Duolingo’s Karandeep Singh Kapany on the company’s monetization strategy in addition to its marketing plans for fiscal year 2025 – Brand Wagon News

In an interview with BrandWagon Online, Karandeep Singh Kapany, Regional Marketing Director at Duolingo, talks about the company’s monetization strategy, marketing plans, user retention strategies, and more. (Edited excerpts)

How has the introduction of monetization in India affected Duolingo’s revenue from subscriptions and advertising?

Monetization in the Indian market was introduced in August last year. It was not available before. The current model includes subscription options with different tiers. The Super Duolingo plan, starting at just Rs 100 per month, offers a range of additional features and benefits.

At Duolingo, we rely primarily on two revenue streams—subscriptions and advertising. Globally, about 80% of our revenue comes from subscriptions, which is a healthy ratio for our business. The remaining 20% ​​comes from advertising. This 80:20 split is consistent across most countries. We currently have no other revenue streams beyond these two primary streams.

Duolingo is undoubtedly one of the leading EdTech apps for language learning. While I can’t give you exact percentages, it’s clear that we’re the top choice for people looking to learn a new language, especially among metro audiences interested in foreign languages. Since joining three years ago, I’ve seen a significant increase in our brand visibility. Today, when people think of learning a foreign language, Duolingo is often the first name that comes to mind.

India is a particularly important market for us, given its rapid growth and strong focus on education. This makes it an exciting and significant market for Duolingo.

How does the Indian market differ from the global market and how do you approach it?

Compared to the global market, India is a top Duolingo country and is growing rapidly. India represents a significant opportunity for us, especially for English learners. Due to India’s colonial history with the British, English has become an integral part of business, trade, and aspirations. Despite speaking regional languages, many Indians prefer to use English to communicate and succeed in their careers.

The high demand for English proficiency in India plays well into Duolingo’s strengths. Our user base in India is primarily focused on learning English, and we recently launched an intermediate-level English course aimed at achieving B2 proficiency. Previously, our courses were designed to teach English from regional languages ​​like Hindi, Telugu, and Bengali. The new course teaches English from English, aimed at people with some prior knowledge of the language.

This approach allows us to reach a wider audience, as many Indians know English but need to improve their proficiency. The new course broadens our reach and increases the effectiveness of our offering, making Duolingo even more relevant and accessible to a large number of learners in India.

What are your marketing plans for fiscal year 2025?

We have several significant campaigns planned for fiscal year 2025, including the introduction of a new language. Our marketing philosophy focuses on a social approach, which aims to create content that resonates strongly on social media. We want our campaigns to be shareable and engaging, encouraging users to share, tag or interact with our content. Since almost 80% of our students in India are below the age of 30, this approach is crucial as this demographic is very active on social media.

Another key pillar of our strategy is being feisty. We focus on creating high-impact content without relying on expensive advertising. Effective content doesn’t necessarily mean expensive production; it should be engaging and thought-provoking. Many of our viral Instagram posts have garnered millions of organic views without paid promotion. This feisty approach allows us to be agile, quickly adapting to trends using simple tools like smartphones instead of lengthy production processes.

Finally, our content is tailored to Gen Z. We design our content to suit their interests and trends, such as anime, manga and K-pop. This focus ensures that our content is relevant and engaging to our target audience. These three pillars — social-first, adventure content and a focus on Gen Z — are key to our marketing strategy in India.

What strategies does Duolingo use to effectively reach and engage potential language learners who are not active on social media, given the limitations of a digital-only marketing approach?

Duolingo’s success globally and in India is largely based on word of mouth. Users who love the product often recommend it to friends and family, which is a significant part of our marketing strategy. We also work extensively with influencers in India to promote our app.

While we’ve experimented with traditional media like TV, radio, and outdoor in the past, our most effective and efficient strategy remains a community-first approach. We target Gen Z through social media and influencer partnerships, as this demographic is primarily online. When Gen Z isn’t engaging with social media, we rely on their friends and family to spread the word about Duolingo. This combination of user recommendations and social media reach helps us effectively reach our audience.

What are the main competitive threats facing Duolingo in the language learning market, and how does the company plan to differentiate itself through its features and strategies?

Duolingo’s competitive advantage comes from three key factors. First, our app is designed to be fun and engaging. It doesn’t feel like a chore; instead, it’s gamified, which makes learning fun and motivating for users. This is especially important in markets like India, where traditional learning methods can feel tedious.

Second, we’re highly effective. Studies have shown that users learn as much on Duolingo in one semester as they do in two semesters of traditional language courses. That means our approach is not only enjoyable, but it also delivers meaningful learning outcomes.

Finally, we are committed to accessibility. While we offer a paid subscription for additional features, the core app remains free. Our mission is to make education affordable and accessible, ensuring that anyone with a phone and an internet connection can learn without financial barriers.

What metrics do you use to measure user acquisition and retention, especially in the Indian market, given the challenge of users trying your app for a short time and then abandoning it? How do you make sure that a user stays on your app and actually uses it?

We use several key metrics to measure user acquisition and retention. Initially, we track new users, and then focus on retention metrics such as Day 7 (D7), Day 14 (D14), and Day 30 (D30). These metrics help us understand how many users continue to use the app after it was first downloaded. Depending on the app, some may use different retention milestones, such as Day 15 or Day 100. It’s also important to make sure our messaging clearly communicates what the product offers to keep users engaged.

To make sure users actually stay in our app, we focus on two key aspects to improve user acquisition and retention. First, we make sure our marketing accurately reflects the app. Whether through performance marketing or influencer partnerships, we use screenshots, videos, and tutorials to clearly demonstrate the app’s interface and features. This clarity helps prevent users from being surprised by discrepancies between their expectations and the actual product, which reduces waste in marketing spend.

Second, we emphasize the engaging and enjoyable nature of the app. By presenting a user-friendly design and a pleasant learning experience, we align users’ expectations with the true value of the app. This approach minimizes the chances of users abandoning the app because they are already familiar with what to expect.

If users encounter a mismatch between their expectations and the app’s content, such as downloading an app that doesn’t live up to the advertised features, they’re more likely to abandon it. That’s why showing the actual app and making sure it meets user expectations is crucial to retention.

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