Princess Polly: How Google Ads helped this start-up scale to a global success

Summary

Princess Polly, a fashion retailer that began as a small startup on the Gold Coast, achieved remarkable growth by leveraging Google Ads alongside SEO. Despite limited initial budgets, their strategic use of paid search and shopping ads allowed them to reach a broader audience and compete with established brands. Google Ads became a key driver, contributing 51% of their revenue and helping them scale internationally. The company's success is attributed to their targeted ad strategies and cost-effective growth, enabling them to expand globally with a team of over 300.

Takeaways

• 😀 Princess Polly started as a small fashion retailer from a beachside apartment on the Gold Coast.
• 😀 The company's growth focus is on sustainability, but they had to start small with limited budgets.
• 😀 To stand out against bigger players, they focused on targeting the right shoppers at the right time with the right products.
• 😀 Search marketing is critical to Princess Polly, as SEO alone wasn't enough to achieve visibility.
• 😀 Google Ads, particularly paid Search and Shopping Ads, helped them compete with larger, more established brands.
• 😀 Google Ads allowed them to show up in front of users already in a buying mindset, improving their ad relevance.
• 😀 They pay only when they get results with Google Ads, making it a cost-efficient channel for growth.
• 😀 Google Ads contributed 51% of Princess Polly's revenue over the course of the year.
• 😀 Their strategy includes writing their own copy and using highly targeted keywords for effective ad campaigns.
• 😀 Shopping Ads helped them connect with customers actively searching, showing ads with relevant product details like price.
• 😀 The company has grown to over 300 employees and is looking to expand globally, attributing their success to Google Ads.

Q & A

What were the Return on Investments (ROIs) mentioned in the video?

The ROIs mentioned were 30:1 and 20:1, which the speaker notes were surprising given the company's past expectations.

How did Princess Polly begin its journey?

Princess Polly started in a very hands-on startup fashion, packing orders out of a beachside apartment on the Gold Coast.

What is Princess Polly’s main focus for growth?

Princess Polly's main focus is to sustainably grow its business, even though it initially lacked the budgets of larger companies.

How did the company approach advertising given its smaller budget?

Since Princess Polly couldn't match the budget of bigger players, they focused on getting in front of the right shoppers with the right products at the right time.

Why is search important for Princess Polly?

Search is critical because the company wants to be easily discoverable by potential customers, as people rarely look beyond the first page of search results.

How does Princess Polly ensure they stay visible in search results?

Princess Polly supports its SEO efforts with Google Ads, particularly paid Search and Shopping Ads, to help the brand appear among more established competitors.

What is the advantage of using Google Ads for Princess Polly?

With Google Ads, Princess Polly knows their customers are in the right mindset to receive content, and they only pay when results are achieved, making it a cost-efficient growth strategy.

What role does Google Ads play in Princess Polly's revenue?

Google Ads contributes significantly to Princess Polly's revenue, accounting for 51% of the company's income over the course of the year.

What is the company's strategy for using Google Ads?

Princess Polly writes their own copy and adds highly targeted keywords. Recently, they also expanded into Shopping Ads, allowing customers to assess products' fit and price before clicking.

How has Google Ads helped Princess Polly’s growth?

Google Ads has been essential to Princess Polly's growth, helping the company scale significantly and allowing it to grow globally. The speaker emphasizes its importance as a fundamental part of the business.