The role of marketplaces as a channel for promoting a small brand in the digital economy in Russia

In the context of the rapid development of the digital economy, marketplaces are becoming the most important channels for promotion and sales, especially for small brands that lack significant advertising budgets. This article examines the features of the functioning of Russian marketplaces (using Wildberries, Ozon, and Yandex.Market as examples) as tools for bringing brands to the market. It is shown that these platforms provide small businesses with opportunities for scaling, logistics automation, and audience expansion without large investments. The key advantages and limitations of marketplaces as a promotional environment are analyzed: lowering entry barriers, access to a wide audience, high competition, and dependence on ranking algorithms. Special attention is paid to effective brand presentation strategies on the platforms and the role of visual content, reviews, native advertising, and ranking positions.