Marina Khidekel | Misjudging your audience at launch could kill your startup. But with the right mindset, you can turn it around.

One of the biggest mistakes I've made as a founder is misjudging my audience.

- Marina Khidekel

From the moment my brand launched, I limited its growth potential.

I started my business, Hugimals World, in the summer of 2022 because of my need for our anchor product: a substantially weighted, design-forward, machine washable, eminently huggable plush I could use to calm my racing mind as I tried to sleep. Though I had created Hugimals with input from therapists on what would help anxious adults like me, they were also suitable for kids, and I was intently aware that this was a line of stuffed animals, which are usually seen as toys for children. So upon debuting Hugimals at a specialty toy trade show, I marketed almost exclusively to families and children.

This seemed justified at first.

Hugimals quickly resonated with both kids and parents, earning "best toy" accolades from Good Housekeeping and Parents. The product was even a finalist for the Toy Association's Toy of the Year in the plush category, competing against Squishmallows, a massive brand whose parent company is owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. It was surreal.

But after six months, I discovered something surprising: More than half of our customers were adults who bought Hugimals as self-care items for themselves or for friends. Rising anxiety in adults, and the "kidult" trend that's seeing grown-ups unabashedly enjoying nostalgic toys, was leading them to embrace Hugimals in a big way.

Reviews poured in from 30and 60-year-olds alike. "This is the best thing I have ever bought for my anxiety," they said, and "I don't know how I ever slept without this!" One video we made showing an adult reacting to the feeling of holding a Hugimal, which many say is like holding a baby, went viral on TikTok, with more than 12 million views. I couldn't deny that half the people actually buying my product were not those I was targeting with my marketing efforts.