🎧 Open Tabs: Duolingo's brand strategy is winning the Super Bowl

We’re back with another edition of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs.Here are the topics we covered this week:* TikTok U.S. is falling flat [1:00]. We kicked things off with the internet’s collective meltdown over TikTok’s algorithm post-Oracle takeover. Feeds feel glitchier, less nuanced, and more Shorts-like, with creators reporting sharp drops in views, repeat videos, missing clips, and stalled uploads. * Our POV: Our hunch is that when the deal with Oracle went through, ByteDance didn’t hand over their proprietary algorithm, leaving the U.S. with a functional but culturally flatter version of the app. For creators and brands, this moment isn’t about panic — it’s about adaptation. Platforms always change the rules mid-game. The algorithm will reset itself eventually. The winners will be the creators and brands who ride the wave and keep tweaking until they crack the new system.* Additional reading:* TikTok USA is broken, The Verge* TikTok releases update after some users report app issues, USA Today* Landmark social media addiction lawsuits [9:30]. We unpacked the lawsuits against Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat, which argue that these platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive and harmful to young users. TikTok and Snapchat have already settled, while Meta and YouTube are heading to trial — a case that could open the floodgates for thousands more claims and force platforms to rethink features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and hyper-specific algorithms.* Our POV: Tech addiction feels like the next major frontier — but the conversation is messier than the headlines suggest. Defining “addiction” in a digital context is slippery: is it screen time, emotional impact, disrupted sleep, anxiety, lost productivity — or all of the above?* Additional reading:* TikTok settles social media addiction lawsuit ahead of a landmark trial, The New York Times* Landmark social media lawsuits head to a trial that could put the CEOs on the stands, NBC News* Parents say teens are addicted to social media. Now, a jury will decide, The Washington Post* Duolingo, Bad Bunny, and how to actually do Super Bowl marketing right [18:45]. We wrapped with a deep dive into Duolingo’s Super Bowl lead-up: a Bad Bunny 101 Spanish crash course designed to help fans understand the halftime show lyrics. The campaign is spanning over 2 weeks, with daily bio updates, a dressed-up Duo mascot, and a clear narrative arc that treats the Super Bowl not as a single moment, but as a runway.* Our POV: This is what threading the needle looks like. By starting early, Duolingo is creating social currency, real-world conversation starters, and an attainable on-ramp into language learning. The smartest part isn’t the mascot or the meme-ability; it’s the behavior change. This campaign gives people something to do before, during, and after the event — and a reason to talk about the brand IRL at Super Bowl parties. As Super Bowl ad costs continue to balloon, this kind of pre-moment storytelling and value-add content may become the new gold standard.* While Duolingo is going all-in with the Bad Bunny course, you can also make a big Super Bowl marketing splash with less of a lift. Last year following the Super Bowl, we broke down the brands we thought made the most out of the moment [Duolingo being one of them] and our favorite brand tweet came from AriZona Iced Tea. Instead of doing a commercial or a big campaign, they dropped a single tweet. * David McNamee, the mastermind behind the tweet, shared some valuable insights with our founder, Melissa Blum: “If you have a good product and communicate your message authentically, that will win every time.”* Additional reading:* Duolingo launches ‘Bad Bunny 101’ ahead of Super Bowl LX halftime show, Mashable* Why more brands need to start ‘after parties’ 🪩, #ForYou by M.T. DecoThanks for listening! 🎧 🤍 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe