In the age of overconsumption and oversaturation, nearly every marketing campaign I see nowadays feels unoriginal, boring, and ill-thought-out. It has gotten to a point where even I, a recently reformed shopping addict, have no longing to make any new purchases. Large businesses are simply too out of touch with the general public, and it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for companies to present themselves as relatable without sacrificing their boundaries. However, there are still some businesses approaching this obstacle with such ease and grace. Let’s discuss both ends of this modern marketing spectrum using Poppi and Duolingo’s most recent campaigns.
Poppi, a soda brand created in 2015, has always seemed relatively overconfident to me. The brand’s slogan is, “The future of soda is now,” and while I understand the aspiration to dominate the soda market, it feels a bit too aspirational. The soft drink industry has existed for a long time, and I don’t currently feel that a healthy soda brand could shift the consumer preference that drastically. Note that I said “healthy soda brand,” because Poppi’s competitive advantage is supposedly the fact that the soda contains a prebiotic. In essence, prebiotics are used to promote gut health. Yet, Poppi’s sodas simply don’t contain enough of this compound to actually have a positive influence on the consumer’s health.
In my opinion, the rejection of the health clause actually gives them a much more realistic chance of earning more of the market share. I’d assume that the majority of soda fans aren’t aspiring to be healthy. In fact, if they’re anything like myself, they’re just trying to meet their three drink minimum (water, iced coffee, and a girly drink). Moving away from their business model, I would like to note that Poppi is a very influencer-dependent brand, and the majority of their marketing is conducted through what seems to be brand deals with large influencers, such as Alix Earle and Jake Shane. As a Digital Marketing major, I have been taught to be cautious of Influencer Marketing. At the end of the day, influencers are human and not immune to slip-ups. If you select the wrong representative, your brand can be stained indefinitely. Obviously, Poppi is a relatively young company and still growing into the market. The soft drink company, just like any other new business, is finding their footing in the marketing world.
 Nevertheless, I don’t think Poppi can connect with their consumers on a genuine level. In the week before the 59th Super Bowl, Poppi decided to launch their latest marketing initiative, in which they sent roughly 20 influencers vending machines brimming with Poppi sodas. While I do think most people, if presented with the opportunity, would have said yes to receiving a free vending machine, I think Poppi should’ve placed these in community spaces so the public could benefit, rather than just giving influencers this experience. In my opinion, this was out of touch, and the brand’s strategy isn’t effectively aligning with their customers. I’d venture that the average consumer is currently concerned with the economic state of our nation. It’s easy to understand people’s frustration with this initiative, as it’s just another brand spoiling a relatively well-off influencer when they could be making a real and meaningful impact on smaller communities.Â
One author/influencer who I follow, Eli Rallo, admitted that she was offered a Poppi vending machine and initially accepted the offer because she was planning to host a Super Bowl party. However, she asserted that her plans changed and she contacted Poppi to cancel the vending machine delivery. She took to TikTok after she noticed how consumers were reacting to Poppi’s actions. She was transparent about her experience with Poppi, but she went one step further and suggested that Poppi bring the vending machine to a local children’s hospital so that the patients could enjoy the luxury of the machine. Allegedly, Poppi fulfilled Rallo’s request, and placed several of the vending machines in public spaces for the indulgence of many.Â
While I commend Poppi’s attempt to correct their mistake and contribute to local communities, it doesn’t erase the fact that they were initially more willing to send free beverages to a millionaire over children, students, or individuals in low income communities. It was an awful display of the wealth disparity in our country. Consumers are tired of seeing influencers get thousands of dollars worth of free products whilst they struggle to make ends meet. It will ultimately lead to resentment and later hatred of the brand.
On the opposite side of the marketing spectrum, Duolingo had what seemed to be a phenomenal week, rolling out a campaign that only proved to be fatal to one bird. On Feb. 11, 2025, Duolingo, a free language education platform, announced that their mascot, Duo, had died. Fans of the company were devastated, despite the fact that Duo is a fictional persona crafted to represent the brand. All eyes were on Duolingo for the next few days as app users rushed to see all of their new posts. How did Duo die? Will new characters take over the app? I was plagued with questions.
That is until Feb. 12, when Duolingo posted a reel of Duo getting hit by a Tesla Cybertruck. Following this reel, the account reposted a tweet depicting both Duo and Twitter, now X’s, old bird persona, Larry the Bird, in front of what appears to be a stairway to heaven. This image was captioned, “all birds go to heaven,” and Duolingo added, “both killed by a Cybertruck.” This was an obvious dig at Tesla mogul Elon Musk, as many feel that he contributed to the downfall of Twitter.Â
I believe this was a fantastic campaign by Duolingo. Not only did I run to extend my streak, but I applauded the social media team behind this humorous, genius, and seemingly inexpensive strategy. The shock of Duo’s death captivated the application’s users, but it also demonstrated Duolingo’s awareness of the current economic and political state of our nation. By poking fun at Elon Musk, Duolingo was taking a side in the political crossfire, whether it was intentional or not. Duolingo endorsed a new way of marketing that was perfectly harmless and wildly humble compared to Poppi’s lavish display.Â
So what can we learn from these two distinct campaigns? First, we know that we’re moving into a space where consumers are beginning to place less value on Influencer Marketing. Secondly, brands must acknowledge the realities facing their customers right now. Americans are wary of spending money, and companies need to shift their business models to adapt to this behavior. Spoiling their favorite influencers will only open them up to more criticism. And finally, we have learned that Duo, The Duolingo Owl, is incredibly resilient.