The Marketing Millennials The Social Media Marketing Masterclass with Zaria Parvez, Head of Social at DoorDash, ex-Duolingo | Ep. 362
Oct 31, 2025
Zaria Parvez, the former head of social at Duolingo, now leads social strategy at DoorDash. She shares how she took the brand from 50K to 16M followers through creative campaigns and a unique culture rooted in improv. Zaria explains the viral success of 'Death by Duo,' which achieved 1.7 billion impressions without ads. She emphasizes the importance of autonomy for social teams and why community management is essential. This conversation reveals fresh perspectives on creativity, collaboration, and the fast-paced world of social media marketing.
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Mascot From A Closet Sparked Growth
- Zaria found a "crusty owl suit" in the office and used it as the character for early TikToks that unexpectedly took off.
- That mascot-first spontaneity scaled into a lore-driven social strategy and millions of followers.
Improv Principles Drive Creative Speed
- Zaria applies improv rules to social: yes-and, avoid blockers, and fully commit to the bit.
- These tenets let the team pivot fast and make bold, entertaining content that resonates.
Death Of Duo Was A Week-Long Social Stunt
- Product tested two app icons and marketing used the 'dead eyes' variant to launch the "Death of Duo" whodunit.
- The team executed a week-long, in-house, social-first rollout that evolved with community reactions.