Kukel Halyna, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor of the Department of Management, Marketing and Economics, Vinnytsia National Technical University, Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

ORCID: 0000-0001-7699-5997
e-mail: galskuk@gmail.com

Nahaichuk Viktoriia, D.Sc. in Economics, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance, Vinnytsia Education and Research Institute of Economics of West Ukrainian National University, Vinnytsia, Ukraine

ORCID: 0000-0002-6653-6583
e-mail: v.nagaichuk@wunu.edu.ua

Tymoshchuk Yelyzaveta, Bachelor’s student, Vinnytsia National Technical University Vinnytsia, Ukraine

ORCID: 0009-0003-3307-2377
e-mail: lizatimoschuk239@gmail.com

Marketing Communications and Promotion Strategies for Eco-Brands in International Markets Under the Circular Economy

Abstract. Introduction. The transition to a circular economy is reshaping the way businesses communicate environmental value to international audiences. Eco-brands operating across borders face the dual challenge of demonstrating genuine circularity – resource regeneration, product-life extension, closed-loop supply chains – while adapting messaging to heterogeneous regulatory regimes, cultural expectations, and levels of consumer environmental literacy. The proliferation of unsubstantiated sustainability claims has intensified scrutiny of green communications, making the choice of promotion strategy a strategic rather than a purely creative decision. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the theoretical and methodological principles of building marketing communications for eco-brands in international markets under circular economy conditions, to classify promotion strategies according to their communicative logic and market effects, and to propose a practical framework for selecting a strategy depending on a firm’s circularity maturity and mode of international market entry.

Results. Based on a synthesis of recent international and Ukrainian literature, six communicative strategies were identified and characterised: sustainability storytelling and transparent branding, eco-labelling and third-party certification, cause-related marketing, digital verification through blockchain and AI-driven traceability, communication of product-as-a-service business models, and behavioural nudging. Each strategy was assessed in terms of its effects and limitations for cross-border deployment, including regulatory compatibility with European Union instruments such as the Green Claims Directive and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Greenwashing was identified as the principal trust barrier undermining the credibility of green communications, and verification-based instruments were shown to mitigate this risk most effectively. A matrix model linking the stage of circular transformation with the mode of international entry was proposed as a decision-support tool for marketing managers. Conclusions. The findings confirm that effective international communication of eco-brands requires aligning message content, channel choice, and verification instruments with both the firm’s internal circularity maturity and the institutional environment of the target market. The proposed classification and matrix model provide a practical basis for marketing decision-making and a foundation for further empirical research, including quantitative validation on samples of European Union retailers and cross-border e-commerce operators.

Keywords: eco-branding, circular economy, international marketing, marketing communications, promotion strategies, international commodity markets, green marketing, sustainable development, greenwashing.

References:

1. Paiva, T. (2025). A systematic review of driving sustainability through circular economy marketing: Insights and strategies for green marketing innovation. Encyclopedia, 5(2), 61. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia5020061
2. Rejeb, A., Rejeb, K., & Keogh, J. G. (2022). The circular economy and marketing: A literature review. Etikonomi, 21, 153–176. https://doi.org/10.15408/etk.v21i1.22216
3. Chamberlin, L., & Boks, C. (2018). Marketing approaches for a circular economy: Using design frameworks to interpret online communications. Sustainability, 10, 2070. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10062070
4. Gutentag, J., & Russell, C. A. (2025). Selling sustainability: Making green advertising more concrete with circular economy message framing. International Journal of Advertising, 44, 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2024.2412384
5. Lopes, J. M., Gomes, S., & Trancoso, T. (2023). The dark side of green marketing: How greenwashing affects circular consumption? Sustainability, 15, 11649. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511649
6. Chabowski, B. R., Gabrielsson, P., Hult, G. T. M., & Morgeson, F. V. (2023). Sustainable international business model innovations for a globalizing circular economy: A review and synthesis, integrative framework, and opportunities for future research. Journal of International Business Studies, 56, 383–402. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-023-00652-9
7. Ranta, V., Keränen, J., & Aarikka-Stenroos, L. (2020). How B2B suppliers articulate customer value propositions in the circular economy: Four innovation-driven value creation logics. Industrial Marketing Management, 87, 291–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2019.10.007
8. Prieto-Sandoval, V., Torres-Guevara, L. E., & García-Díaz, C. (2022). Green marketing innovation: Opportunities from an environmental education analysis in young consumers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 363, 132509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132509
9. Lyulyov, O., Pimonenko, T., Chen, Y., Kwilinski, A., & Us, Y. (2024). Countries’ green brands within the context of sustainable development goals. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 9(3), 100509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100509
10. Lin, X., Lee, C.-Y., & Fan, C. K. (2025). Analysis of innovative green marketing corresponding to consumer preferences: A case study of the insurance industry. Sustainability, 17(5), 2179. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052179
11. Chukurna, O., & Kofman, V. (2023). Marketynhovi instrumenty prosuvannia ekolohichnykh brendiv v paradyhmi staloho rozvytku [Marketing tools for promoting ecological brands in the paradigm of sustainable development]. Ekonomika ta suspilstvo, (48). https://doi.org/10.32782/2524-0072/2023-48-45 (in Ukrainian)
12. Ukhanova, I., & Salo, Ya. (2026). Ekolohichnyi marketynh u zabezpechenni dosiahnennia tsilei staloho rozvytku [Environmental marketing in ensuring the achievement of sustainable development goals]. Ekonomika ta suspilstvo, (84). https://doi.org/10.32782/2524-0072/2026-84-129 (in Ukrainian)
13. Kniazieva, T. V., & Orokhovska, L. A. (2023). Ecological marketing in the paradigm of sustainable development: Theoretical and methodological aspect. Mechanism of an Economic Regulation, 1(99), 17–22. https://doi.org/10.32782/mer.2023.99.03
14. European Commission. (2023). Green claims. Directorate-General for Environment. https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/circular-economy-topics/green-claims_en
15. European Environment Agency. (2025). Circular material use rate in Europe. https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/circular-material-use-rate-in-europe
16. Circle Economy. (2024). The circularity gap report 2024. https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/knowledge/circularity-gap-report-2024