By joining the conversation around the release of Shah Rukh Khan starrer, ‘Dunki,’ the Duolingo English Test sought to leverage the film's popularity and create a connection between the movie and the English proficiency test. To generate brand awareness among consumers, the brand conceptualised a 360-degree campaign that drove a 600% boost in social impressions. Here's a case study of how they did it.
Category Introduction
English proficiency tests play a crucial role in today's globalized world. They act as a standardized measure of communication skills, opening doors to academic opportunities, professional advancement, and international mobility. For students, these tests demonstrate the ability to navigate academic discourse and thrive in English-speaking classrooms abroad. According to the 2011 Census, just about 10% of the Indian population is proficient in English, and as a result, English Tests are an essential component for university applications abroad. The 2021 valuation of the Global English Proficiency Test Market stood at USD 2.7 Billion, with a projected increase to USD 15.26 Billion by 2030, marking a growth rate of 8.90 percent over the period from 2021 to 2030. The market is poised for expansion owing to the escalating demand for degree programs from leading universities in English-speaking countries. Prospective international students are required to undergo English proficiency testing as a prerequisite for pursuing education abroad. The assessment of students' proficiency in English, particularly in speaking and writing, is vital as these skills are essential for effective communication in those countries. (Source link here)
As per the Duolingo India Report Card, the study abroad trend among Indian students is on the rise. The surge in the middle-income class has fueled the popularity of studying abroad. The Indian overseas education market is projected to hit $100 billion by 2025, as more than 2 million Indian students intend to pursue higher education overseas. Students are driven by the desire for superior education and lifestyle, worldwide career prospects, and more lucrative compensation and benefits.
Brand Introduction
Using AI technology, The Duolingo English Test has been able to significantly bring down its costs in comparison to its competitors and offers a faster, more convenient option for test takers. Over 5000 universities (including Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Warwick, and Yale) now accept the DET score as a credible standard for English Proficiency.
the DET wanted to create an opportunity to showcase its USPs, and why it’s a ‘smarter’ option in comparison to other routes to go abroad, and also leverage the existing brand love in the market for Duolingo to make its mark.
Summary
The DET seized the opportunity presented by the release of Rajkumar Hirani’s film ‘Dunki’ to launch a campaign positioning itself as the ideal choice for individuals aspiring to study abroad. In collaboration with Digitas and Red Chillies Entertainment, the DET partnered on the film to create a co-branded video asset featuring Taapsee Pannu, emphasizing itself as a convenient alternative for English proficiency testing. Leveraging the film's momentum, the DET collaborated with Gen Z influencers to showcase the benefits of the test, highlighting its user-friendly nature, quick results within 2 days, and cost-effectiveness. Overall, the campaign effectively positioned the DET as a smarter choice for individuals pursuing international studies.
Objective
Reach Gen Z audiences in relatable ways: By joining the conversation around the release of Shah Rukh Khan starrer, ‘Dunki,’ the DET sought to leverage the film's popularity and create a connection between the movie and the English proficiency test. Additionally, by collaborating with popular Gen-Z influencers like Dharna Durga (@dharnaaa), Arun Singh (@thejhumroo) and Pulkit Kochar aimed to appeal to the target audience, showcasing the benefits of the DET through relatable and engaging content, further reinforcing its image as a user-friendly alternative.
Showcase the benefits of the DET vs its competitors: The primary goal was to position the DET as a hassle-free option for individuals aspiring to pursue international studies compared to traditional English proficiency tests. The assets all portrayed the convenience and speed of the DET which gives test takers a stress-free experience.
Brief
The core brief was to look at this as a ‘brand awareness’ campaign, that spoke about the benefits of the product and why it would be a great alternative in comparison to other traditional tests. The team was also given the liberty to have some fun with this campaign, given that Duolingo’s brand personality showcases that educational products can be stress-free and relatable to Gen Z audiences.
Creative Idea
The movie trailer showed the cast struggling to get abroad - from frustrating experiences with the IELTS to the cast looking at illegal ways to get abroad at any cost. This presented an opportunity for the DET to present itself as the smarter way to get abroad.
Challenges
The main challenge we had in this campaign was time. Given that it was a reactive campaign, the brand needed to move quickly to be able to conceptualise, produce and release its assets for them to deliver results. The campaign had to align seamlessly with the relevant cultural events and capitalize on the momentum generated by the trailer's buzz and subsequent movie release.
Execution
There were four phases in the execution of this campaign:
Phase 1 - Brand Partnership with Red Chillies Entertainment: Thid was run as a digital campaign in partnership with Red Chillies. The brand pushed its campaign on both the company's social media channels. There was a targeted paid media push on Instagram and YouTube, focusing on study abroad aspirants in select cities so that the right cohorts were served these ads.
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Phase 2 - Content amplification with Gen Z Influencers: The next phase was working with influencers to drive the message further, with engaging content around Dunki x DET. The directive was for them to devise their own theories surrounding Dunki, centered on the premise that if the cast had been aware of the DET, the movie plotline would have been completely different. In this process, the DET was seamlessly integrated as the smarter choice for studying abroad, in a humorous way. This amplification with relevant influencers was instrumental in achieving extensive organic reach and fostering maximum engagement.
Phase 3 - Increased followership through Owned Media: In addition, the team created a ‘fan art’ version of the Dunki poster, incorporating Duolingo’s characters and DET’s messaging, establishing it as the key visual for the entire campaign. Surrounding content also used Dunki’s posters as Duolingo English Test question types, to showcase the product and experience. This was built out into a contest where participants who answered the questions accurately, were given free movie tickets. This 10 day contest drove a significantly higher engagement and brand affinity on DET’s owned channels.
Phase 4 - On-ground Activations: The team also conducted on-ground activations, including capturing vox pops that have Dunki x DET reviews, and engaging creating challenges with Duolingo’s owl mascot outside PVR cinemas. We rewarded participants with free brand merchandise and a photo opp with our mascot as incentives. Once this was amplified on social media, people joined the conversation and made their own theories after spotting the owl outside the PVR.
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Results
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Doubled the brand's Instagram followers in 10 days with a 70% rise in traffic on Instagram
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Gained around 25 million views on our assets (of which 7.3 million were organic views on our influencer content) driving a 600% boost in social impressions.
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Drove 350k engagements on our social media posts, with >98% being neutral to positive interactions, and over 200 contest entries for free movie tickets.
Tara Kapur, Marketing Head for Duolingo English Test in India said, “The Duolingo English Test is a student-friendly alternative for English Proficiency testing, and as a result is a much more convenient option to the traditional options out there. When we saw the storyline of Dunki, with the characters facing so many challenges to get abroad, we saw a very natural connect with the film's narrative. Given the DET's convenience, we used this as an opportunity to present it as a 'smarter' way to get abroad in comparison to what else is out there. We are committed to making English assessment seamless, accurate, and accessible, ensuring that every student's journey to prestigious universities is less stressful. This campaign was a great way for us to get that message across in a light, entertaining manner."
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