EDITOR’S QUESTION
IS IT BECOMING
EASIER FOR
CYBERCRIMINALS
TO ACCESS
COMPANY DATA?
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N
ew research of both consumers
and businesses, commissioned by
Marketo, Inc, a leading provider
of engagement marketing software and
solutions, has found that three quarters
(75%) of European consumers are
concerned about the extent of personal
information companies might have
access to and less than half (42%) trust
that companies will use their personal
information correctly. However, with the
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),
nearly two thirds (64%) of consumers claim
that they will be happy to share their data in
exchange for deals and benefits, presenting
an opportunity for marketers. London-based
research agency Loudhouse, on behalf
of Marketo, surveyed more than 3,000
consumers and 300 key marketing decision
makers, across three territories (UK, Germany
and France) to compile these results.
“The GDPR legislation presents marketers
with one of those rare opportunities to build
customer relationships by demonstrating
trust and clarity,” said Jamie Anderson,
President EMEA, Marketo. “Consumer
dissatisfaction around how their data is used
and to what extent, is at an all-time high,
according to our findings. To thrive in a post-
GDPR world, marketers must demonstrate
their understanding of this in the actions
36
INTELLIGENTCIO
they take, through meaningful, personalised
communications at every touchpoint.” When comparing the two business
approaches, the new research found:
In addition to their views about GDPR, the
survey asked respondents how they felt about
the long list of data breach headlines over
the last few years; more than three quarters
(76%) said they were concerned about how
their personal data is stored and used. Just
under three quarters (73%) of consumers
would like to receive regular communications
about the personal data companies might
hold. Yet, at the time the research was
completed, only 28% of businesses claimed
to be fully GDPR compliant. To understand
how businesses are faring, the research also
surveyed 300 businesses across the UK,
France and Germany, and uncovered two
distinct approaches to GDPR: • Of the marketing first respondents,
34% have significantly redefined their
priorities, compared to just 13% of legal
first companies
• And almost half (49%) of the marketing
first group has implemented new systems
and marketing tools, compared with a
third (33%) of those who identified as
legal first
• Regardless of which camp they’re in,
GDPR isn’t expected to impede business,
as 96% of organisations are still
optimistic about hitting their targets by
year-end
Marketing first: More than half of the
companies surveyed (55%), identified
themselves as taking a marketing first
approach to GDPR, using compliance as an
opportunity to better engage with customers
or prospects through smarter marketing
Legal first: The remaining 45% aligned
themselves to taking a legal first approach,
in doing what they need to be legally
compliant with GDPR and subsequently
using these requirements to dictate
marketing strategy
“Regardless of which side you sit, the
ultimate drivers should always be your
customer and delivering meaningful
experiences that are founded on trust,” said
Peter Bell, Senior Director of Marketing,
Marketo. “It’s clear from this research that
consumer trust is low but not unrecoverable.
GDPR is designed to ensure your customers
have more control over their personal data
and how it’s used. Those businesses which
proactively support that and use it as an
opportunity to better engage with customers
are those which will thrive in the coming
years by creating lasting relationships.”
www.intelligentcio.com