I think it’s safe to say if a business does not actively try to stay ahead or at least on top of digitalization, it could be detrimental.
Interview with Louisa Bruck
Digital Communication Specialist
Louisa, you are highly experienced in living in Asia since early childhood, did you have any obstacles to your career and personal development while living and working abroad? What are the general differences for you between living in Asia and your hometown, Germany?
Living across different (Asian) cultures since my younger years – from Indonesia to India and later Hong Kong and Singapore – has definitely made it easier for me to feel at home anywhere and adapt to the working world abroad. Although I primarily lived in Asia, I find that every country in which I lived has a unique culture and different ways of doing things, so it’s always been a learning experience. Everything from the time you turn up to meetings, to how you structure the conversation in meetings, to how to provide feedback and hold discussions varies across different cultures. In Germany, for example we are known for coming straight to the point and being quite direct. This contrasts quite a bit, for example with Thai working norms, where critical feedback tends to be phrased very carefully to be polite and not threaten the other person’s face. Learning about these differences and changing your own style to adopt to the local culture can of course be challenging. What helps and where I can really draw from my experience growing up abroad, is in keeping an open mindset and staying attentive. Thanks to my international upbringing, I don’t think of one way or another as the right or wrong way of doing things which can prevent you from integrating. Through that lens, different cultures are like different languages, each work in their own environment.
Why did you decide to study a master’s degree in International Relations instead of continuing to study Linguistics and Communication or Languages?
Studying everything about language, it’s history and development, its philosophy, where it’s placed in the mind etc., I gained an insightful perspective into what it means to be human and what connects us with each other as our primary tool of interaction. I was always interested in linking this view to the bigger structures of our society and how the world works. So even while doing my Bachelor of Linguistics I would focus on communication between different cultures and countries, to better explain political situations. Having said that, linguistic analysis tends to involve a micro level approach in that you look at the use of tiny language structures (words, phrases etc.). My decision to study International Relations as my Master was inspired by wanting to learn more about the macro level explanations for world affairs.
What are the outstanding benefits for women in business to learn more about International Relations?
The world is becoming more and more global and connected, and with that increasingly complex. Studying International Relations helps to give you a better overview on topics highly relevant to doing business in an international environment.
Just some of the applicable topics I studied were globalization and the role of mega cities, digitalization and transnational flows of digital goods and capital, as well as the changing role of Multi-National Corporations in today’s political landscape.
How did you discover your interest in the digitalization field, and how was your start of working in this kind of area?
I’m a millennial so I came in contact with digital technologies already at a very young age. Growing up internationally, I first learned to appreciate digital platforms like Facebook, MSN, Skype etc. for allowing me to stay connected with my friends in far-away places. When it was time for me to go to university (which is only some 7 years ago,) there was no such course as digital communication or digital marketing. Nowadays many of the most established universities offer courses like that. So I only discovered the business value of digital media as a tool to connect with consumers by freelancing for different start-ups next to my studies. What I liked about digital communication was that it was measurable so I knew what was working and what could be optimized. These early experiences started my career in digital communication, where I worked on the agency-side and most recently for Siemens in Thailand. At Siemens, I learned a lot more about the broader trend of digitalization and industry 4.0.
As you are a Digital Communication & Data Protection Specialist, why would this be a very interesting field for modern young business women?
Today most people spend a significant part of their day online or using digital communication platforms – email and messaging services, apps, websites etc. -. Moreover, through e-commerce more and more business is done digitally and even for B2B companies being visible to their clients on online channels can make a difference. So knowing how to use digital communication strategically whether for your personal branding as a professional or to engage with your customers is a highly beneficial and even necessary skill in today’s business world (if you ask me anyhow).
More recently I made it a point to learn more and more about data protection processes and conventions because in my view that will be a second integral know-how for those engaged digital communication. As more and more countries are coming up with their own legislation to regulate the flow of personal data (such as Thailand’s PDPA set to go into effect next year), digital communication experts will need to be data protection experts in order to ensure to respect individual rights while providing value to companies and their stakeholders.
What was the beginning of your special interest in becoming an expert in data protection, and what do you think about data protection matters in Thailand compared to Germany?
I think it was a coming together of different insights and interests that showed me the importance of data protection. Firstly, I had experienced the power of digital media in reaching out to targeted audiences and driving awareness and behavior. I had also experienced how much data could be retrieved through digital channels and I had learned about the increasing trend of digitalization, whereby more and more aspects of our lives leave data trails. Combined these insights made me concerned what would happen if digital tools were misused for the wrong purposes. A number of scandals in the past couple years have confirmed that this has indeed happened with severe consequences.
Therefore, I see the new wave of regulatory interest in digital media (be it GDPR or PDPA) as a necessary and positive trend. This might sound surprising from a digital communication specialist who is using data to reach out to target audiences. However, the increased rights of Internet users to determine who can contact them with what, actually encourages more meaningful communication initiatives. As a business, you don’t want to spam consumers with information they don’t want anyway. Instead you have to think of better ways in which your communication could add value for your target audiences so that they actually request for it (a good example of this are whitepapers and webinars). In general, the answer to effective and data protection compliant digital communication is probably more quality over quantity.
Regarding your question about differences in data protection approaches, it should be noted that an English version of the PDPA is not yet available online. However from the sources which are online, the practical and short answer is that there is some overlap with the GDPR – for example, the consent rights, the right to rectify and to be forgotten, enforcement by data protection authorities – but there are also noteworthy differences – for one, Thailand does not regulate automated data processing but the GDPR does – So most sources stress that one should not be mistaken in thinking that just because your product/company is complies with the GDPR it is also PDPA compliant.
