Digital Marketing and Sustainable Circular Economy

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is intended to have a cross-disciplinary look at the circular economy, sustainability, and digital marketing. The discussion between marketing and sustainability has been widely explored by researchers, resulting in the fact that both concepts have mutual things to offer each other. Marketing allows greater behavioral comprehension of the clients and influences society’s attitudes and beliefs. Sustainability favors the obtaining of improvements in the supply chain, the differentiation of products, access to aware investors, or a bigger commitment of the employees.

In particular, while digital technologies have been accelerating and Sustainable Development Goals have been connected to business strategies, interest in digital marketing approaches for the sustainable circular economy is growing. On the other hand, the circular economy models reshape marketing efforts. The circular economy has become widely embraced by businesses and policymakers due to its focus on optimizing resource utilization, reducing waste and energy consumption, and addressing climate and environmental issues. The integration of digitalization and digital transformation has taken the circular economy to a new level of sustainability and inclusivity, enabling improved resource management, and empowering consumers to make well-informed decisions.

Sustainability and digitalization stand as megatrends shaping the economy and society, thus urging major transitions. Sustainable economic development poses major challenges for marketing in digital era. Sustainable marketing can be achieved through the contribution of three existing marketing sub-disciplines: green marketing, social marketing, and critical marketing. Sustainable marketing incorporates ethical, environmental, and social issues, with a specific sensitivity to the needs of future generations. Thus, marketing has a significant role to perform from delivering values to designing sustainable products and services, to communicating and influencing sustainable decision-making.  

The increase in digitalization implies the integration of advanced technologies into socio-economic dimensions. Technological progress allows human and machine intelligence to tackle complex economic, ecological, and social problems. Therefore, digitalization has induced changes in almost all industries from education and health domains to service and financial sectors, as well as manufacturing lines and production processes using robots, Internet of Things, sensors, blockchain, big data analytics, virtual influencers, augmented reality, or artificial intelligence-based machinery. Productivity, allocation of resources, innovation, and creative problem-solving are accompanying digitalization and circular economy.

Disruptive technologies affect economic agents while accelerating sustainable ways of production, product design and products’ life cycle taking into account scarce natural resources, increased emissions, planetary boundaries, and exponential growth. Concentrating on the circular economy, the digital innovation ecosystem, including virtual platforms can contribute to sustainability while strengthening value proposition possibilities, knowledge circulation, and bringing circularity to brands. Digitalization enables sharing economy aiming at reducing costs, which positively impacts the environment. It can also facilitate sustainable production and consumption.

Moreover, sustainability transformation of business approaches is demanded by society, shareholders, and governments. For this reason, business models need to be changed accentuating on digital and sustainable principles. Studies reveal a significant relationship between digitalization, sustainability, and profitability performance and that when positive results are achieved under the environmental and social lens, economic performance also improves. It has been also demonstrated that the union of digital marketing and sustainability reduces risk, uncertainty, and distrust in consumer behaviour.

Entrepreneurs can adopt digital platforms to increase tangible and intangible benefits. Digitalization, seen as a catalyst for implementing a sustainable circular economy, can improve the design and production, as well as consumption patterns permitting the reuse, repair, recycling, and remanufacturing of products. Digitalization has altered consumer behavior, purchasing decision-making, and utilization of goods and services. Digital tools can enable the improvement of the ecology and the well-being of society within the circular economy. Therefore, business models are shifting towards more circular while improving waste management, influencing consumers, and regenerating nature.

Marketing transformation towards sustainability incorporates economic, social, environmental, and ethical aspects in the value creation process. In this respect, digital marketing can encourage community engagement, empower people, and improve customer satisfaction. Designing, promoting, and delivering values that reflect the sustainability concept pave the way for the circular economy practice.

Sustainable development and the circular economy as the key concepts of the modern age resonate with the next generation. The circular economy contributes to sustainable development through efficient use of raw materials, recycling, reducing emissions and pollution, avoiding waste, and preserving the ecosystem. However, the ICT industry generates environmental footprints, careful transitions should be implemented by pursuing digital and sustainable agendas simultaneously. Both the digital influence on the circular economy and the sustainability influence on digitalization need to be considered.

