🌿 Kew Gardens
A custom content placement that blended creativity, strategy, and botany
In summer 2023, I undertook a bespoke work placement at Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, a globally respected institution at the intersection of science, nature, and heritage. The placement, funded through my Techne DTP PhD programme, was designed to enhance my career development as a content creator and researcher.
Spanning three months part-time, the role was jointly hosted by the Economic Botany Collection (EBC) and Kew’s Digital Experience (DigEx) Social Media Team. This hybrid setup allowed me to operate across departments: building relationships, creating content, and crafting strategy.
🔍 Scope of Work
Strategic Research + Creative Practice
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Competitor Analysis
Conducted a sector-wide review of collections-related content from other institutions, identifying trends, gaps, and innovation opportunities. -
Content Strategy Development
Built a content plan for Kew’s collections content, identifying key content pillars and proposing new formats that aligned with the brand’s tone and mission. -
Collaborative Creation
Produced a range of content in collaboration with both EBC and the social media team, including collaborative posts, reels, and cross-platform assets for Instagram, Facebook, and X. -
Performance Review + Reporting
Before the end of my placement, I delivered an analysis of the content’s performance, along with actionable recommendations to inform future strategy.
📈 Notable Results
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Allium Printing Reel (collaborative post):
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Views: 123,000+
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Herbarium Collection Video (posted on my own profile):
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Views: 169,000
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Reach: 1.4 million
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Same Herbarium Video (posted on Kew’s page):
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Reach: 3 million+
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🧠 What I loved about this project
This placement wasn’t just a highlight of my summer, it was a pivotal moment in my practice. Working with one of the world’s most respected botanical institutions, I was able to apply both my PhD research and my practical social media experience in real time. From analysing what makes collections content engaging, to shooting creative reels with pressed alliums and archive material, this was a project that felt equal parts academic and artistic.
It’s rare to be in a space where strategy, storytelling and science come together — and even rarer to be invited in to help shape that story.
“This placement helped bridge my research into the craft of content creation with real-world cultural comms. A dream blend of plants, content, and creativity.”
My herbarium video
Our collaborative post
Their Herbarium video
Post on Kew work placement
