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Marketers at loggerheads with IT departments over data
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Seventy-eight percent of organisations report centralising customer data management within information technology (IT) teams, with marketers bemoaning the fact that use of new tech is often restricted by their cyber overlords.

The Gartner survey of 405 marketing leaders conducted in May and June 2023 found 59% of marketers agreed with the statement that “our IT policies and/or strategy constrains our use of emerging technologies.”

“Collaboration between IT and marketing has traditionally been focused on selecting applications with their own data stores, such as a marketing automation solution which stored contacts, leads, and content,” said Benjamin Bloom, VP Analyst in the Gartner Marketing practice. “Diversification of the usage of customer data, beyond marketing, forces marketers to re-evaluate how their applications interact with enterprise-wide data. Successful CMOs should seize the opportunity to re-focus and leverage a new class of cloud-based IT resources, unless they fall short of marketing’s needs.”

Marketing’s autonomy over their own technology choices is also shifting based on the vital role that data and cohesive workflows play in productivity: 78% of respondents said they must select their solutions from pre-approved vendors and platforms.

The survey also found that across key martech activities, IT is on average taking greater ownership, and the frequency of marketing teams with sole ownership is receding. This shift spans both business-centric work such as acquisition of budget for martech, and driving adoption and utilization to support customer journeys, to more technical work such as configuration and deployment of new martech, and managing vendor relationships and contracts; management of all of these shifted toward IT year-over-year.

Overall, while martech teams were open to letting marketing and IT play to each others’ relative strengths, the share of respondents stating IT had sole responsibility or was leading with marketing in support increased across every activity for which there was year-over-year data between 2022 and 2023.

“In a perfect world, marketers lead more business-focused work, and IT leads more technical and integration activities. The focus should be on getting the work done, not a territorial battle,” said Bloom. “Many marketers will welcome this shift given the dependence of many technical activities on underlying data warehouse infrastructure owned by IT, but just as encouraging is the increasing business-savvy from IT teams which can drive the ultimate goal of productive martech stacks.”

TikTok ‘needs to build trust’ and double down on data security to make headway in e-commerce
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To prove itself as a legitimate ecommerce platform, TikTok must gain regulatory trust and ensure the safety of user data, say analysts at GlobalData.

Short video app TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is set to compete with the likes of Amazon, Shein, Sea Group’s Shopee, and Alibaba’s Lazada, with its live streaming ecommerce business. However, its new initiative comes at a time when the company is under scrutiny over data privacy concerns in the US and Europe.

Pinky Hiranandani, Principal Analyst at GlobalDat, said: “Security and trust are vital for ecommerce transactions. TikTok must implement strong security measures to protect user data from unauthorized access, including end-to-end encryption of sensitive data and complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the US. Also, the upcoming Digital Services Act in the EU requires platforms like TikTok to limit disinformation and better protect children online.”

TikTok Shop, the company’s ecommerce platform, which allows users to discover and purchase products directly from TikTok videos, has gained popularity in the Southeast Asian market backed by its large and engaged user base. In 2022 alone, TikTok Shop expanded to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.

While its main focus will be on markets such as Indonesia, TikTok is planning to expand its ecommerce business in the US and the UK. However, the company is already facing setbacks in the US and Europe (the UK, Denmark, and Belgium), with lawmakers banning the app on government devices. In May 2023, the state of Montana made the landmark move to ban the app completely. Although such bans may not prevent TikTok or any other social media company from accessing a user’s personal data, having a comprehensive federal data privacy law in the US will help.

Hiranandani continued: “Moreover, competition in the ecommerce space, especially in the US, is intense given the scale and reach of domestic giants such as Amazon and Walmart. TikTok aims to build on its massive user base and partnerships with brands and influencers to drive ecommerce sales. It is attempting to mimic Amazon by producing in-house products and building a sales pipeline, as well as charging vendors a commission to showcase products on TikTok Shop. However, the Chinese company will require significant investment in its platform and infrastructure to compete with its rivals.”

