Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Lead Forge Marketing is a trading name of 360 Media Works Ltd (company number 12691769), registered at Varsity House, 2 Falcon Court, Preston Farm Industrial Estate, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3TS, United Kingdom.

We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. For data protection enquiries, contact us at:

• Email: simon@leadforge.co.uk
• Phone: 01642 053 779

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data:

• Identity data: name, job title, company name
• Contact data: email address, phone number, postal address
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device information, pages visited, time spent on site
• Usage data: how you interact with our website, including heatmaps and session recordings (anonymised)
• Communication data: emails, form submissions, chat messages, and call recordings
• Service data: information we collect and process on behalf of our clients as part of delivering marketing services, including website visitor enquiries, lead data, and analytics

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data through:

• Contact forms on our website, submitted directly to Zoho CRM
• Email correspondence
• Phone calls and other communications with us
• Cookies and similar technologies (see our Cookie Policy)
• Third-party analytics tools (Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity)
• Client onboarding processes
• Discovery call bookings

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Contractual necessity: to provide our services to you as outlined in our Terms and Conditions
• Legitimate interest: to improve our website, analyse performance, and send relevant communications to existing clients about our services
• Consent: where you have opted in to receive marketing communications, SMS notifications, or cookies that are not strictly necessary
• Legal obligation: to comply with tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements

5. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our marketing services
• Respond to your enquiries and requests
• Send transactional communications related to our services
• Send marketing communications (only with your consent)
• Send SMS notifications to clients about website contact form submissions (only with your consent)
• Analyse website performance and user behaviour to improve our site
• Manage our client accounts and billing
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

6. Data Sharing and Third-Party Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We share data with trusted third-party service providers who assist in delivering our services, subject to data processing agreements. These include:

7. International Data Transfers

Some of our third-party processors are based outside the United Kingdom. Where we transfer personal data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• UK adequacy regulations for countries with adequate data protection
• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the ICO
• The provider's participation in recognised data protection frameworks

8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy:

• Client data: for the duration of the service agreement plus 6 years (to meet UK tax and accounting obligations)
• Enquiry data: 12 months from your last communication, unless you become a client
• Website analytics data: 14 months (Google Analytics default retention)
• SMS phone numbers: for the duration of the service agreement; deleted within 30 days of termination
• Financial records: 6 years as required by HMRC

After the retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

9. SMS Notifications

As part of our web services, we may send SMS (text message) notifications to clients who have opted in to receive them. These messages are transactional alerts triggered when a visitor submits a contact form on the client's website.

Information collected: We collect your mobile phone number during client onboarding for the sole purpose of delivering these SMS notifications.

Third-party messaging provider: SMS messages are sent via Twilio, Inc. Your phone number is shared with Twilio solely for message delivery. Twilio's privacy policy can be found at https://www.twilio.com/legal/privacy.

Message frequency: Message frequency varies and depends on the volume of contact form submissions received on your website.

Message and data rates: Message and data rates may apply. Please contact your mobile carrier for details.

Opt-out: You can opt out of SMS notifications at any time by replying STOP to any message. You may also contact us at simon@leadforge.co.uk to request removal. After opting out, you will receive one final confirmation message.

Help: Reply HELP to any message for support, or contact us at simon@leadforge.co.uk.

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

• SSL/TLS encryption on our website and all data in transit
• Server-level security (Imunify360) and brute-force protection
• Access controls limiting data access to authorised personnel
• Regular security monitoring and uptime checks
• Data processing agreements with all third-party processors

11. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data (Subject Access Request)
• Rectify inaccurate or incomplete personal data
• Erase your personal data (right to be forgotten)
• Restrict processing of your personal data
• Object to processing based on legitimate interest
• Data portability - receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at simon@leadforge.co.uk. We will respond within one month.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ or by calling 0303 123 1113.

12. Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website. For full details about the cookies we use and how to manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Policy.

13. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

• Email: simon@leadforge.co.uk
• Phone: 01642 053 779
• Post: Lead Forge Marketing, Varsity House, 2 Falcon Court, Preston Farm Industrial Estate, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3TS