A brand audit is a comprehensive analysis of a brand's performance in the marketplace. It is a systematic process of gathering and evaluating information about a brand's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The goal of a brand audit is to identify areas where the brand can be improved in order to increase its value and achieve its business goals.
Benefits of starting the brand strategy phase with a brand audit
A brand audit can be a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes. It can help businesses to:
— Identify their brand's strengths and weaknesses
— Understand how their brand is perceived by customers
— Identify opportunities to improve their brand
How to conduct a brand audit in three steps
1. Brand touchpoint research — As visual identity designers we focus on the brands visual expression and audit the brand touchpoints along the customer journey. From on and offline advertising, to signage, social media accounts etc.
2. Touchpoint moodboard — With a visual moodboard, we can collage imagery of the brands touchpoints to get an overview of the brands visual expression.
3. Touchpoint review — We can then objectively review the visual expression of the current brand, and whether there are areas for improvement.
Impact — is the collective brand expression impactful, memorable?
Context — is the brand expression in context to its overall purpose, its audience, its message. Does it feel authentic?
Differentiation — Does the visual expression stand out from competitors, does the brand leverage your organisations unique proposition?
Tips for conducting a successful brand audit
— Get buy-in from senior management. A brand audit is a significant undertaking, so it is important to get buy-in from senior management from the outset. This will ensure that you have the resources and support you need to complete the audit successfully.
— Involve the right people. A brand audit should involve a variety of people from different departments within your organization. This will ensure that you get a comprehensive view of the brand and that you can develop recommendations that are supported by everyone involved.
— Be objective. It is important to be objective when conducting a brand audit. This means avoiding bias and focusing on the facts.
— Be thorough. A brand audit should be thorough and comprehensive. This means gathering data from a variety of sources and analyzing it carefully.
— Take action. The goal of a brand audit is to improve the brand. Once you have identified areas where the brand can be improved, you need to take action to implement the recommendations.
Next steps
Now we have evaluated the impact of the current brand we can focus on leveraging areas of potential improvement. In the next post we look at uncovering the authentic brand values.
Chapter 3 – Uncover Your Core Brand Values →
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More posts in Brand Strategy 101
Chapter 1 – Why Great Brands Need Brand Strategy
Chapter 2 – How to Conduct a Brand Audit
Chapter 3 – Uncover Your Core Brand Values
Chapter 4 – How to Use Brand Archetypes
Chapter 5 – Craft a Compelling Mission Statement
Chapter 6 – Create Your Brand Name
Chapter 7 – How to Run a Brand Strategy Workshop