Chapter 1 — full chapter
Chapter 1 — full chapter
1.3.2.7. Post-purchase engagement and customer data
Every scan of a passport is a point of contact. Brands can use it to send care and warranty reminders, offer loyalty perks, or invite owners into digital experiences and, importantly, to see parts of a product’s life that were previously invisible, such as who buys and resells items on the secondary market.
That visibility, combined with data on which products last and hold their value, feeds directly back into better design, sourcing and strategic decisions for the company.
It is noteworthy to mention that not every avenue suits every business. The aim of implementing a digital product passport is not to pursue all value avenues at once, but to identify which is best suited to a company's situation, market, product, and capabilities. Exploring these avenues starts with understanding what is realistic for the business.
SMEs should begin by mapping the product and supplier data they already collect, then assess which products have the greatest potential for resale, repair, rental, take-back or recycling based on durability, value and customer behavior. A Digital Product Passport can help identify where products retain the most value and where to focus efforts. Rather than building new systems from scratch, SMEs can partner with specialized service providers, test one product line or market first, measure results and scale what works.
Success depends on balancing economic viability with genuine sustainability, avoiding initiatives that simply add a sustainability label without creating meaningful value. In this way, the passport can evolve from a compliance requirement into a foundation for new circular business models and long-term customer relationships.