Nicky Watson's Q&A with Authority Magazine

This article was initially showcased on the website of Authority Magazine, accessible through this link.

As a part of our series about “5 Things You Need To Know To Optimize Your Company’s Approach to Data Privacy” I had the pleasure of interviewing Nicky Watson.

Nicky Watson is the Chief Architect at Cassie. After a career spent across the disciplines of software design, data mining and digital marketing, and having pioneered the use of several marketing technologies for multiple enterprise clients, Watson built and brought to market Cassie. She retains direction of all development work for the product, offering expert guidance that ensures Cassie remains ahead of technological, business and legislative challenges our clients may face with navigating data privacy and consumer preferences.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?

I grew up in Nottinghamshire in the UK and went on to study at Newcastle University. My career allowed me to work internationally for several years but I’m delighted to now call home the beautiful hills of North Wales with my husband, 3 dogs, 1 cat, 6 chickens, 10 sheep and 50 thousand bees!

Is there a particular story that inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear it.

My career journey was inspired by recognizing a need for ethical and compliant data usage in the business world. After working in software design, data mining, and digital marketing, I founded Syrenis Ltd and built Cassie, a solution designed to help companies manage consent and leverage data responsibly. As the Chief Architect at Syrenis, I ensure Cassie remains at the forefront of technological and legal challenges, helping businesses thrive in the data-driven era.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this fascinating career?

I was sitting on a train that was delayed and found myself opposite the FD from a leading UK charity. He was really interested in Cassie and we talked for hours! He then introduced me to a great non-exec who gave me the following advice ‘concentrate on what you do well and surround yourself with brilliant people’, he then introduced me to Glenn who is now our CEO. I was beginning to realize I couldn’t do everything and it was a case of serendipity!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Absolutely, success is often a collective effort, understanding your own strengths and weaknesses as a founder are vital for success and growth. So, know when to let go! I am immensely grateful for the pivotal role that Glenn Jackson, our CEO at Cassie, has played in replacing me and elevating our business to new heights. Glenn’s leadership and vision have been instrumental in our journey seeing the expansion of our business into highly regulated industries like healthcare and banking, successfully navigating the intricacies of their heavily regulatory environments. His strategic acumen and hands-on leadership were crucial in making this expansion a reality.

There are others though who have been with me for over 15 years, such as the amazingly talented Rebekah Glynn, who keeps the lights on and Nick Elbra who still wants every line of data to be perfect! Keeping happy staff is essential to the growth and success of any company. Every employee is brilliant and has a vital role, they make the company.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

At Cassie, we’re continually engaged in exciting projects. Recently, we unveiled a research initiative that delves into the evolving landscape of data privacy legislation and its implications for US marketers.

Cassie’s Privacy Pain Points report found that:

• 69% of marketers feel concerned about the potential impact of privacy legislation on their ability to do their jobs effectively; 3 in 4 are concerned about incurring fines if they violate relevant laws concerning third-party cookies.
• 4 in 5 marketers are worried about their ability to target ads effectively without third-party data.
• 7 in 10 of marketing professionals say intelligent tracking prevention has inhibited their ability to deliver personalized brand experiences.

Concurrently, we introduced a groundbreaking product called Progressive Profiling, empowering our clients to foster trust, engage anonymous users, and construct comprehensive profiles to elevate user experiences. When combined with our Identity Service tool brands can confidently tackle the browser privacy challenges and retain as much user data as possible to enable personalized digital experiences.

Additionally, our Cross-Domain Consent feature streamlines the process by soliciting cookie preferences from anonymous website visitors just once and then extending this consent across various brand domains, enhancing user experiences and minimizing consent fatigue — more importantly it’s the only tool of its kind available in the marketplace.

What advice would you give to your colleagues to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Stay committed to continuous learning! In the data privacy field, there’s a constant stream of new information to absorb. Keeping yourself updated by reading articles on the latest developments and engaging in conversations with peers and industry thought leaders can be instrumental in maintaining your enthusiasm and keeping your inquisitiveness alive. Also remember this whole area is about supporting and caring about individuals, including you, take time out and step away from the online world.

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. How have recent privacy measures like The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), CPRA, GDPR, and other related laws affected your business? How do you think they might affect business in general?

