Building marketing that lasts
Reading time: 8–9 minutes
Every year, millions are poured into campaigns that vanish within weeks. A brief spike in traffic, a few clicks, then silence. It is the marketing equivalent of single-use plastic. Expensive, wasteful, and unsustainable.
The circular economy shows us a better way: design systems that reduce waste, reuse resources, and regenerate value. Applied to marketing, it means building campaigns that keep working long after launch. Campaigns that flow back into your ecosystem instead of going to landfill.
And in Europe, especially in France, where consumers are quick to spot waste and demand accountability, this approach is not just smart. It is becoming expected [2]. French organisations such as ADEME have been pushing for resource efficiency for years, and the public conversation is steadily moving in that direction [1][6].
1. The four habits that make campaigns circular
Circular campaigns are built on four habits that reduce waste and increase impact.
a. Create once, use often
Think in modules, not single-use assets. Instead of building one ad for one channel, designs can be cut, remixed, and distributed widely. A single data visual can become:
- A LinkedIn carousel
- A short-form reel
- A slide for webinars
- A static post for forums
This modular mindset saves effort and ensures consistency. Industry research consistently links repurposing to better long-term performance and lower production waste [4].
b. Anchor on evergreen value
Every campaign should orbit a core resource that remains useful: a report, a toolkit, a guide. This hub lives on beyond the campaign and keeps pulling in organic traffic. Guidance from Think with Google (EMEA) also stresses planning for evergreen discovery alongside trending moments [5].
Example: ADEME (France’s Agency for Ecological Transition) publishes sustainability guides, such as Panorama sur l’économie de la fonctionnalité et de la coopération (2019–2023), that journalists, NGOs, and businesses continue referencing months later. That is evergreen in action [1][6].
c. Circulate through networks
Paid ads are fuel, not the engine. The real staying power comes when content moves through trusted communities. In France, that might be CSR associations, local cooperatives, or zero-waste Facebook groups. Shared through them, your campaign carries credibility you cannot buy, and aligns with wider European shifts in the ad ecosystem and trust expectations [2][3].
d. Leave something useful behind
Ask yourself: What remains when the campaign ends? A downloadable checklist, a mini playbook, a replay people can bookmark? That is how campaigns build an asset library instead of a waste heap. Repurposable, keepable assets are a recurring best practice in European content benchmarks [4][5].
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2. A French example in practice
Suppose you are launching a sustainable food brand in Paris. A disposable campaign might offer “10% off organic pasta this week only.”
A circular campaign could:
- Publish a hub guide: Zero-Waste Kitchens in France: 2025 Edition
- Slice it into formats: TikTok recipe reels, Instagram infographics, LinkedIn stats
- Share through eco-bloggers and French food-waste NGOs
- Invite community recipes and hacks to extend reach
- End with a free zero-waste shopping planner that keeps bringing people back
Six months later, the guide is still ranking on search. The planner drives newsletter sign-ups. Community hacks generate ongoing shares.
3. How to measure if a campaign is circular
To move beyond vanity metrics, track signs of durability:
- Reuse rate: percentage of assets repurposed across channels [4]
- Traffic sustainability: visitors to the hub after 30, 60, 90 days [5]
- Engagement lifespan: how long people keep sharing or downloading [4]
- Community contribution: proportion of posts generated outside your team [3]
Benchmarks: industry research shows modular, reusable content sustains traffic and discovery over time; see CMI’s 2025 benchmarks on repurposing and Google’s evergreen guidance [4][5].
In France, recent media and trust research highlights that efficient use of resources and credible communication are increasingly tied to brand strength and consumer expectations [2][7].
4. Ethics first
Circular marketing is not just efficient. It is ethical.
Every notification, every headline, every ad competes for the same scarce resource: attention. Before you launch, ask:
- Will this still feel valuable in three months?
- Does it help people act, not just scroll?
- Does it respect attention as scarce, not free?
When you pass this test, campaigns become more than promotions. They become contributions [2].
Why matters
Circular campaigns compound. They lower acquisition costs, reduce waste, and strengthen brand trust. They protect your team’s energy. And in markets like France, they align perfectly with a culture that values stewardship over excess.
Quick actions this week
- Audit your last three campaigns: Which assets still deliver?
- Choose one evergreen hub for your next launch
- Plan three modular spin-offs from the start
- Create one resource people will want to keep
Next in the Circular Economy series: Data Without Damage – How to collect less, use it meaningfully, and return value to the user.
References
[1] ADEME. Panorama sur l’économie de la fonctionnalité et de la coopération (2019–2023).
[2] Edelman. 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer — France Report (PDF).
[3] IAB Europe. Ad-Funding Online Services Report 2025 (PDF).
[4] Content Marketing Institute. B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Outlook for 2025.
[5] Think with Google (EMEA). Programming and channel strategy — combine trending and evergreen content for lasting discovery.
[6] ADEME. Panorama national et pistes d’action pour l’économie de la fonctionnalité (resource page).
[7] Kantar Media. Media Trends and Predictions 2025 (PDF).