Adve r tising flows as an institution of spatial development: disparity diagnostics and a regulatory model for integrating small and medium-sized businesses in Russia

Advertising flows as an economic institution shaping the spatial organization of markets in the digital economy. To develop a system for regulating advertising flows aimed at levelling the conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access advertising resources in order to ensure the unity of the economic space (UES) of Russia. An interdisciplinary approach is used, synthesizing theories of new economic geography, institutional economics, polarized development and the concept of «space of flows». The empirical part includes statistical analysis of Rosstat and AKAR data (2021–2025), comparative legal analysis of regional regulations, mapping, and a survey of SME representatives.The hypothesis about the existence of a stable hierarchical structure of advertising markets in Russia («core – semi-periphery – periphery»), reproducing the general economic differentiation, is confirmed. It is established that the key determinants of disparities are not only economic but also institutional factors. Limited access of SMEs to advertising resources is a significant barrier to their interregional expansion, which fragments the economic space.A targeted regulatory system has been developed, including measures to harmonize regulations, create a federal digital platform-aggregator of advertising resources, introduce financial support mechanisms for SMEs, and form a unified communication framework of the market. The implementation of the proposed measures can reorient advertising flows from the plane of differentiation to the plane of integration. The results of the study can be used by public authorities in the development and implementation of regional and industrial policies aimed at reducing spatial inequality and supporting SMEs.