Privacy Policy

This policy explains what, how and why we collect data/information when you visit our website or you use or participate in our services. It also explains the specific ways we use and disclose that information. We want to make it clear, we take your privacy extremely seriously, and we never sell your data for sales or marketing use. Our aim is to be as clear and open as possible about what we do and why.

This Privacy Policy is effective and updated as of 1st March 2024.

Links within this site to other websites are not covered by this Privacy Policy.

Information collection and use

When you use the website, send us an email, call us, or communicate with us in any other way, you are voluntarily giving us information that we collect.

That information may include your contact name, physical address, email address, IP address, phone number and other information which sometimes involves us asking for data from individuals that is classed as sensitive.

By giving us this information, you agree to this information being collected, used, disclosed, and stored by us, as described in this Privacy Policy.

Collecting and processing this personal (and sometimes sensitive) data is an inherent part of our core business, and we are committed to reducing the risk of such data being misused, exposing participants in our research to potential detriment.

We are committed to meeting the requirements of all applicable data protection legislation and requirements, including the following laws, codes and standards:

• UK Data Protection Act 2018
• The UK / EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Market Research Society’s (MRS) Code of Conduct
• ISO/IEC 27001 – Information Security Management quality standard
• UK Cyber Essentials (certified)
• NHS IG Information Toolkit 

We may process your data for:

• Responding to an information request about what we do
• Understanding how you interact with the website and social media
• To perform any contractual obligations. For example:
• Account management activity – email, written and verbal communications
• Financial activity – billing communications
• Promotional activities – updates on SMG news and services
• Participation in one of our training courses

Research Projects

We also, along with our partners, undertake collection of data for social and market research projects either in person, via telephone or online on behalf of our clients.

• All responses to our research are treated in the strictest confidence; in accordance with the laws, codes, and standards set out above; and for the research purposes only.
• Research participation is voluntary and no personal information is collected without consent.
  • Before providing personal information as part of the recruitment stage or before completing an online survey, you will be asked for consent to provide the information and opt-in to taking part in the research.
  • Respondents always have the opportunity to decline involvement or to ‘opt out’ of the research after agreeing to participate, by either letting the recruiter know or closing the online survey.
• Access to your personal data is limited to only those who need to access it for the explicit purposes of the research project. Those individuals who have access to the data are required to maintain the confidentiality of such information.
• We will analyse your responses to the research questions and compile a presentation and/or report of the findings as a whole.  All presentation/reports are anonymised. Only information required to inform the research will be extracted for our presentations and reports.  Personal data, such as names, email addresses, postal addresses, and any other information which can identify an individual will not be shared with anyone outside the research team managed by SMG and will be deleted once the project has been reported back to the client.  

Legal basis for processing personal information

Unless otherwise specified, the legal basis for processing your data will be either because you have given consent for one or more specific purposes; or processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child.

Your rights, access and control of your personal information

The data we gather from you is stored on secure 3rd party servers in accordance with the UK / EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

You have the right to see what information: is held about you; have incorrect information corrected; and to have it removed.

Where we hold your personal information we’ll:

• Provide records of what we hold when you request this from us
• Correct it if it’s inaccurate, especially if you ask us to
• Stop processing personal information where we can, and if you ask us to
• Stop sending you mailing information when you ask us to (opt out)

To do this or if you have a concern about the way in which we have handled any privacy matter you can contact Alyson Kyle at SMG, Suite 106, 109 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 6LL or at [email protected].

Your personal information will be kept for as long as needed to provide our services or until such time as the data is reviewed by us or is removed at your request. Any personal information recorded in print/hard copy will be securely destroyed/shredded by our contracted specialist service IDSL. All electronic/digital files will be removed/deleted so that the information is put “beyond use” by the user of the device or media i.e. cannot be recovered from backup.

Cookies

On rare occasions, we may use cookies and other similar devices sparingly for quality control, validation, or to prevent bothersome repeat surveying. (A cookie is a piece of information that web servers send to your browser file when you access a website we are using  - we do not use cookies on this website www.socialmarketinggateway.co.uk - then when you come back to a website, that website will detect whether you have cookies on your browser file.) You can configure your browser to notify you when cookies are being placed on your computer or to reject cookies altogether. We do no other invisible processing of your data, nor do we attempt to obtain any data from your computer or mobile device.

Notification of changes

SMG reserves the right to change the privacy policy statement without notice. It is the responsibility of users to check this privacy statement regularly.