This privacy policy sets out how Blend Marketing Ltd ("Blend", "we", "us") collects, uses, and protects any personal information you give us when you use this website or otherwise interact with us.
We are committed to protecting your privacy. We handle personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, and our wider GDPR Policy, which sits within our ISO 27001-certified Information Security Management System.
If you have any questions about how we handle your personal data, please contact us at info@blendb2b.com.
Who we are
Blend Marketing Ltd is the data controller for personal data collected through this website. We are registered in England and Wales and our registered office is at East Throp House, Paddock Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 5BY, United Kingdom.
Our US affiliate, Blend Marketing Inc (2100 Westshore Drive, Suite 103, Cumming, Atlanta, GA 30041, United States), operates under the same privacy and information security standards described in this policy.
Where we process personal data on behalf of our clients (for example, when delivering marketing services, operating the Blend HubSpot marketplace app, or providing the BlendCore service), we act as a data processor under a separate data processing agreement with the client. This policy describes our practices as a data controller; processor activities are governed by the relevant client contract.
What personal information we collect
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, which may include:
- your name, job title, and company name;
- your business email address, telephone number, and postal address;
- the content of enquiries, messages, or documents you send to us; and
- any other information you choose to provide.
We also collect information automatically when you visit our website, including your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, referring URL, and interaction data. This is described further in the "Cookies and similar technologies" section below.
How we collect personal information
We collect personal information when you:
- submit a form on our website (for example, to request a consultation, download a resource, or subscribe to our communications);
- email us, call us, or otherwise contact us with an enquiry;
- engage with us as a client, prospect, supplier, or partner; and
- visit our website, where information is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies.
How we use your personal information and our lawful basis
We use your personal information for the following purposes, relying on the lawful bases set out in Article 6 of the UK GDPR:
- To respond to your enquiries and provide our services — lawful basis: performance of a contract, or steps taken at your request before entering a contract.
- To send marketing communications about our services and content we think will interest you — lawful basis: your consent (where required) or our legitimate interest in marketing to existing and prospective business contacts. You can opt out at any time.
- To personalise your experience on our website and improve our content — lawful basis: our legitimate interest in understanding how visitors use our site.
- To maintain internal business records — lawful basis: our legitimate interest in running our business and complying with our legal obligations.
- To comply with legal and regulatory obligations (for example, tax and accounting requirements) — lawful basis: legal obligation.
We will never sell your personal information. We will not share your data with other data controllers unless we are required to do so by law, or unless we have told you about it and you would reasonably expect us to.
Email marketing
If we send you marketing emails, you may opt out at any time using the email preferences link at the bottom of any marketing email, or by contacting info@blendb2b.com. We will action opt-out requests promptly.
Who we share your information with
We share personal information only with trusted third parties that help us run our business and deliver our services. These currently include:
- HubSpot — our CRM, marketing automation, and website platform;
- Microsoft 365 — our email, file storage, and collaboration platform;
- Xero — our accounting and finance platform;
- Rippling — our HR and people management platform; and
- other suppliers used to run our day-to-day operations, which we keep under review.
All such suppliers are subject to a written agreement that requires them to protect your personal data and use it only on our instructions. We carry out a supplier assessment before engaging any new processor that handles personal data.
We may also disclose personal information where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority.
International transfers
Some of the suppliers we use are based outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States. Where this means your personal data is transferred outside the UK to a country that is not covered by a UK adequacy decision, we rely on appropriate safeguards under Chapter 5 of the UK GDPR, including:
- the International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA); or
- the UK Addendum to the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses.
We carry out a Transfer Risk Assessment for restricted transfers where required.
How long we keep your information
We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purpose we collected it, and in line with our internal Data Retention Schedule. Retention periods take account of:
- the nature and sensitivity of the data;
- the purpose for which we hold it;
- our legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations (for example, financial records are kept for at least six years); and
- the period during which a legal claim could be made.
When we no longer need your personal data, we securely delete or anonymise it.
Your rights
Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
- Right of access — to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification — to have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected.
- Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") — to ask us to delete your data, subject to our legal retention obligations. Please note that deletion is irreversible: we will lose any record of your previous preferences, including any opt-outs you have given us. If you later re-engage with us, you will appear as a new contact.
- Right to restriction — to ask us to limit how we use your data while a query is resolved.
- Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format and have it transferred to another controller, where processing is based on your consent or a contract.
- Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests, or to direct marketing at any time.
- Rights related to automated decision-making — not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing that produce significant effects on you.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@blendb2b.com from the email address we hold for you, or otherwise verifying your identity. We will respond within one calendar month. We will not charge a fee unless your request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns first, so please get in touch with us before contacting the ICO. You can reach the ICO at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Cookies and similar technologies
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. We use a combination of session and persistent cookies to:
- enable essential website functionality;
- understand how visitors use our site and improve its performance;
- personalise the content you see; and
- support our marketing and advertising.
The cookies you may encounter on our site are set by:
- HubSpot — our marketing, CRM, and website platform;
- Cloudflare — performance and security infrastructure used by HubSpot;
- Google Analytics — anonymised website traffic and performance measurement; and
- LinkedIn — advertising and conversion tracking.
You can accept or decline non-essential cookies through the cookie banner on our website, or by changing your browser settings. Declining cookies may affect your experience of the site.
External websites
Our website may contain links to other websites. Once you leave our site, this privacy policy no longer applies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party sites, so please review their own privacy policies before providing any personal information.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, our services, or the law. The current version is always available on this page, and the effective date at the top shows when it was last updated. Where changes are material, we will take reasonable steps to bring them to your attention.
This policy supersedes all previous versions, including the version dated 17 April 2018.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, or about how we handle your personal data, please contact us:
Blend Marketing Ltd East Throp House, Paddock Road Caversham, Reading, RG4 5BY United Kingdom
Email: info@blendb2b.com