GDPR slightly reduces unsolicited marketing comms thinks UK public
Four in ten members of the UK public have received unsolicited marketing comms from businesses, despite the implementation of GDPR in May.
GDPR sees only slight reduction in unwarranted marketing comms says UK public / Photo by Pau Casals on Unsplash
Research from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) found that 42% of the public said they had received unwanted calls and emails from marketers since May. This is only a tiny decrease year on year since before the EU regulation, from 46%.
From 19-21 November 2018, OnePoll issued a nationally representative survey of 1,500 respondents to understand how the public perceives the GDPR to have affected their comms.
Only a quarter of respondents (24%) felt that businesses treat the public’s personal data in an honest and transparent way. This has risen slightly from 18% when GDPR took effect.
Younger generations have more trust for businesses according to the research. A third of 18-24 and 34% of 24-35-year-olds trust businesses with their data, compared with only 17% of over 55s.
The drive has raised awareness of consumer data rights, however. 50% of people surveyed believe that the introduction of GDPR has made them more likely to unsubscribe, rather than simply ignore communications from businesses or even not opt into comms at all. However, there is work to be done. Just 47% of respondents said they know their rights as a consumer in relation to data protection.
Chris Daly, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, said: “GDPR is the most important change in data privacy regulation in 20 years, but our research raises serious questions about its impact on consumer confidence. Data provides marketers with vital consumer insights. Its exchange also benefits consumers, who receive more relevant, even personalised, information but while advantages may be clear, trust in business to deliver, is not.”
“GDPR has done well in empowering consumers to ask the right questions about their data use. The opportunity still remains for marketers to answer these, and to prove the benefit of data collection.”