🦉 That Duolingo owl is unhinged

Has someone at your yoga and meditation workshop offered you kratom tea, leaving you wondering what the heck it is?

Kratom is an herbal supplement made from the dried leaves of a tree in the coffee family and imported from Southeast Asia. When ingested or smoked, it can cause effects similar to opioids and stimulants.

Some people who enjoy it say they feel relaxed or more social. Others say it helps them manage chronic pain or recover from addiction.

It’s become popular in recent years:

• Over 2m Americans use kratom annually, per Bloomberg
• In 2021, it was a $1.3B industry

It can be purchased at smoke shops, online, or at kratom bars, where customers ditch alcohol for kratom teas and cocktails.

But before you get any business ideas…

… know that it can be dangerous in high doses or when mixed with other substances. Negative side effects can include seizures and, though rare, death.

• In May, a kratom vendor who sold a 39-year-old woman concentrated kratom extract was ordered to pay $4.6m+ to her family after she died of acute kratom intoxication, per NPR.

Lawyers representing families in other wrongful death lawsuits say vendors don’t warn customers of potential harm or instruct them on how to use kratom.

Why not?

Though a handful of states have banned it and the FDA warns against taking it, it isn’t regulated.

And despite its potential benefits, there hasn’t been enough research on kratom to understand how to harness those benefits without the harm.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse supports such research, while the American Kratom Association advocates for kratom to be regulated so that it can be consumed safely and legally.

But if it’s anything like cannabis and mushrooms, kratom may have a long road — and a lot of red tape — ahead.

BTW: Kratom aside, there is a push for sober bars, offering socializing without the booze. Alternatives include mocktails; low- and no-ABV beer, wine, and spirits; and drinks made with adaptogenics and nootropics.

Duo, Duolingo’s big green mascot, may be the most famous owl of the post-Tootsie Pop commercial era.

The language-learning app got on TikTok in early 2021 and quickly took off thanks to Duo’s sassy videos, growing to ~7m followers and 147m+ likes.

How’d Duolingo get here? By embracing unhinged marketing.

And what is that, exactly?

What it sounds like: when brands take a less polished approach to marketing, embracing chaotic conversational moments above all. If you see a social post and think, “How did that get approved?” — that’s probably unhinged marketing.

Popularized by Wendy’s, which became known on Twitter for roasting users and shading the competition, the strategy has since been adopted by the likes of Popeyes and McDonald’s.

• Unhinged marketing can be particularly helpful in winning over Gen Zers, who generally prefer ads that feel less salesy.

Duolingo has capitalized on this

Since shifting from TV spots to investing in social media, Duolingo has found its stride. Key to making its TikTok videos viral:

• Entertainment over selling: Duo is funny, delivering the unexpected. His character is the focus, rather than the app — and when the app is mentioned, it’s often the free version that’s highlighted.
• Consistent storylines: Duo’s world includes many running gags, helping followers feel like they’re in on the joke. Regular Duo bits include a one-sided rivalry with Google Translate, a crush on singer Dua Lipa, and a beef with Duolingo’s legal counsel, who want to stop his unhinged work.

It’s paying off

Duolingo’s daily active users are up 62% from last year, and it continues to be among the top-downloaded education apps.

A more relaxed approach to marketing definitely doesn’t have to include the company mascot in a thong to be effective, but done right, a bit of personality goes a long way.

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