When staying at home becomes routine, cleaning naturally becomes a burden for many people. .

If you want to be lazy, manual cleaning is hard on your back and time-consuming; if you want to rely on home appliances to free your hands, the robot vacuum market is dazzling. High-priced models have impressive features, but the price threshold discourages ordinary families; low-priced models seem affordable, but people always worry they might fail in actual use……

 

Image source:Google

This "neither high nor low" market dilemma puts many domestic cleaning appliance companies in a difficult position.

However, looking overseas, the attitude of European and American consumers is completely different:They are especially willing to pay for smart devices with strong suction and long battery life, and are happy to pay a premium for core features. In this contrast, Tuke has become the consensus solution for many domestic brands.

Some may ask: Is this niche market really worth investing in just because overseas consumers are willing to pay?

Let's first look at a set of survey data fromFact.MR:

The global cleaning appliance market size is valued at $7.13 billion in 2024, and is forecast to reach $17.35 billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of 9% over the period.

 

Image source:Fact.MR

Such real data is enough to dispel doubts, and there are also many typical cases of Tuke success in China. Today we will talk about Dreame, a leading brand in the Tuke cleaning appliance sector.

Next, let’s take a look at how it went from a Xiaomi OEM factory to become a household appliance “top influencer” step by step?

 

Image source:Google

From Xiaomi OEM to cleaning appliance “top influencer”

According to public information, Dreame Technology’s story began in 2017. Its founder and core team all come from Tsinghua University, with a “tech geek” gene, focusing on high-speed digital motors and intelligent algorithms.

In the early stage of entrepreneurship, Dreame Technology joined the Xiaomi ecosystem, entering the smart home cleaning track as an OEM, producing robot vacuums and vacuum cleaners for Xiaomi, and quickly achieved technology implementation and market validation through mature supply chains and channels.

The first V9 wireless vacuum cleaner they participated in developing went online on Xiaomi crowdfunding,and in just 6 days, sales exceeded 15 million yuan.

 

Image source:Google

However, Dreame’s ambitions didn’t stop there. In 2018, the company launched its Tuke strategy, proactively abandoning low-price competition, targeting high-end markets in Europe and the US, benchmarking international top brands with its technical strength, and gradually making a name for itself overseas.

As the business developed, founder Mr. Yu gradually realized that the OEM model had thin profits and relied on the client,so in 2020, he decisively left Xiaomi and officially launched the Dreame brand, fully starting global expansion of its own brand.

Since then,the Dreame brand has continuously increased its investment in overseas markets.

On one hand, it has deeply cooperated with global mainstream e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, AliExpress,eBay; on the other hand, it actively expands offline channels, establishing long-term partnerships with local retailers to build a global sales network that integrates online and offline.

 

Image source:Google

In 2024, Dreame Technology’s total annual revenue reached about 15 billion yuan, of which overseas revenue exceeded 8 billion yuan. The Hurun Global Unicorn List released in the same year also showed that the company’s valuation had reached 20 billion yuan.

 

Image source:2024 Hurun Global Unicorn List

At the full-scenario new product launch in 2025, Dreame Technology also revealed that its revenue in the first half of 2025 had already surpassed the full-year level of 2024.

This means that in the first half of last year, Dreame Technology’s revenue had already exceeded 10 billion yuan, and the full year is expected to hit the 30 billion yuan mark, making it the undisputed “top influencer” in the smart cleaning track.(Data source: donews)

 

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First get familiar on TikTok, then talk about selling

For domestic brands, the hardest step in Tuke is often not the product itself, but how to make overseas consumers know you, remember you, and be willing to try you.

After all, in mature overseas markets, you start out as an “outsider.” To build trust, you must first be seen. The popularity of social media just provides brands with an efficient way to break the ice.Andthe rise of social media offers brands a highly efficient way to break the ice.

By leveraging the traffic advantages of popular social media platforms like TikTok, your brand can be quickly discovered by unfamiliar users, understood, and spark interest, then gradually convert product advantages into real orders.

Our protagonist today,the Dreame brand,naturallydid notmiss this opportunity. By deploying on TikTok and other platforms, it gradually opened the hearts of overseas consumers.

On TikTok,the Dreame brand has its own account @dreame.usa, which currently has 303,600 followers and 1.7 million likes, performing very well.   

 

Image source:TikTok

Unlike traditional home appliance brands that rely on parameter displays for marketing,the @dreame.usa account focuses more on building user trust through real test content. By showing the cleaning performance of products in real scenarios, users can intuitively feel the product’s power.

For example, one video records the entire process of the floor washer from unboxing, adding water, to whole-house intelligent cleaning. Whether it’s stubborn stains or tiny debris, it handles them easily, and the whole operation is efficient and satisfying.

In just41 seconds, the video reached 7.3 million views and 89,500 likes. Such results show that overseas users really appreciate authentic and relatable content.

 

Image source:TikTok

3,116 influencers, together making it a hit

Running your own account well is just the first step.

Dreame also systematically cooperates with TikTok influencers, using the “people + content” approach to amplify its reach and put the brand in front of more niche audiences.

According toKalodata, Dreame’s performance in its US local store DreameUS is highly instructive:

In the past three months, about59,600 items were sold, with a total transaction amount of $10.2486 million.

Of these, the transaction amount brought by affiliate influencer channels was$8.5122 million, accounting for 83.06% of total sales, making it the absolute main source.

 

 

Image source:kalodata

In just3 months, Dreame collaborated with 3,116 influencers, producing a total of 11,363 product promotion videos, reaching target users in multiple dimensions through this “wide net” approach.

Among all the influencers, the most outstanding in sales is @hannahbentley, who has 35,900 followers.

 

 

Image source:kalodata

In her video, she never shows her face; the camera always focuses on Dreame’s wireless vacuum cleaner, demonstrating the process of cleaning difficult stains like eggs, ham, and chocolate condensed milk.

So far, this video has received9.9216 million views, about to break 10 million, driving 2,707 orders and $357,300 in sales.

This shows that experiential demonstrations of products in real-life scenarios can stimulate potential users’ desire to buy, achieving smooth conversion from interest to order.

 

Image source:kalodata

From manufacturing Tuke to brand resonance

Dreame’s development path offers at least three insights for Chinese companies considering Tuke:

· Relying solely on supply chain advantages and low-price competition is no longer enough for long-term success. The real moat is technical strength combined with long-term insight into user needs.

· The “OEM first, then brand” path is feasible, but the key is whether you dare to step out of the client’s “comfort zone” at the right time and build your own name.

· In the era of globalization, brands not only need to put products into users’ homes, but also enter users’ minds through social media and content ecosystems, forming emotional recognition.

Currently, whether it’s smart cleaning appliances or the broader smart home sector, the global growth curve is still steep, leaving plenty of room for newcomers.

The real opportunity belongs to those who possess both the hard-core strength of Chinese manufacturing and the willingness to hone brand storytelling and digital marketing skills.

This road is not easy, but cases likeDreame have already proven:

A Chinese brand driven by both technology and sincerity is fully capable of winning real applause on the global stage.