The comprehensive and long answer to differences in data protection approaches, which is what I touched on in my 42-page Master thesis, is that they are strongly influenced by a country’s culture which determines its political and governance priorities amongst a range of factors which are effected by data protection including security, economy and human rights. So one could probably write a book about the differences in Germany’s and Thailand’s data protection landscape or between any two countries for that matter. It is also important to note that the data protection rules are one thing, while enforcement and what happens if you break the rules is another. Different countries have different enforcement approaches and structures as well as consequences for negligence. A recent report by the European Data Protection board for example showed that while some European countries had been quite active in going against data protection violations, others had not issued a single violation. Further while Europe’s GDPR for example could impose fines of up to 20 million Euros for negligence, Thailand’s PDPA fines “only” go up to 5-10 million THB, equivalent to 150-300k Euros. So to sum up, the evolving global regulatory landscape for data protection is becoming more and more complex, requiring specialized professionals to take care of these matters for companies across the world.
Since usage of Social Media is high especially in Thailand, what are your recommended actions to increase ‘Data Privacy Protection’ and ‘Digital Security’ Awareness of Thai women?
I think there’s definitely a need for more initiatives to generate public awareness and to encourage more public discussion and enablement. Currently I tend to meet two types of individuals, the first type (which is the majority) does not care about their personal data at all. Those individuals should be educated on the threat factors of giving away personal data online, and the greater impact of their data choices on their digital life. The second type of individuals, tends to find the data processing on social media platforms creepy. Those could be educated on the backend workings as well as features available to gain transparency.
Digital communication professionals are uniquely skilled in teaching both types of individuals about these topics. I don’t think that goes against their professional incentives. I think even the contrary, it could lead to both, a better dialogue and relationship between platforms, advertisers and users, and it could also reduce the risks of misusage of platforms for wrongful purposes.
Could you please give us a better understanding of the meaning of Digital Transformation? How and why is it important for today’s business, and what would be your advice for women to adapt themselves to it?
Digital transformation entails the increasingly digital nature of business and industry processes. This changes everything – from the way we communicate, to the way we work and live. The digitalization of processes is beneficial firstly for its efficiency. Technologies can often offer faster and more accurate ways of doing things than through manual means. Furthermore, through the data-intelligence enabled by digital tools, processes can be analyzed and optimized. This allows businesses to serve more customized and relevant products and solutions. So I think it’s safe to say if a business does not actively try to stay ahead or at least on top of digitalization, it could be detrimental.
To be on top of the digital transformation, my one advise would be to stay open-minded to change and to keep trying out new things, as simple as that sounds. I think there is a big generational difference in how the younger and older generation approaches and uses new digital tools. A simple example would be from a time when I went to the opera with my grandma and I saw this digital installation board. The first thing I did was go there, to play around with it and see what it does. My grandma on the other hand, was taken by surprise, “how did you know what to do?”, she asked me. The answer was I did not know what to do but I had a seemingly natural understanding of digital layouts and the rest was trial and error. In my professional experience, I often witnessed the same kind of gap (not without exceptions of course). I think what helps for those who don’t quite feel comfortable to try out new digital processes is to take a phased approach – one step at a time. Plus, speaking with and listening to the younger generation, be it your interns, kids etc., can be helpful in keeping you in touch with the future.
Apart from a professional in your career, we also noticed that you are fascinated by writing. What are your preferred topics, and do you plan to write for a profession?
Yes I love to write. So far I’ve been mostly writing for other people/businesses as part of my profession as a digital communication specialist but recently I’ve been trying to write more for my own thought-leadership. In fact, I’m planning to publish some articles on all the topics you’ve asked me about already – digitalization and digital transformation, digital communication and data protection etc., – and I also like to write about lessons/insights I’ve gained through my hobbies such as triathlon or meditation, that can apply professionally too. Lastly, of course I’m passionate about supporting and empowering other business women and young professionals. If you’re interested in these topics you can follow my Medium page @louisasophie.
Could you give some suggestions to fresh graduates/the young generation to advance in their careers and goals?
I would say if you already know what you want to do once you graduate from university, then you are very very lucky. If this is the case, then do your research and talk to as many people as possible that are already working in the profession you want to go into. Ask them questions about their career paths and learn about opportunities with their companies. If the first few applications don’t work out, don’t get discouraged, keep trying! – Jack Ma famously got rejected from Harvard 10 times. Often times getting a first job right out of university can be tough so you can also start with different internships to gain some experience which then gives you more to talk about in your job interviews. Plus internships are a great opportunity to begin building your own professional network.
If you don’t already know what you want to do when you graduate (as was the case with me), then try out different things! Think about your strengths, what you think is important in the world and professionals that inspire you. Or even take some personality tests that tell you what career path could be a good fit. At the very least, this can tell you about the diverse professions that are out there. Don’t stress out too much about finding your passion or calling. The more you try out, the more you learn and the more you learn, the more you will know what you want to do.
Do you have a role model? What woman influenced you the most?
That’s a good question. To a large extent of course both my parents have influenced me in terms of becoming the person that I am. From my mother (since you’re asking for a woman), I learned perfectionism and what I can only describe as a “proper way of doing things”. In terms of professional influences, I was lucky to have had several female bosses and colleagues that have believed in me and inspired me in my career journey so far. If I was to pick one ultimate role model whose insights I highly value, I would say Yuval Noah Harari. His intelligence never seizes to amaze me! I love listening to his discussions with fellow intellectuals and tech executives about the future.