Has Duolingo's chaotic marketing driven real brand growth?
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Read more about Duolingo's Brand Lore personality in our joint report with Small World: Entertain or DieOpens in new tab. It ranks 100 of the world's most entertaining brands, and Duolingo is somewhere in there... but where? Download to find outOpens in new tab.
- Duolingo has seen a positive increase in metrics across the last year, with Awareness increasing from 49% to 53% and Preference lifting from 24% to 29%.
- Some of Duolingo's biggest growth is in the 25-44-year-old age bracket, which makes sense considering its social media marketing strategy.
- The brand's conversion rate down the funnel is also extremely strong, with conversion from Awareness to Consideration 83%.
Duolingo is a brand that's perpetually in the headlines. They've mastered the art of brand-building via entertainment, entering people's minds via mass media and the niche corners of the subcultural internet.
Its most recent “campaign”, the death of the beloved owl,Opens in new tab DuoOpens in new tab – who, I discovered in the writing of this, has an extremely deep brand lore and life biography – captured widespread attention. Dua Lipa, Duo’s alleged romantic interest, entered a serious period of mourningOpens in new tab. In lieu of flowers, the Duolingo team asked its audience to please honour his untimely death by logging onto the app and doing their language lessons. In the name of Duo. (A social media post said 50 billion XP was needed to revive the owlOpens in new tab, so people literally returned to their lessons to do just that. Unreal.)
Unpacking the stats behind Duolingo's viral TikToks
This extensive brand building has been slowly plodding along since the creation of the Duo owl in 2011, which has allowed the language learning app to channel a deliberately curated personality to reach the hearts and minds of susceptible millennials and Gen Zers everywhere. And, honestly, it has gotten them results.
Tracksuit data shows that Duolingo is the category leader in the US, with 53% Awareness (24-percentage-points above its nearest competitor, and 27-percentage-points above the competitor average). This has also shifted up from 49% between Feb ‘24 to Jan ‘25. In fact, all the metrics in their funnel have increased in this period: Consideration has seen a lift from 38% to 44%, while Preference lifted from 24% to 29%.
Fittingly, some of Duolingo’s biggest growth is in that 25-44 age bracket. For example, while Awareness in the general population is 53%, Awareness in this age group is 57%.
Brand has also obviously made Duolingo more “sticky”, with its conversion rates down the funnel well above the competitor average. Its conversion from Awareness to Consideration is 83% (competitor average 73%), while Consideration to Preference is 66% (competitor average 73%). Basically, once you’re aware, you’re hooked.
I’m honestly of two minds about Duolingo’s unhinged vibe, but, like my colleague said to me this week: can you name a single other language learning app?
Read more about Duolingo's entertainment-first strategy and how it's gotten them to the top of its category in our joint report with Small World - Entertain or Die.Opens in new tab
