How to perform a brand audit – and why you need one
A brand audit is an opportunity to pause, step back, and take a look at the bigger picture.
It’s a chance to get a clear understanding of where your brand stands, and whether it’s still working as hard as it can for your business.
Too often, audits are left for rebrands or structural changes. And while these might be important times to take stock, they’re not the only ones. A brand audit can be just as valuable during periods of steady growth, when you want to ensure your brand is aligned, consistent and performing at its peak.
Think of it as a regular health check for your brand to find areas for improvement, and ensure things are headed in the right direction.
6 SIGNS YOU MIGHT NEED A BRAND AUDIT
- You’re expanding into a new market or launching new offerings
- Your audience has changed, and you aren’t sure your brand still resonates
- Your competitors feel more visible, relevant or unified
- You’re preparing for a rebrand or repositioning
- Your website, sales tools or marketing channels feel inconsistent
- Your sales have plateaued, and you’re wondering why
KEY THINGS YOU NEED TO CONSIDER
SPEAK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
To really understand how your brand is performing, you need to talk to the people that matter the most – your customers. If you can, the best way is to work with an experienced research or branding agency to design the right approach, whether that’s surveys, focus groups or one-on-one interviews.
There are also plenty of useful tools like Google Surveys or Survey Monkey to get you started with a survey. Use your own channels – your social channels, your email database, your sales staff – and encourage sharing through your employees and their networks. Incentivising the survey with a prize will help to encourage people to take part. Keep the survey short and simple to ensure a high completion rate. Include open-ended questions to gather more detailed feedback.
Consider asking them questions like:
- What three words would you use to describe our business?
- What’s the number one reason you decided to buy from us?
- Is there anything you think we could improve?
SPEAK TO YOUR EMPLOYEES
Just as important as your customers, are your employees. How do they feel about your business? Get your CEO on board so employees understand how important their opinions are, and consider a mix of example surveys, interviews or a cultural assessment. Your employees are on the frontline and can offer insights into how your brand is really experienced.
Consider asking them questions like:
- What’s your favourite thing about working with us?
- What are 3 things we do really well as a business?
- How do you think we compare to our competitors?
LOOK AT YOUR COMPETITORS
A competitor analysis can help you understand where your brand sits in the market, and whether it’s clearly differentiated. Start by looking at your competitors’ websites, social media, and any recent campaigns or product launches. Pay attention to what they say about themselves, their tone of voice, their visuals, and how they show up at events or in the media. Note what they’re doing well, what feels predictable, and where there might be gaps you can own. The goal isn’t to copy, but to spot opportunities to sharpen your own positioning.
ASSESS YOUR TOUCHPOINTS
Review all your internal and external brand assets – from your website and social media to sales decks and packaging. Evaluate each against your brand strategy and guidelines. Has consistency slipped? Are materials still fit for purpose? Document the findings and look for opportunities to refine or retire underperforming assets. This process also reveals potential gaps in your communication and experience.
UNDERSTANDING HOW THIS CHANGES DEPENDING ON YOUR INDUSTRY
A brand audit isn’t one-size-fits-all. The audit process will look different depending on your sector, audience, and business goals. An audit for an FMCG brand may focus more on packaging and in-store experiences, while a professional services firm might focus on messaging, positioning and digital touchpoints.
Explore our industry-specific work:
FMCG | B2B & Professional Services | Health & Lifestyle | Wholesale & Manufacturing | Property & Places
ENSURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR THE JOB
A thorough brand audit will draw on a mix of skills. You’ll need strategic thinking, research expertise, creative insight and commercial awareness. While in-house teams can get the process started, it’s important to bring in people who can bring both objectivity and depth.
If you’re managing the audit internally, aim to involve:
- Brand or Marketing Lead – to guide alignment with business goals
- Customer Experience Lead – to understand client touchpoints and service realities
- Design/Creative Lead – to assess visual cohesion and identity application
- Sales or Product Manager – to offer insights from the frontline
- HR/Internal Communications – for insights into internal culture and brand perception
| Wondering how strong your brand is? Download our free Brand Audit Checklist or if you want us to do the heavy lifting you can learn more about our Brand Audit Services. |
WHY IT CAN BE HARD GOING IT ALONE
Even the most capable internal teams can struggle with brand audits. When you’re close to the work, it’s difficult to stay objective. Competing priorities, limited time and a lack of the right tools can all get in the way, leading to a process that’s slow, fragmented or incomplete.
Bringing in Tiny Hunter means:
- A fresh, outside perspective
- Access to experienced strategists and proven processes
- Clear, practical actions you can implement immediately
- The ability to stay focused on your day-to-day while we lead the process
OUR APPROACH AT TINY HUNTER
We bring years of experience and a structured, collaborative process to every audit. There are three tiers of audit pending complexity and budget. Learn more about our Brand Audit Services.
Written by: Jodie de Vries
Published: May 9, 2019
