Editor’s Note: While the looming TikTok ban and subsequent 12-hour shutdown rocked the social media world last weekend, Duolingo saw an opportunity to join the conversation. A piece from Duolingo in PRNEWS, a Chief Marketer Network publication, relays how it tapped data-driven storytelling and cross-departmental collaboration to turn the disruptive moment into a win. Below is an excerpt of the piece; go here to read the full story.
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If you’re experiencing whiplash over the TikTok ban saga, you are not alone. From brands and influencers bidding the platform an emotional farewell to TikTok coming back online in the U.S. after a ~12-hour shutdown on Jan. 19 , the rapid twists and turns have kept everyone on their toes. Still, uncertainty remains, as the app is still unavailable in app stores and its long-term future hinges on the outcome of ongoing negotiations over a potential sale.
As the situation unfolded last weekend, press coverage and social comments about the adoption of Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu (referred to as RedNote in the U.S.) took off. Duolingo, a language-learning brand known for viral humor and cultural relevance, saw an opportunity to join the conversation.
By combining data-driven storytelling with creative amplification, PR and social teams inserted Duolingo into a massive news cycle and turned a potentially disruptive moment into one that generated over 30 positive headlines and inclusion in over 120 global news articles. For PR professionals, this highlights the value of being proactive, data-informed and collaborative in navigating high-stakes situations.
Collaboration Across Departments
While the social team tested creative ways to be a part of the TikTok ban conversation through a tweet (“Oh so NOW you’re learning Mandarin”) and farewell videos, PR worked alongside them with analytics to identify meaningful data that could tie Duolingo’s product—not solely its social content—to the story.
After noticing a significant spike in Mandarin learners (216%!), we worked with our finance, legal and investor relations teams to secure approval for sharing the growth percentage externally. This data point became a compelling news hook, providing reporters with a concrete and timely angle during a fast-moving news cycle.
For the full story, head over to PRNEWS.
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