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Brand Audit
Brand Strategy
Competitive Analysis
Marketing Strategy
Brand Positioning
ARTICLE #97
How to conduct a successful brand audit which ensures growth?
Brand Audit
Brand Strategy
Competitive Analysis
Marketing Strategy
Brand Positioning
Brand Audit
Brand Strategy
Competitive Analysis
Marketing Strategy
Brand Positioning
Written by:
4 min read
Updated on: August 23, 2024
Toni Hukkanen
Head of Design
Creative Direction, Brand Direction
Toni Hukkanen
Head of Design
Creative Direction, Brand Direction
Brand audits might not be anyone’s first pick for cocktail-hour conversation, but skipping them altogether can lead to missed opportunities—and sometimes bigger headaches down the line. According to industry data, organisations that carry out consistent brand evaluations tend to grow their revenue at a pace about 33% higher than average. That’s a decent bump just for checking under the hood occasionally.
A brand audit is like routine maintenance for your car. You probably wouldn’t wait until the engine starts making alarming noises to pop the bonnet. The same logic applies to your brand—by reviewing everything from visual assets to market perceptions, you’ll catch issues while they’re still small and spot hidden strengths you can amplify.
Brand audits might not be anyone’s first pick for cocktail-hour conversation, but skipping them altogether can lead to missed opportunities—and sometimes bigger headaches down the line. According to industry data, organisations that carry out consistent brand evaluations tend to grow their revenue at a pace about 33% higher than average. That’s a decent bump just for checking under the hood occasionally.
A brand audit is like routine maintenance for your car. You probably wouldn’t wait until the engine starts making alarming noises to pop the bonnet. The same logic applies to your brand—by reviewing everything from visual assets to market perceptions, you’ll catch issues while they’re still small and spot hidden strengths you can amplify.
Why do we need brand auditing?
Why do we need brand auditing?
A brand audit is more than some dull corporate task on your to-do list. It’s your chance to pause, zoom out, and figure out what needs a tune-up—or a total overhaul. In fact, according to industry research, businesses that conduct consistent brand evaluations often see 33% higher revenue growth than those that don’t. It's not too shabby for what basically amounts to a health check.
To assess brand health
Your business might look like it’s glowing on the outside, but a routine brand check-up can reveal hidden trouble spots—or highlight untapped strengths you didn’t realise you had. It’s like a quick doctor’s visit: you walk in feeling great, and sometimes you learn that one or two vitamins could help you perform even better.
Performance review: Look at your sales, market share, and what customers say about you. Are you picking up speed or at risk of stalling?
Competitive analysis: Peek at what your rivals are doing, spot gaps in their game, and swoop in with something better.
Customer perception: Tap into polls, surveys, or social media chatter. People aren’t shy when it comes to telling you what they love—or don’t.
Brand messaging consistency: Check that all your platforms share the same voice and visuals. Nothing says “disconnected” like a laid-back Twitter feed and a formal-as-a-tuxedo website.
SWOT assessment: Know your strengths, tackle your weaknesses, keep an eye on fresh opportunities, and handle looming threats before they hurt your bottom line.
To stay ahead of competitors
The business scene can be cramped, with newcomers popping up faster than you can say “market share.” A well-structured brand audit helps you see how to stand out—be it through early trend adoption, more creative services, or just plain better communication. The result? You merely fight.
To point out areas for improvement
A brand review isn’t a pat-on-the-back exercise. It’s also where you find the tangled knots. This might be an unpolished part of your product line, a slow but steady decline in customer satisfaction, or a whole new direction you’ve been missing out on. Pinpoint the weak spots, fix them, and watch how a stronger brand presence drives growth and profitability.
A brand audit is more than some dull corporate task on your to-do list. It’s your chance to pause, zoom out, and figure out what needs a tune-up—or a total overhaul. In fact, according to industry research, businesses that conduct consistent brand evaluations often see 33% higher revenue growth than those that don’t. It's not too shabby for what basically amounts to a health check.
To assess brand health
Your business might look like it’s glowing on the outside, but a routine brand check-up can reveal hidden trouble spots—or highlight untapped strengths you didn’t realise you had. It’s like a quick doctor’s visit: you walk in feeling great, and sometimes you learn that one or two vitamins could help you perform even better.
Performance review: Look at your sales, market share, and what customers say about you. Are you picking up speed or at risk of stalling?
Competitive analysis: Peek at what your rivals are doing, spot gaps in their game, and swoop in with something better.
Customer perception: Tap into polls, surveys, or social media chatter. People aren’t shy when it comes to telling you what they love—or don’t.