Global digital transformation should lead to economic growth while attaining sustainable goals, which is possible through a circular economy. In addition, digital marketing as a tool to raise awareness and promote the idea of a sustainable circular economy requires closer consideration. Since digital marketing and the circular economy are two significant research areas, their interconnection calls for deep insight and comprehension.

Against this background, this particular Special Issue aims at exploring best practice companies can embrace in order to promote the circular economy, utilizes digital transformation to facilitate the environment rescue mission and foster sustainable growth.

The central theme of the Special Issue revolves around how digitalization and digital transformation play a pivotal role in creating a more sustainable business model that generates positive social impact and captures value.

The topics of Special Issue are:

• The capability of digital technology to contribute to sustainability at environmental, managerial, and social levels.
• Use of cloud, distributed, and digital manufacturing paradigms in cyber-physical systems.
• Big data analytics in corporate sustainability. Food waste and digitalization within the circular economy.
• Digital marketing channels for sustainable development goals.
• Influencing consumer decision-making in the circular economy.
• Dealing with digital waste.
• Energy consumption and digital marketing.
• Sustainable digital marketing strategies.
• Sustainable digital marketing and performance management.
• E-commerce, digital communication, and circular economy.
• Digital strategies for sustainability communication.
• Digital marketing communication for the circular economy.
• Circular economy aspects and digital marketing tools.
• Sustainability communication on line within the circular economy.

We would like to see profound and rigorous theoretical and managerial contributions that advance digital marketing and challenge existing theories used in global management and business research, performance, and competitive advantage. As such papers must be able to demonstrate clearly a significant contribution in the field of sustainable circular economy.

We have no a priori preferences regarding the theoretical stance or methodological approach. We welcome papers using traditional methodologies, survey, qualitative research, as well as emerging innovative approaches including the use of algorithms, contrarian case analysis, and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

All manuscripts should apply the general author guidelines for Sustainability.

References

Apostu, S. A., Gigauri, I., Panait, M., & Martín-Cervantes, P. A. (2023). Is Europe on the Way to Sustainable Development? Compatibility of Green Environment, Economic Growth, and Circular Economy Issues. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 1078. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021078.

Broccardo, L., Truant, E., & Dana, L. P. (2023). The interlink between digitalization, sustainability, and performance: An Italian context. Journal of Business Research, 158, 113621.

Coppola, C., Vollero, A., & Siano, A. (2023). Developing dynamic capabilities for the circular economy in the textile and clothing industry in Italy: A natural‐resource‐based view. Business Strategy and the Environment.

Diez-Martin, F., Blanco-Gonzalez, A., & Prado-Roman, C. (2019). Research challenges in digital marketing: sustainability. Sustainability, 11(10), 2839.

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Guandalini, I. (2022). Sustainability through digital transformation: A systematic literature review for research guidance. Journal of Business Research, 148, 456-471.

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Liu, Q., Trevisan, A. H., Yang, M., & Mascarenhas, J. (2022). A framework of digital technologies for the circular economy: Digital functions and mechanisms. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(5), 2171-2192.

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Palazzo, M., Vollero, A., & Siano, A. (2023). Intelligent packaging in the transition from linear to circular economy: Driving research in practice. Journal of Cleaner Production, 388, 135984.

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Saura, J. R., Palos-Sanchez, P., & Rodríguez Herráez, B. (2020). Digital marketing for sustainable growth: Business models and online campaigns using sustainable strategies. Sustainability, 12(3), 1003.

Siano, A., Vollero, A., Conte, F., & Amabile, S. (2017). “More than words”: Expanding the taxonomy of greenwashing after the Volkswagen scandal. Journal of Business Research, 71, 27-37.

Siano, A., Conte, F., Amabile, S., Vollero, A., Piciocchi, P. (2016). Communicating Sustainability: An Operational Model for Evaluating Corporate Websites. Sustainability, 8(9), 950-966.

Prof. Alfonso Siano
Prof. Dr. Iza Gigauri
Prof. Dr. Maria Palazzo
Dr. Francesca Conte
Guest Editors

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• digital marketing
• digital consumer behavior
• digital transformation
• sustainable development
• sustainable marketing
• circular economy
• circular business models