Data-savvy marketers have claimed that they are poised and ready for GDPR but a third fear that their organisation is ill-prepared for the legislation, according to the Data and Marketing Association.

With just six months until GDPR comes into effect, the DMA asked marketers for their thoughts on the legislation and how they think it will affect their profession and found that 77% of respondents felt they had “good awareness” and a further 74% felt prepared for GDPR.

However, many lack faith in their organisation, according to the survey, with three-in-10 expressing concerns that their organisations were unprepared.

The DMA said that 64% of marketers felt that their organisation would be ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ affected by the GDPR’s new rules, with 65% also stating the GDPR will hinder marketing.

Despite this, marketers understand the value the GDPR when it comes to their customers. One-in-four (39%) believe their ability to meet customers’ demands will improve after GDPR and over a third (34%) said the benefits would "outweigh the cost".

Chris Combemale, chief executive of the DMA Group, believes this is a watershed moment for organisations to put the customer first. He said: “We should use the new laws as a catalyst to transform the way we speak to customers, making every engagement human-centric.

“This will enable organisations to build trusted, authentic and transparent relationships with their customers.”

Among the biggest concerns expressed by respondents to the DMA’s GDPR survey were having to provide an opt-in for B2B marketing (31%), consent requirement for cookies (26%) and an opt-in for all telemarketing (25%).

While the GDPR still presents some hurdles to organisations, many (60%) are getting on with practical challenge of preparing their organisation and most agree the GDPR is best for the UK overall, the DMA said.

A statement issued alongside the DMA’s full survey stated: “While implementing GDPR is a challenge, it is also an opportunity: to re-assess their offering to customers, putting them at the heart of their business. Leading the way in responsible marketing can bring a boon to business.”

To find out more about the research visit: https://dma.org.uk/research/dma-insight-gdpr-an-opportunity-for-change.