National Institute of Early
Childhood Development
The National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC) is a training institute set up by the Ministry of Education to uplift the early childhood sector. NIEC provides quality training to aspiring and in-service preschool educators.
My Scope of Work
Campaign Strategy
Social Media Management
Content Creation
Public Relations
Project Management
Search Engine Optimisation
Search Engine Marketing
Media Buying
Audience Research
Performance Analysis
Brand Management
Stakeholder Engagement
Vendor Coordination
Intern Mentorship
Duration
2023 - Present
CONTEXT
The organisation is fairly new and in early development, with a limited budget for advertising and promotions. This requires creative and strategic approaches to maximise impact. The small Communications team produces most materials in-house. Before my joining, social media presence was minimal and not following standard practices.
OBJECTIVES
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Enhance brand awareness
& elevate reputation
Position NIEC as the leading institute for early childhood education by highlighting thought leadership and student success stories.
Strengthen digital presence & drive course enrolments
Boost NIEC’s online visibility with consistent, high-quality content, and use targeted marketing to increase course enrolments.
Shift public perceptions & promote continuous learning
Reframe narrative around preschool educators to move beyond the babysitting stereotype and promote professional development.
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
4x
increase in web traffic from organic social content
From 10,100 sessions in a year to 41,800,
surpassing stagnant growth in previous years
2x
increase in engagement rate
Increased from 2% to 4.5%, comparing the same period across 2 years on Instagram
28%
increase in
Instagram followers
From 3400 to 4300 followers in a year,
exceeding previous years' growth of 8%
68%
increase in
LinkedIn followers
Revitalised LinkedIn page, growing
from 690 to 1150 followers in a year
Content Strategy & Creation
When I joined NIEC, its social media presence lacked a cohesive framework. I took the initiative to establish clear content pillars aligned with organisational goals, ensuring that key messages were regularly communicated and resonated with our target audience.
Beyond strategy, I was deeply involved in the creative process by conceptualising and designing content using tools like Canva and Adobe Photoshop. When collaborating with interns and design agencies, I provided precise briefs and guided them at every stage to ensure the final outputs reflected the desired vision.
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Festive Greetings
Spreading joy and celebrating seasonal occasions with our audience through festive-themed content and messages.
The NIEC mascots dressed in custom outfits were hand-drawn by me in Adobe Illustrator. These personalised and animated posts achieved 2x the engagement rate of previous generic celebratory content.
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Caption
NIEC wishes all our Muslim friends Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!
May this festive occasion bring you and your loved ones abundant happiness and blessings 🕌💚🌙
Design Process
Exploring the concept of having the NIEC mascots playfully jump out from behind a ketupat, I sketched out the frames and tested the animation sequence using Adobe Photoshop's timeline panel to bring the idea to life. The final frames were then designed in Adobe Illustrator for a polished, high-quality finish.
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Caption
NIEC extends our warm wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🎁🎄
May your holidays be filled with moments of joy and anticipation for the year ahead 🎊
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Short-Form Video Production
Recognising the potential of short-form video to boost engagement, I proposed and launched a regular reels strategy for NIEC’s social media channels. Taking a hands-on approach, I manage the entire process — from identifying trends to video conceptualisation, scripting, shooting, and editing.
Over 32.2k plays & 550 interactions
Over 10k plays & 200 interactions
Over 4k plays & 200 interactions
Over 1.7k plays & 13 interactions
Over 11k plays & 320 interactions
Over 10k plays & 300 interactions
Over 28.8k plays & 520 interactions
Over 5k plays & 230 interactions
Over 5k plays & 70 interactions
Campaign Performance & Analysis
I analyse campaign performance using tools like Google Analytics and native platform insights. I introduced new measurement metrics, such as tracking engagement rates, to provide deeper insights into campaign performance and identify areas for improvement.
Taking the initiative to implement A/B testing for ad creatives and messaging, I successfully boosted click-through rates and optimised return on investment. Leveraging these performance insights, I identified emerging trends and gained a deeper understanding of consumer preferences.
Ad Visual
Ad Caption Variation A
Level up your teaching with NIEC's Outdoor Learning CPD courses! 🌱 Our hands-on courses will equip you with practical skills.....
Higher
CTR
Ad Caption Variation B
⏱️ Limited spots! Enrol in the May and June 2024 intakes for NIEC’s Outdoor Learning CPD courses! Our hands-on courses will equip you with practical skills...
Lower CTR
BRANDED CONTENT CAMPAIGNS
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
715k
accounts reached
715,500 accounts reached on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok
4.4k
interactions
4,400 interactions (likes, comments, shares, saves) on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok
2.8k
link clicks
2,800 link clicks to landing page
Content Partnership: NIEC x Our Grandfather Story
I spearheaded a strategic partnership with Our Grandfather Story (OGS), a leading digital media publisher in Singapore, to produce compelling branded content for NIEC.
Managing the project end-to-end, my key contributions included:
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Wholly managing the procurement process by sourcing content producers, facilitating pitches, and evaluating proposals to eventually select the best-fit partner.
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Leading discussions with the awarded partner to collaboratively identify content strategies that would align with NIEC’s brand values and resonate with the target audience.
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Managing multiple rounds of revisions to the content, effectively balancing the content producer’s creative recommendations with internal stakeholder preferences to deliver impactful and high-quality content.
Post #1: The Words Within
The first post in the campaign aimed to increase awareness of NIEC by seamlessly blending into Our Grandfather Story’s signature storytelling style. It featured heartfelt reflections from NIEC's and OGS' audiences, evoking nostalgia and celebrating the lasting impact of teachers.
