Over the last week, you’ve probably received about 500 “notice of privacy policy” updates. If you’re a marketer, you’ve sent a couple yourself. 

 

Today, the EU has enacted its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and U.S. brands from every industry have rushed to comply with the law to avoid a penalty equal to four percent of their annual gross revenue. Others have decided to block all European users. Regardless, the EU remains “committed to leading in the digital age.” 

 

The nature of our business is built on data-driven strategy. We instinctively want to know more about interests and behaviors so that we’re making the right assumptions about our clients’ target audience. GDPR doesn’t prevent that – it just makes our jobs challenging. But one aspect of the law is undeniable. 

GDPR will actually improve user experience. 

Users around the world will appreciate that your acquisition techniques are straightforward, transparent and respectful of their personal space. When those same users return to your content, they will feel more comfortable providing a deeper level of engagement. Think of it as you getting a new neighbor: 

  1. The first visit will land you a greeting at the door. 
  2. The second visit may warrant a longer conversation at the door with personal contact information exchanged in an open, simple form (something like, do you mind if I call you something to setup a playdate for our kids?). 
  3. The third interaction might be an event or designated time to learn more about each other. 

Before you know it, you two are venting about life over a bottle of cabernet, sharing personal details that will ultimately help you become a better neighbor and friend. For many brands, that is the goal. Companies will now have to be a bit more patient with establishing (and in some cases, re-establishing) those relationships. 

I’m interested in how this will affect the industry’s approach to AI, especially with new developments on Alexa recording private conversations. If you have any thoughts on that, let’s chat in the comments section below or on Facebook.