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This episode details how Zaria Parvez, a 23-year-old graduate, revolutionized Duolingo's social media marketing, particularly on TikTok. Starting as a junior social media coordinator, Parvez transformed the brand's dormant TikTok account into a viral success by featuring their mascot, Duo, in "unhinged" and culturally relevant content, accumulating millions of followers. It highlights Duolingo's "test and learn" mentality and willingness to give junior talent autonomy and creative freedom, which allowed Parvez to take risks and experiment. This shift in strategy has led Duolingo to adopt a social-first marketing approach, emphasizing the importance of an iterative and scrappy mindset over planned virality for brand success. This piece also underlines the value of fresh perspectives and the user-centric understanding that junior employees often bring to content creation.

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