Digital Marketing in Transition Economies: Approaches and Challenges in Ukraine and Azerbaijan

The article analyzes the main approaches to defining digital marketing and identifies its specific features in transition economies, using Ukraine and Azerbaijan as case studies. The purpose of the research is to systematize theoretical approaches to digital marketing, conduct a comparative analysis of its development in Ukraine and Azerbaijan, classify digital marketing drivers, and integrate international experience (from Poland, Turkey, Georgia, China, and Indonesia) into the context of transition economies. The methodological framework is based on a combination of systemic, comparative, and classification approaches. Content analysis of scientific publications in leading international journals was used to trace the evolution of digital marketing approaches. Comparative analysis made it possible to identify similarities and differences between Ukraine and Azerbaijan, while the classification method was applied to structure the main drivers of digital marketing development — technological, economic, socio-ecological, institutional, and organizational. The results show that in both countries digital marketing is developing in a fragmented manner: in Ukraine — due to limited resources, shortage of qualified specialists, and pressure from European integration processes; in Azerbaijan — due to the mono-sectoral structure of the economy and regional digital disparities. Further progress requires a transition toward strategic and value-oriented models based on investment in human capital, technological innovation, the development of digital culture, and the implementation of circular economy principles. The proposed conceptual model and driver classification provide a theoretical foundation for understanding digital marketing as a strategic factor of sustainable development and for integrating transition economies into the global digital environment.