{"id":30255,"date":"2026-06-25T23:44:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T21:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2budesign.com\/?p=30255"},"modified":"2026-10-05T10:13:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T08:13:12","slug":"trust-as-a-business-strategy-how-2bu-design-puts-its-values-into-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2budesign.com\/en\/magazin\/vertrauen-als-business-strategie-so-lebt-2bu-design-seine-werte\/","title":{"rendered":"Trust as a business strategy: how 2bu design puts its values into practice"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Table of Contents<\/h2>\n
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  1. The background: Why referrals deserve more than just a thank you<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. The thought process: three approaches, three logics<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. What came of it: The referral programme<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. The result: support initiatives offering genuine value in return<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. What has become of it: the NGO support project<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. What we deliberately do not cover under \u2013 and why this is important<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. What we have learnt from this<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The background: Why referrals deserve more than just a thank you<\/h2>\n

    A brand rarely grows through advertising alone.<\/strong> <\/span>It grows through people who stand for the same cause and raise each other\u2019s profile.<\/strong> <\/span>Anyone who champions <\/span>sustainability<\/strong>, <\/span>animal welfare<\/strong> <\/span>or a more conscious economy rarely reaches their goal alone \u2013 but through a network of people and organisations who support one another, recommend one another and stand up for one another. We didn\u2019t want to leave this very principle to chance, but rather to consciously incorporate it into the way we work.<\/p>\n

    When someone opens up their own network to us and takes a risk in doing so \u2013 after all, their own name is on the line \u2013 then that\u2019s more than just a footnote. It is <\/span>work<\/strong>, even if it doesn\u2019t feel like it. And a <\/span>reference<\/strong> <\/span>is also work: investing time, having your photograph taken or being filmed, speaking openly about the collaboration. Work that raises our profile or leads to a genuine project should also be remunerated accordingly.<\/p>\n

    This line of thinking did not result in a single programme, but in three \u2013 because not every form of support is the same, and because we did not want to treat everything in the same way.<\/p>\n

    The thought process: three approaches, three logics<\/h2>\n

    The more interesting question wasn\u2019t \u201eHow do we say thank you?\", but \u201eWhat 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.<\/p>\n

    So we have developed three logical frameworks:<\/p>\n

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    • Anyone who refers a specific project<\/strong> to us shares in the business risk \u2013 and that deserves a commission<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    • Anyone who supports us at in other ways<\/strong>, such as by leaving a review or writing an article, deserves recognition in the form of a discount<\/strong> on their own collaboration with us.<\/li>\n
    • And because animal welfare is particularly close to our hearts, we carry out a complete branding project twice a year free of charge<\/strong> for a non-profit organisation<\/strong> working in the field of animal welfare.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Three programmes, one shared philosophy: anyone who places their trust in us or helps us raise our profile should actually benefit from it \u2013 not just receive a written thank-you.<\/p>\n

      What came of it: The referral programme<\/h2>\n

      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 <\/span>15 % commission on the value of the first project <\/strong>. The process is very simple: you make the introduction, the person books a <\/span>coffee meeting<\/strong> with us, and once the contract is signed, you\u2019ll receive your commission.<\/p>\n

      So: <\/span>a recommendation, a project, a commission<\/strong>. What\u2019s particularly important to us here is that we don\u2019t want to build a system that feels like network marketing. It\u2019s all about <\/span>genuine recommendations<\/strong> <\/span>\u2013 because we\u2019re all working towards a common cause. And that\u2019s not all. Perhaps your customers would also like to be confident that you\u2019re working with brands and people who share the same values.<\/p>\n

      The result: support initiatives offering genuine value in return<\/h2>\n

      Not every form of support can be translated into a commission. Some gestures are smaller, but just as valuable \u2013 a picture, a social media post, a blog article, a mention as the creator. To ensure that nobody has to calculate or negotiate here, there\u2019s a simple rule: <\/span>every action counts as 10 %<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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