• by Jess Nelson , December 13, 2017

Many marketers are still unprepared for the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May 2018, according to a new study released Tuesday by Campaigner -- but even more worrisome is the amount of marketers who are still unfamiliar with the directive.   

Compliance fees could cripple businesses once GDPR goes into full effect, with sanctions potentially reaching tens of millions of euros, or up to 4% of a company’s annual worldwide turnover from the preceding financial year. Considering the vast implications of noncompliance, why are so many US-based marketers still so unprepared?

Only 1% of the 506 email marketers polled by Campaigner listed GDPR compliance as a priority marketing goal for 2018, while 87% of respondents expressed a lack of familiarity with the data regulation. 

Intended to strengthen the digital privacy of anyone living in the European Union, GDPR addresses the way in which companies and organizations handle and use sensitive data. It was originally adopted on April 27, 2016, but GDPR will become enforceable on May 25, 2018 after a two-year transition period.

“Many US marketers don’t realize that many of the email addresses they have are from people who reside in the European Union,” says EJ McGowan, vice president and managing director at Campaigner. “Without really knowing their customers, they may not know that the regulations will apply to them.”

Only 61% of email marketers surveyed by Campaigner responded that they did not have any EU email addresses in their system, while 19% were unsure. 

McGowan says some email marketers in the United States may be confused because they think that the CAN-SPAM act is the last word on email marketing “without realizing that data protection is really at the heart of this act.” 

Is it really an email marketer’s job to alert their company about GDPR? Or should a different type of employee, such as a security or IT professional, spearhead this issue?

“A well-informed email marketer is a valuable resource to any company, and understanding the industry is vital to being successful,” says McGowan. “While many companies have legal departments and security offices to stay abreast of the various regulations, it is critical for email marketers to understand the landscape. Each company will have a different escalation path, but email marketers will need to know where their data comes from and how it is handled in the various processes that involve email marketing.”

With 2017 drawing to an end, it is important for marketers to add GDPR to the top of their priority list for the New Year.

“Now is a good time for every marketer to look into how they are handling data to ensure that they are compliant with the regulations coming in 2018,” says McGowan.