Bader & Doar Are Social Media Superstars

In an era defined by reliance on digital media, many companies and government organizations have established dedicated social media teams.

At the City of Edina, the responsibility of a strong social presence largely belongs to the Communications Department. It’s a responsibility that Digital Communications Coordinator Brittany Bader and Graphic Designer Dan Doar take seriously, making them Values VIP Award winners in the month of November for one specialized campaign.

Bader and Doar worked in tandem in 2022 to keep the community informed on social media about how funding from a local option sales tax could be used and how use of the money could be expanded to include an expansion of Braemar Arena -- a matter that was on the ballot in the 2023 election. The most recent social media campaign was specifically targeted toward the improvement of Braemar Arena, a facility that sees upwards of 500,000 visitors annually. In what would become one of the City’s most significant digital campaigns in recent memory, a total of 39 unique posts were used in advance of the 2023 election to reach a broad online audience on multiple platforms, generating thousands of social engagements. 

When asked about the procedures that went into building the campaign, Doar, who has been with the City since early 2022, said, “making sure we presented the facts was a critical first step,” as it is the duty of the City to present prospective voters with clear information regarding the projects they see on their ballots.

As a graphic designer with over a decade of experience, Doar explained that capturing the attention of people on social media during the campaign went beyond a flashy infographic and eye-popping colors. Rather, Doar put forward his best work by carefully curating the images and messages to resonate more closely with a major target demographic: all skaters and families that use the Arena. “If I can use a more compelling photo or graphic that applies to an Edina hockey player scrolling through Instagram, that’s definitely the goal.”

This type of attention to detail and understanding of media design is what Doar called “staying true to the City,” and is one of the many ways he demonstrates quality and service in his assignments. Doar selflessly credited the success of the campaign to the department’s ability to “work closely as a team,” which included everything from the background research that went into the selection of their target audience to the actual text used in posts.

Much of that praise was for Values VIP co-winner Bader. “Brittany is a social media wizard,” as she brought an invaluable knowledge of social media strategy to the table the last two years.

Bader, who has worked for the City of Edina since 2021, was called upon to run the social media campaign for the 2022 sales tax referendum which proposed funding to Braemar Arena & Field and Fred Richards Park. When asked what her proudest accomplishment between the two referendum campaigns she worked on was, Bader said her ability to “create almost all the posts and graphics and organizing the content calendar myself for the first referendum.” Organization skills are one of Bader’s biggest strengths and were demonstrated throughout the entirety of the campaign, as she consistently created and posted content in a timely manner.

A main aspect of the referendum campaign’s success was the ability to have a “two-way conversation with the community,” Bader said. A standout example of service and integrity, Bader went on to explain, “if we saw people asking questions or if there were instances of misinformation being put out by others, it was our job as a Communications team to clear things up and provide correct answers and information.” Collaboration was another integral factor in the success of the project according to Bader. “Dan is very talented, and I am lucky to have him as a coworker!” Their combined efforts drove web traffic to EdinaAtPlay.org, which was a primary goal outlined at the beginning of the campaign.

Visit EdinaAtPlay.org to read more about specific improvements and spending plans.