First Impression Audiovisual becomes the first digital signage integrator to meet the social and environmental standards for B Corp certification, after aligning its company bylaws with sustainability criteria.
First Impression Audiovisual, a European digital signage integrator based in the Netherlands, is now among the among the 9,000 organizations worldwide with B Corp (Benefit Corporation) certification. The Pennsylvania-based non-profit B lab awards this label to companies that meet high standards for social and sustainable business practices. First Impression is supposedly the first company within the digital signage industry – certainly the first pure-play integrator – to carry that certification.
“We’re not an obvious industry to champion sustainability, but perhaps that’s why we’re so motivated to elevate ourselves and others in our field”, says Ron Haans, First Impression’s founder and CEO. An important step to achieving the certification, he says was updating the company bylaws. “We’ve now formally committed to operating our business in ways that always consider both people and the environment.”
B Lab evaluates companies in five areas: Employees, Community, Customers, Environment, and Governance. To be certified, companies must score at least 80 out of 200 points and document how their decisions impact all stakeholders. Certification takes place every three years to ensure that companies meet the strict standards. First Impression achieved a score of 87.8 points, which correlates to B Corp status. Other certified Dutch brands include Rituals, Fabienne Chapot, Tony’s Chocolonely, and Keune.
Network Operations Center as a milestone
As part of its sustainability initiatives, First Impression has developed the Network Operations Center (NOC) and customized Smart Services to resolve at least 80% of service issues remotely. The company aims to achieve a fully circular model by 2030. First Impression has declared its dedication to increasing its certification score. One of the company’s key levers is linking collected data to the lifecycle of its installations.
“Achieving this certification is just the beginning. We hope to inspire our stakeholders and competitors to also strive for the best. We can achieve this through even stronger collaboration”, says Ron Haans. First Impression was also one of the digital signage providers to be included in the invidis Green Signage Hall of Fame at DSSE 2024 with its Fairframe, an ultra-light-weight display casing made of wood.
