“As a result of GDPR, marketing needs to be significantly more aligned to IT, legal and operations departments to ensure the whole supply chain of data, from capture through to storage and ultimately use, is efficient, effective and auditable,” he says. “Data is now a high consideration for marketing, when perhaps it wasn’t before.”

Another benefit, according to Dom Dwight, marketing director at Taylors of Harrogate, is the fact brands are able to take a more considered and selective approach to marketing. He says his team now “probably does fewer things better”, such as sending fewer, more relevant emails. “GDPR challenged a previous, slightly complacent mindset,” he admits.

This is in keeping with recent research from the Data and Marketing Association (DMA), which reveals 56% of marketers are more positive about the effects of GDPR, given they have seen a marked increase in returns on every £1 spent on email, from £32.28 in 2017 to £42.24 today.

The majority of marketers have also seen an increase in email open rates (74%) and click-through rates (75%) over the past 12 months, while a large chunk have reported a reduction in opt-out rates (41%) and spam complaints (55%) over the past year.

A separate study by the DMA shows a greater proportion of marketers now feel the benefits of GDPR outweigh the cost, with the figure rising from 16% prior to 25 May last year to 32% in late 2018.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.marketingweek.com