The General
Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was finally passed in the EU after more than
three years of negotiation. The new regulations are intended to strengthen data
protection and make it a requirement for companies to obtain explicit consent
from individuals to store their data. This means that companies will have to
conduct consent-gathering outreach to ensure their existing databases are
compliant. As brands anxiously anticipate the implementation of these
requirements (official in May 2018), now more than ever, they are taking behavioral
studies into consideration to better understand their users.
A recent
study by SmartFocus analyzed the recipient behavior in relation to 1.4 billion
email marketing messages sent from UK retailers. The study sought to uncover
the best time to ask consumers to give permission for their data to be used for
marketing purposes. Interestingly, the study revealed that 10:15 am to 12:30 pm
was the worst time to ask recipients to reconfirm, while 6 pm was the time
consumers were least likely to unsubscribe.
“Timing is
an important part of a successful email campaign and an opportunity to build a
better customer relationship,” said Sarah Taylor, CMO at SmartFocus. “This
analysis, based on unprecedented access to anonymized email behavior data,
suggests that mornings and lunchtimes are increasingly seen as an intrusion.
Whereas in the evening and after the working day, a marketing message will get
a much more positive viewing.”
The silver
lining of the General Data Protection Regulation is that brands are being
forced to fund and utilize the findings from these consumer studies to a
greater extent than before, and revisit their old practices to ensure they are
optimizing engagement and response. This approach will not only aid in
complying with the new regulations, but will also have a positive impact in
their efficacy as marketers.
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