Image by Kon Zografos from Pixabay

Retailers not seizing 1st party data capture opportunities
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Almost two fifths of retailers employed no form of data capture during online buying journeys, impacting their ability to market effectively.

In-depth research of 99 UK ecommerce brands in its 2023 WunderkIndex Report, which analysed on-site shopping journeys and customer engagement – across both email and text channels – over a 6-month period.

With 37% of the brands audited not seeking data capture, either when a customer first comes to the site, after browsing the site for several minutes, or at the point of exiting the website, retailers could be leaving valuable first-party data on the table. This risks impacting their marketing list growth and future revenue opportunities through email engagement, meaning they are potentially missing out on an estimated 6-10% additional digital revenue.

By the end of 2020, CPC (cost per click) across social media platforms had risen by between 20 – 60% YOY (year-on-year).  Yet, despite these rising costs, some of the conventional paid media platforms used by brands to acquire customers, including Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, were seeing a 30% decline in conversions.

This prompted many brands to question the ROI of being overly reliant on ‘rented’ audiences on 3rd party channels, especially with the planned third-party cookie cull by Google, set to take place in 2024, added into the mix.

This makes 1st party data now even more mission-critical to drive long-term engagement, revenues, and customer lifetime value (CLV) through cost-efficient owned channels – as well as to deliver ROI on marketing pounds, particularly given the continuing economic headwinds.

The WunderkIndex report also reveals common shortcomings in retailers’ data capture capabilities, with 93% of the websites surveyed failing to include explicit checkbox consent in on-site capture experiences, falling short of GDPR-led permissioning best practice.

Of the retailers audited with capture capabilities, 86% prompted visitors for an email address but just 6% were set up to capture mobile numbers, missing out on customer engagement opportunities via text – a rapidly growing and high-converting marketing channel.  A recent Wunderkind survey of over 2,000 UK consumers found that, while 84% agree that email is still the most convenient channel for communicating with retailers when shopping online, a third (32%) say they now find text just as convenient – an increase of +6 percentage points year-on-year.

Looking specifically at value exchanges offered for customer data opt-ins, discounting was the most common, offered by 40% of brands, followed by newsletter subscription (32%) and other perks such as VIP events, sales access, and exclusive content (17%).  This mirrors consumer demand for money-saving benefits, such as immediate discounting (58%) and free shipping (56%), topping Wunderkind’s recent shopper poll as their preferred value exchange mechanism when choosing to opt in.

Wulfric Light-Wilkinson, General Manager at Wunderkind International, said: “We’re seeing a seismic shift, not only in marketing channel performance but also in consumer behaviour, prompted in part by channel adoption but also driven by cost-of-living consumer behaviours, where the concept of value and that of value exchange are evolving.  And that calls for a change in marketing strategy – balancing the scales and pivoting to maximising value from owned audiences and channels will be absolutely critical in 2023, as retailers work harder to win conversions from increasingly cautious shoppers.  By owning and optimising 1st party data, brands can ensure ROI on marketing spend, while at the same time providing a better and more personalised customer experience.”

Internet users ‘becoming more discerning’ globally
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New data shows that the typical internet user globally has reduced their average daily internet use by 20 minutes over the past twelve months to 6 hours 37 minutes, equating to a year-on-year reduction of almost 5 percent.

Meltwater and We Are Social’s Digital 2023 report also indicates that time spent on social platforms has increased to more than 2½ hours per day — 40 minutes more than time spent watching broadcast and cable TV.

Analysis of the data suggests that people are looking for more purposeful internet use, with a focus on quality over quantity. The daily usage rate is a return to 2019 levels, before the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the world’s digital behaviours.

The 465 page report also shows that social platforms are claiming an ever greater share of the world’s search activity. 16- to 34-year-olds are now more likely to visit a social network when looking for information about brands than they are to use a search engine (48 percent vs. 45 percent), and half of the world’s social media users say that they actively visit social platforms to learn more about brands and see their content.

