With the EU referendum only a few days away, UK marketing professionals are saying they feel unprepared for the potential changes that lie ahead, according to a new survey.
The research by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) indicates that almost two-thirds of marketing professionals (62%) feel they don’t know enough about how the EU Referendum result could impact the business they work for.
It also found a wider lack of preparation on the part of UK companies, with 45% of the marketers surveyed saying they feel the business they work for doesn’t know enough about the consequences of the referendum result.
Meanwhile, over half (51%) said that neither they nor their business are preparing for the different scenarios that might result from an ‘in’ or ‘out’ outcome.
The lack of clarity means marketers are eager for more information about the referendum and how the result might affect their organisation’s marketing operations.
Of the respondents, 80% wanted more information on the impact of new EU laws on areas such as data protection, while 68% said that more information on the implications for trade with Europe and the US would help them to prepare for the referendum result.
Further areas of concern were the impact of geo-blocking and filtering restrictions, possible changes to employment law, tax, and competition regulations.
Chris Daly, chief executive of CIM, said: “The referendum is dominating the news agenda and conversations, but our research shows that many marketers are not considering the potential impact that it could have on their activity and the organisation they work for.
“This isn’t just about preparing for an ‘out’ result. If the UK stays in the EU, marketers need to know about new laws and trade arrangements that will affect the job they do.”
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