Optimove report suggests GDPR encourages marketers to focus on personalisation

With the European Union having implemented its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) little over a year ago, it can be said that the effect of the ruling has been noticeable for the gaming and betting industries. 
According to a report produced by Optimove, GDPR has “made quite an impact, particularly in increasing the value of first-party data and forcing marketers and operators to hone their personalisation skills.” 
The report has found that following the regulation, which allows players to manage their communications with brands, less than one per cent of the brands’ players had not utilised their right to request their data to be erased from a central communication base.
Of those players, 55 per cent had never made a deposit, and 33 per cent had not been active on the Optimove Customer Data platform within the last 90 days. Meanwhile 80 per cent of those who asked to be forgotten made deposits of 0-20 euros only.
Asaf Cohen, VP Revenue at Optimove, commented on the data: “In needing to be more careful about gaining consent and data, operators must refine their personalised marketing skills, improve the customer experience, and create value.
“In that sense, GDPR is causing CRM managers and marketers to work harder, but the result is better data, better actions, and a better overall experience.”
Age had played a factor in the number of users who had opted out of marketing communications, with players aged 39 and younger made up 67 per cent of those who asked to be forgotten.
While women exercised their right to be forgotten much more than men, with 68 per cent of those opting out identifying as female.
Cohen continued: “Now more than ever, operators need to gain actionable insights from their data. While personalisation is the key to success, abusing personal data (or seemingly toeing the line) can result in distrust and alienation. But if players perceive value in their interaction with brands, they will continue to engage.”
Backed by a survey carried out by TrustArc, ten per cent of the population had made requests to be forgotten, while 35 per cent had chosen to unsubscribe from emails, and 23 per cent declined the use of cookies, numbers which may indicate a distrust of the brand.
The same survey, however, stressed that 36 per cent of the population held significant trust in companies that have GDPR compliance, with 57 per cent saying they are much more likely to buy from a website that is GDPR compliant.