Marie-Stella-Maris: a rapidly growing social enterprise with a sustainable mission
Marie-Stella-Maris is no ordinary company. As a social enterprise, their mission extends beyond profit. “Our mission is to provide everyone access to clean drinking water,” says CEO Micha Medendorp. “Because 1 in 4 people on earth does not have access to clean drinking water.”
What started as a premium mineral water brand to fund water projects has grown into an omnichannel organization with 12 stores in the Netherlands and Belgium – and with multiple new locations coming soon, the brand continues to expand. Sustainability is deeply embedded in everything they do.
The search for sustainable digital signage
At Marie-Stella-Maris, they wanted to communicate their commercial message as consciously as their products. But the signage in their store windows wasn’t efficient.
“Previously, we worked more with physical communications, which came with logistical drawbacks and didn’t fit with our sustainability ambitions,” Micha explains. “Updating physical materials frequently required transport to all branches – which no longer aligns with our sustainable goals.”
For an organization aiming for CO₂-neutrality, this wasn’t ideal: lots of transport, little flexibility, and high costs. “This costs money and doesn’t align with our sustainable ambitions. Aren’t there better alternatives?” And so, Marie-Stella-Maris looked into implementing digital signage.
A joint step toward CO₂-neutral retail communication
Through their network, Marie-Stella-Maris connected with AVEX. And the timing couldn’t have been better. While Marie-Stella-Maris sought more sustainable store communication, AVEX was developing a new CO₂-neutral and fully circular AV solution: BRIX zero.
“In conversations with AVEX, we discovered they were working on a new, CO₂-neutral AV solution – exactly in line with the sustainable direction we had already been exploring.”
For Marie-Stella-Maris, this was exactly what they were looking for: “Sustainable digital signage turned out to be a logical next step within our own sustainability strategy – more efficient, more flexible, and better scalable.”
The collaboration between Marie-Stella-Maris and AVEX perfectly illustrates how companies can join forces toward a climate-neutral future.
Sustainable digital signage: the right solution at the right time
“We were already exploring ways to become CO₂-neutral for our office,” Micha recounts. “Sustainability is already embedded throughout our production chain.”
Marie-Stella-Maris had already made conscious choices. Micha lists some practical examples: glass bottles with 30% less material, local production using renewable energy, and refill stations in every store.
Micha adds, “This was a beautiful addition – the next step in greening our operations. The timing of our CO₂-neutral ambitions aligning with the development of BRIX zero was perfect.”
From technology to content: collaborative visibility
For Marie-Stella-Maris, the partnership with AVEX went beyond supplying CO₂-neutral screens. “Our own design and marketing teams work every day on powerful brand communication. In this collaboration with AVEX, we leveraged their technical expertise to optimally set up our digital storefronts – always with our brand identity as the starting point,” Micha explains. “The challenge is to capture the attention of passersby within seconds while conveying our brand identity.”
AVEX’s team supported both the technical setup and content optimization for maximum impact.
Why BRIX zero is the AV solution that matches Marie-Stella-Maris’s mission
“Although the window displays are just one link in our omnichannel chain, they contribute significantly to the on-location brand experience,” Micha admits. “That’s why specialist expertise in this area was so valuable. The collaboration with AVEX brought additional expertise in technology and installation – an excellent complement to our own brand and content strategy.”
For Marie-Stella-Maris, BRIX zero was a logical next step in their sustainable operations. By making their AV installations CO₂-neutral and circular, these now seamlessly align with their mission to make conscious, sustainable choices in every aspect of their business.
