This policy explains what happens to personal information when you visit Advertified, enquire, register or take part in a campaign.
1. Who we are
Advertified is the trading name used for this service. Website: https://advertified.com. Physical address: The Vineyard, Devon Valley Road, Devon Park, Stellenbosch, 7600. Contact: ad@advertified.com.
Advertified is responsible for personal information when we decide why and how it is used. If we handle information on a client’s instructions, the client may be responsible for that processing under a separate agreement.
2. Information we collect
We collect contact and business details, account information, campaign briefs, supplier and creator profiles, proposals, approvals, payment and booking records, delivery evidence and correspondence. We also process technical information such as IP addresses, browser details and security logs.
Audience research and media planning may include information inferred from location, campaign requirements or research sources. An estimate or inference is not a verified fact about an individual.
3. Where information comes from
We receive information from you, your authorised employer or representative, campaign participants, public or licensed research sources and the providers that operate our services.
Please only share information you are authorised to provide. Avoid including personal details in a campaign brief when an aggregate audience description will do.
4. Why we use information
We use information to respond to requests, manage accounts, plan campaigns, prepare proposals, coordinate suppliers, administer approvals and bookings, support delivery reporting and maintain financial and audit records.
We also use relevant information to troubleshoot the service, check output quality, prevent abuse and meet legal obligations. These purposes do not give us unrestricted permission to reuse identifiable campaign information for unrelated activities.
5. Required information and your choices
Forms identify optional fields. We need the remaining requested details to understand and respond to your enquiry or assess registration. If you do not provide them, we may be unable to process that request.
Submitting an enquiry or registration request does not subscribe you to marketing. The form’s permission to respond is separate from any permission needed for marketing or a finance referral.
6. Our grounds for using information
We process information where POPIA permits it, including to enter into or perform an agreement with you, meet a legal obligation, protect a legitimate interest, or act with your consent where required. The ground depends on the purpose and circumstances.
Where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw it. This does not undo lawful processing that already occurred or prevent processing justified on another lawful ground.
7. AI and campaign research
We use AI services to help interpret briefs, organise information and prepare audience, strategy and media recommendations. Relevant information may be sent to the providers used for those tasks.
AI can make mistakes. Recommendations require review; AI output alone does not approve spending, confirm a supplier booking or determine a finance application.
Service improvement, campaign processing and model training are different purposes. This policy does not ask for blanket consent to train AI models on identifiable client information. Any such use requires a separately established lawful purpose, appropriate notice and consent where required.
8. Who receives information
Information may be shared with authorised staff and contractors, and with clients, agencies, media owners, suppliers or creators where needed for the campaign. Technology providers support hosting, email, mapping, security and AI processing.
We may also share information with professional advisers, authorities where law permits or requires it, or parties to a lawful business transfer with appropriate safeguards.
A requested finance referral may involve sharing relevant contact and campaign information with an independent finance provider. That provider explains its own assessment and privacy terms.
9. Processing outside South Africa
Some service providers process information outside South Africa. Transfers must meet POPIA’s requirements, for example through adequate legal protection, binding contractual safeguards or another permitted basis.
10. How long we keep information
We keep records for the purpose they serve and any justified legal, accounting, security or dispute-related retention. Different records may need different periods; contact us about a particular record.
When there is no remaining lawful reason to retain personal information, it must be deleted or de-identified. Moving a record into an archive does not remove the need for a lawful retention reason.
11. Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards to protect information, including access restrictions and security controls appropriate to the service. No online system is completely secure.
If personal information is compromised, we will investigate and notify the Information Regulator and affected people as required by law.
12. Your rights and requests
You may request access, correction or deletion, object to processing where permitted, withdraw consent where applicable and opt out of direct marketing. Some records must be retained despite a deletion request.
Send privacy requests to ad@advertified.com.
We may need to verify your identity and clarify your request to avoid disclosing another person’s information. We will explain any lawful restriction on the request.
13. Children and sensitive information
Registration is intended for adults and authorised business representatives. Do not upload personal information about children or sensitive information unless it is necessary, lawful and specifically authorised.
Campaign research involving sensitive characteristics or children’s information requires the additional safeguards and permissions required by POPIA.
14. Marketing and complaints
We send electronic direct marketing only where permitted by law, with consent where required and a way to opt out. Service messages about your enquiry, account or campaign are separate from marketing.
You may raise a privacy complaint with us or directly with the Information Regulator. Visit https://inforegulator.org.za for current complaint channels; you do not need to complain to us first.
15. Changes
We update this notice when our services or information practices change. The date above identifies the current version. We will provide further notice or obtain consent when required by law.