Overdose Prevention
April 2022 – June 2023 · Minnesota Department of Health
The Challenge
Minnesota was experiencing a drug overdose crisis. In 2021 the state recorded its highest number of overdose deaths ever — a story that needed to reach communities, not just stay inside a news release. Our team's job was to translate MDH's epidemiological data and harm reduction resources into content that was accessible, shareable, and actually useful to people.
The audience was broad: concerned family members, healthcare workers, community organizations, and people who use drugs. The content had to meet all of them where they were — without stigmatizing language, and with clear calls to action.
Approach
We organized the campaign around three content pillars: data + context (news releases, county-level rates, surveillance reports), harm reduction tools (naloxone access, fentanyl test strips), and community presence (threads at the State Fair, research amplification).
Rather than posting single facts, we built threaded conversations that walked followers through complex topics step by step — making MDH feel like a trusted guide, not just a bulletin board. We also tied posts to calendar moments like Health Literacy Month to extend reach organically.
Results
7 Top Retweets
1.4K Peak Impressions
10 Posts Published
3 Threaded Series
The record overdose deaths post earned 7 retweets — the highest amplification of the campaign — demonstrating that framing a data story as urgent, shareable news drives organic reach far beyond a standard announcement.
What I Learned
Threading worked. Our multi-tweet formats at the State Fair and around research releases consistently outperformed single posts — they gave followers a reason to stay and read, and made complex public health topics feel navigable. The biggest lesson: meet people where they are, both literally (the State Fair) and informationally (start with the headline stat, then explain why it matters).
Campaign two: Health Equity
July 2023 – 2024 · Minnesota Department of Health
The Challenge
MDH's Center for Health Equity was doing meaningful work — refugee health support, disability inclusion, community health assessments — but that work wasn't always visible externally. The challenge was to amplify diverse community voices and institutional milestones in a way that felt authentic, not performative.
This meant centering real people (like Bugondo Ntibonera, a Congolese refugee resettlement supervisor who shared his story for World Refugee Day), and framing institutional announcements like the Division's renaming as genuine progress rather than press releases.
Approach
We leaned into storytelling over statistics. Where the overdose campaign led with data, this campaign led with people — personal narratives, community celebrations, and first-person accounts. We also used cultural moments (Juneteenth, World Refugee Day) as anchors to connect MDH's work to broader conversations already happening online.
For institutional milestones like the "Treat People Like People" disability campaign launch, we focused on the human impact rather than the policy language — pairing the announcement with visual assets that communicated the message immediately, without needing to read the caption.
Jun 2023 — Juneteenth JubileeTop performer: 6 retweets, 6 likes, 2K impressions. Community event amplification that drove real engagement.
Jun 2023 — World Refugee DayThree-part thread featuring a real community member's story. Humanizing institutional content at its most effective.
Jun 2024 — Disability Campaign LaunchVisual-first approach to the "Treat People Like People" campaign. Message-first design that works without a caption.
Jun 2024 — Division RebrandFraming a structural change as a human story. 1.1K impressions on what could have been a dry announcement.
Results
2K Peak Impressions
6 Top Retweets
6 Top Likes
10 Posts Published
The Juneteenth Jubilee post was the highest-performing post across both campaigns — 2K impressions, 6 retweets, 6 likes. It succeeded because it combined a visual with genuine community celebration, not a government announcement.
What I Learned
Community-centered content consistently outperformed institutional content. When MDH amplified a community event or told a real person's story, engagement jumped. When we announced a policy or program on its own terms, it was quieter. The implication for public health comms: find the human behind the policy, and lead with them.