"On an earnings call on Wednesday, CEO Luis von Ahn highlighted the stream of funny and unhinged Duolingo-themed costumes people wore for Halloween this year. "In terms of kind of being culturally relevant, et cetera, we really are seeing a complete pickup on that," he said. "Throughout the world, certainly, there were thousands of Halloween costumes that were just Duolingo costumes.""
"Von Ahn made the comment in response to an analyst's question about whether the language learning app is focusing more on product or marketing. "If we have a product that is extremely retentive that also teaches really well, that's the best thing you can do, and that's where we spend most of our efforts," he said. "Yes, the cultural relevance matters. But to me, that's just an accelerant to something that is where the main dish is the product.""
"Duolingo is famous for its creative and guilt-inducing app notifications and social media posts. Marketing experts say the approach works, especially with Gen Z, because the app's green owl mascot appears authentic and consistent. Whether it's on TV, in YouTube ads, or on TikTok, where Duolingo has over 16.8 million followers, the company is among the first to tap into viral, often country-specific trends."
Duolingo experienced thousands of Duolingo-themed Halloween costumes worldwide, including many viral recreations of the green owl and other app characters. CEO Luis von Ahn characterized cultural relevance as an accelerant that supports the core focus on product quality, retention, and effective language teaching. The company pairs strong product investment with distinctive, playful marketing tactics—guilt-inducing notifications, consistent mascot usage, and platform-specific content. Duolingo leverages TV, YouTube, and a TikTok following exceeding 16.8 million to rapidly tap into viral and often country-specific trends, resonating particularly with Gen Z audiences.
Read at Business Insider
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