While the rise of TikTok search has already caught the attention of the media, the latest data suggest that Instagram is social media users’ preferred destination when researching things.

The growing importance of social media is reflected in global advertising spend, with investment in social media ads more than doubling since the outbreak of COVID-19,  to reach an estimated US $226 billion in 2022.

Additional headlines in Digital 2023, which looks at social media, internet, mobile and ecommerce trends globally, include:

  • There are 5.16 billion internet users in the world today, and 4.76 billion social media users.
  • Average daily mobile time has increased by seven minutes per day over the past year, and the typical Android user now spends more than five hours per day using their smartphone, however:
  • Computers still account for more than half of the time that people in North America and Europe spend using the internet.
  • Ownership of cryptocurrencies is in decline: the share of internet users who own at least one form of digital currency fell by three percent between July and October.
  • TikTok tops the global list of social media platforms when it comes to time spent per user on Android devices, followed by YouTube and Facebook.

Alexandra Saab Bjertnæs, Chief Strategy Officer at Meltwater said: “”Brands that want to be competitive today need to stay ahead of trends, searching for and identifying them, in order to understand their impact on any given industry. Consumers continue to spend more and more time on social media, and it’s clear that social will play an even more important role in the customer journey as users turn to platforms like TikTok and Instagram to guide their decision-making process. With more than 5 billion internet users today, it’s becoming more crucial than ever that brands deliver relevant, impactful, and purposeful content to capture attention and create value across digital channels.”

Nathan McDonald, Group CEO and co-founder at We Are Social added: “Social media’s influence on how we live our lives continues to grow. From shopping to connecting, entertaining to searching, it’s inextricably linked to our habits both on and offline. It’s interesting to see internet use becoming more discerning – while being online is still incredibly important in our everyday lives, people rightly want to make sure it’s time well spent. Marketers and creators will have to work even harder to attract and retain people’s attention in 2023 – it’s never been more important to understand online culture in order to reach people in a relevant way.”

Organisations wrestling with staggering levels of unknown, unused ‘dark data’
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Data quality has overtaken data security as the top driver of data governance initiatives, with 41% of those surveyed agreeing that their business decision-making relies fundamentally on trustworthy, quality data.

That’s according to a study undertaken by Quest Software, and the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), published in their 2022 State of Data Governance and Empowerment Report, which highlights the top challenges and innovations in data governance, data management and DataOps.

At the same time, however, 45% of IT leaders say that data quality is the biggest detractor from ROI in data governance efforts. While they recognise its importance, they’re struggling to improve the quality of their data, and thus the ability to strategically and maximally leverage data in practice.

“Business users at all technical levels have an edge when they have full visibility into, control over and confidence in their data,” said Patrick Nichols, CEO of Quest Software. “Trustworthy data and efficient data operations have never been more influential in determining the success or failure of business goals. When people lack access to high-quality data and the confidence and guidance to use it properly, it’s virtually impossible for them to reach their desired outcomes.”

The report also revealed that business leaders struggle not only to make sense of their data, but to locate it and use it in the first place, with 42% of survey respondents saying at least half of their data was “dark data” – retained by the organization, but unused, unmanageable and unfindable. An influx in dark data and a lack of data visibility often leads to downstream bottlenecks, impeding the accuracy and effectiveness of operational data.

“Businesses can’t utilize data, much less optimize it for the benefit of their organization, if they can’t actually see it,” said Nichols. “IT leaders must make data empowerment their first priority, enabling their organizations to leverage business intelligence, creating a single source of the truth to succeed in today’s data-driven world.”

While the challenges of data visibility and observability differ across industries, DataOps was overwhelmingly recognized as the primary solution to drive forward data empowerment. 9 in 10 people surveyed agreed that strengthening DataOps capabilities improves data quality, visibility and access issues across their businesses. The biggest opportunities to improve DataOps accuracy and efficiency lie in investing in automated technologies and deployment of time-saving tools, such as metadata management. Currently, only 37% of respondents describe their DataOps processes as automated, and a similarly small proportion report having automated data cataloging and mapping today (36% and 35% respectively).

