Marketing in the Platform Economy—Performance, Value Creation, and Sustainability

Dear Colleagues,

The platform economy has transformed how value is created, delivered, and captured in modern markets. Digital platforms like Amazon, Airbnb, Uber, and Etsy have redefined marketing ecosystems, reshaping customer relationships, brand strategy, value co-creation, pricing, and market reach. However, this rapid evolution also introduces new challenges for sustainable business practices, ethical marketing, worker equity, and long-term customer trust. This Special Issue invites rigorous theoretical, empirical, and practice-driven research that explores the interplay between platform-based business models, marketing performance, and sustainability.

Why This Special Issue?

In the era of digital transformation, marketing is no longer a linear function—it is embedded in complex, adaptive, platform-driven ecosystems. As firms strive for both competitive advantage and societal impact, it is essential to understand how platform marketing practices influence not only performance metrics but also ethical behaviour, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability.

This Special Issue aims to shape the next generation of marketing thought and practice—one that aligns platform innovation with accountable growth and stakeholder well-being. Contributions are expected to answer the following questions:

• How do platforms influence marketing ROI (returns on investment), stakeholder value, and environmental or social responsibility?
• What role does platform governance play in ethical customer engagement, data usage, or brand equity?
• Can sustainable marketing be achieved within inherently profit-driven and growth-optimized platform ecosystems?
• Are we asking the right questions around platform ecosystems?

Key Themes and Topics of Interest

Submissions may include the following areas:

Marketing Performance in Platform Ecosystems

• Performance metrics for platform-based marketing (e.g., conversion, retention, and customer lifetime value);
• Multi-sided platform marketing strategies and channel optimization;
• Branding, personalization, and customer experience at scale;
• Platform monetization strategies: subscriptions, ads, freemium, and cross-selling;
• Network effects and viral growth mechanisms.

Sustainable Marketing in the Platform Economy

• Ethical considerations in platform-based marketing and advertising;
• Responsible use of consumer data and algorithmic transparency;
• Green value propositions in digital marketplaces;
• Circular economy models enabled through platforms;
• Sustainability labelling, greenwashing, and consumer trust in platform environments.

Platforms and Stakeholder Value Creation

• Platform marketing and its effects on labour (e.g., gig workers, creators, and vendors);
• Customer co-creation and brand advocacy in platform settings;
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion in platform marketing;
• Case studies of platform firms integrating ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) goals;
• Community-building and social impact in local/global platform economies.

Policy and Regulation

• The role of marketing in navigating regulatory pressures on platforms;
• Cross-border data, taxation, and responsible globalization of digital platforms;
• Comparative studies on platform governance and sustainability policy alignment.

 I look forward to receiving your contributions.  

Selected References

• Belleflamme, P., Li, M., & Périlleux, A. (2025). Sharing Economy Platforms in the Face of Crises: A Conceptual Framework. Sustainability, 17(14), 6370. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146370
• Boudreau, K. J., & Hagiu, A. (2009). Platform rules: Multi-sided platforms as regulators. Platforms, Markets and Innovation, 1(0), 163–191. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781849803311
• Doğan, O. B., Kumar, V., & Lahiri, A. (2024). Platform-level consequences of performance-based commission for service providers: Evidence from ridesharing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 52(4), 1240–1261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-024-01005-0
• Geissinger, A., Laurell, C., Öberg, C., Sandström, C., & Suseno, Y. (2022). The sharing economy and the transformation of work: Evidence from Foodora. Personnel Review, 51(2), 584–602. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-08-2019-0450
• Geissinger, A., Laurell, C., Öberg, C., Sandström, C., & Suseno, Y. (2020). Assessing user perceptions of the interplay between the sharing, access, platform and community‐based economies. Information Technology & People, 33(3), 1037–1051. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-12-2019-0649
• Hagiu, A., & Wright, J. (2015). Multi-sided platforms. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 43, 162-174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijindorg.2015.03.003
• Kannan, P. K., & Li, H. (2017). Digital Marketing: A Framework, Review and Research Agenda.International Journal of Research in Marketing. 34(1), 22–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2016.11.006 
• Kenney, M., & Zysman, J. (2016). The rise of the platform economy. Issues in Science and Technology, 32(3), 61–70. https://brie.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/kenney-zysman-the-rise-of-the-platform-economy-spring-2016-istx.pdf
• Geissinger, A., Laurell, C., & Öberg, C. (2021). Copycats among underdogs-echoing the sharing economy business model. Industrial Marketing Management, 96, 287–299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.06.006
• Schor, J. B., Attwood-Charles, W., Cansoy, M., Ladegaard, I., & Wengronowitz, R. (2020). Dependence and precarity in the platform economy. Theory and society, 49(5), 833–861. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-020-09408-y

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in  Administrative Sciences.

Dr. Nnamdi O. Madichie
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• digital platforms
• digital marketplaces
• platform governance
• responsible use of consumer data
• algorithmic transparency
• platform marketing strategies