How Lil’ But Mighty Became Thought Leaders in Their Industry
What does it actually look like when PR works? Not just a press release that disappears into the void — but a campaign that changes how your staff see the brand, how parents discover you, and how journalists decide to call you when they need an expert.
That’s exactly what happened with Lil’ But Mighty, a Singapore education centre run by founder Lily. In this case study, Lily shares what prompted her to look for PR support, what the experience of working with Grow PR has been like, and perhaps most tellingly what it meant when CNA came knocking on their own.
The Problem: A Great Brand With No Way to Tell Its Story
Lil’ But Mighty had something genuinely worth talking about. A clear philosophy on education. A founder with a real story. A team that cared deeply about what they built. But as Lily puts it bluntly: “We are a very small team. We definitely do not have the resources, the platforms, or the expertise to reach out to different networks.”
That’s an honest place to start and it’s one a lot of Singapore SME founders will recognise. You can be brilliant at what you do and still be invisible to the people who matter most: parents choosing a centre, teachers evaluating employers, journalists looking for credible voices in your industry.
The goal wasn’t just press coverage for the sake of it. Lily and her team had a specific ambition: to be known not just for what they do, but for the people behind Lil’ But Mighty — and to establish themselves as thought leaders in the education space.
That’s a PR brief with real depth. And it’s exactly the kind of work Grow PR was built for.
What Made the Difference: Network, Consistency, and Real People
When Lily reflects on what Grow PR brought to the table, two things stand out above everything else.
The first is network. The ability to pitch stories across media platforms that Lil’ But Mighty simply couldn’t access on their own. Singapore’s media landscape is relationship-driven, knowing who to call, how to frame a story, and when to pitch it is the difference between a feature and a rejection.
The second is something that doesn’t often get talked about in PR pitch decks: stability. Lily specifically called out Sakina, the Grow PR team member who worked with Lil’ But Mighty throughout the entire campaign. “Sakina has always been very warm, very approachable. She’s always ready to support — and I really appreciate that.”
That consistency matters. When you’re a small business letting an external team represent your brand’s voice, trust is everything. Knowing the same person understands your story — not a revolving door of account managers and makes all the difference.
The Coverage That Hit Hardest: CNA Broadcast
Over the course of the campaign, Lil’ But Mighty was featured across multiple angles: Lily’s story as a founder, her role as a mother and business owner, and the broader impact of the centre’s work on students and families.
But one piece of coverage stood out above the rest.
“The first CNA broadcast interview — that was something that impacted us quite a bit,” Lily recalls. “We had family, friends, and people in the business reach out and celebrate with us.”
That moment captured something important about what earned media does that paid advertising simply can’t replicate. It’s not just visibility , it’s validation. A CNA broadcast tells your audience, your staff, and your own family: what you’re doing is real, and it matters.
A CNA Lifestyle feature followed, showcasing how Lily and her business partner Leonard work together as a couple — a story that resonated with other entrepreneurial partnerships and added a human dimension to the Lil’ But Mighty brand.
The Ripple Effect: Staff, Parents, and Beyond
The impact of the PR campaign wasn’t limited to a spike in website traffic or a bump in enquiries. It ran deeper than that.
For staff: Prospective teachers began mentioning Lil’ But Mighty’s media features during recruitment conversations. Current teachers reported a sense of pride when they saw their centre being featured in the press — confirmation that the values they showed up for every day were consistent with what the world was seeing.
For parents: While most were too shy to say it directly, some shared with teachers that the media coverage was part of what drew them to the centre. Social proof, quietly but powerfully at work.
For the founders: “This process allows us the opportunity to constantly reflect on what we are doing, the industry we’re in, and how we’re doing what we love,” says Lily. “It inspires us to continue and to do better.”
That last point is underrated. Good PR doesn’t just change how the outside world sees you — it sharpens how you see yourself.
The Moment It All Came Full Circle: CNA Talking Point
Perhaps the clearest signal that Lil’ But Mighty had achieved what they set out to do came without any pitching at all.
CNA’s Talking Points programme reached out to Lily directly — unsolicited — for an interview.
“We were surprised, and at the same time we felt it was somewhat a milestone,” she says. “For them to reach out to us means they’re certain about what we do and they feel what we share is of value.”
That’s the long game of thought leadership PR. You do the work consistently, over time, across multiple platforms and angles — and eventually, the media starts coming to you. You stop being a source they consider and start being the authority they rely on.
What Lily Would Say to Anyone Considering Grow PR
We asked Lily directly: what would you tell someone who’s on the fence about working with us?
Her answer: “Grow has helped us build a lot of relationships along the way — all while being a team with us. We are not running in isolation. If you are looking for a PR team that cares about what you do and cares about how you want to be heard while offering you the advice, then yes — you should talk to Christel.”
We’ll take that.
If you’re a founder, educator, or SME owner in Singapore who wants to build the kind of credibility that makes journalists call you — we’d love to have that conversation.
Book a free consultation with our team — no strings attached, just a chat about what’s possible for your brand.