Google Ads has really taken off for us, especially when other digital platforms weren’t performing as well. The returns we're experiencing–it’s phenomenal.
Addie Ajayi
Founder & CEO
Born in Nigeria, Addie Ajayi launched D’IYANU in 2014 to bring the vibrant prints of her childhood into mainstream fashion. “I realized that there was no ready-to-wear African-inspired brand on the market that was selling to people like me,” Addie says. “I wanted to fill that void–to create modern clothing and accessories for people who want to wear the prints but in a stylish, trendy way.” Teaching herself design as she went, Addie leveraged her background in business and marketing to grow D’IYANU and eventually brought in her brother, Dara Ajayi, to manage customer-facing operations. They began using Google Ads in 2018 and saw major results the following year. “We’re seeing almost 8x return from our Google Ads performance, and it’s been very helpful in keeping us profitable,” Addie says. Google Ads accounts for about 25 to 30 percent of D’IYANU’s revenue.
With the help of 15 employees, the brother/sister team now ships Addie’s bold designs for men, women, and kids to about 40,000 customers per year all over the world. Meanwhile, the marketing team uses Google Analytics to dig into performance. “Being able to see which platforms are driving sales for our business is crucial. Google Analytics gives us that picture so we understand where to invest our marketing budget," Addie says. As D’IYANU continues to scale, they are establishing warehousing in Canada to reduce shipping times for their northern neighbors, and they foresee growth in Europe next. Addie says that Google Ads will play a key role in reaching target customers as they expand in those markets. “We would really like to serve anyone who is interested in colorful, stylish, interesting new garments,” Dara says. “We believe that over the next five to ten years, we can really scale the business to become a force to be reckoned with in the fashion industry.”