ID3AS Blog

In today’s world where things are constantly changing and technology continues to evolve, brand awareness has become increasingly important. This is because consumers now have 24-hour access to your business's presence via every platform you use to promote it. This goes for your competitors as well. Therefore, to remain stagnant in an industry that is constantly developing and fluctuating could be very detrimental to the potential growth of your company. Luckily you have us to help guide you in the right direction!

First, you want to start with a simple audit.

A brand audit is a thorough examination of a brand’s current position in the market compared to its competitors and a review of its effectiveness. It helps you determine the strength of your brand together with its weaknesses or inconsistencies and can shed light on opportunities for improvement and new developments.

It is not simply looking at your logo and tweaking it to be more visually appealing, although it could be. Brand voice and overall message are two other important key factors that you should be examined as well through this process. If you are on the verge of releasing a new product or are trying to create leverage in other aspects of your business, this could be the perfect occasion to give your brand a facelift.

To know when your company’s voice isn’t serving the brand anymore can be difficult. This is because you deal with your brand on a daily basis which can likely cloud your interpretations of it. Due to this, you should probably get some outside perspective. We recommend showing your logo and website to a few random people and ask them to compare its appeal to your competitors. If you are constantly polled into the lowermost rank, then it is time to recharge your brand.

There are 5 considerations that you should take a look at when deciding exactly how to go about your brand reboot:

1. Consistency - Take a look at your brand's assets which include things such as marketing constituents, social media profiles, business cards, opt-ins, and email blasts. Scan through them to see if there are any discrepancies in your brand's visual identity. Ask yourself:
   • • Do you use the same fonts and color schemes?
   • • Is your business name spelled the same throughout each?
   • • Are outdated versions of your logo still in use?
   • • Do your materials look like they come from the same business?
2. New Additions or Offerings - As your business has matured; it is likely that you now offer different products and/or services. Ask yourself:
   • • Does your brand reflect your present-day offerings?
3. Target Audience - Take a look at your current consumer base and how it compares to what it was when you initially started your business operation.
   • • Are you pursuing the individuals you want to serve?
4. Emotional Appeal - The way you connect with your customer base says everything about your business. If you can generate an emotional response within your audience, it is more likely that they will be interested in your products and services. Ask yourself:
   • • Are your stories sincere and memorable?
   • • Are you mindful of the tone you are using when speaking about your brand?
   • • Do you feature forms of evidence such as case studies and testimonials?
   • • Is your content appealing and focused on the reader?
5. Infuse Brand and Business - From their first interaction to their last, your brand should be incorporated into every experience your customer has. Ask yourself:
   • • Are you delivering your promises?
   • • Do your mission statement and tag line ring true to your products and/or services?
   • • What personal touches are you adding to each step of the buying process to ensure your brand is getting proper acknowledgment?

If you have any inkling that your brand could use an audit and are serious about staying competitive in today’s market, we are more than happy to help.

Just call us at (410) 213-2400 for a free consultation today!