Energy Security Corporation
Bridging the gaps in NSW’s energy security
Background
New South Wales is undergoing a once-in-a-generation energy transformation. Coal-fired power is retiring and the shift to renewables is well underway.
Mandated by the NSW Government, the Energy Security Corporation (ESC) is tasked with a vital purpose: to co-invest in critical NSW clean energy infrastructure projects, to close the investment gaps that threaten to slow the transition.
Folk was engaged to help the ESC find its voice and presence. Through brand strategy, messaging, identity and website we helped define and shape the direction – one that blends public insight with private-sector pace, to keep the lights on, and the energy transition moving.
The challenge
To position the ESC as both critical and complementary across the energy transition landscape. In a way that balances independent investment decision-making with necessary Government oversight and support.
The ESC needed to quickly establish trust and clarity in a landscape marked by scrutiny, commercial interests, and public accountability.
To signal both its mandate and independence, clearly showing it could act decisively, without bias, and in the best interests of NSW.
Our challenge was to create a brand that reflected this unique role: catalytic but not dominant, neutral but credible, urgent but deliberate.
Solution
Strategy
Decisive traction: positioning a purpose-built investor.
We worked closely with the ESC’s leadership team to understand their structure, priorities and sensitivities. Unlike traditional financiers, the ESC was built to act when others can’t do it alone – stepping in only when large-scale clean energy projects face funding gaps. That clarity of role became the foundation of the brand: a strategic co-investor that advances necessary action, without competing with the private sector.
Clarifying the mandate, defining the tone
Through stakeholder consultations, competitive analysis and strategic framing, we helped the ESC define its positioning around four key pillars: mandated and independent, targeted engagement, clear intent, and advancing necessary action.
These ideas informed everything from visual identity to language choices, ensuring the ESC could speak with authority while maintaining neutrality.
Build and establish awareness and trust
Early concepts explored the tension between urgency and stability, ultimately landing on a brand idea rooted in “decisive traction”: clear-eyed, fast-moving investment that gets projects on track.
Identity
Designing a system that signals purpose and trust.
We developed a visual identity that was clean, modern and composed, striking a careful balance between approachability and top-table credibility.
The custom ES monogram symbolises connection, action and momentum: its parallel lines visually bridging gaps and conveying collaborative action.
The colour palette and type system avoid conventional environmental, government or commercial design cliches, positioning the ESC as a serious player in a critical space. Across all design elements, we prioritised clarity, presence and restraint. This helped the ESC stand out by leaning into who they are, distinct and complementary in the landscape.
Messaging Matrix
Equipping the team with language and tools.
Alongside the brand strategy and identity, we developed a comprehensively concise messaging matrix structured around why the ESC exists, how it operates, and what it invests in, with and for whom. These messages, including headlines and long-form copy, now serve as a foundation for everything from board presentations to investor communication.
The matrix gave the ESC a shared voice and practical tools to confidently communicate their role with precision and consistency. Providing its own ‘decisive traction’ for writing.
Website
Launching with clarity, credibility and confidence.
The website played a pivotal role in standing up the ESC’s presence – not just as a digital destination, but as the public face of a brand with a bold new mandate. As the digital front door, the website had to do the heavy lifting – introducing the ESC to the market, building trust with key audiences, and clearly articulating who they are, what they offer, and how they operate.
We designed and delivered the site at pace, building directly from the approved brand identity and messaging foundations. From structure to language, every element was shaped to reflect the ESC’s distinct role.
The site helped the ESC show up with credibility from day one – with the right balance of professionalism, purpose and polish needed to spark confidence in a high-stakes sector.
Visit the website here: escorp.com.au
Outcome and impact
Standing up a high-profile organisation in an accelerated timeframe.
The ESC launched with a considered and robust website and brand presence – fuelled by a strong, flexible and distinct identity that aligned with its mission and mandate.
The strategic positioning, identity and messaging matrix made it easier for the ESC to communicate who and how they benefit, how they work, and where they add value, cutting through complexity to build trust.
Decisively and purposefully
The new identity equipped the team with both the language and visual presence to show up with confidence in a high-stakes environment.
With a clear and credible brand in hand, the ESC was able to move at the pace their mission demands, engaging the right partners, fostering co-investment, and signalling that NSW is serious about securing its energy future.