“Today’s businesses are all but forced to be data-driven and evidence-based in their strategies, yet still face significant obstacles that prevent their people from being fully empowered to bring data to every decision,” said Mike Leone, senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group. “Organizations that invest in building a data-first culture – fueled by automation in DataOps processes, high-quality data, holistic governance, and enterprise-wide accessibility – to drive business success, will have the advantage.”

Download the full 2022 Quest State of Data Governance and Data Empowerment Report here.

DMA targets ‘micro-upskilling’ to tackle marketing skills shortage
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The current skills crisis will only worsen if the marketing and creative industries do not seek a culture change – towards continuous, structured learning.

That’s the view of the Data & Marketing Association (DMA), which says direction, support and structure are the essential building blocks of a learning culture yet are also often the main barriers to professional development.

For that reason, the DMA is advocating for what it calls ‘micro-upskilling’ as part of a new campaign.

It claims that with as little as one hour a week spent per employee to structured online learning and professional development, it’s possible to:-

  • Evolve skillsets and supercharge marketing output
  • Help businesses retain key talent
  • Give marketers the tools to grow what they know, enchancing CVs and allowing for the creation of better work

70% of professionals currently upskill less than an hour a week, according to a recent DMA poll.

DMA MD Rachel Aldighieri explains: “Our community needs to act now to help reduce creative, data and digital skills gaps and talent shortages seen across the UK’s digital economy. We want to futureproof the data-driven marketing industry and fuel economic growth by addressing the current skills crises. Micro-upskilling is one of the key solutions, with potential for short- and long-term benefits.

“A little and often mentality creates a habit that can fit around other responsibilities without damaging productivity – that’s important as technology evolves and professionals increasingly struggle to find the time to upskill.

Recent research found that 32% of UK employees changed jobs in last 12 months because their employer didn’t offer upskilling or training opportunities.

“The DMA is working with our community to introduce micro-upskilling as a key element of membership, to help marketing personnel enhance their skillsets and drive responsible business growth – We believe micro-upskilling will help to expand the digital and data-driven marketing skills of the current workforce,” added Aldigheirii.

However, this crisis isn’t just the responsibility of business leaders, says the DMA.

It is calling for the UK Government to deliver a more joined-up, unified National Data Strategy – to showcase the respected careers in marketing that talent with creative, data or digital skills can thrive in.

Contrary to the UK Government’s recent comments, which allude to a new campaign getting brands to reduce prices by cutting marketing budgets.

Why should businesses invest less time and resource in marketing when there is a skills crisis impacting the UK digital economy?

Aldigheirii said: “We’d like the UK Government, supported by industry bodies like the DMA, to take a more proactive role in upskilling and reskilling the nation with core creative, data and digital skills. Utilising government and industry initiatives such as apprenticeship and retraining schemes. We want to drive responsible growth through the professionalisation of our industry.”

Customers expect personalisation ‘during every brand interaction’
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Customers expect personalisation during every brand interaction — but they don’t trust brands to keep their personal data secure and to use it responsibly.

That’s the dilemma companies everywhere are currently facing, according to new data from Twilio in its third annual State of Personalization Report 2022, which found that 62% of consumers expect personalisation.

Meanwhile, 49% will become repeat buyers if personalisation is offered. Yet only 40% of consumers say they trust brands to use their data responsibly and keep it safe.

Twilio’s report shows lack of trust is increasingly affecting consumer buying decisions: 60% of consumers say trustworthiness and transparency are the most important traits of a brand, up from 55% in 2021.

The personalisation vs. privacy paradox

Delivering personalised experiences requires personal data, so changing consumer attitudes towards sharing data online creates a paradox for businesses.

First-party data, or data collected directly from customers with their consent, is optimal for privacy. According to the Twilio report, 63% of consumers say they are fine with personalisation, as long as brands are using their own data and not data purchased or rented from third parties.

