Digital Marketing Ecosystems and Export Resilience: Evidence from Ukraine and Transition Economies

Abstract

The article substantiates an ecosystem-based approach to digital marketing as a resource for strengthening sustainable exports in Ukraine and other post-socialist transition economies. The study develops and applies a cross-country analytical framework for examining the association between national digital marketing ecosystem conditions and export resilience in Ukraine and selected transition economies.  Two composite indicators are proposed: the Digital Marketing Ecosystem Index (DMEI), encompassing digital infrastructure, institutional support, and innovation capacity, and the Export Resilience Index (ERI), incorporating export dynamics, partner-country concentration, and competitive position in global trade. The empirical database was constructed using data from The Global Economy and Trade Map for Ukraine and ten comparable countries. Indicators were normalized using the min–max method and aggregated using equal weights. The results reveal Poland’s leadership in both DMEI and ERI. Ukraine achieved a DMEI score of 0.273 and an ERI score of 0.527, ranking tenth and eighth, respectively. Its position is characterized by a combination of existing digital infrastructure potential, low institutional performance, and negative export dynamics. Based on the median values of the indices, a sustainable export strategy matrix was developed, distinguishing sustainable digital export leaders, countries with unrealized digital potential, countries characterized by traditional export resilience, and countries with vulnerable export models. The practical value of the findings lies in providing a rationale for an integrated strategy for Ukraine that combines institutional improvement, digitalization of international marketing, innovation support for exporters, and diversification of foreign markets.

Keywords: digital ecosystems; export resilience; sustainable export strategies; digital transformation; quantitative analysis; transition economies; international marketing; market diversification; digital marketing ecosystem; institutional environment; Digital Marketing Ecosystem Index; Export Resilience Index