The best stories often emerge from personal experiences. For Colin Ng, overcoming obesity and type 2 diabetes became his personal driving force in designing health campaigns. As Manager (Digital Marketing) in the Corporate Marketing division, Colin channels both his creativity and lived experience to encourage Singaporeans to adopt healthier habits.

We caught up with Colin to learn how his personal journey drives the impactful campaigns he creates.

We hear that filmmaking has always been a big passion! What was it about telling stories that made you take the leap?

Yes, that’s true, I actually left junior college in my first year to pursue that dream at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. I wanted to tell stories that moved people, the way Ang Lee’s films do — stories that make you feel something real and see the world differently. That decision taught me to trust my instincts and believe that storytelling can change minds and lives.

How did your love for media turn into a drive for health promotion?

Growing up, I struggled with obesity and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in my teens. Through healthier lifestyle habits, which led to a gradual weight loss, I was eventually able to manage my condition without medication. That experience gave me a very personal understanding of what it meant to face health challenges, both physically and emotionally. I still remember how I felt when I came across HPB’s ‘Let’s Beat Diabetes’ campaign several years ago. It struck a chord with me — it wasn’t just a health message; it felt like a call to action. That experience changed how I viewed media: not as a tool for attention but as a conduit to help people feel understood and inspire real change.

What made the HPB Scholarship the right fit for you, and how did it shape your journey?

When I first came across the HPB Scholarship opportunity on BrightSparks, what drew me in was how meaningful my career could be. It wasn’t just about funding a degree; it was about being involved in a role that could improve lives. The scholarship gave me the chance to put my strengths in strategy and creativity to good use — ideating solutions and translating them into actionable behaviours that drive meaningful change. It also gave me early exposure to mentors who encouraged me to go beyond and understand the science behind public communication. The scholarship didn’t just open doors for me; it showed me where I could make a real impact on people.

What’s a day in your life like as Manager in Digital Marketing at HPB?

My work blends creativity, analysis, and experimentation. I manage HPB’s email engagement with Singaporeans, designing how we connect with different audiences in meaningful and relatable ways. A typical day involves reviewing campaign results, crafting copies, and testing subject lines, visuals, and short animations to see what resonates best with our audience. Some days are spent tweaking copies to get better engagement — proof that communication really is both an art and science. I use data to understand patterns, but I’ve learned that it takes empathy to craft stories that truly resonate with people.

You’ve run campaigns that reach millions, let us in on what makes digital messages stick!

The biggest surprise? Small details matter a lot. Changing a single word or even adding a gentle emoji can affect how people respond. I’ve learnt that people don’t just read information, they read to feel, then understand, and finally act. Messages that feel human and empathetic often reach out better than perfectly polished ones. People connect more with authenticity than with perfection.

Can you take us through your HPB journey and share the opportunities that helped you grow professionally?

I started my first internship in HPB’s outreach division, connecting with volunteers who champion health in the communities. That experience was invaluable as I learnt how our selfless volunteers go around to engage Singaporeans in healthy living activities. I also learnt that having a good sense of humour helps lighten up situations when things get hectic. My second internship was in the Corporate Marketing division, where I was involved with rolling out national campaigns.

To widen my institutional knowledge, I joined the Strategic Planning and Collaborations division, where I translated HPB’s strategic plans into clear, actionable insights for teams across the organisation. The role made me realise that clarity and conciseness are as important as creativity, especially when your audience ranges from policy officers to frontline staff.

Now, in Digital Marketing, I focus on engagement and content personalisation, to come up with content which can best reach out to Singaporeans and inspire them to take charge of their health.

Every role in HPB has given me a chance to strengthen my professional learning and growth. Ultimately, starting with community volunteers taught me that meaningful health promotion is citizen-centred — it begins with genuine human connection and deepens with clear communication.

Tell us about your proudest achievement at work to date.

I worked on a national health screening campaign at HPB a couple of years ago. One afternoon on the MRT, I noticed a father and son looking at our poster, which encourages Singaporeans to go for screening together. The son said, “Pa, we should go for this,” and the father nodded, saying they’d make time that weekend. I sat quietly, pretending not to listen, but I was smiling inside. That small moment stayed with me. It reminded me that behind every campaign, there’s a chance to change a habit, start a conversation, or spark a meaningful decision. Real impact isn’t always about scale — it’s found in moments like this and knowing that the work I do can make a difference in someone’s health.

What makes working at HPB meaningful, and what keeps you inspired each day?

It’s the people. My colleagues at HPB genuinely care about their teams and doing meaningful work to help Singaporeans achieve better health. You can feel that sincerity every day. There’s also a healthy balance of autonomy and guidance. You’re encouraged to test ideas, learn, and share what works regardless of outcomes. That keeps things exciting and occasionally humbling when a marketing copy test result proves you wrong. It’s a culture that lets you grow and laugh at yourself along the way.

HPB also offers scholars a chance to explore areas you are keen in, and you may discover a new interest along the way. If you’re curious and love connecting dots between disciplines, it gives you the breadth and depth to explore and grow.

Finally, what advice would you offer to students eager to pursue a career in health promotion?

Be endlessly curious about people. Health promotion isn’t just about policies or campaigns; it’s about understanding how people live, think, and feel before you can nudge them to take healthier steps. That curiosity will take you places you never expect. I started off wanting to be a filmmaker, then moved into strategic planning, and now work in digital marketing. Each step taught me a different way of understanding people — through stories, systems, and data.

Always start with empathy and a curious mindset. The best ideas come from observing, listening, and understanding what people need, even when they don’t say it outright. After all, you can’t promote health without empathy.