Consumer privacy a generational challenge — and an opportunity

Companies have long “rented” customer relationships from advertisers and social networks. These companies collect behaviour and demographic data and then resell it as targetable audiences. But sweeping privacy regulations — at both the government and corporate levels — are forcing companies to shift from renting to owning their customer relationships.

This pivot is not a simple one. Half of the companies Twilio surveyed said recent changes to data privacy regulations have made personalisation more difficult. But with Google set to join Firefox and Safari in banning third-party cookies by the end of 2023, the shift to first-party data is no longer optional.

Many companies are already responding to these changes in consumer preferences, regulations, and technology, with 43% of business leaders embracing first-party data because it provides better privacy for customers.

Data and technology hurdles to personalisation at scale

Technology remains a hurdle for many companies. Tech giants have fleets of data scientists and massive budgets to achieve personalisation at scale, but Twilio’s report shows the majority of businesses are still struggling to achieve omnichannel personalisation, despite 6 out of 10 respondents reporting increased investment in personalisation in 2022. The most common barriers include lack of technology, unclear ROI, lack of accurate data, and organisational impediments.

Technologies such as customer data platforms give businesses the tools they need to achieve compliance while managing first-party data for personalisation. Customer data platforms collect first-party data at every customer touchpoint to create a single, unified view of the customer. Business leaders are embracing such technologies, with 53% investing in better technology to manage customer data. These companies are equipped to build deeper customer relationships.

“This research points to how recent changes in data privacy regulations has made the personalisation imperative increasingly important and challenging, as customers are skeptical of how brands are handling their data”, said Samantha Richardson, Principal Visioneering Consultant, Twilio.

“With the end of third-party cookies coming to fruition next year, brands need to put a strategy in place to rebuild trust with consumers and move away from legacy advertising approaches towards a more authentic kind of engagement. Using consensually offered first party data and applying that to learn who your customer is and what they really want is a critical first step here. It’s no longer about retargeting someone who has just bought a product with several other, similar items. Customer data platforms can uncover meaningful insights that will help build genuine customer-first relationships  – and moving in this direction now is about when, not if.”

Twilio’s State of Personalisation Report is based on two surveys conducted by Method Communications between April and May 2022. A consumer survey targeted adults who purchased something online in the past six months. A business survey targeted B2B and B2C business managers and above who are familiar with their company’s customer experience, marketingtech, or customer data strategies. There were a total of 3,450 respondents from Australia, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom and United States, with a minimum of 250 respondents from each country.

The full report can be downloaded here.

Increased media fragmentation amplifying need for holistic measurement
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Nielsen’s Annual Marketing Report has found that brands’ top priorities for 2022 are increasing brand awareness, un-siloing measurement, developing personalized strategies, and becoming more purpose-driven.

With consumer buying habits very much a focus following the enormous change that COVID-19 has left on their behaviour, Nielsen has for the very first time conducted a global survey that includes insights incorporating EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) marketers.

Respondents surveyed came from manager-level and above, overseeing marketing budgets of US$1 million upwards, working across a variety of industries, from the retail and ecommerce, auto, financial services, FMCG, technology, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, travel, tourism and retail industries.  

The research conducted by Opinium Research spanned the regions, asking marketer participants a range of questions from how they access marketing campaigns; reporting systems; measurement; data accuracy; and their overriding concerns regarding ROI (return on investment). 

The report both revealed a digital dominance in how dollars are being spent and exposed marketers’ lack of confidence in the data behind those decisions. With continued digital fragmentation, marketers report data accuracy, measurement, and ROI are paramount. While 69% of marketers believe first-party data is essential for their strategies and campaigns, and 72% of marketers believe they have access to quality data, only 26% of global marketers are fully confident in their audience data.

