Ep 531: The TikTok Strategy, Tariff Setback, and Product Pivot Behind Plufl’s Growth

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Yuki Kinoshita returns to the DTC Podcast with an inside look at how Plufl turned viral buzz into sustainable growth. Since his first appearance, the brand has passed $4M in sales, added new SKUs like the Hugl cooling pillow, and faced a near-$8M retail setback due to sudden U.S. tariffs.

In this episode, Yuki breaks down how Plufl:

Navigated a 145% import tariff while keeping prices stable
Cut landed costs by $10+ per unit by reengineering their packaging
Transitioned from novelty product to year-round problem-solver
Leveraged creator content and press placements to power top-of-funnel
Used customer pain points to inform product development

For DTC founders navigating platform volatility, sourcing challenges, and product innovation, this episode delivers tactical insight.

Timestamps:

00:00 How Plufl went viral and dealt with knockoffs

02:00 Shark Tank, tariffs, and losing $7M in retail deals

08:00 Why Vietnam manufacturing isn’t always cheaper

12:00 Cutting COGS with packaging and operations

18:00 The product that made Plufl profitable year-round

24:00 Creating pet-parent solutions from customer feedback

28:00 Seven figures from QVC and shopping networks

32:00 PR, gift guides, and listicles as growth levers

34:00 TikTok creator seeding and whitelisting strategy

38:00 What’s next for Plufl and the founders

Hashtags:

#d2cpodcast #plufl #dtcbrands #founderstory #ecommercegrowth #retailstrategy #tiktokmarketing #tariffimpact #prstrategy #productlaunch

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