Brand messaging consistency: Check that all your platforms share the same voice and visuals. Nothing says “disconnected” like a laid-back Twitter feed and a formal-as-a-tuxedo website.
SWOT assessment: Know your strengths, tackle your weaknesses, keep an eye on fresh opportunities, and handle looming threats before they hurt your bottom line.
To stay ahead of competitors
The business scene can be cramped, with newcomers popping up faster than you can say “market share.” A well-structured brand audit helps you see how to stand out—be it through early trend adoption, more creative services, or just plain better communication. The result? You merely fight.
To point out areas for improvement
A brand review isn’t a pat-on-the-back exercise. It’s also where you find the tangled knots. This might be an unpolished part of your product line, a slow but steady decline in customer satisfaction, or a whole new direction you’ve been missing out on. Pinpoint the weak spots, fix them, and watch how a stronger brand presence drives growth and profitability.
Steps to conduct a brand audit
So, how do you carry out a brand audit in a way that’s both thorough and not overly complicated? Let’s break it down step by step.
Define your brand identity
Start by looking inward. What does your brand stand for? What values do you hold dear? What do you want people to think about when they see your name or logo? Ask yourself:
“What are our core values?”
“What makes us unique in this market?”
“How do we behave and sound when communicating with our audience?”
This stage ensures you’re clear on the essence of your brand—and shows you where you might need a tweak or two.
Analyse your brand inventory
Next, review all the digital assets linked to your brand: websites, social media channels, marketing materials, and any point where customers might spot you.
Visual elements: Are your logos, colours, and fonts consistent? Does each design piece look like it’s from the same family?
Messaging and tone: Do you sound like the same brand across social platforms, newsletters, and ads?
Customer touchpoints: Where do customers actually interact with you, and is the brand experience solid each time (e.g., product purchases or customer support chats)?
If something feels off in your brand’s look or voice, this is where you’ll catch it.
Do a market analysis
A market analysis gives you a clearer snapshot of your place in the industry:
Target audience: What do they need, want, or dislike?
Industry trends: Which trends are here to stay, and which are mere fads?
Competitors: What do they do well, and where do they miss the mark?
Organisations that keep track of their market environment often discover fresh growth ideas and ways to enhance how they serve customers.
Gather customer feedback
Since customers hold the final verdict on your brand’s value, their feedback is pure gold. Don’t just skim over the star ratings—read the actual comments and reviews. They tell you what people love, where they see shortcomings, and what changes they’d appreciate.
Public surveys and questionnaires: A quick way to gather plenty of voices.
Social media listening tools: Monitor mentions and hashtags about your brand.
Reviews and ratings: Look for patterns in the criticisms or praises.
Focus groups and interviews: Get deeper insights into customer opinions.
Competitor analysis through benchmarking
Check your rivals’ successes and stumbles:
Identify main competitors: Who’s on your radar in the industry?
Study their strengths and weaknesses: What sets them apart, and where do they seem to struggle?
Unique selling points: How do they position themselves, and does it resonate with customers?
Client interactions: Observe how your competitors interact with their audience. Is there a lesson there?
This approach helps you decide how to stand out—and stay a step ahead.
So, how do you carry out a brand audit in a way that’s both thorough and not overly complicated? Let’s break it down step by step.
Define your brand identity
Start by looking inward. What does your brand stand for? What values do you hold dear? What do you want people to think about when they see your name or logo? Ask yourself:
“What are our core values?”
“What makes us unique in this market?”
“How do we behave and sound when communicating with our audience?”
This stage ensures you’re clear on the essence of your brand—and shows you where you might need a tweak or two.
Analyse your brand inventory
Next, review all the digital assets linked to your brand: websites, social media channels, marketing materials, and any point where customers might spot you.
Visual elements: Are your logos, colours, and fonts consistent? Does each design piece look like it’s from the same family?
Messaging and tone: Do you sound like the same brand across social platforms, newsletters, and ads?
Customer touchpoints: Where do customers actually interact with you, and is the brand experience solid each time (e.g., product purchases or customer support chats)?
If something feels off in your brand’s look or voice, this is where you’ll catch it.
Do a market analysis
A market analysis gives you a clearer snapshot of your place in the industry:
Target audience: What do they need, want, or dislike?
Industry trends: Which trends are here to stay, and which are mere fads?
Competitors: What do they do well, and where do they miss the mark?
Organisations that keep track of their market environment often discover fresh growth ideas and ways to enhance how they serve customers.
Gather customer feedback
Since customers hold the final verdict on your brand’s value, their feedback is pure gold. Don’t just skim over the star ratings—read the actual comments and reviews. They tell you what people love, where they see shortcomings, and what changes they’d appreciate.