The Era of Alignment found marketers around the world are experiencing similar areas of success and challenges, as shown by:

  • Brand awareness is marketers’ top objective. To reach this goal, brands need to leverage an array of channels to reach the widest audience. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents stated that social media is the most effective paid channel with TikTok and Instagram dominating spend. Comparatively, TV and radio spend is significantly less with an aggregate increase of 53% across global marketers. Customer acquisition is their second objective, showing that marketers must focus efforts on the entire customer journey.
  • Increased media fragmentation amplifies the need for holistic measurement. Marketers’ confidence in measuring ROI of the full-funnel is only 54%. Remove online and mobile video and confidence in measuring ROI across all other channels is under 50% globally, and while nearly half of marketers plan to increase their spending on podcasts, their confidence in measuring the ROI of that investment is 44%.
  • It’s vital for marketers to use data to champion personalized marketing strategies. The increasing proliferation of channels produces an abundance of unique data sets. However, 36% of marketers still claim that data access, identity resolution, and deriving actionable insights from data is either extremely or very difficult. With the rise of connected TV (CTV) this presents new challenges to traditional targeting solutions. CTV is a growing focus for global marketers, with 51% planning to increase their over-the-top/CTV spending in the coming year. To wit, Americans streamed almost 15 million years’ worth of content across subscription- and ad-supported platforms.
  • By placing a greater emphasis on purpose-driven initiatives, marketers can better connect with consumers.Nielsen Research shows over half of U.S. consumers (52%) purchase from brands that support causes they care about; similarly, more than 36% expect the brands they buy to support social causes. While global marketers say their brands are emphasizing purpose, Nielsen data shows that 55% of consumers aren’t convinced that brands are fostering true progress.

“Our work at Nielsen is to provide the most complete view of consumer behavior regardless of industry, and our longtime experience in measurement and comprehensive view of the media universe gives brands a 360-degree view that can’t be found anywhere else,” said Jamie Moldafsky, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Nielsen. “This research showcased that marketers want to put money into channels to deliver immediate ROI, however we also see that they must be agile in the year ahead and work across the entire marketing funnel to reinforce brand awareness and acquire more customers. With the upcoming elimination of third-party cookies, it’s understandable to see marketers prioritizing personalization and aligning their brand with causes their customers care about. Through our solutions – and this report – we’re continuing to help brands and marketers get actionable insights to make more informed, and quicker decisions.”

This is the fifth Annual Marketing Report produced by Nielsen. The report is fueled by survey responses of marketers manager-level and above, who manage marketing budgets north of $1 million, who work across a variety of industries (auto, financial services, FMCG, technology, health care, pharmaceuticals, travel, tourism, and retail), and whose focus pertains to media, technology, and measurement strategies.

Data literacy to be most in-demand skill by 2030
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Just one quarter of employees believe their employer is preparing them for a more data-oriented and automated workplace (25%), including in the marketing industry.

That’s according to new research from analytics provider Qlik, despite most business leaders predicting an upheaval in working practices due to the rapid onset of artificial intelligence (AI).

With 32% of employees surveyed reporting they had changed jobs in the last 12 months because their employer wasn’t offering enough upskilling and training opportunities, there is a stark need to better upskill workforces to support the workplace transition that is already underway.

The report, Data Literacy: The Upskilling Evolution, was developed by Qlik in partnership with The Future Labs and combines insights from expert interviews with surveys from over 1,200 global C-level executives and 6,000 employees.

The findings, which were largely consistent across all geographies surveyed, reveal how the rapid growth in data usage is extending enterprise aspirations for its potential and, in turn, transforming working practices. As organisations shift from passive data consumption toward a state of Active Intelligence, where continuous data becomes integrated into working practices to trigger immediate actions, the report predicts how this will impact skills requirements and professional opportunities.

Data literacy: The most in-demand skill in the future workplace

The study found that business leaders and employees alike predict that data literacy – defined as the ability to read, work with, analyze and communicate with data – will be the most in-demand skill by 2030. And 81% of executives believe it will become as vital in the future as the ability to use a computer is today.

This reflects the greater appreciation of data in the enterprise. Global employees surveyed report their use of data and its importance in decision-making has doubled over the past year. While 86% of executives now expect all team members to be able to explain how data has informed their decisions.

