NOW is the Time for a Brand Audit

Your brand, much like yourself, changes over time. As your company grows to match the current social and economic demands placed upon it, it is your job to make sure that your brand stays relevant as well. A brand audit is a great way to do that.

A brand audit is a detailed analysis of your current brand. During a brand audit, you will examine how your brand performs; how, when, and where it is used, and if it is used effectively; and what changes need to be made to keep your brand in sync with your current company goals and culture.

What Does a Brand Audit Cover

Here are a few specific things that are looked at during a brand audit:

• Brand standards and usage – specifically, are these being carried out as planned
• Strategic goals of your company
• Marketing efforts and strategies to be used to accomplish goals
• Demographics of target audiences
• Any feedback – positive or negative – regarding your brand that has been provided to you by your target audience

Because it is important to base your analysis on metrics and solid data, and not just personal ties to the brand, it is often best to bring in a professional to help with a brand audit. An outside team will bring a more unbiased opinion to the table, giving you a clearer view of what needs to happen to your company’s identity.

What to Do After a Brand Audit

Once an audit has been performed, you will have three options:

• Leave your brand as is
• Perform a complete brand overhaul
• Keep your overall identity, but give it a refresh to more closely align with your company’s objectives

Keep in mind that if you choose b or c, you will be responsible for providing new branding standards to your team, explaining changes to your customers, and changing everything that uses your existing branding. This can be both time-consuming and expensive, which is why a careful brand audit is very important.

Primary items that may need to be changed include:

• Logo design
• Tagline
• Company colors
• Voice and tone of messages

Other items that may be changed include:

• Identity materials – business cards, letterhead, etc.
• Website(s)
• Marketing materials
• Signage
• Promotional items
• Employee apparel

Wondering if a brand overhaul is worth it? Download this handy rebranding guide to learn about all of the things you will need to change if you completely overhaul your current brand.

Interested in learning more about how Red Sage helps companies and communities perform brand audits? Give us a call at 256-560-0098 today. Also, check out the Panoply rebranding case study for a great example of why rebranding is sometimes a necessity.