Public surveys and questionnaires: A quick way to gather plenty of voices.
Social media listening tools: Monitor mentions and hashtags about your brand.
Reviews and ratings: Look for patterns in the criticisms or praises.
Focus groups and interviews: Get deeper insights into customer opinions.
Competitor analysis through benchmarking
Check your rivals’ successes and stumbles:
Identify main competitors: Who’s on your radar in the industry?
Study their strengths and weaknesses: What sets them apart, and where do they seem to struggle?
Unique selling points: How do they position themselves, and does it resonate with customers?
Client interactions: Observe how your competitors interact with their audience. Is there a lesson there?
This approach helps you decide how to stand out—and stay a step ahead.
When should you conduct a brand audit?
Big changes in your organisation often call for a fresh brand check. Think of it like sprucing up your wardrobe for a new season. If you’re rebranding, merging with another business, or rolling out new products, set aside time to review how your brand will flex and adapt.
Don’t wait until something breaks, though—routine check-ups (say, once a year) give you a heads-up on small issues before they snowball. It’s much easier (and cheaper) to make regular tweaks than scramble for a full overhaul down the road.
During major business milestones
Life’s full of big moments, and so is business. If you’re heading into a rebrand, looking at a merger, or introducing an entirely new product line, a brand audit is a wise move before you leap. It keeps any surprises to a minimum and ensures your next chapter lines up nicely with your core identity.
Rebranding: Keeps everything cohesive during the refresh.
Mergers or acquisitions: Makes sure all brands involved align smoothly with shared values.
Launching new products/services: Confirms messaging lines up with your core brand identity.
In response to market changes
Markets can shift quickly—consumer behaviour, economic factors, even sudden new tech trends. When these changes crop up, an audit helps you adjust your focus and see if the new entrants pose a real threat or a temporary distraction.
And if the market takes a downward turn, you’ll learn where to trim costs without losing brand essence.
Big changes in your organisation often call for a fresh brand check. Think of it like sprucing up your wardrobe for a new season. If you’re rebranding, merging with another business, or rolling out new products, set aside time to review how your brand will flex and adapt.
Don’t wait until something breaks, though—routine check-ups (say, once a year) give you a heads-up on small issues before they snowball. It’s much easier (and cheaper) to make regular tweaks than scramble for a full overhaul down the road.
During major business milestones
Life’s full of big moments, and so is business. If you’re heading into a rebrand, looking at a merger, or introducing an entirely new product line, a brand audit is a wise move before you leap. It keeps any surprises to a minimum and ensures your next chapter lines up nicely with your core identity.
Rebranding: Keeps everything cohesive during the refresh.
Mergers or acquisitions: Makes sure all brands involved align smoothly with shared values.
Launching new products/services: Confirms messaging lines up with your core brand identity.
In response to market changes
Markets can shift quickly—consumer behaviour, economic factors, even sudden new tech trends. When these changes crop up, an audit helps you adjust your focus and see if the new entrants pose a real threat or a temporary distraction.
And if the market takes a downward turn, you’ll learn where to trim costs without losing brand essence.
Key tools and techniques for brand auditing
Most teams use a mix of tools—such as customer surveys, competitor research, and analytics platforms—to gather insights from all angles. When everything’s tallied, convert those findings into SMART goals to guide your brand’s next steps. Think of it like a relay race: each person has a job to do, and a smooth handoff ensures you don’t lose momentum.
SWOT Analysis
Think of SWOT as the legendary elder in the family of brand assessment tools. By mapping out strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you get a clear picture of where you’re winning and what’s dragging you down. It’s a quick route to better decision-making and a braver plan of action.
The PEST analysis
This approach looks at big external factors: Political, Economic, Social, and Technological. It helps you see how your brand fits into the bigger picture of your industry.
Political: Regulations or policies that may affect your operations.
Economic: Ongoing financial trends that could shape consumer spending.
Social: How public opinion, demographics, or cultural shifts might impact you.
Technological: Which tech developments or platforms could boost (or hinder) your brand?
Customer surveys
Simply put, you get opinions straight from the people you’re trying to please. By asking targeted questions—about product satisfaction, service quality, or brand perception—you gather direct insight into what’s working and what might be driving folks away.
Most teams use a mix of tools—such as customer surveys, competitor research, and analytics platforms—to gather insights from all angles. When everything’s tallied, convert those findings into SMART goals to guide your brand’s next steps. Think of it like a relay race: each person has a job to do, and a smooth handoff ensures you don’t lose momentum.
SWOT Analysis
Think of SWOT as the legendary elder in the family of brand assessment tools. By mapping out strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you get a clear picture of where you’re winning and what’s dragging you down. It’s a quick route to better decision-making and a braver plan of action.
