Da estratégia de marketing à pauta jornalística: a repercussão da 'morte' do mascote Duo no jornalismo brasileiro

Abstract

This study analyzes the media coverage of the campaign announcing the supposed death of Duo, the mascot of the language-learning application Duolingo, in Brazilian journalism. Launched in February 2025, the marketing campaign extended beyond the brand's digital platforms and gained visibility across different media outlets, transforming a fictional event into an object of journalistic coverage. The study aims to understand how the Brazilian press covered the campaign and which aspects of this coverage allow for reflections on the relationship between journalism, marketing communication, and digital communication. The research is grounded in discussions on the transformations of journalism in the contemporary digital ecosystem, the circulation of content in convergent media environments, and the intersections between journalism and content marketing. Methodologically, this is a qualitative-quantitative exploratory study developed through bibliographic review and content analysis. The analysis resulted in the construction of three categories: the construction of the narrative surrounding Duo's death, the mascot's death as a marketing strategy, and the expansion of the campaign through media repercussion.