On today's blog post, Duolingo's TikTok presence will be analysed and examples will be given that any company can take on board! Duolingo is an app which offers quick and simple learning of a lot of different languages. Their logo is a green owl named “Duo” and Duolingo has used the owl character to act as a personality to promote the brand. Where they have been especially unique, is by manufacturing a love story between Duo and the British-Albanian pop sensation Dua Lipa.    

             
Especially on their TikTok account, Duolingo has been posting for years about Duo's love for Dua Lipa. For instance, one of their videos shows Duo looking depressed in different settings with the caption, 'Life without Dua Lipa'. Also, in one of their most viral videos with over 2 million views, Duo is at Times Square in New York with the caption  'when you fly all the way to NYC to get rejected by Dua Lipa once again'. He is dancing to a distorted version of the song 'Gasolina', which became a trend for people to dance to the song when something bad happened. By using current trends in combination with consistent posting about the same joke, Duolingo has managed to create a story which is memorable to audiences and has become a viral meme that has lasted years since it started in 2021.    

Duolingo's social media manager Zaria Parvez claims that using this manufactured love story approach has helped their account grow from basically nothing to 5 million followers on TikTok. This helped them gain momentum and today they are at a massive 12.4 million. She also states that it worked so well because a lot of celebrity fandoms are hard to break into, as a lot of fans perceive brands talking about their favourite artist as either hate, or the brand trying to capitalize off of their fanbase. Parvez managed to successfully land positively with Dua Lipa fans by using the love story as a way to show praise to their idol, but also by using humour and trends to keep things lighthearted. By doing this she has established a running joke with the fanbase.    

             
Additionally, she explains that they chose Dua Lipa firstly because her name rings similarly to Duolingo, and this is satisfying to audiences and remains memorable. She also mentions that it was essential for Dua Lipa to be an up and coming artist at the time, as it made fans happy that a larger brand engaged with her. Furthermore, her music was also trending as something new and interesting, which enabled the brand to build off of that.    

             
Dua Lipa herself has acknowledged the love story on multiple occasions, for instance on a podcast she recently mentioned that she wants to collab with Duolingo.    

As she is a big star, Dua Lipa mentioning the brand gives them a large reach with her fanbase but also with casual listeners of the podcast who may not even listen to her music.    

It also establishes a positive brand image, as they are being actively endorsed by a public figure, and Dua Lipa expresses how she finds the owl being in love with her funny and she obviously enjoys the joke. This helps to bring across an authentic bond between Dua Lipa and Duolingo.    

Duolingo has collabed with influencer Chris Olsen, where he dresses up as Dua Lipa at the Duolingo office. One of Dua Lipa's songs is playing in the background and Duo is shown running after Olsen because he thinks he's Dua Lipa. Collaborating with big influencers like Olsen helps boost their brand, and involving big names like Dua Lipa encourages influencers to want to work with them. The video is a fun way to collab by getting Olsen in on the joke and is beneficial to both parties.    

             
Importantly, Duolingo do not post solely about Dua Lipa. While they do keep it consistent with posting about her to keep the joke going, they also participate in other trends, so the joke doesn't become tired and boring. For example, a recent video shows Duo dressed as a rat, with the viral audio 'hot rodent boyfriend' playing. By joining in on trends like these, Duolingo makes sure their brand stays relevant as a standalone, and not just in reference to Dua Lipa.    

Key Takeaways    

- Posting consistently about a celebrity can help engage with their fanbase

- Use a long-running joke or narrative to engage your audience

- Show genuine appreciation for fandoms without seeming opportunistic

- Collaborate with influencers to amplify reach

- Keep content consistent but also diverse by participating in other relevant trends that don't focus on the joke

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