Singapore’s National Library Board has appointed The Nutgraf as its PR consultant for a year, with an option to extend for two more. The agency will oversee PR strategy, media monitoring, crisis management, spokesperson training, and content development to support NLB’s events, campaigns, digital initiatives and public outreach throughout the year.
The National Library Board (NLB) of Singapore has taken a decisive step to sharpen its communications strategy by appointing The Nutgraf as its PR consultant and agency partner, a move that underscores the growing importance of strategic public engagement for public institutions in an increasingly complex media landscape. The one-year appointment, which comes with an option to extend for up to two additional years, places The Nutgraf at the center of NLB’s communication efforts at a time when libraries are rapidly evolving into dynamic cultural, educational and digital hubs. According to tender documents accessed by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, the mandate spans a wide spectrum of responsibilities that will require a fine balance of strategic thinking, operational precision, and an understanding of how public expectations of national institutions are shifting.
For The Nutgraf, the appointment represents both an opportunity and a challenge. The agency will serve as NLB’s key advisor and execution partner across communications planning, media monitoring and analysis, issues and crisis management, and the professional development of NLB’s spokespeople. It is an extensive brief designed to ensure that information about major NLB initiatives reaches the public in a timely, clear, and engaging manner. With NLB planning several milestone events, including library openings, exhibitions, conferences, reading campaigns, digital platform rollouts and curated thematic collections, the coming year is set to be an active one. The Nutgraf’s role will be to ensure that the visibility and messaging for these efforts receive consistent and positive media attention, while also deepening public understanding of the board’s evolving mission.
As the appointed agency, The Nutgraf will be responsible for crafting and executing comprehensive PR strategies that span traditional and digital media. This includes developing speeches, drafting media releases, preparing corporate articles and factsheets, writing talking points for senior leaders, producing media invitations, and building tailored social media plans to amplify reach. Beyond content development, the agency will take charge of media coverage for public events, manage on-ground engagements, and pitch approved stories throughout the year. The scope reflects a holistic communication approach that demands agility, creativity and a strong understanding of Singapore’s media dynamics. It also mirrors the broader shift in public sector communication, where storytelling, online engagement and transparency increasingly play central roles.
One of the core pillars of the engagement involves identifying online engagement opportunities at a time when digital conversations often shape public opinion more rapidly than traditional channels. The Nutgraf will be expected to monitor sentiment, respond appropriately to emerging trends, and guide NLB on how its platforms and messages can resonate more meaningfully with diverse audiences. This includes preparing NLB spokespeople for interviews, media appearances and panel discussions, ensuring they are not only well-versed in their subject matter but also confident in navigating tough questions. The agency will provide monthly tracker reports detailing pitching activity, media queries received, interview opportunities secured and the overall PR value generated. These structured updates will help NLB assess the effectiveness of its communication strategies over time.
On the media monitoring front, The Nutgraf will deliver comprehensive daily coverage reports that include weekends and public holidays—an important requirement in an always-on media environment. It will also be responsible for post-event monitoring and reporting, a task that ensures NLB has full visibility of how the media responds to its activities. Monthly and annual social media analytical reports will provide performance insights, while coverage summaries will highlight advertising value equivalency (AVE), PR value and other metrics. Supporting documents such as clippings, audio recordings and video files will accompany these reports, giving NLB a consolidated archive for reference and evaluation.
Issues and crisis management form another significant element of the partnership, underscoring the need for robust safeguards in an era where narratives can shift quickly online. The Nutgraf will track emerging issues, offer strategic counsel during crisis situations, support media briefings, and guide post-crisis recovery through communications that protect NLB’s reputation and reinforce public trust. The tender documents specify that NLB must have direct access to senior agency leads during any crisis—a requirement that signals the seriousness with which the board approaches crisis preparedness. This readiness is essential for a national institution that interacts daily with a wide cross-section of the public and manages spaces that serve multiple community needs.
Equally notable is the emphasis on spokesperson training. The partnership includes up to five full-day training sessions annually for new spokespersons, along with two half-day sessions for senior management and experienced spokespeople. These sessions must be led by trainers with at least a decade of relevant PR experience, ensuring that guidance comes from seasoned professionals. The program will combine classroom learning with role-play and simulated exercises, offering spokespeople immediate feedback on their performance. This structured and practical approach reflects an understanding that effective communication is as much about preparation and practice as it is about strategy. For a public institution like NLB, whose staff frequently engage with the community and media, such training is crucial to maintaining a consistent and confident public voice.
NLB’s decision to appoint The Nutgraf comes amid a broader trend of public agencies in Singapore partnering with communications firms to navigate the evolving expectations of transparency, digital engagement and community outreach. Libraries today are no longer quiet archival spaces; they serve as hubs for learning, innovation, creativity and digital inclusion. As NLB expands its offerings—ranging from interactive exhibitions to digital resources and thematic literacy campaigns—the communication demands naturally grow more complex. Ensuring that these initiatives reach different demographic groups, from children and students to seniors and digital-first users, requires nuanced messaging and diverse outreach strategies. This is where a specialized agency like The Nutgraf can play a transformative role.
The partnership aligns with NLB’s broader mission to inspire lifelong learning and keep Singapore’s population connected to knowledge. Effective outreach can contribute to higher participation in library programs, stronger community engagement, and deeper appreciation of the cultural and educational role libraries play. Furthermore, in an environment where misinformation can spread quickly, NLB’s role as a trusted knowledge institution becomes even more significant. Clear, accurate and proactive communication helps reinforce this trust and positions the board as a reliable source of information and insight.
For The Nutgraf, the engagement provides an opportunity to demonstrate its strategic capabilities in handling a major public-sector client with a diverse and complex portfolio. The coming year will test the agency’s ability to balance day-to-day operational consistency with high-level strategic thinking, especially during large-scale events, public campaigns or moments of crisis. With the option of a two-year extension, the partnership has the potential to evolve into a long-term collaboration that shapes how NLB communicates with the public in the future.
As Singapore’s media landscape continues to shift, and as public institutions adapt to changing expectations, this partnership signifies more than a tactical PR arrangement. It reflects NLB’s commitment to staying responsive, forward-looking and deeply connected with the community it serves. Through strategic storytelling, careful monitoring, thoughtful engagement and consistent messaging, The Nutgraf will help shape the narratives that define one of Singapore’s most important cultural and educational institutions in the years ahead.
