Marketers waking up to the benefits of GDPR, says DMA

Marketers are ditching the Triazolam and no longer having sleepless nights over the impact of GDPR, if the latest research from the DMA is anything to go by, with more than ever (52%) now believing that the regulation has had no effect on their ability to meet customers’ demands.
According to the DMA’s ‘Data privacy – An industry perspective’ report, the percentage of marketers who believe GDPR has not had an impact on their ability to meet consumers’ demands has risen from 37% in September 2017 – before the regulation came into force – to 52% in September 2018 – four months in to the new regime.
In addition, one in four (26%) would go a step further and agree that the regulation has actually helped them to serve customers better.
DMA group chief executive Chris Combemale said: “GDPR is the gold standard of data protection laws and so it is encouraging to see marketers becoming increasingly optimistic about the benefits of it.
“Marketers who intend to build sustainable relationships with consumers based on the principles of the GDPR, honesty and transparency, will reap the rewards.”
When it comes to sales, however, there is still some concern among 38% of marketers that the new laws have negatively impacted them, even though one in four marketers (23%) say their sales have actually improved post-GDPR.
The proportion of marketers who feel the benefits of GDPR outweigh the costs has also doubled from 16%, prior to May 25, to 32% in this most recent study. Additionally, following Brexit, most marketers (78%) believe the UK should adhere to the existing GDPR legislation – with a further 11% even wanting stricter rules.
Marketers increasingly believe their businesses will experience long-term benefits from GDPR, with the number who state it will negatively impact their organisation falling considerably from 56% in the previous survey, to 41% since the laws came into force.

TOPICS:data-driven marketing DMA GDPR legislation