Majority of companies have not reviewed their tech following GDPR

Chart of the Day: Just 30% of marketers have completed a full audit of their data-collecting methods

Data protection is hardly brand new, but new EU law and news of data breaches from the social media giants Facebook meant that everyone and their grandmother (who you have to generously keep showing how to check her emails) know about GDPR.

How companies gather, store, and handle their customer’s data has never been under more scrutiny. Naturally, marketers across the globe have followed suit and completed full audits of the technology and communication channels they use to collect their customers’ data. Right?

Well, research from CMO Council tells us that 30% of them have. Big gold star to them because it’s extremely likely that a review of your current methods will yield possible improvements for how your company handles data.

You won’t necessarily find glaring mistakes or heinous violations that your company must rectify to avoid legal repercussions, but there’s always at least some ambiguity when it comes to the responsible way to handle information.

27% of marketers said they had reviewed some channels and technology but had not completed a full audit. Surprisingly, 14% of marketers seem to be so confident in their data gathering approach that they don’t even have plans for an audit.

GDPR isn’t a formality that clogs customer inboxes and gets them to re-accept their cookies. It’s a legal requirement that ensures you’re following correct guidelines and customers can trust you with their data. Following the summer’s gluttony of reports about data leaks and purchased information, trust has never been more valuable.

• Source: CMO Council and SAP Customer Experience
• Sample: 227 senior marketing executives
• Recommended resource:: GDPR briefing for marketing professionals