Rethinking Marketing Metrics: How to Measure Success in the Circular Economy
In July 2025, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Kantar launched a bold new framework for marketers working in circular business models. Their message was clear: traditional KPIs are failing us.
If your dashboard still hinges on the number of products sold, you're likely missing the bigger picture—and the opportunities that come with it.At GECA, we've long advocated for systems thinking and lifecycle approaches to sustainability. And this new guidance goes a step further by showing how marketers can help lead the charge toward a circular economy—not just support it.
Why Traditional Metrics Fall Short
Consider this: a fashion brand measuring success solely by the volume of garments sold is unlikely to prioritise repair, reuse or rental models.Similarly, a beverage company focused on units of single-use bottles might overlook increased brand loyalty or long-term value from refillable options.In short, circular value often shows up in places traditional metrics don't look.
A Smarter Set of Indicators
The new framework from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Kantar outlines eight key performance areas, including commercial, brand, creative and customer areas, where marketers can take the lead. It also highlights broader domains like innovation, organisational transformation and industry influence, where marketing teams can help drive momentum.Some of the metrics include:
• Share of revenue from circular offerings• Customer lifetime value (CLV) of circular products• Percentage of campaigns with embedded circular messaging• Change in corporate reputation score due to circular marketing activities• Number of products returned, repaired or reused by customers
These indicators don't just measure sales—they measure meaning. And in a world increasingly sceptical of greenwashing, that matters.
What This Means for GECA Licensees
As a not-for-profit ecolabelling program rooted in lifecycle thinking, GECA sees enormous potential in this shift. Many of our licensees are already leading the way with sustainable procurement and chain of custody programs, recycled content products, design for durability, reuse and refill schemes, take-back programs, product-as-a-service models, and material transparency.But are we telling those stories through the right lens?This is an opportunity for marketers in sustainability-driven organisations to evolve how they measure and communicate success. It's also a chance to move beyond surface-level eco claims and demonstrate real impact, aligned with the ACCC's guidance on environmental claims.Whether you're a procurement manager tracking risk reduction or a marketer promoting GECA certified products and services, these new indicators offer a roadmap to make your impact more measurable and more meaningful.
Ready to Rethink Your Metrics?
At GECA, we're excited to explore how this framework can complement third-party certification and validated claims. Our Claims Authentication service already supports accurate sustainability communications.Now, we see an opportunity to integrate these indicators into marketing strategy, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.Circularity isn't just about better products. It's about better measurement, better marketing, and ultimately, better outcomes for people and the planet.Let's start measuring what matters.[Click here to download the full set of indicators]