Over the past year, numerous industries have seen turmoil and slumping sales while conversely several others have achieved record growth. Despite which end of the spectrum your business lies, one thing is for certain – 2020 was a year of tremendous disruption and there could be no better time than now to conduct a brand audit.
A brand audit is an extremely useful tool in determining key information:
- Properly establish your brands performance.
- Determine your position in the marketplace.
- Discover the strengths and weaknesses of your company.
- Provide clarity on how to align your efforts with the needs of your customers.
- Deliver important insight into what or how you can make improvements.
As a leading agency with over 20 years of experience, Blue C has been successfully performing brand audits for clients of all sizes and from numerous industries. Here is a helpful checklist on the things to focus on for an effective brand audit:
1. MAKE A FRAMEWORK
The framework is made up of the mission and strategic objectives you’ve set in order to the improve your brand. Start with the basics: who are your target consumers? Analyze samples of your marketing communications materials to see if your messaging is clear and concise. Does it speak to your customers and solve their wants and/or needs?
2. CONDUCT A SURVEY
Primary research such as surveys from your customer base are great ways to gather helpful data. These can be done by email, text, forms posted on your website or even focus groups. Understanding the customer experience directly from your audience can provide helpful insight for future suggestions and improvements.
3. REVIEW YOUR WEB ANALYTICS
Every business has a website or similar online presence, and the statistics gathered can be a very important part of the brand audit. For instance a fast bounce rate on your website could suggest your customer experience is lacking and a new site design or refresh is in order. Are online sales heavy in one area and weak in another? Geo-targeted marketing efforts could help solve the issue.
4. LOOK AT SOCIAL DATA
Most social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok) provide comprehensive stats for business user accounts, which can be extremely helpful. For example, your follower’s gender and age range may be slightly off from who you have been targeting as your consumer base. Other helpful information could come from analyzing social media reaction. Did a social post about a particular product receive significantly more likes/comments than usual?
5. MONITOR YOUR COMPETITION
Competition is inevitable in business, and that’s not always a bad thing. You can learn a lot by simply reviewing your competitors marketing and advertising materials, websites, social media channels, customer service and more. Are they reaching the market in a way that you are not?
6. REVIEW THE RESULTS
It is very important to thoroughly review and assess the results of your audit. This will allow you to document what is currently working, what needs to be tweaked, and what can be discarded entirely within your brand. Always track the results and progress after implementing the necessary changes.
CONCLUSION
It’s easy to get caught up in the grind of running a business and lose sight of the small details that add up to the bigger picture. A proper brand audit breaks down these smaller pieces and allows you to make adjustments toward the success of your company. Interested in having Blue C help guide you through a comprehensive brand audit? Reach out today, we’d love to chat with you!