Energy Consumers Australia
Reimagining soundwaves to create a new organisation’s voice
Energy Consumers Australia (ECA) is a public body that delivers better outcomes for energy consumers. We were approached, as part of a joint venture with Essential Media, to create a brand that would allow the new organisation to stand out in a crowded energy landscape. As is often the case with a new market entrant, we had to find a clear point of difference for ECA. The energy market already had the AER, AEMC, and AEMO. To those outside the industry, many of these organisations appeared similar or the same, so it was important to make ECA’s purpose clear.
The solution
An extensive research process gave us an idea of what was missing in the market, a voice for the consumer. With this insight, we could define ECA’s point of difference and purpose – to enable consumers to be heard and their interests reflected in market outcomes. The brand’s tagline became your voice heard.
To represent this visually, we experimented with different ways to give physical form to the human voice. For example, we studied the biology of the ear to see how sound is received and interpreted. And we analysed soundwaves to see how they morph and converge.
Eventually we settled on a waveform logo to represent the voices of consumers. A gradient rainbow colour runs through the shape to represent all types of Australians and all types of energy. The logo was supported by a clear, black wordmark to reflect ECA’s factual and rigorous approach to its work.
The result
ECA was delighted by the success of their new brand. They said: “BWD took us through a comprehensive process to develop our brand strategy. The end result completely evolved the way we present ourselves to our stakeholders and the outside world. The brand strategy included a fresh look and feel, plus a completely new way of approaching corporate communications material. Our new branding and logo was on show for the first time at our annual conference, and stakeholders made many positive comments about how it put our professionalism and reputation in a new light.”