How One Woman Made Her Plush Brand a Media Sensation

Making the switch from one industry to another is never easy, especially when one goes from being a successful health journalist to a toy entrepreneur. Marina Khidekel, creator of Hugimals, took on this challenge and set out on a mission to address the emerging issues of anxiety and stress through her weighted plush toys. The two year old award winning toy and wellness brand has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Time Magazine, Parents Magazine, Good Housekeeping’s Best Toys, and the Today Show’s It List.

Meet Marina Khidekel Creator of Hugimals

Marina Khidekel began her career as a journalist before shifting over to entrepreneurship, bringing her expertise in journalism, writing, and storytelling into the toy world. Her journey with Hugimals—a line of design-forward weighted self-care plushies created for comfort—has been marked by her ability to connect with consumers through authentic narratives. Hugimals isn’t just a plush brand; it’s an extension of her vision to create products that offer emotional support and connection.

This entire journey, however, began long before she became the founder of Hugimals. Born in Russia, Marina moved to Ohio with her family at the age of two. Like many immigrant households, she noticed that conversations about mental health weren't common in her home, with "If you're not bleeding or dying, pick yourself up," being the prevailing mindset. To better understand emotions and mental well-being, Marina turned to teen magazines, realizing that there were other perspectives and resources available. This inspired her to pursue a career in media, aiming to support other women and girls by addressing mental health openly.

Corporate Experience 

For two decades, Marina worked in the magazine industry, eventually leading content for Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington's wellness company. Other notable publications she worked for include the Women's Health Magazine, Hearst Magazines, Condé Nast, Cosmopolitan, and even her self-founded email newsletter UNDRRATED which was featured in Vogue.

Despite her immense success, she faced high levels of stress, especially as the media industry underwent significant changes. Constant layoffs meant that those who stayed often found themselves doing the work of multiple people. Marina felt the pressure acutely, struggling to quiet her racing mind at night.

Why She Created Hugimals

In her search for better sleep, she tried a weighted blanket, appreciating the calming effect of what’s known as deep touch pressure. However, the blanket felt too heavy and smothering. She improvised, using her husband's arm as a comforting weight—effective for her but not so much for him. When it became clear she needed a different solution, she began exploring smaller weighted products. At the time, weighted plush toys existed but lacked sufficient weight, aesthetics, and the comforting feeling she sought.

This realization sparked the idea for Hugimals—a line of weighted plush animals designed to provide that perfect balance. Marina hired a skilled prototype maker to bring her vision to life: a plush toy that was heavy enough for adults, stylish enough to display in any room, and soft enough to offer a gentle hug. Today, her mission to support mental health has taken a new form. Once focused on helping through journalism, she now provides comfort through a physical product that helps both kids and adults manage stress and anxiety.

Where Hugimals Is Selling

Hugimals can be found through online stores and select retailers, appealing to a broad audience seeking soothing products. To purchase Hugimals on Amazon, visit the HUGIMALS Amazon store by clicking here. 

Her Top Plush Marketing Strategy

Marina stresses the importance of networking and making connections as part of her marketing strategy. The launch of a new brand is the day it makes it's mark and thus, she believes it's important to make use of any and all connections you may have, especially in the press.

One of Marina's unique approaches to marketing is infusing her marketing material with the feedback she receives from her end users. One example of this is from a pilot project she did where she sent 100 plushes over to a hospital for Code Red, or as they say, Code Bear, kids. These were children in urgent need of intervention and security. The hospital found during this pilot project that when they gave their Code Bear kids a Hugimal, it would completely change the perception in the room and the kids would be calmer within minutes. Thus, Marina states that she every early piece of marketing material with this feedback.

Marina's Toy Creation Process

When Marina Khidekel set out to create Hugimals, she approached the process with a focus on aesthetics and quality. Her vision was clear: she wanted to design something beautiful and soothing that would appeal to both kids and adults. The first step? Choosing the right color palette. Inspired by the natural tones of river rocks, she aimed for a look that was calming and timeless.

Though Marina didn’t come from a background in character design, she collaborated closely with a professional character artist to bring her vision to life. The process took four years, a time when Marina was still juggling full-time jobs and debating whether to launch the product herself or license it out. During this period, she conducted extensive research, consulting psychologists, occupational therapists, and toy designers to ensure her product would be as effective as possible.

One key insight came from her discussions with psychologists, who advised against giving the plush animals big, fixed smiles. They explained that such expressions can sometimes come across as judgmental or unrelatable, especially for kids who may not always feel happy. Instead, they suggested creating a design that was pleasant yet empathetic. As a result, Hugimals feature gentle, neutral expressions—faces that offer comfort without pressure. Many customers have told Marina how these plush toys feel like a reassuring presence after a long day, perfectly capturing her goal of creating a toy that supports whatever emotions someone might be feeling.

The Foundation of Her Plush Toy Business

Marina believes that the foundation of Hugimals' success lies in listening to customer feedback and understanding their emotional needs. This approach has guided her marketing strategies and product improvements, ensuring that Hugimals remain a comforting choice for customers.

Marina's Greatest Accomplishment With Her Plush Brand

Marina is proud of how Hugimals has been embraced by both the media and her customers. Achieving widespread coverage while maintaining the brand’s core mission of providing comfort has been a significant milestone in her journey. This led her to have certain advice for other emerging entrepreneurs.

Her Advice For Aspiring Plush Toy Makers

Marina's stresses the importance for other entrepreneurs to take advice seriously. She says that while it is important to filter out advice and see which one is worth listening to, it's important to ask why people had a certain opinion and to take feedback, even if it's negative, seriously.

She also believes in the importance of researching before pitching randomly. To elaborate, Marina says that the trick to pitching the media is reading the media. If you want to pitch to Magazine X, you have to read Magazine X and understand it. You also need to research your competitors, not just baselessly but through a news perspective. This way, you can learn which publications have covered those companies, how their articles were written, and by whom they were written. This will help you then write better pitches and figure out who to pitch to.

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Continue Learning

Ready to learn more about how media can transform your toy brand? Tune into the full podcast episode with Marina Khidekel on The Toy Coach Podcast here.