Duolingo, the well-known language-learning app, gained immense popularity through its unconventional approach to social media, particularly following a viral campaign that dramatically 'killed' its mascot, Duo. The campaign, which began with an altered app icon, escalated into a full narrative, captivating audiences and drawing media attention from major outlets like CNN and The New Yorker. Senior social media manager Zaria Parvez highlights the importance of community feedback and speed in their strategy, noting that the campaign was executed within six days. This innovative method of social-first storytelling has propelled Duolingo from 50,000 TikTok followers to over 16 million in just four years.
Killing Duo was characteristic of what Parvez describes as an "unhinged" approach to social media and a tone that has helped Duolingo leap from 50,000 TikTok followers to 16 million in a little over four years.
It actually just started from an app icon that had X's over Duo's eyes. We've seen when we do that, we get an uptick in new users.
Every six months, we change our app icons, and rather than cosmetic refresh, we crafted an increasingly elaborate narrative around it.
Working at speed was crucial in the development of the dead Duo campaign, which went from concept to execution in just six days.
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