GDPR is now live (and possibly kicking) and citizens across the continent have taken back control of their data.

In reality, for most businesses that have followed data-processing best practice in recent years, GDPR shouldn’t have a massive impact – other than to enshrine into law the protocols that many have voluntary followed.

However, with the potential eye-watering fines that contravening the rules can result in, I’ve no doubt that all ‘data processors’, essentially every business or organisation in the land, even the most scrupulous, will be slightly more nervous for the next few weeks when it comes to using their data.

And that, inevitably, means that some campaign sign-offs might be a little slower than usual until confidence is restored.

But as the saying goes, no pain, no gain.

The changes were a long time coming, and anything that makes businesses work harder for their data means they will attach a higher value to it.

And if they consider it more valuable from 25 May, then from here on in, ROI should be the overarching concern of marketers – not just price. And that can only be good news for print.

Not just because they will want their data to work harder for them, because they’ll likely have less of it to start with – following a raft of ignored last-minute opt-in requests –  but also from fear of losing even more through unsubscribes from a more data savvy audience in the future.

But I guess we’ll have to wait and see if ROI becomes king again – perhaps with breath almost as bated as it will be for finding out who will be the first high-profile casualty of the new powers of the Information Commissioner’s Office.