ESS Companies

Brand Strategy

In December, FieldWrk facilitated a workshop with ESS’s C-suite, including Tim Paulson (Co-CEO) and Caitlyn Cook, to determine the direction for the brand. To cement our understanding of their subsidiaries — and work through additional needs identified — we met again in April. 

When it comes to launching an enterprise brand, the details mean everything. The face-to-face conversations we had shaped every facet of their final identity. 

What We Did

• Stakeholder Interviews
• Strategic Workshops
• Brand Audit
• Competitive Audit

Verbal Identity & Strategy

A critical component of this messaging was a compelling narrative explaining the holding company’s value to employee-owners, clients, and businesses. 

Tim, Caitlyn, and the rest of the ESSC leadership team clarified their vision early on. At its heart was their belief in the power of employee-ownership to transform lives and their 5Ps to guide their actions. That positioning became the basis for all communications related to recruitment, retention, sales, and acquisition. 

Together, we ultimately landed on one central theme across ESS Companies: “Changing Lives Through Ownership.”

What We Did

• Internal Rallying Cry
• Positioning Statement
• Purpose, Vision, and Values
• Strategic Narrative
• Verbal Identity
• Key Messaging

Logo & Visual System

The new logo captured four key aspects of the ESSC brand: a “ripple effect” signifying employee empowerment, forward momentum symbolizing progress, equipment tracks as a nod to the industry, and four pillars to reflect the subsidiaries behind ESSC. While the company’s holdings will continue to multiply, these elements serve as a reminder of where it all began.

What We Did

• Creative Direction
• Logo Design
• Visual Brand System
• Brand Guidelines
• Motion & Animation

Employer Brand Campaign

ESSC wanted a campaign to explain the heart behind the new identity — something that would speak directly to the men and women doing the work. “For the Workers” is an idea rooted in ESSC’s commitment to building better lives for their team (not the C-suite). FieldWrk brought the campaign to life by supplying messaging guidelines, visual assets, video scripting, and direction support.

What We Did

• Creative Strategy and Delivery
• On-Site Photo & Video Shoot
• Overview Video
• Library of Video Footage

Website

ESS Companies told us they didn’t need a common website — they wanted a platform where they could “redefine the construction workforce narrative.” The expansive sitemap includes pages dedicated to explaining enterprise-level benefits to prospective employees, infrastructure solutions available to potential clients, and the combined capabilities made possible by a holding company model.

What We Did

• Web Strategy
• Site Design and Development
• Custom Content Management System
• Interactive Careers Quiz
• Applicant Tracking System Integration

Changing the Industry, One Brand at a Time

Every time we work with ESS Companies, our faith in purpose-led decision-making is reaffirmed. Tim, Caitlyn, and the rest of ESSC’s leadership team believe ownership is the answer to construction’s people problem, and every decision they make backs it up:

• Tim and the executive team spend time in the field.
• They’ve crafted an executive role specifically responsible for EOX (Employee-Owner Experience), which Caitlyn sits in.
• They incorporate their vision and ESOP throughout all internal and external communications.
• They use their brand as a tool to allow them to reinforce their vision, mission, and cultural priorities across all of their subsidiaries.

So far, their track record speaks for itself: ESSC has grown to $1.4B+ in revenue and 3,000+ employee-owners in the two years since launching this brand.