In the invidis Year in Review, Ron Haans and Koen Wouters from First Impression discuss the various fields that the company will be focusing on in 2025 – from sustainability to retail media.
The year 2024 marked a major milestone for First Impression with our B Corp certification. This achievement is both a crowning moment and a meaningful responsibility. While it’s an honor to carry this recognition, it calls for continuous renewal and inspiration—not just for ourselves but for the people and businesses around us.
We view this as a call to action for our partners and peers: embrace responsibility and inspire others with sustainable and inclusive entrepreneurship. This drive propels us into 2025, where we aim to advance retail media. Our focus is on helping retailers balance commerce with impactful consumer engagement, supported by cutting-edge creative technologies like 3D content and sustainable hardware like LED. And we’re taking it a step further: redefining experiences in every sense, with a renewed emphasis on the power of audio as a critical element of brand identity.
At First Impression, we continue to grow, innovate, and push boundaries – that’s our passion.
Expanding internationally with collaboration
First Impression is growing rapidly, including beyond our home base in the Netherlands, where our roots and flagship experience center are located. With offices now established in France and Germany and a fast-growing network of international partners, we provide trusted First Impression services and seamless global rollouts for retailers worldwide.
Our proprietary Smart Deployment and Smart Service tools elevate our ability to manage international projects efficiently, offering an unmatched level of control and scalability.
Smart Service: preventative and proactive
The future of service is intelligent and data-driven. In 2025, we are fully committing to Smart Service, encouraging partners to enable their hardware for remote monitoring and support. This approach is a cornerstone of our sustainability strategy. Many devices are already integrated into our Network Operations Center (NOC), offering unparalleled capabilities for analysis and proactive monitoring.
By leveraging machine learning, we aim not only to detect issues in real-time but also to predict and prevent them entirely. This creates a service model that’s not just reactive but truly forward-thinking.
Extending the lifespan of hardware
In 2025, we’ll take further steps to extend the lifespan of hardware. This effort ties into our Smart Service approach, preventing issues before they occur, while also selecting smarter, more sustainable hardware options. Large-format LED displays are becoming increasingly popular as a durable alternative to traditional screens, thanks to their extended lifespan and design flexibility. This flexibility allows seamless integration into environments, enhancing the overall experience.
Next year, we also expect to see the true breakthrough of e-paper technology. This sustainable, sleek solution replaces paper-based POS materials and meets the evolving expectations of our clients. We are confident that in 2025, large-format e-paper displays will be commercially available, pushing this innovation to the forefront.
Retail media: moving from transactions to emotions
Retail media has matured into a sophisticated market, but the challenge for 2025 lies in finding the balance between commercial opportunities and emotional customer engagement. Retailers are looking for more than just revenue generators; they want to build brand loyalty and emotional connections with their customers.
Marketing can’t just focus on basket size. We continue to support our partners in leveraging retail media’s potential while safeguarding brand identity and customer loyalty. From the right platforms to displays, installation, and service, we provide comprehensive solutions enhanced by our creative expertise.
At our in-house agency, a talented team of (3D) content specialists create exceptional campaigns for digital signage. In 2024, we successfully launched campaigns for brands like Jumbo Supermarkets and introduced 3D content for Pepsico on small signage – a first for the industry.
By combining technology with creativity, we empower brands to tell their unique stories through solutions like 3D content, interactive screens, and audio experiences that leave a lasting impression.
Firstmusic: audio as part of the brand experience
In a world where visual displays dominate, audio often takes a backseat. Yet the role of music and sound in shaping brand experiences remains vital. With Firstmusic, we’re making significant strides in 2025 to help retailers strategically integrate audio into their retail media strategies.
Audio has the power to create subconscious yet impactful connections to a brand. The right music, volume, and alignment with brand identity contribute to an atmosphere customers don’t just experience – they remember. Firstmusic offers retailers the tools to optimize music and sound as integral elements of their brand’s overall experience.
With great confidence, we look forward to realizing our ambitions in 2025. Together with our partners and clients, we’ll continue to push boundaries, innovate, and create experiences that inspire.
