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Since 2009, Banen in het Groen has been connecting skilled professionals with employers in the green sector. From nine locations, ranging from Alblasserdam to Groningen, the agency recruits gardeners, arborists, machine operators, and greenkeepers. They provide these services to landscaping companies, municipalities, and green sector businesses throughout the Netherlands.
In the landscaping sector, green isn't a differentiator, it’s the standard. Every agency paints itself green, features grass and landscapers, and promises a passion for the outdoors. Banen in het Groen did the same, and as a result, got lost in the crowd. For employers, agencies become interchangeable, and when you’re interchangeable, you end up competing on price. The question was: how do you stand out in a market where everyone is showing the same colors?
With nine locations across the Netherlands, every location still feels like your local neighborhood partner. That was the most striking feedback we received. You would expect a certain distance from an agency of this size, yet people consistently described their experience with Banen in het Groen as personal, regardless of the location. That combination is almost unheard of in this sector. National recruitment agencies are large but often disconnected from the trade. Local agencies are close to the action but lack the scale. Banen in het Groen is both. That insight formed the foundation of the brand story we developed.
This led to our promise: Big in green, close to you. “Big” stands for our network: nine branches, every discipline from tree care to sports field maintenance, and clients ranging from private gardeners to municipalities. “Close” stands for our way of working. You get a recruiter who speaks the language of the trade and looks at who you are, whether you are a career changer or have been a gardener for fifty years. Generalist agencies cannot claim this combination. Local agencies cannot deliver on it.
We tested the brand story with three groups: professionals working through Banen in het Groen, office staff, and partner companies. All three gave the same answer: the contact is warm and accessible, and you are never just a number. The fact that even competitors agreed was the deciding factor. No refinement was needed here. The story was already spot on.
Letting go of green wasn't an option. A brand called Banen in het Groen (Jobs in the Green) that doesn't wear green is a contradiction in terms. That’s why we didn't look for distinction in the color itself, but in how you look at it. The photography was shot with an extreme wide-angle lens. It captures a lot, but from up close: so close you can almost smell the grass. Big and near in a single frame. In addition, there are little figures always at work. They rake, prune, and mow within the words themselves, trimming away pieces as if the text were a hedge that needs maintaining. They give the brand a sense of playfulness and show who it’s all about: the professionals. This way, the brand remains recognizably green, but no longer looks like the rest. Welcome to their green world.
You need to be able to see things up close, too. That’s why the rollout didn’t stop at the website, but extended to the branches themselves. When candidates and clients walk through the door, they need to experience how the brand feels in person. We also developed workwear, posters, and outdoor advertising. On the website, we gave "up close" a literal translation: share your location, and the vacancies in your area will come into sharp focus.
