We’re thrilled to spotlight Mihaela Mateescu, Head of Performance Marketing & CRO at smol, as part of our Amazing Speaker Interview series for The MarTech Summit London. With nearly a decade of experience across agency and in-house teams, Mihaela brings a sharp lens to the fast-evolving world of direct-to-consumer performance marketing. From predictive LTV strategies to automation tools that scale sustainably, her approach combines deep technical knowledge with growth-driven creativity – making her a powerful voice in the subscription marketing space.
About smol
smol is a UK-based, eco-friendly household brand revolutionising the cleaning industry with sustainable, plastic-reducing products delivered directly to consumers. Known for its bold commitment to effectiveness and environmental responsibility, smol offers a subscription-based model for items like laundry capsules and dishwasher tablets—combining convenience, affordability, and climate-conscious values.
Quick Q&A with Mihaela Mateescu
Could you please give us a quick introduction of yourself?
I’m Mihaela, and I lead performance marketing and conversion optimisation at smol. I’ve been working in online advertising for nearly a decade, across both agency and client-side roles. My expertise lies in direct-to-consumer marketing, particularly subscription businesses, where I focus on driving sustainable growth. Fun fact: although I work with a UK-based brand, I’m currently based in Portugal.
Why did you choose to participate in The MarTech Summit London?
It’s always inspiring to connect with peers and industry experts, exchange ideas and stay up to date with the latest best practices. I see the summit as an opportunity not just to learn from others, but also to celebrate successes in the industry and expand my professional network.
What are some of the most impactful automation tools or scripts you’ve implemented to streamline your performance marketing operations?
At smol, we use automations to manage daily budgets and CPA controls across Meta and TikTok, via a tool called Birch (formerly Revealbot). Recently, we’ve also started testing predictive lifetime value optimisation, where we send predicted LTV back into Meta Ads Manager to optimise toward higher-value customers. This setup, powered by Churney, allows us to make more data-driven decisions and focus acquisition on long-term revenue, not just first orders.
As someone who’s comfortable with web technologies like ReactJS and Shopify Liquid, how does your development knowledge influence your marketing strategy and experimentation velocity?
Having a technical foundation has been incredibly helpful in bridging the gap between marketing and product or tech teams. It enables me to scope and brief new features clearly, communicate more effectively with developers and spot bugs or optimisation opportunities faster. This has ultimately accelerated the pace of experimentation and improved the impact of our tests.
Looking ahead, what trends or challenges do you believe performance marketers should prepare for in 2026?
The biggest challenge (and opportunity) will be creating content that truly stands out. With AI generating so much of today’s digital content, there’s a risk of everything becoming too similar. I believe the brands that will win are those able to remain original, authentic, and human-centric in their messaging, while still leveraging technology to scale efficiently.
Mihaela’s insights reflect the modern marketer’s toolkit: data-informed, technically fluent, and relentlessly focused on customer value. Don’t miss the chance to hear more from Mihaela at The MarTech Summit London, where she’ll join other industry leaders shaping the future of marketing strategy.
The MarTech Summit London – The 5th Edition EMEA Flagship
Join us on 12 & 13 November 2025 at Convene, 155 Bishopsgate! We’re back with the flagship 5th annual edition of The MarTech Summit London, set to welcome 500+ attendees. With a powerful format featuring 3 focused stages over 2 dynamic days, this year’s summit is designed to fuel both strategic vision and tactical execution. Whether you specialise in B2B, B2C, or both – this is your destination for MarTech leadership.
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Last updated: August 2025
