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Unhinged Marketing: Duolingo at MKT Fest 2024

17/10/2024

Starting with MKT Fest 2024

MKT Fest 2024 was a great success, bringing together marketing leaders and experts to share knowledge, trends and strategies that are shaping the industry.

During three content-packed days, the event featured panels, masterclasses, and presentations that discussed topics such as digital transformation, social media creativity and the future of the industry.

One of the highlights was Duolingo's presentation, led by Kim de Anda, Regional Marketing Manager for Latin America. Kim shared her experience and insights on a trend that has revolutionized the way brands connect with their audience: "unhinged marketing."

Duolingo: Innovation in Marketing Strategy

Kim de Anda has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and communication, transforming the way millions of people learn new languages.

As Duolingo 's Regional Marketing Manager for Latin America, she has been instrumental in implementing creative and unconventional strategies that have led the brand to consolidate its position as the most popular education application in the world.

Its focus on "unhinged marketing" has positioned Duolingo not only as an educational tool, but also as a benchmark in the creation of disruptive and authentic content . authentic content.


Unhinged Marketing and the Story of an Owl Who Learned to Twerk

During the talk titled "Unhinged Marketing and the story of an owl who learned to twerk," Kim introduced us to the concept of unhinged marketing, a strategy that breaks away from traditional standards to deliver authentic, unpredictable and highly entertaining content.

Rather than focusing on promoting the immediate download of the application, Duolingo' s strategy revolves around staying present in users' minds for when they decide to learn a new language.

What is Unhinged Marketing?
Unhinged marketing is characterized by being chaotic, out of the ordinary and disruptive.

Unlike conventional strategies that feature polished graphics or promotional images, unhinged marketing seeks to be meta, self-referential and resonate with the audience through content that may seem"unhinged," but always has a strategic intent behind it.

This trend has grown in popularity thanks to brands like Wendy's, which in 2017 caused a sensation with its irreverent style on Twitter. Since then, unhinged marketing has gained ground, with Duolingo as one of its main exponents.


How Duolingo Applies Unhinged Marketing

Duolingo has taken unhinged marketing to another level, especially on TikTok, where the brand's content has captured the attention of millions of users. Kim explained how they have managed to turn Duo, their iconic owl, into a character that dances, twerks and even playfully threatens users to get their language lessons done.

With over 8.2 million followers on TikTok and 14% engagement, Duolingo has proven that authentic and entertaining content can significantly drive user growth and loyalty.


Key Facts about Duolingo

  • #1 education app in the world
  • Present in more than 180 countries
  • Offers more than 100 courses
  • 1 billion lessons completed per day
  • More than 8.2 million followers on TikTok
  • 80 million monthly impressions
  • 14% engagement on TikTok

Unhinged Marketing Examples: Beyond Duolingo

In addition to Duolingo, Kim mentioned examples of other brands that have adopted unhinged marketing with great success, such as Bachoco, Doritos and Ryanair.

Each of these brands has managed to stand out by creating content that is not only fun and authentic, but also relevant to their audience, using an unconventional approach to capture attention in an environment saturated with advertising messages.}

Unhinged marketing is a powerful tool to capture audience attention and stand out in a competitive environment.

However, its implementation requires a thorough knowledge of the target audience, its implementation requires a deep understanding of the target audience, meticulous planning and the ability to adapt the message in real time. This is where Orange Digital can make a difference, helping brands build digital communication strategies that break with convention and generate authentic impact.

With our expertise in disruptive content creation, advanced use of marketing platforms such as Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and our focus on personalization and automation, we can help brands adopt unhinged marketing strategies that are creative, effective and safe.

Embrace Unhinged Marketing and Make Your Brand Stand Out

Unhinged marketing has proven to be an effective trend to capture the attention of new generations, especially on platforms such as TikTok.


By offering genuine and out-of-the-ordinary content, brands can create more authentic and meaningful connections with their audience.

If your company is ready to embrace these types of trends and take your marketing strategy to the next level, Orange Digital is here to guide you every step of the way, with personalized communication, on multiple digital channels, and at the right time for your customers.

Don't hesitate to contact us if you want to learn more.

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Unhinged Marketing: Duolingo at MKT Fest 2024

At MKT Fest, Kim de Anda, Regional Marketing Manager for Duolingo Latin America, shared how "unhinged marketing" has redefined the way the brand communicates on social media. Through authentic and unconventional strategies, such as the use of its famous Duo bot on TikTok, Duolingo has been able to connect with audiences by showing a fun and real approach. Kim explained that the key to their content is not to drive immediate downloads, but to stay in users' minds for when they decide to learn a new language.