The Parkinson’s Foundation’s groundbreaking national research study, PD GENEration, offers free genetic testing for people with Parkinson’s disease. Increasing participation in research like PD GENEration is critical to not only to help individuals better understand their own diagnosis, but also accelerate scientific breakthroughs that could lead to improved treatments.
While previous campaigns generated clicks and interest, the Foundation lacked visibility into whether people were truly signing up for the study as a result of advertising. Without this bottom-of-funnel tracking, it was difficult to measure campaign effectiveness or optimize spend. The goal for 2025 was clear: reach key audiences in top markets, drive them to action, and track active participation—so that every dollar invested translated into real-world impact.
Client Overview
Issue Area
This sharp increase suggests the ad campaign was highly effective in boosting visibility and driving engagement. The numbers are well-aligned with our enrollment goals for this period. Huge thanks to everyone on the team who contributed to the development and rollout of this campaign. Your work made a clear and measurable impact on the study’s reach, and we’re excited to see this momentum continue.
Ismail Khaderi,
Clinical Research Coordinator
Parkinson’s Foundation
The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. PD builds on the energy, experience and passion of its global community.
Enhanced Tracking for Deeper Insights
We overhauled the campaign strategy by introducing deeper tracking mechanisms—specifically tracking when someone completed the study’s consent and registration form, as well as people who booked appointments on the Foundation’s Calendly to receive registration support.
Two-Phased Paid Media Approach
We ran a two-phased paid media campaign: Phase 1 focused on awareness and audience-building through Meta and Reddit, while Phase 2 used Meta to drive conversions through retargeting and finely-tuned lookalike audiences. The campaign used emotionally resonant storytelling, including testimonials from study participants and science-forward creative, plus carousel ads that explained the at-home testing process.
Optimized Strategy and Execution
The combination of more sophisticated tracking, a two-phased targeting strategy, and new ad creatives built upon the existing efforts of the Foundation’s clinical operation team, and resulted in a record-breaking month with over 1,000 participants— laying a strong foundation for future recruitment cycles.
This campaign marked a significant step forward for the Foundation—not only in terms of visibility, but also in its ability to track and measure real-world outcomes. Our efforts resulted in both a high-level amount of participation and direct attribution of registrations to paid media. Here’s a snapshot of the impact:
