Inside Rahul Dayama’s D2C Growth Playbook: From Urbanic to Savana

 When Rahul Dayama took the stage at ETBrandEquity’s Brand World Summit 2025, he did more than deliver a keynote. He shared a growth blueprint drawn from real experience in building not just one but two D2C fashion brands that disrupted the landscape in record time. As the founding partner of Urbanic and co founder of Savana, Dayama’s voice carries the weight of deep insight and the clarity of lived strategy.

He began by breaking a long held belief that platforms or influencers control social media. His answer was simple yet powerful. No one does. In reality, control is shared between platforms, creators, and consumers. Dayama urged brand leaders to understand the psychology of each platform instead of treating them all the same. For example, while Instagram works well for brand discovery, its content lifespan is short. YouTube, with its search led structure, offers longer relevance, which is why Dayama directs more investment towards it.

His second principle centered around tech. Too many startups jump into technology with the intent to solve every problem at once. Dayama’s approach is deliberately selective. At Urbanic, the rule is clear. If a tech solution does not affect the overall business performance by at least five percent in terms of GMV, they simply do not invest in it. This focus ensures that resources are channelled only into what drives real results, avoiding the trap of digital clutter.

But tech and platforms are only half the equation. The foundation, Dayama insists, lies in finding your niche and truly understanding your audience. Not just their age or location, but their behavior. He shared a striking personal story where the brand’s partywear line gained momentum through a guerrilla marketing move. By identifying the right crowd influencers at local clubs, Urbanic was able to distribute clothes strategically and get a hundred percent conversion. It was not just smart marketing, it was contextual relevance delivered through human insight.

Once that first audience channel is cracked, the next move is to build a community. This, Dayama believes, is what transforms a brand from a one time transaction to a long term relationship. With Urbanic already having a robust influencer ecosystem in place, Savana could tap into it for faster amplification. A campaign with a thousand curated influencers catapulted Savana above Instagram and Facebook mentions in a matter of days. This was backed by a prepared support system that converted momentum into actual engagement.

What makes his perspective resonate is how he ties everything back to real brand behavior. Dayama does not speak in jargon or rely on abstract strategy. Every insight is rooted in execution. Whether it is investing selectively in tech, choosing the right platform for content, or finding the right people to wear your brand before selling it, his approach is grounded in the realities of consumer behavior and media dynamics.

Savana’s rise and Urbanic’s stronghold are not just the result of good products or marketing spends. They reflect a clear understanding of how to make digital ecosystems work for you. Rahul Dayama’s session at the Brand World Summit was not just another talk. It was a playbook for every marketer trying to figure out how to build something enduring in a crowded, fast moving space.

For more insights on powerful marketing strategies, brand leadership stories, and growth innovations, follow Marketing Moves on Instagram and Facebook.