New research from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has revealed 47% of marketers aren’t confident their efforts to gain consumer consent to place cookies on their devices will meet the new requirements of the ePrivacy Directive.

With two days to go before the cookie law comes into force, a survey of more than 150 UK marketers by the DMA and DataGuidance found many marketers are unprepared with 57% failing to develop and execute an action plan.

Additionally, the figures showed 45% have yet to draft an updated cookie policy whilst 79% have not communicated the changes they are planning to make to their website’s visitors.

According to the study, the financial impact of the imminent cookie law will also be dramatic with over two thirds of respondents claiming the law will cost them up to £10,000; 17% estimating it will cost them up to £25,000; and 13% claiming a figure of up to £100,000. 

Lindsay Grieg from DataGuidance said: “The question is not so much the definition of a cookie, but clarity on consumer consent. To comply with the law, marketers need to provide clear, transparent information to consumers so that they can make an informed choice to accept cookies from websites and digital communications.”

Caroline Roberts, director of legal and public affairs for the DMA, said: “The DMA has issued considerable free guidance on how to achieve this, so it’s down to marketers to learn how to work within the new legal framework. Failing to do so will lose customers, lose sales and ultimately leave them on the wrong side of the law.”