A successful brand is any business’ best asset. But, do you know that you can conduct a brand audit to assess brand performance?
That’s right, a brand audit is an ideal way to review the impact and influence of a brand. After all, a business needs an effective brand to represent the company’s identity to the best ability.
Brand audit works by evaluating brands or products through methods such as surveys and data analysis. By doing so, companies can assess their brand’s positioning on the market.
You’ll be able to discover:
The ideal target audience for your brand
Consumer experiences
The efficacy of marketing strategies
…And many more!
Positive aspects aren’t the only thing that a brand audit can discover. Business owners are also able to assess the shortcomings of their brand.
It might even be shortcomings that you were never aware of!
Brand audit allows any business owner to look at the big picture and make the necessary long-term strategies. You will be able to assess brand audit data through three criteria:
Internal Branding
- Internal branding refers to the workplace culture and the employee’s knowledge of company principles and mission. Assessments such as internal surveys can offer insight into your employees and workplace culture.
External Branding
- External branding shows how your brand’s products, messages, and services are delivered to the public. Promotions through advertisements, social media campaigns, advertising emails and websites are part of external branding.
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Customer Experience
- Customer experience is self-explanatory. Interactions through content engagement or customer service interactions can assess how customers are experiencing your brand.
The 6 Steps For Brand Audit
1. Establish a framework
Before starting brand audit, a framework that contains aspects you plan to review should be established. Internal factors to review can include brand voice, slogans, values, objectives and so on.
External factors such as sales figures and marketing strategies should also be included. After all, the framework should capture the history of the brand.
Therefore, facets of the brand should be studied in depth to discover what benefits the brand or not.
You’ll be able to find results for assessments, such as:
Is your website easy to navigate?
What is the engagement rate of posts?
What do consumers think about the brand?
…And many more!
2. Reviewing competition
Aspects of your brand aren’t the only factors that should be considered. In fact, the performance of your competition is equally important.
Although looking at the overall picture of your brand seems sufficient, extending to a full view that includes the market offers a better analysis.
After all, they say one should keep their friends close but enemies closer.
By analysing competition, competition shortcomings and advantages can be discovered. Information from your competition can be a great reference for strengthening your brand.
Even the disadvantages of your rivals can be leveraged to the brand’s advantage!
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3. Reviewing online analytics
Online analytics are as important as offline analytics. Data drawn from the brand’s website or social media can offer insight into the brand’s online performance.
Successful brands know that online identities should be prioritised as much as offline. Therefore, website and social media analytics are great devices that should be utilised to the fullest.
You can assess how consumers engage with the brand online and the frequency of website traffic.
By reviewing blog posts, website layout and campaigns, you will have a better idea of what works out for your brand or not.
4. Data Analysis
Once the brand has obtained the necessary quantifiable results, analysis of the results can start. It is essential to analyse the data without bias to produce an honest assessment.
Data that is gathered should be categorised into the following:
- Internal Branding
- External Branding
- Customer Experience
When you’ve determined the aspects that need improvement, the next step is brainstorming ideas to improve those areas.
A tip, you should always brainstorm in a team for multiple opinions to refer to.
Moreover, the analysis should be taken further by making correlations between the research, surveys and collected data.
By drawing from the data, you can make conclusions about the brand’s strengths and weaknesses to kickstart strategies for improvement.
5. Defining a brand audit goal
Once the aspects you’d like to improve are established, setting a goal is a great next step. The goal should be a new goal that indicates an improvement from the addressed issues.
The new goal can be something far-reaching or particular. Whether it’s far-reaching or specific, it is advised to make this eventual goal as a conclusion of the brand audit.
To determine your goal, you should assess what’s working out or not for your brand. Depending on the circumstances, you might notice the necessary actions to be done almost immediately.
Even if you don’t, experimenting for the best solution is always feasible!
READ MORE: What is Brand Positioning? How to Create an Effective Strategy?
6. Monitoring progress
When you’ve determined the areas of the brand that needs improvement, taking action is undoubtedly the next step.
For example, maybe your brand is engaging on the wrong social media platform. Therefore, it is recommended to establish a social media page on a platform that your audience frequents.
Maybe your brand closes shop during an hour that is convenient for the target audience. For instance, you wouldn’t want closing hours for a coffee supplier on weekends.
You can also set up surveys for feedback on your new changes!
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Walk Production is a Malaysia branding company known for B2B branding, copywriting and digital marketing. Our dedicated branding team is the most passionate individuals in helping any company with branding.
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