Gateshead based direct mail company Washington Direct Mail has become one of very few companies of its type in the UK to achieve ISO27001 for data privacy and protection. In the post-GDPR world, they’ve invested time and money in digital printing and envelope enclosing technology to make sure they received the accreditation.
Impressively, the family-run mailing company – founded back in 1983 – can now compete on a level playing field with UK-wide print management and other direct mail companies. Positively, as part of their mailhouse and marketing campaign fulfilment offering, they also provide a range of core services such as personalised direct mail, litho and variable digital printing, data cleansing, mail fulfilment, dispatch and response handling.
ISO27001 is the international standard, outlining the best practice for an ISMS (information security management system). The accreditation states that the company is following the practice outlined. It also means that the company also provides an independent, expert verification that information security is managed in line with international best practice and business objectives. In addition to this very latest accreditation, they also hold certification for ISO9001 (quality management), ISO14001 (environmental management) and ISO18001 (occupational health and safety).
It’s a very significant milestone for the direct mail marketing firm as it means that as long as a level of ‘legitimate interest’ can be demonstrated by either the sender or for the reader, then direct mail does not require GDPR opt-in as email marketing campaigns do today.
Speaking about the achievement, Managing Director Lynn Beasley enthused, “We’re a small, agile, SME with a very strong team culture. We’re also extremely ambitious and want to be the very best at everything that we do. By gaining ISO27001 accreditation, we are reaffirming to our existing clients that they can have total confidence in the work that we do for them, and we are also positioning ourselves for huge opportunities in new markets. Essentially, we are future-proofing the business.We are one of the very few firms in the UK direct mail industry to gain this standard. Adding, “We can now compete against major UK global print and mailing companies. We believe we can clearly differentiate ourselves in this new arena. As an SME, we are fleet-of-foot, highly responsive and offer flexible pricing structures. Many of our major UK competitors will simply struggle to match us on many of these as they’re geared up for vast volumes that don’t change very often. Alternatively, they’re located in areas of the country such as the South East of the UK that have huge in-built overheads.”
Technical Director, Jon Beasley, added, “At a time when many businesses are worried about the implications of GDPR with regards to the miss-handling of data, they can be assured that the information we send out on their behalf is totally secure. While email marketing is very much under the microscope when it comes to GDPR, direct mail provides an opt-out for businesses under the criteria of ‘legitimate interest’”.
