Conducting a Brand Audit
A Checklist
If we’re asked to work on an established brand, we first conduct a quick Brand Health Check and, if needed, a more in-depth brand audit.
A brand audit aims to answer the following questions:
1. How do customers perceive the brand, right now?
2. How do we want it to be perceived?
3. And how big is the gap between the two?
Bridging that gap is key to meeting business goals.
——
Reasons why it’s a useful tool
A brand audit helps clarify the perspectives of both the business and the customer.
It can identify:
+ Business/brand resource strengths
+ The value of the brand
+ Awareness of the brand in the market
+ Deficiencies of the brand
+ New trends and market opportunities
+ Outside threats
+ New product development and future channels of profitability
+ Competitive standing in the market
+ Perception, image, reputation and attitude toward the brand in the market
+ Effectiveness of brand management efforts
A brand audit can be a cursory or an in-depth process with corresponding levels of accuracy.
Here’s what you can do to conduct one yourself.
1. Internal Perspective
Answer the following questions within your business:
- Where does our sales growth come from (products/services/industries/efficiency/geographic/differentiation?)
- What are our current marketing tools/channels?
- What extra can/should be done to improve our lead generation activities?
2. External Perspective
Select a sample of the brand’s target market, say 10 customers and 10 non-customers.
Keep a list of questions ready that you think will be helpful to your discussion. Or send an online survey through a service like Survey Monkey if that’s easier.
Questions you could include for customers are:
- What makes Brand X different from other brands like it?
- What terms/keywords would you use in a search engine to find a business like Brand X?
- What are Brand X’s strong points?
- What are Brand X’s weak points?
- What do you think Brand X promises? Does it deliver?
- Do you trust the products/services provided by Brand X?
- Is our written material appealing? If so, what do you like about it? Or not?
- If Brand X were a person, what would he/she be like?
- Would you recommend Brand X to others?
- (If relevant) Which other brands have you considered?
- If Brand X were a person, what would he/she be like?
- What would make you like us more?
- What future opportunities do you see for Brand X?
- Are you aware that we offer: (list all product categories/services)
Questions for non-customers:
- What problem do you have that we can solve?
- Which other brand/s do you use now or would you consider?
- What would make you want to buy/use Brand X?
- If Brand X were a person, what would he/she be like?
- What do you think Brand X promises?
- Are you aware that we offer: (list all product categories/services)
- What terms/keywords would you use in a search engine to find a business like Brand X?
It’s important to understand that our brand’s personality needs to reflect and resonate with our target market. If we want to be a luxury car, but our customer wants us to be a station wagon, we should probably reflect what our customers value unless we’re trying to attract a different set of customers.
And if there’s a gap between what you think your brand is and what your customer thinks your brand is, have a think about what it will take to bridge the gap.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––
If we think our brand is a BMW, but our customer thinks it's a vintage mobile, we have a problem.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––
The final step is to establish whether bridging the gap requires a complete change of brand identity or simply an enhancement of the logo and brand collateral. Simple enhancement may not work if we need to completely reposition the brand.
Follow-up tasks:
a. Determine how many sales leads should be created each year and how leads are recorded and actioned.
b. Based on discussions with customers and sales staff, create clear messaging that differentiates you from your competition.
c. Communicate that message internally and externally to achieve the required sales leads.
Or, you could go the whole 360° and start with some strategic planning.
——