What Nonprofits Can Learn from a Dead Owl: Lessons from Duolingo’s Social Media Strategy

At Catnip Comms, we're passionate about using digital to make a positive impact. We're always looking for innovative approaches that drive real change. Recently, Duolingo, the language learning app, made headlines by announcing the death of their iconic mascot, the Duolingo owl. While it might seem a bit wacky, there are some key lessons that non-profits can learn from the unconventional strategy.

First, it’s important to note that Duolingo is known for its left-field social media presence. They've built a brand around a slightly creepy, yet engaging, persona for their mascot. The approach has clearly worked because when they announced the owl's death, it was all over the internet. They’re not afraid to take a bit of a risk and be different to grab attention. Adweek even ran an “investigation"!

While this approach is super successful in growing key performance indicators like reach and impressions, it also runs the risk of offending and getting engagement through negative responses. Most nonprofits are not known for being “wacky”, but for doing great work. So we’re aware that there are some major differences and we strongly recommend against any campaign decisions that could come across as trivializing serious topics.

Still, here are some of the key takeaways that non-profit organizations can consider extrapolating from the Duolingo approach to social media:

• Embrace Creativity and Don't Be Afraid to Take Risks: Duolingo's decision to "kill off" their mascot was a bold move, demonstrating that sometimes taking a creative risk can pay off. Nonprofits can break through the noise by thinking outside the box. Instead of simply posting dry reports, consider creating fun and engaging content that resonates with your audience. You don’t have to go as far as Duolingo did, but can you meet them, say, 25% of the way there?
• Trust Your Team: A key element of Duolingo's success is that they give their content creators a lot of autonomy. According to one high-profile piece of commentary, Duolingo's approach works because "people who make the content are the approvers, there's no red tape". This is in stark contrast to many nonprofits, where social media posts can be subjected to multiple layers of approvals, taking weeks to align on messaging. This red tape and cautious approach can stifle creativity and make content feel generic.
• Hiring good people and trusting their expertise: This is essential to a successful social media approach.
• Lay the Groundwork: For huge campaign moments like this, it’s vital for non-profits to ensure that all of their departments are aware of the launch and assisting in promotion. This means reaching out to partners to ask for amplification, getting creative with press releases and media pitches, etc. Even for quick-turn content, finding ways to increase its organic reach is important, which can be done by involving everyone in its planning. As we can see from the corporate accounts engaging with Duo’s news, there were lots of discussions with other social and PR teams behind the scenes before the public found out about Duo’s demise.
• Don't be afraid to be a little quirky: The Duolingo owl has always had a bit of a quirky personality, and the funeral stunt amplified it. The approach helps the company to stand out and be memorable, which is something that many organizations are striving for. Depending on your mission, is there room for your social media content to be more engaging in this way?
  
  

Of course, diving into the world of social media and deciding to kill off your mascot to drive engagement is not without its risks! I can only imagine the reaction of many nonprofit folks to reading this post. So, rest assured: I do understand why you’re anxious. Doing something like this is something you want to build up to. Not start on day one.

At Catnip, we help organizations develop tailored strategies that meet their specific needs. We work with you to understand your goals and target audiences to create a plan that delivers results. We understand the challenges that non-profits face in the digital space.

Let us help you take your social media to the next level. Or, sure, we’ll kill your mascot, if you really want us to!