Manual vs Automatic Bidding – Who Wins?

For health and wellness brands, growth isn’t just about acquiring new customers—it’s about keeping them. Research shows that acquiring a new customer costs five to ten times more than retaining an existing one. Yet, many brands pour their budgets into paid ads and promotions without optimizing the real driver of profitability: repeat purchases. Unlike fashion or luxury goods, health and wellness products have built-in repeatability.

Fashion retail has evolved dramatically, with direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands redefining how customers interact with their favorite labels. Unlike traditional retail, where brands rely on third-party stores, department chains, or wholesalers to sell their products, DTC fashion brands own the entire customer journey—from discovery to purchase and beyond. This model allows brands to build direct relationships with their customers, personalize experiences, and control every touchpoint, from marketing to fulfillment.

Performance Max (PMax) campaigns have rapidly become a cornerstone of Google Ads strategy for ecommerce brands, offering a fully automated, cross-channel approach to media buying that promises scale, efficiency, and reach. But with all that power comes complexity. PMax doesn’t behave like traditional campaign types. It spans across Google Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover, and Maps, all within a single campaign.