E218: Alexandra Stephens - Performance Marketing in 2026: Automation, Profit & Real Testing

In this episode, Richard Hill sits down with Alexandra Stephens, Head of Performance at eComOne, to unpack how performance marketing has transformed from granular manual work to AI-powered automation, and why human insight around profitability still matters more than ever. Alex shares her journey from fashion merchandising to leading paid advertising strategies across Google, Meta, and Microsoft, revealing how the industry shifted from SKAG-based campaigns to algorithmic bidding. But automation isn't the full answer. She explains why ROAS has become a vanity metric, how to feed profit margin data directly into your campaigns, and why visiting a client's warehouse is non-negotiable for building real strategy. They discuss multi-channel integration (PPC, SEO, email), creative differences between intent-driven search ads and discovery-driven social, and how to prepare for Black Friday a month in advance by segmenting products early. Alex also introduces incrementally testing, proving what's actually driving revenue versus what just looks good on a dashboard, and shares her thoughts on the upcoming wave of ads on ChatGPT and other LLMs. If you're running paid campaigns, managing budgets across channels, or trying to shift from surface-level metrics to genuine profit growth, this episode delivers tactical frameworks and real-world advice from someone actively managing multi-million pound accounts. Listen to the full episode now, and don't forget to hit subscribe. Topics Covered 00:04 — Introduction: Performance marketing and measuring real impact 00:52 — Meet Alexandra Stephens, Head of Performance at eComOne 01:28 — Alex's journey from fashion merchandising to performance marketing 02:49 — The shift from manual SKAG campaigns to AI-driven automation 04:06 — Why profit margins matter more than ROAS 07:24 — Understanding your client's business and warehouse operations 09:42 — How paid advertising works alongside SEO and email 13:34 — Creative strategy differences: search ads vs. social ads 16:10 — Where automation helps and where manual intervention is essential 17:39 — Preparing for Black Friday and peak trading periods 19:39 — Incrementality testing and proving true campaign effectiveness 21:28 — Ads on ChatGPT and LLMs for eCommerce brands 22:37 — Book recommendation: Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King 23:08 — Where to find Alex and connect on LinkedIn