Underpinning more intelligent and automated working practices

The demand for data skills reflects the significant shift in the workplace, due to the rise of AI. The enterprise leaders who took part in the study believe employee working practices will change to become more collaborative, with intelligent tools helping them make better decisions (80%) and become more productive (82%).

To realise its potential, 37% of C-level respondents predict their organisation will hire a Chief Automation Officer within the next 3 years, rising to 100% within the next decade. But the investment cannot end at senior hires; those on the front line need support during this transition. And 57% of employees surveyed believe that data literacy will help them stay relevant in their role with the growing use of AI.

“We often hear people talk about how employees need to understand how Artificial Intelligence will change how they complete their role, but more importantly we need to be helping them develop the skills that enable them to add value to the output of these intelligent algorithms,” said Elif Tutuk, VP of Innovation & Design at Qlik. “Data literacy will be critical in extending workplace collaboration beyond human-to-human engagements, to employees augmenting machine intelligence with creativity and critical thinking.”

The true value of data literacy on the talent market

The shift toward a more data-oriented and automated workplace creates a massive opportunity for those with data literacy skills. Every single business leader surveyed reported that they would offer a salary increase for candidates that could demonstrate their data literacy. On average, they would offer a 24% salary increase for demonstrating this skillset. For the average UK employee, this translates into an additional £7.6K to their annual salary.

Despite being perceived as critical to the success of the enterprise – both today and in the future – just 13% of employees surveyed feel fully confident in their data literacy skills. Yet, the most common belief among UK enterprise leaders is that it is an individual’s responsibility, over that of their current employer or educational institutions, to prepare themselves with the skills for the future workplace.

Where organisations are increasing their data literacy training, our research shows that it is primarily offered to those working in specific data related roles (59%), such as data analysts and data scientists. Far fewer organisations offer this training to those working in marketing, HR and finance (10%, 17% and 13% respectively) despite the majority of employees working in these functions stating data literacy is already necessary to fulfil their current role (69%, 56% and 75% respectively).

Over three-quarters (76%) of employees are instead investing their own time and money (58%) to plug the professional skills gap needed for the future enterprise – with these employees spending an average of nearly 7 hours each month and nearly £2.6K each year. Some vote with their feet, with 32% of employees reporting having left a job in the past 12 months due to their employer not offering enough upskilling and training opportunities.

“Over the past few years, investments in digitizing most business processes have transformed the data resources available, and this will continue as we move toward a more intelligent and automated workplace,” said Dr. Paul Barth, Global Head of Data Literacy at Qlik. “But investment in leading-edge data platforms has revealed a large—and expanding—gap in data literacy skills in the workforce. To become a data-driven company, where employees regularly use data and analytics to make better decisions and take informed actions, business leaders need to make investments in upskilling workers in every role to close the data literacy gap.”

The Data Literacy: The Upskilling Evolution report can be downloaded here.

10 ways to make privacy your competitive advantage in 2022
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New year, new start. Nigel Jones, Co-Founder of the Privacy Compliance Hub discusses why and how organisations must put privacy compliance at the heart of their strategy for 2022…

Apple has allowed iPhone users to choose whether they’re tracked by apps, DuckDuckGo is trying the same thing for Android, and even WhatsApp has updated its policy after a multi-million-pound fine. These are sure signs that ‘Big Tech’ is waking up to growing consumer concerns about data protection and recognising that privacy is fast becoming a competitive advantage.

According to Statista research, 54% of UK consumers say they’re now more concerned about their online privacy than a year ago. That backs up a previous study that revealed almost two thirds (61%) of UK consumers worry about how their personal data is being used by companies and 55% prefer to be anonymous when browsing online.

This is serious for businesses. Add increased security threats because of remote working and a new information commissioner who may be more ready to issue fines, and there are plenty of reasons to adjust approach and attitude towards privacy.

Here are my 10 top tips for putting privacy compliance front and centre in 2022.

