Navigating the Regulatory Landscape of Customer Communications in 2024
By Scott Draeger, SVP of Product Marketing at Smart Communications
In today's digital age, customer communications are increasingly reliant on data-driven personalization. With that said, companies face a daunting challenge: how to navigate the evolving regulatory requirements while still delivering tailored experiences to their customers.
With new regulations and stricter enforcement measures shaping the way businesses interact with their clientele, your company needs the right tools and processes to remain compliant. In this blog, you’ll find insights to empower you as you develop communications that strike the right balance between personalization and privacy.
The Evolving Regulatory Landscape in 2024
New regulations and stricter enforcement measures are reshaping how companies like yours handle customer data. From the far-reaching impact of GDPR, CCPA, to the stringent requirements of HIPAA, you're at the forefront of compliance efforts.
In our recent report, ‘5 Trends Shaping Customer Conversations in 2024’, Sameer Hajarnis, Senior Vice President & GM of Digital Agreements at OneSpan—and one of the many subject matter experts/thought leaders we interviewed—urges vigilance, stating, "Stricter regulations and enhanced security measures are imperative to safeguard consumer data in today's digital ecosystem."
Striking a Balance in Customer Communications: Personalization vs. Privacy
Your challenge lies in harmonizing personalized experiences with regulatory compliance. Eileen Potter, VP of Insurance Marketing at Smart Communications, underscores the need to prioritize data privacy regulations. Potter emphasized consumer concerns about data misuse. As you strive to strike this balance, remember that respecting privacy is non-negotiable.
One way you can do so is by investing in pure cloud solutions to help you keep pace with changing regulatory requirements. For example, one Consumer Duty requirement dictates that firms must “provide helpful and accessible customer support.” That means getting consumers answers quickly and not making them wait so long that they give up. Compliance will require centralized processes for collecting information so it’s available to support agents on demand, as well as more robust self-serve options.
How AI Will Influence New Regulations/Challenges
If you implement or plan to implement generative AI in your CX strategy or customer communications, proceed with caution and take extra steps to ensure it’s being used only as intended. Kaspar Roos, CEO and Founder at Aspire, details some of the graver concerns, below:
“We can unfortunately expect to see AI used in an increasing tide of fraudulent and nefarious activities that will range from the criminal, like using deepfake audio or video to lure consumers into scams, to the more broadly destabilizing and anarchistic generation of fake news.”
The Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI Executive Order
In October of 2023, the Biden administration issued a landmark executive order on “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence,” which established new standards for AI safety and security as well as privacy protection. Neeraj Gupta, Insurance Consulting Partner at EY, said the order “represents a significant contribution to the subject of accountability in how AI is developed and deployed across organizations.”
“Given the breadth of recommendations and actions provided, [the Biden administration’s Executive Order] is likely to have an effect on organizations across all sectors of the economy, from the most mature AI implementers to first-time adopters.” —Neeraj Gupta, Insurance Consulting Partner at EY
While Gupta noted that the definition of AI systems is broad, it is inclusive of systems which have been built over the last several years. The EU is looking to similarly advance its regulatory standards and requirements around AI, meaning global businesses should plan to keep a close eye on regulatory developments. This includes domestic companies that do business overseas.
As your business increases its use of AI or other advanced systems, remember that innovation comes with an increased risk. As the regulations continue to evolve in 2024, prepare to adapt your customer communications strategy to balance personalization and privacy while maintaining compliance.
Conclusion
In the ever-evolving regulatory landscape of 2024, mastering customer communications requires finesse. Remember, adaptability is your company’s greatest asset. However, without insights and the right solutions/vendor partner on your side, it can be difficult to know where to start. Be sure you’re preparing your business to proactively respond to regulatory bodies rather than waiting for them to come knocking with an expensive lesson.
Discover how SmartCOMM™ can help you build customer communications journeys that are effective, compliant, and secure.
About the Author
Scott Draeger is the SVP of Product Marketing and Vertical Solutions at Smart Communications. With a passion for collaboration, and 27 years of experience working with B2B customer communications technology, he focuses on how communications can be better for the recipient and perform better for the business. He started as a document designer using a collection of hardware and software technologies, before moving to the software side of the industry. His broad experience includes helping organizations improve heavily regulated customer communications all around the world.