Cassie serves as a consent and preference management platform designed to empower global enterprise businesses. By leveraging customer data, we assist our clients in managing consent and by fostering customer loyalty, boosting engagement all while ensuring they remain compliant with legislative requirements to avoid regulatory penalties.

Our clientele consists of companies with extensive customer bases spanning various sectors, including healthcare, finance, and retail. Typically, our platform finds the most utility among marketing, IT, and risk and compliance teams within these industries.

In response to global consumer privacy legislation, businesses are now obligated to grant customers the autonomy to determine the extent of personal data they are comfortable sharing. This not only facilitates a stronger bond of trust between consumers and businesses but also allows companies to tailor their marketing efforts according to consumer preferences.

From your vantage point, is there anything that you would suggest to make these measures more effective?

The future demands ethical frameworks and laws that are coordinated across industry and government, both domestically and on a global scale. The vast majority of technology companies in question are based in the United States. This presents an important opportunity for U.S. lawmakers and technology companies to come together behind a cohesive approach to privacy online. Once the U.S. has enacted federal privacy law, global coordination via the United Nations will be possible, where concerns about privacy and national security can be addressed in a coordinated way.

However, protecting individual rights and freedoms is not solely up to lawmakers. Technology companies must also prioritize the interests of individual citizens over profits and actively collaborate with legislators to avoid penalties.

The urgency lies in the hands of both legislators and industry leaders, who must assume the role of architects in shaping the future of our online lives, ensuring that we do not become its victims.

What are the most common data security mistakes you have seen companies make?

For years, technology companies have tracked people’s activity online and gathered personal data about how they live their lives. But the ethics of this practice have been increasingly called into question, and concerns about privacy and surveillance have taken center stage. Companies often use and exchange the data they collect in unexpected ways, and without the consent of their users. They often make changes after security is breached, but the trust between their customers is already broken. There’s a lack of transparency into how consumer data is used and has caused a rift between consumers and companies looking to capitalize on their personal information.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began and companies have become more dispersed, have you seen an uptick in data privacy errors? Can you explain?

Over the past several years, data collection and online tracking technology has exploded, creating multiple layers of interconnected often 3rd party mechanisms. This can be attributed in part to the explosion of e-commerce, when consumers began shopping for everything online, which further grew in popularity during COVID19. It allowed companies to easily accumulate and transact in consumer data without stopping to think how that was being stored/shared and used. Companies are now only able to collect, store, and buy/sell personal information shared with them by a consumer if they do not object or give either consent or have a realistic legitimate interest. It requires a mind-set change and gaining back control of the marketing technology stack to ensure not just compliance but data security in a world where information is power.

Ok, thank you. Here is the main question of our interview. What are the “5 Things Every Company Needs To Know To Tighten Up Its Approach to Data Privacy” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Transparency matters more than ever

People will not purchase from companies that they do not trust. Now more than ever, marketing teams need to carefully consider where the data they collect is going, and ensure they explain this to users in a way they can understand.

2. Understanding the consent of children is of significance

If your services are used by children, it’s essential that you think seriously about whether your consent management practices comply with children’s privacy rules.

3. Demonstrating ROI

Good consent management practices don’t just help avoid customer complaints and enforcement action. They can also build engagement, strengthen customer relationships, and generate a strong return on investment.

4. Leverage first-party data to gain insights into customer behavior

While it is not acceptable to use consumer data without consent, some data is okay to utilize. For example, first-party data is the information collected directly from a company’s customers and users. This is everything obtained from online transactions, website interactions, surveys and poll results, customer service, loyalty programs, and other sources. Marketing teams can use this data to learn what their customers want, in an ethical way to strengthen relationships.

5. Real-time consent management with a single source of truth

This is crucial for businesses to ensure compliance, build trust with customers, and effectively navigate the complex landscape of data privacy regulations while seamlessly connecting disparate and complex tech stacks.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂 (Think, simple, fast, effective and something everyone can do!)

I would inspire a global movement focused on digital literacy and responsible data handling. This movement would educate people about digital privacy, promote transparency, provide tools for data protection, and advocate for stronger privacy laws and corporate responsibility.

This was very inspiring and informative. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this interview!

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