Why we at 2bu design don’t leave spaciousness to chance

Table of Contents

1. The background: Why referrals deserve more than just a thank you
2. The thought process: three approaches, three logics
3. What came of it: The referral programme
4. The result: support initiatives offering genuine value in return
5. What has become of it: the NGO support project
6. What we deliberately do not cover under – and why this is important
7. What we have learnt from this

The background: Why referrals deserve more than just a thank you

A brand rarely grows through advertising alone. It grows through people telling others about the people they’ve enjoyed working with. We put up with this for a long time without giving it much thought: whenever a recommendation came in, we were pleased – and that was that.

At some point, though, we asked ourselves whether that was actually fair. When someone opens up their own network to us and takes a risk in doing so – after all, they’re putting their own name on the line – then that’s more than just a footnote. It’s work, even if it doesn’t feel like it. And work that leads to a real project should be rewarded accordingly.

This line of thinking did not result in a single programme, but in three – programmes – because not every form of support is the same, and because we did not want to treat everything in the same way.

The thought process: three approaches, three logics

The more interesting question was not „How do we say thank you?", but „What exactly are we thanking them for?" A direct referral leading to a signed project is quite different from an honest Google review. And an honest review is, in turn, quite different from the generosity of an NGO that dares to apply for a free project, even though the competition is fierce.

So we have developed three logical frameworks:

• Anyone who refers a specific project to us shares the business risk with – and is entitled to a commission.
• Anyone who supports us in other ways, such as by leaving a review or writing an article, deserves to be rewarded with a discount on their next collaboration with us.
• And because generosity shouldn’t be a one-way street, twice a year we donate a complete project free of charge to an organisation working in animal welfare or the vegan sector.

Three programmes, one shared philosophy: anyone who places their trust in us or helps us raise our profile should actually benefit from it – – is more than just a thank-you note.

What came of it: The referral programme

Anyone who introduces us to someone who is looking for exactly what we do, and where this contact leads to a genuine project, will receive 15 % of the project value – as a one-off payment, with no upper limit. The process has been deliberately kept simple: establish contact, hold an initial meeting; once the contract is signed, the person making the referral receives their commission.

No chain, no multi-level hierarchy, no hidden conditions. One recommendation, one project, one commission. What was particularly important to us was that we didn’t want to build a system that felt like network marketing. It’s about a single, personal recommendation – – – not a pyramid scheme.

The result: support initiatives offering genuine value in return

Not every form of support can be translated into a commission. Some gestures are smaller, but just as valuable – –: a social media post with a link, an honest review, a blog article about the collaboration, or a mention in the legal notice as a trusted agency. For such actions, there is a discount on your next project, graded according to the amount of work involved:

• A social media post including a link and a personal recommendation will be rewarded with a 5 % discount on your next project.
• An honest review on Google or Facebook will earn you a 10 % discount.
• A blog post of your own about the collaboration, including a link, will be rewarded with a €120 credit towards your next project.
• A mention in the legal notice or the „About us" section as a trusted agency will also be rewarded with a 5 % discount.

One thing is important to us: reviews and recommendations should always reflect your actual experience. We never ask for a specific star rating or pre-written reviews – just your own honest opinion. Platforms such as Google and Meta also require that any compensation for reviews be clearly visible. With us, it’s straightforward: a discount in return for a genuine experience – nothing is hidden.

A sentence that was important to us in this context

"We wanted a system where nobody feels they have to buy their way in –, but one that simply recognises what happens anyway out of genuine conviction."
Katrin Tindler-Kempen | Owner of 2bu design

What has become of it: the NGO support project

Some impacts cannot be measured in percentages. That is why, twice a year, we carry out a branding or marketing project entirely free of charge for an organisation working in the vegan sector or in animal welfare.

Anyone can apply by sending us a short message, stating the name of their organisation and telling us who they are, what drives them and which project would be of most help to them. From all the applications, we will select the organisation whose cause and impact move us the most.

What is particularly important to us is that even those who are not selected should feel that applying was worthwhile. All NGOs not selected will receive a 40 % discount on a project with 2bu design. After all, what matters in the end is not just who wins, but that as many organisations with a strong ethos as possible can afford a strong brand.

What we deliberately do not cover under – and why this is important

Perhaps the point here isn’t about rewarding as much as possible, but about staying true to ourselves. Likes, simple comments or small gestures on social media make us very happy – they’re part of a vibrant community, and that’s exactly what we want. But we don’t pay for them.

Paid promotion breaches the platforms’ guidelines, and it would go against everything we stand for: honesty without marketing gimmicks. A ‘like’ is still worth something to us, though. Just not in euros.