On a whim, I got a powerful look at what happens when an edtech brand creates an in-person presence.
I found out about the pop-up shop on LinkedIn Friday morning. After learning with Duolingo back in school, not showing up would be SO off-brand!
There was plenty of time to witness the spectacle that night. On a street corner in Soho, the line, (wrapping down and around the block) to get into the shop took an hour and 14 minutes.
A wait that involved hundreds of others and myself waiting to NOT buy a limited edition item. Yes, I made the conscious decision to tap my feet over something I could’ve instantly ordered online, from the comfort of my home.
I imagine that many founders in the industry are driven to see outcomes like this one day. Crowds willing to wait in line for hours. We fans were driven by a shared experience: an addiction to learning.
Impressive.
The marketing genius of the 1-day lesson streak for entry
I thought maximizing the bar of entry into the store was pretty clever:
Show at least a 1-day practice streak at the door.
Finding some technicality to give the illusion of exclusion, really opened the doors for the entire crowd that showed up to (eventually) enter.
I mean, as long as that line was, a casual fan of the brand had more than enough time to
whip out their phone
download the app
and complete a lesson or 200 while they waited.
On the other hand, the Duolingo users who faithfully kept up their language practice were recognized with a different level of respect.
With a 30+ day streak, you could play fun games to win merch that others couldn't just purchase.
Inside the store, I saw a vending machine and a claw machine filled with Duo plushies. Still in line, I witnessed a girl with a streak of 1,000+ days (which the gracious people ahead of me translated into almost 3 years, unprompted) clumsily saunter out with a plushie that was the size of at least half her body.
The Duolingo community, IRL
Maybe it sounds cringy but if you were there, it was kinda a vibe.
I heard the Duolingo lesson pings of correct answers and felt the warm summer sun beaming down while in line.
I asked a few brand stans in front of me,
do you think we'll get in?
And told another girl with a beautifully festive, green, fuzzy sweater,
love it!
Both conversation starters sparked just the right amount of back and forth for a group of New Yorkers.
There was a crew of about half a dozen, dancing, taking selfies, and vibing with the line and the neighborhood. Who were they? Half-dressed bodies wearing the green owl mascot as a breathable helmet over their face—apparently third-party industry models hired for the weekend.
I got to learn all these details thanks to a male voice behind me, who within earshot asked how he could get hired for a future gig. The coordinator on line control recommended that they get signed by a modeling agency first.
These little sparks of humanity just don't happen in front of screens. Sorry.
You can tell me until you're blue in the face how amazing your favorite version of FaceTime is. It just doesn't create the same energy as an event, in real life.
Did you know we laugh more when we're around other people?
The potential of in-person educational events to engage in a new way
I call myself an ex-student user. My relationship with Duolingo today consists of me being an adult fan, who works in edtech. That's what drove me to the pop-up.
I first downloaded the app back in high school as a low-stakes way to supplement the more intensive school Spanish classes that I'd begun back in 3rd grade.
Would I have gotten as excited about a pop-up shop for the brand, back then?
I think experimenting with more edtech pop-up shops is something more brands can consider. Hard to replicate though.
Duolingo made this event work because they are such a unique name in the education space. They're a unicorn worth $9.14 billion and have an enviable social presence that engages people and industries with its boundary-pushing personality.
Not all edtech companies have mascots. Not all companies with mascots have compelling ones. Or ones that are worth emphasizing to push their brand forward like Duo.
But merch can be sold and games and activities can take place. Let's think outside the box guys. We got this.
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