I handled the copywriting for the final frame, inspiring audiences to reflect on the importance of early childhood development and directing audiences to NIEC’s 5th Anniversary microsite to explore our contributions to education.
Caption
Do you remember what your teachers were like growing up?
We have curated and collected a series of responses from our followers in an effort to share their memories of their childhood teachers and the way they have impacted them. May we strive to better support our future children by giving them the love and encouragement they need! 💛
This post is in collaboration with the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC). To find out more on how you can play a part, visit our link in bio.
Post #2: Profile Feature
I leveraged connections built during a prior focus group I conducted to identify Joel, a compelling profile whose journey would inspire mid-career professionals to join the early childhood sector, aligning seamlessly with the campaign’s goals.
Collaborating closely with OGS’s creative team, I contributed to the narrative and visuals, participated in the onsite photoshoot, and coordinated with Joel's preschool centre’s PR team to ensure all content reflected NIEC’s messaging.
Joel’s feature was exceptionally well-received, surpassing OGS's branded content engagement benchmarks. It also garnered attention from the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), which reached out to NIEC to spotlight Joel in further media coverage.
Caption
Leaving your job isn’t easy, especially while starting a family. Yet Joel made the difficult decision of embarking on a mid-career switch to pursue a diploma in early childhood education - all while being a father to a young son! Read more about his inspiring journey 🌟.
This post is in collaboration with the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC). Find out how you can kick start your journey in early childhood education in our link in bio!
Media Relations
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
25+
25+ media placements secured through strategic pitching and facilitating inbound media requests
news placements
secured
8+
major news outlets engaged
Engaged news outlets such as The Straits Times, CNA, Berita Harian, Lianhe Zaobao, Tamil Murasu, Seithi Mediacorp, 8World, etc
15+
interviews facilitated with spokespersons
More than 15 interviews facilitated between NIEC spokespersons and key media outlets
Pitched News Story: The Straits Times
To strengthen relationships with The Straits Times, I participated in a media networking lunch with NIEC representatives, gaining insights into the editors' interests and exploring potential story opportunities. Building on this connection, I pitched the concept of “A Day in the Life of an Early Childhood Educator” to journalist Elisha Tusha. I sourced and identified suitable profiles of NIEC students managing preschool practicum placements alongside their training, ensuring the story authentically reflected NIEC’s mission and the sector’s broader goals.
Managing Elisha’s queries posed challenges, as I balanced protecting sensitive data with providing meaningful insights about NIEC’s training statistics—all within tight deadlines. Sector-specific questions were directed to the Early Childhood Development Agency. Once approvals were secured, I coordinated on-site interviews and photoshoots, working closely with the profiles, their preschools, and The Straits Times.
The resulting article was one of NIEC's most in-depth features since its establishment, receiving commendation from both NIEC’s Board Chairman and CEO for its impact and the extensive effort behind its development.
Brand Assets & Creative Production
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
5k
stakeholders
engaged through
brochures
More than 5,000 stakeholders engaged
through physical and online brochures
40+
stock photos added to visual library
More than 40 photos added to stock library
8+
external vendors collaborated with
Collaborated with over 8 external vendors across areas such as design, web development, and video production
Brand Photoshoot
Before the shoot, I conducted a recce of the location, identifying optimal spots for visuals that would creatively and effectively align with NIEC’s branding needs. I then developed a detailed shot list and sourced reference images to guide the photographer.
To address gaps in our photo library, I planned specific shots to represent key aspects of NIEC’s courses. For example, I ensured we captured visuals representing leadership courses by staging guidance-style interactions among educators. For mother tongue language courses, I incorporated props to depict classroom settings of mother tongue classes.
On shoot day, I took charge of coordinating with NIEC student volunteers and colleagues' children, stepping in as both the creative director and problem-solver. With no professional models on set, I directed poses, managed interactions, and even handled unexpected challenges like calming crying children to ensure we captured the right shots. My all-hands-on-deck approach ensured the shoot ran smoothly and resulted in high-quality visuals that aligned with NIEC’s values.
Corporate Video: NIEC Desired Graduate Profile
This video introduced NIEC's Desired Graduate Profile (DGP) matrix, which defines students as Reflective Practitioners, Relationship Builders, and Resilient Learners. I curated key student events and initiatives across NIEC’s faculties to exemplify each value.
With budget and manpower limitations making it unfeasible to film all events, I devised a solution to incorporate high-quality photos from past events and in-house footage for upcoming activities, reserving professional filming for interview segments to ensure a cohesive final product.
I storyboarded and scripted the video, balancing representation across all campuses and DGP values while managing stakeholder expectations to deliver an engaging and concise narrative. I prepped interviewees and facilitated on-site filming, ensuring the production met quality and messaging standards.
Brochure: NIEC Leadership Courses
The Leadership Courses brochure was designed to showcase NIEC's suite of courses tailored for aspiring and current early childhood leaders. Given the niche audience of leaders in the sector, this brochure required a specialised approach to ensure clarity and focus.
One challenge was that educators were often unsure which leadership course to pursue first, due to the varying course offerings and their unique requirements. To address this, I collaborated with NIEC’s Curriculum & Programmes division to clearly define the unique selling points (USPs) of each course. I then worked with the creative agency to ensure the courses were presented in a logical, easy-to-follow pathway, helping educators at different stages of their leadership journey to identify which course best suited their needs.
