Brands should regard the arrival of the cookie law as an opportunity to build trust with consumers rather than as a threat to sales, claims the Direct Marketing Association.

Chris Combemale, executive director of the DMA, said: “There’s plenty of evidence to show that the majority of website owners and digital marketers have yet to take any steps towards complying with the new law. The standard reason cited is the belief that the law won’t apply to them. There’s also a prevailing fear of becoming compliant and losing sales as a result of consumers rejecting cookies.

“While this may occur in the short term, research by the DMA has shown that consumers are more likely to trust a brand and share data with them if they’re open and transparent about how they will use it. Giving consumers straightforward information about your website’s cookies will demonstrate a commitment to using their data responsibly.

The EU cookie act, which requires businesses that use behavioural advertising to gain consent from consumers to collect information, comes into effect on 25 May.