When AI-driven educational platforms dominate headlines, Preply is taking a firm stand: there’s no true substitute for human connection in language learning. The online language marketplace, known for pairing learners with tutors via recommendation algorithms, has unveiled its latest marketing push—“Better Duo”—which centres on real tutor-student partnerships built on empathy, cultural exchange, and emotional support.
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A Culture-Led Response to the AI Era
In recent years, tech-first approaches have made waves in EdTech. But Preply isn’t turning its back on innovation—they’re embracing it. The “Better Duo” campaign arrives at a timely moment: rival platforms lean heavily into AI-led instruction, focusing on quiz drills and automated feedback. Preply responds by saying: yes, pursue efficiency with AI—but let humans lead the way when it comes to nuance, context, encouragement and confidence.
Sofia, a company spokesperson, stresses the brand’s dual approach:
“AI is fantastic for drills and instant feedback; it’s terrible at eye contact and encouragement… So we invest in both, with people at the centre.”
The message is clear: AI enhances, but doesn’t replace, the human touch.
‘Better Duo’ = Authentic Learning Journeys
The spotlight in the “Better Duo” campaign shines on genuine Preply duos—not actors or staged testimonials, but real relationships that have unfolded over months or years. These pairs include Monica & Gustavo, who share inside jokes; Jose Luis & Daniel, whose 1,400 sessions of Spanish tutoring helped Daniel confidently counsel patients; and countless others who’ve forged connection through language.
“You can’t fake eight years of inside jokes,” Sofia notes. “When Gustavo talks about earning a promotion thanks to Mónica, or when Daniel describes counselling patients in Spanish… you feel the stakes.” Little Black Book
The campaign highlights how these duos deliver outcomes far more profound than grammar or vocabulary gains: trust, cultural insight, career momentum.
Redefining Language Learning Metrics
Preply believes progress is not about streaks or badge counts—it’s moments that matter. Ordering coffee in a foreign tongue without anxiety, cracking a joke across cultures, acing a work interview—they define “real progress.” The company still tracks conventional indicators like CEFR milestones, lesson completion rates, and retention, but the emphasis has shifted:
“We celebrate the first joke understood in a new language. That’s the moment fluency starts to feel real.”
Their human-centred model supports vulnerable, confidence-shy learners who often stall in gamified systems.
A Strategic Pivot (With Roots Already in Place)
Contrary to a knee‑jerk reaction to Duolingo’s AI push, Preply’s “Better Duo” has been in development for months: they had been outlining an evergreen, human-centric message prior to the AI wave. But the timing? Perfect.
“Duolingo’s AI news simply gave us the perfect cultural moment to release it. Think of it as a friendly reality check, not a clap-back.”
The campaign ensures clarity: let AI handle grammar drills, scheduling, recaps; let humans provide empathy, nuance, motivation—and authentic cultural context.
Platform Growth Meets Sustainability
Preply’s human-first strategy is more than marketing—it’s operational. Founded in 2012, the platform has scaled from 3,000 tutors to over 100,000 in more than 50 languages. With learners in 180 countries, the company builds tools (payments, AI-assisted planning, curriculum support) to empower tutors to deliver global access without friction.
“We’re essentially giving freelancers a global classroom!” Sofia emphasizes.
A case in point is Jose Luis and Daniel: their sessions help Daniel counsel Spanish-speaking patients, “literally saving lives.” That’s an impact data can’t quantify, but culture and connection can.
Campaign Mechanics: Localisation & Storytelling
Better Duo is an evergreen asset, but its rollout is strategic: it originated in English but was transcreated—not just translated—for global markets. Local teams adapt idioms, humour, and cultural references so that the message of “real people, real progress” resonates in Bogotá, Berlin, Seoul, and beyond.
Post-launch, Preply has received outpourings from tutors and students: many say they feel “seen” by the campaign—a strong sign the message landed. And word-of-mouth? That’s exactly the organic growth fuel the company seeks.
AI + Human: What’s Next for Preply
“Better Duo” isn’t only a marketing slogan—it’s a guiding principle for the platform’s future. Expect more AI tools behind the scenes (grammar tips, lesson scheduling, prep tasks), but always in service of enabling tutors to do what machines still can’t: build rapport, adapt emotionally, and coach context.
On the brand side: the focus remains on uplifting powerful tutor‑student stories, expanding transcreation into more markets, and forging partnerships with cultural organisations. The aim is clear: build AI-augmented humans, not AI-dominated models.
Why It Matters: The Social Sport of Language
Preply reminds us that language learning isn’t solitary puzzle-solving—it’s a social sport. Real people, real encouragement, real empathy. As EdTech trends accelerate toward automation, Preply’s “Better Duo” serves as a rallying cry: technology is a tool, not a teacher.
Sofia sums it up:
“The future of edtech isn’t AI or people; it’s AI‑augmented humans. We plan to lead that future, one duo at a time.”
Key Takeaways
- CAMPAIGN: Better Duo highlights real tutor-student relationships built through empathy, cultural insight, emotional support, and long-term growth.
- STRATEGY: AI supports routine learning tasks—grammar drills, progress checks, scheduling—while human tutors offer nuance, encouragement, and authentic cultural immersion.
- TIMING: Although pre-scheduled, the release aligns perfectly with the industry’s AI pivot, offering a grounded counter-narrative.
- SCALE: Over 100,000 tutors, 50+ languages, 180 countries—supported by AI tools that streamline logistics while preserving human-led teaching.
- GOAL: Elevate language learning beyond memorisation—celebrating personal breakthroughs and cultural connections in global communities
Conclusion
Preply’s “Better Duo” is more than just a marketing campaign—it’s a declaration of values at a pivotal moment in EdTech. By trusting real relationships to carry its message, the platform stakes out a distinctive position in a world where language learning is too easily reduced to gamified routines or automated instruction.
Human tutors form the beating heart of Preply’s ecosystem. “Better Duo” is a promise: AI’s here to assist, but not to replace the trust, motivation, cultural exchange, and laughter that underpin true fluency.
In a global marketplace crowded with bots and streaks, Preply is reinforcing this simple yet powerful truth: language is about people.
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