CDP, ad tech); configure role-based access; set retention rules; catalog data in a RoPA; stand up DSAR intake with identity verification and SLAs.
- Days 61–90: Assurance & Activation — Conduct a transfer impact assessment for non-EEA processors; implement SCCs as needed; add consented audience flags; test cookie categories; drill an incident response runbook; launch a compliance dashboard.
Privacy Build Matrix (Phases, Owners, Outputs)
| Phase | Primary Focus | Owner(s) | Key Outputs | Primary KPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Foundations | Purposes, lawful bases, notices, consent capture | Legal + MOps + Web | Privacy notice, consent banner/logs, preference center | Consent Rate & Opt-out Fulfillment Time |
| 2. Controls & Vendors | DPAs, access control, retention, RoPA, DSAR | Legal + Security + RevOps | Signed DPAs, RBAC, retention policy, DSAR playbook | DSAR SLA Adherence & Data Minimization Score |
| 3. Assurance & Activation | Transfers, testing, incident readiness, reporting | Security + MOps + Analytics | SCCs/TIAs, cookie/category tests, incident runbook, compliance dashboard | Transfer Coverage & Cookie Compliance Rate |
Client Snapshot: Consent-First Growth
A global B2B team rolled out a preference center, lawful-basis tagging in CRM/MAP, and DSAR automation. Email deliverability rose 9%, paid media waste fell via suppression audiences, and DSAR turnaround dropped from 20 days to 5 while meeting GDPR and CPRA requirements.
Align privacy with RM6™ and journey design in The Loop™ so compliance and customer experience reinforce each other.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marketing Privacy
Short, self-contained answers designed for AEO and rich results.
Make Privacy a Growth Advantage
We’ll operationalize consent, DSARs, and vendor governance—so your marketing is compliant, data-driven, and trusted.
Align Privacy with RevOps Operationalize in Marketing Ops