The PEST analysis
This approach looks at big external factors: Political, Economic, Social, and Technological. It helps you see how your brand fits into the bigger picture of your industry.
Political: Regulations or policies that may affect your operations.
Economic: Ongoing financial trends that could shape consumer spending.
Social: How public opinion, demographics, or cultural shifts might impact you.
Technological: Which tech developments or platforms could boost (or hinder) your brand?
Customer surveys
Simply put, you get opinions straight from the people you’re trying to please. By asking targeted questions—about product satisfaction, service quality, or brand perception—you gather direct insight into what’s working and what might be driving folks away.
Best practices to analyse audit results
Collecting brand data is one thing; knowing what to do with it is another. Here are a few best practices to make sense of your findings:
Develop key findings and prioritise recommendations
Once you’ve collected all that juicy data, line it up. Which strengths shine the brightest, and which weaknesses sting the most? Are there some real gems of opportunities or notable threats on the horizon? Sort them in order of urgency, so you know what to tackle first.
Develop SMART goals and assign accountability
Once you’ve combed through your brand data, channel those observations into concrete SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals. For instance, maybe you aim for a 20% bump in customer engagement in six months, or you’re refining messaging for an upcoming product release. Whatever the goal, assign it to a dedicated person (or team) who’ll keep tabs on progress and sound the alarm if anything drifts off-track.
Collecting brand data is one thing; knowing what to do with it is another. Here are a few best practices to make sense of your findings:
Develop key findings and prioritise recommendations
Once you’ve collected all that juicy data, line it up. Which strengths shine the brightest, and which weaknesses sting the most? Are there some real gems of opportunities or notable threats on the horizon? Sort them in order of urgency, so you know what to tackle first.
Develop SMART goals and assign accountability
Once you’ve combed through your brand data, channel those observations into concrete SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals. For instance, maybe you aim for a 20% bump in customer engagement in six months, or you’re refining messaging for an upcoming product release. Whatever the goal, assign it to a dedicated person (or team) who’ll keep tabs on progress and sound the alarm if anything drifts off-track.
Frequently Asked Questions
How frequently should you conduct a brand audit?
A yearly check-up is a good baseline. Some organizations even prefer twice a year, especially if their market or consumer habits shift quickly.
What is the average cost of a brand audit?
Costs vary widely—some might spend a few hundred pounds doing it themselves, while others invest thousands for expert support. The scope and depth you choose will make all the difference.
How are digital tools used to audit a brand?
Digital tools can gather real-time consumer feedback, monitor social media chatter, and compare your metrics against competitor benchmarks. This data will show you what’s working and highlight any blind spots.
Conclusion
Carrying out a brand audit—whether you call it a check-up, review, or evaluation—gives you the chance to tighten up your strategy and attract the right audience. It identifies potential stumbling blocks early on and guides you towards practical improvements. If your brand is remote-focused a thorough audit also shows how well you’re connecting with worldwide audiences and whether your messaging holds up across cultures and time zones.
Feel free to tweak your brand check-up to match your style of business, whether you’re leading a creative start-up, a well-established multinational, or something in between. Stay curious, ask good questions, and remember: it’s far easier to steer a brand that knows where it stands and where it wants to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
How frequently should you conduct a brand audit?
A yearly check-up is a good baseline. Some organizations even prefer twice a year, especially if their market or consumer habits shift quickly.
What is the average cost of a brand audit?
Costs vary widely—some might spend a few hundred pounds doing it themselves, while others invest thousands for expert support. The scope and depth you choose will make all the difference.
How are digital tools used to audit a brand?
Digital tools can gather real-time consumer feedback, monitor social media chatter, and compare your metrics against competitor benchmarks. This data will show you what’s working and highlight any blind spots.
Conclusion
Carrying out a brand audit—whether you call it a check-up, review, or evaluation—gives you the chance to tighten up your strategy and attract the right audience. It identifies potential stumbling blocks early on and guides you towards practical improvements. If your brand is remote-focused a thorough audit also shows how well you’re connecting with worldwide audiences and whether your messaging holds up across cultures and time zones.
Feel free to tweak your brand check-up to match your style of business, whether you’re leading a creative start-up, a well-established multinational, or something in between. Stay curious, ask good questions, and remember: it’s far easier to steer a brand that knows where it stands and where it wants to go.
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Work with us
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We’re remote-first — with strategic global hubs
Click to copy
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Click to copy
New York, NY
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Click to copy
Miami, FL
mia@for.co
Click to copy
Dubai, UAE
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Click to copy
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Copyright © 2024 FOR®