Based on research, we knew expecting parents would turn to search for answers because according to Google they use search twice as much as non-parents1 , asking 700,000 questions a month.

But more importantly, parents facing a Down syndrome diagnosis use search even more intensely. While only accounting for .1% of pregnant couples, they ask Google 57,000 Down syndrome-related questions/month, an astronomical volume for such a small group.

Rather than leaving parents to search the wilds of WebMD, the CDSS had the true experts answer their questions – people living with Down syndrome every day.

Down Syndrome Answers is a series of searchable videos that answer all of the 40 top Googled questions on Down syndrome as answered by people with Down syndrome. The series covers everything from physical and intellectual development to the syndrome’s cause, while offering a humanizing window into the lives of people who are often misunderstood.

While search is typically considered to be functional, we used the platform in a warmer way by serving parents video answers to their questions that put a human face on factual content.

We optimized individual landing pages for each major question and video to connect parents to the real experts on Down syndrome. ?And by hosting the videos on YouTube, we used the playlist feature to embed an instant call to action for parents to discover more of our content.

Because we took the data-driven approach of answering parents’ top searched questions, we’ve ensured our video content is high quality and highly relevant so that our organic rankings continue to rise. This means that Down Syndrome Answers is effectively a self-sustaining, always-on campaign that will live beyond its initial launch, providing parents faced with a Down syndrome diagnosis a searchable resource to turn to, today and into the future.

To date, Down Syndrome Answers has achieved:

• 519 million media impressions

• 101% increase in organic traffic to site, of this over 50% was through Google Search

• 893% increase in referral traffic to cdss.ca

• 240,000 of views, which is a significant amount since there are only 25,800 of Down syndrome pregnancies in North America every year.

• Down Syndrome Associations in 10 countries now support our assets as a resource for parents

• A Think with Google Best-in-Class case for search-based marketing

When parents learn their unborn child has Down syndrome, they have about 10 days to decide whether to keep the baby or not. With a mounting list of questions, they turn to Google for answers. Down Syndrome Answers is an always on video series that uses search based data to directly target this audience. We found the top 40 Googled questions about Down syndrome and using Google Adwords intercepted parents’ searches in the exact moment that they need answers. The campaign used data-driven insight to leverage search in an unexpectedly innovative way and meet the needs of our target audience.

Knowing that our target would be turning to “Dr. Google”, we used search to tap into these parents’ existing media behavior. Using Google’s Keyword Planner we identified the 40 most searched questions about Down syndrome. We then used Google AdWords to intercept parents’ searches, allowing us to be there, answering their questions in the exact moment that they needed answers.

And since there’s no way to target parents of an unborn child with Down syndrome in traditional media, AdWords allowed us to find this very niche and tough to reach audience in a way that other platforms would not. Finding this small group of parents could have been like finding a needle in a haystack, but using data we were able to intercept their specific searches and directly connect with them.

When parents learn their unborn child has Down syndrome, they have about 10 days to decide whether to keep the baby or not. Shell-shocked and overwhelmed, they leave the doctor’s office with a list of unanswered questions.

To make it worse, when parents do search for answers, they are confronted at every turn with the cold and clinical language of Down syndrome: Genetic defects. Developmental delays. Abnormality. Language that is far removed from the emotional reality of the agonizing decision at hand.

Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) realized there was a gap in information geared for expectant parents facing a diagnosis.

The campaign’s goal was to be there for these parents by simply giving them the answers they were seeking. The objective wasn't to be pro-life or pro-choice, but only pro-information. But we also knew they needed more than facts. They needed human perspective as they faced this life changing decision.