Regulatory Spotlight: Privacy and the power of good governance with Louis Martin

In this edition of ADMA’s Regulatory Spotlight, we speak to Louis Martin, General Manager of Privacy and Customer Trust at Wesfarmers OneDigital, about navigating rapid regulatory change, aligning privacy with brand value and using AI responsibly.

To start, could you share a little about your career to date?

I started my career as a lawyer working in Perth, WA focused on corporate law and mergers and acquisitions. I then spent some time overseas before returning to Perth and joining Wesfarmers as a lawyer about 12 years ago.

During my time in the Wesfarmers legal team, I worked on a range of data and digital focused projects including establishing Flybuys as a joint venture with Coles and launching the Wesfarmers’ advanced analytics business. I then led our Sustainability and Indigenous Affairs team, and from there moved into a new role focused on accelerating the Group’s data and digital policies and frameworks to support the responsible use of data.

Four years ago, I took up the opportunity to help establish OneDigital as a new business for Wesfarmers. My team includes privacy, data governance, responsible AI and legal specialists and we support the OnePass membership program, the OneData advanced analytics business, the OneReach retail media business and our AI Accelerator team.

What have been some of the highlights of your professional journey so far? 

Definitely establishing and growing Wesfarmers OneDigital. It’s been incredibly rewarding to build new data and digitally focused businesses in Wesfarmers as we support our great brands like Bunnings, Kmart, Target, Officeworks and Priceline.

The regulatory landscape is rapidly evolving. What do you think are the most significant regulatory changes that are coming, and how do you see them impacting the industry? 

It isn’t one single change. It's how we stay abreast of and manage the breadth of regulatory changes impacting our businesses. For example, we've already had Tranche 1 changes to the Privacy Act. Tranche 2 may be more consequential. Other emerging areas of regulation relate to AI and unfair trading to name a couple.

The questions for marketing teams then become, ‘How will our customer or business be impacted? What is the size and timing of the impact, and what needs to change? Then it’s what is the right team and investment to manage that change?’

What do you see as the biggest challenges for marketers that are navigating today's regulatory and consumer trust environment?

It's the coming together of three elements.

The first is increasing customer expectations around delivering relevant personalised experiences across all channels. So, as a marketer, how do you grow customer trust to deliver value for your customers and business.

Next is the evolving regulatory environment. It is essential to understand the impact these changes may have on your business.

The third element is the emergence of AI at scale. AI has the potential to impact every stage of the customer journey – be it through changes in customer search or product discovery, the improved ability to deliver more personalised experiences at scale, or better analytics of post-purchase data.

All three are happening at speed. If you can address them in a cohesive way that makes sense for your customers and your business, that’s a real competitive advantage.

What is one thing that you wish marketers understood better about privacy regulation?

Privacy is an opportunity. Done well, it can help grow customer trust. Customers who trust how you handle data and the choices you give them about marketing will also trust your brand and offering. This can be a real opportunity to differentiate yourself in a crowded market.

What advice would you give to marketers looking to build that understanding in regulatory matters?

ADMA has great resources ranging from courses to handy, at-a-glance, guides that provide a launching pad to understand what it all means for your business. There’s also the ADMA Global Forum where you can mix with your peers and hear from some local and international experts. If you’re in a business that has the benefit of legal or compliance support, make friends with them, and get them to be your eyes and ears on the regulatory issues. They know your business and so are a great sounding board.

And if you’re keen, consider subscribing to newsletters and alerts. ADMA’s emails, and those from regulators like ACMA, OAIC and ACCC, provide insights into key focus areas and guidance on good practice.

What do you think will have the biggest impact on data driven marketing over the next five years?

The impact of the continuation and acceleration of the three trends discussed above – so increasing customer expectations, the evolving regulatory environment and the emergence of AI at scale. Critical to thriving in this environment will be to keep a laser like focus on the customer and maintaining trust in your brand.

Why do you think organisations like ADMA are so crucial for the marketing and advertising industry? 

ADMA has great resources – very practical, topical and accessible, and holds events that bring the industry together.

Importantly, ADMA also represents the marketing and advertising industry to regulators and policy makers, clearly communicating the value the industry brings to Australia and ensuring its voice is heard.

And finally, what do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Saturday mornings, cooking scrambled eggs for my family before we all head off for sport.