1. Take stock of where you are

Start with an assessment of your current compliance – there are free online tools that can help you with this. This is also a good opportunity for some light housekeeping, such as checking that you’ve paid your annual data protection fee, whether you need to appoint a Data Protection Officer (and/or register that person with the Information Commissioner’s Office), and if your Record of Processing Activities (also known as an Article 30 Record), Record of Vendors and Partners and Data Retention Policy are up to date.

2. Map your data flows

It’s vital to have a clear view of the personal data that’s under your control. You need to know what data you hold, what it’s for, where it’s located, where it goes, how long you keep it for and what you do with it when you no longer need it. Data maps should cover all data processing activities and is a job for all departments. Gather representatives from all functions in one room (or on one video call) and talk it out.

3. Review existing privacy policies

Privacy notices are often copy and pasted from other sites with the names changed or drafted by legal professionals who have little idea about how the business they’re writing them for operates. Once you’ve mapped your data flows, take a look at your existing policies. Do they need to change or be updated? Don’t be afraid to start again. The objective is to be transparent about what you are doing with the readers’ personal data.

4. Consider the impact of hybrid working

Staff privacy and remote work policies may also have to be updated, in light of the shift towards hybrid working. Cybercrime has spiked in the past year, with experts pointing to weaker security due to home working. Are your employees using personal devices, saving files locally or using unsecure Wi-Fi? They could be putting your business at risk of attack.

5. Empower staff through regular training

When 90% of data breaches in the UK are down to human error, having a well-trained team is essential in the fight for privacy. This isn’t just an IT project – everyone helps protect personal information. Focus on what staff really need to know about privacy in their day-to-day work and tailor each session accordingly. Customer data can often be an organisation’s most valuable asset. By making compliance familiar to employees, they’ll feel empowered to make the most of it safely.

6. Tighten up your marketing communications

The ICO handed out £1.7m in fines for marketing breaches in 2021. It’s easy for members of the public to complain if they’re not unsubscribed when they ask to be, if their data is used for something they didn’t sign up for, or if they’re contacted without giving prior permission. If you are cold emailing individuals in a business context, you must have a lawful reason for doing so, such as ‘legitimate interest’. And of course, if anyone requests to be removed from a contact list, you must remove them immediately and add them to a marketing suppression list so they’re not contacted again.

7. Be careful who you’re sharing data with

You’ve put the work in to make sure you’re taking privacy seriously. But do the partners and vendors you’re sharing customer data with take it seriously too? Make sure you only work with safe organisations that have policies in place to protect personal information, that will only act in accordance with your instructions when they process that data, and that can respond quickly to subject access requests from individuals. Ask partners to complete a risk assessment questionnaire or do due diligence on their privacy practises before working with them.

8. Encourage leaders to be proactive about privacy

Culture starts from the top and leaders need to set the tone. Be clear with the team that you care about privacy, that it’s a priority, and that good behaviour will be rewarded. Give privacy a place in the boardroom, assign responsibilities for regular updates and set targets around it. This isn’t the responsibility of lawyers, it’s the collective responsibility of the entire organisation.

9. Appoint privacy champions throughout the business

Whoever holds responsibility for privacy needs to appoint privacy champions in each department because they will need a lot of help. Luckily this is a topic that people are genuinely interested in, particularly those younger employees that have grown up with technology facilitating every part of their lives. They want to work for ethical companies that take privacy seriously. Ask for their help; you may be surprised by who puts their hand up.

10. Create a culture of privacy by design and by default

Privacy compliance isn’t a one-off project that can be ticked off, or a new year’s resolution that will be dropped by March. Organisations looking to turn privacy into a competitive advantage need to create a culture of ongoing privacy by design and default. One where every time a new product or service or process is introduced, the question is asked – what does that mean for privacy?

Nigel Jones is the co-founder of the Privacy Compliance Hub, a former Google executive and head of its legal team for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Nigel has more than 30 years of legal experience advising companies on technology, data protection, privacy and the pragmatic steps available to cut risk, meet regulatory requirements and manage data breaches. Take your free GDPR health check today.