Cookie Policy
THE MARKETING ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA NPC COOKIE POLICY
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 This Cookie Policy provides information on how cookies are used on this site and other MASA microsites, as well as how to reject or delete those cookies if you wish. Please note that by deleting our cookies or disabling future cookies you may not be able to access certain areas or features of our site.
2. DEFINITION OF COOKIES
2.1. Cookies are text files with small pieces of data that are used to identify the user’s computer as you use a computer network. Cookies are used to identify specific users and improve your web browsing experience. Cookies are created when a user’s browser loads a particular website. The website sends information to the browser which then creates a text file. Every time the users goes back to the same website, the browser retrieves and sends this file to the website’s server.
3. HOW MASA USES COOKIES
3.1. MASA uses cookies to enable its website users to easily navigate its site and provide the user with basic website features. The use of cookies allows for an improved browsing experience.
3.2. MASA uses the following cookies:
3.2.1. First Party Cookies – These are domain-specific. They relate to the cookie’s owner, MASA, who has set the cookie. The MASA website will have marketingsa.co.za domain specified in the cookie.
3.2.2. Session Cookies – The ASP.NET SessionID cookie is related to the Member login cookie. It is used by ASP.NET to create a session cookie that contains the ‘session id’ and is a required cookie for forms where it allows the data entered to be processed.
3.2.3. Third Party Cookies and Microsites – Cookies can be used to track internet activity after the user has left a website. These are normally facilitated by organisations external to the website being visited and are generally known as ‘third-party’ cookies, with a lifespan of several months. The cookies are harvested and refreshed whenever the user visits where the same or similar cookie is used. Microsites are collections of web pages created as a discrete entity within a larger website. Microsite pages are usually related by content on a similar topic. They often have a different domain name from the parent website and content for microsites may be provided by specialist organisations.
3.2.4. MASA has a set number of cookies that are used to analyse the user’s browsing in order to make improvements and provide useful functions such as storing login details if the user is a MASA member with an online profile.
4. GOOGLE ANALYTICS
4.1. We currently use Google Analytics to measure and analyse visitor information related to our website. As a user navigates between web pages, Google Analytics provides website owners JavaScript tags (libraries) to record information about the page a user has seen, for example the URL of the page.
4.2. For that purpose, your IP address, internet traffic data and data on your browser type and PC are collected using several cookies (_utma, _utmc, utmb, utmz):
• _utma is used by Google Analytics to identify first-time site (‘unique’) visitors vs. returning visitors. It expires after two years
• _utmc identifies unique visitors vs. returning visitors but expires when you close your browser.
• _utmb is used for general visitor tracking and expires after 30 minutes.
• _utmz tracks source visits (the origin of the visit). It expires after six months.
4.3. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. For information on how to reject or delete these cookies please visit https://www.google.com/intl/en/privacypolicy.html for more information.
5. COOKIES SET BY A THIRD PARTY
5.1. MASA may embed media from third-party websites, for example, YouTube and as a result, when a user visits these third-party websites, they may be presented with cookies from those websites. MASA does not control third-party sites policy and therefore the user ought to check the relevant website for more information.
6. SHARE TOOLS
6.1. If you share information on this site with friends through social networks e.g. Facebook or Twitter you may be sent cookies from these websites. We do not control these cookies so please check the relevant third-party website for more information.
7. REJECTING COOKIES
7.1. The acceptance of cookies is the default setting for internet browsing therefore the user is required to actively reject the use of cookies by setting their device browser to reject cookies. If this is done it is important not to exclude the benign and useful cookies, but rather reject all third-party and long lifespan cookies.
8. DELETING COOKIES
8.1. A user may elect to delete cookies that are on their device. The user should refer to their file management software to locate the folder or directory that stores cookies.
9. POLICY APPROVAL
9.1. The Board has approved this policy on 14 October 2021, and it will be reviewed periodically.