Do you need a Brand Audit agency?

What is a Brand Audit?

At Lane, we understand that a brand is the face, not to mention the soul, of your business. A brand audit is a comprehensive look at your brand’s current position in the market compared to its competitors, and an analysis of its effectiveness. It helps to identify brand strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. By examining your brand’s identity, image, and strategy, we provide insights that pave the way for strategic improvement and alignment with your business objectives. For a deeper dive into the essence of brand auditing, explore our insightful articles on Brand Analysis and How to Conduct a Brand Audit.

Our Brand Audit process

Our brand audit process at Lane is meticulously designed to uncover the current position of your brand, so you can align (or realign) it with your strategic goals.

Here’s how we do it:

1. Initial Consultation: We start by understanding your vision, objectives, and any specific challenges your brand is facing. This helps us tailor our audit to meet your unique needs.
2. Comprehensive Research: Our team conducts thorough market research, competitor analysis, and customer feedback assessments to gauge your brand’s market position and perception.
3. Brand Analysis: We dissect your brand’s visual identity, digital presence, marketing materials, and communication strategies to evaluate consistency and effectiveness.
4. Insights and Recommendations: Based on our findings, we compile a detailed report highlighting areas of strength, opportunities for improvement, and strategic recommendations for alignment and growth.
5. Action Plan: We don’t just stop at recommendations. We work with you to develop an actionable plan that guides the implementation of our suggestions, ensuring your brand evolves in the right direction.

Throughout this process, our goal is to provide you with clear, actionable insights that put the power in your hands to make sure your brand to achieves its fullest potential.

Ready?

As a marketing professional, investing in our brand audit packages can help you gain valuable insights into your brand and develop a strategy that drives growth and success.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you enhance your brand.

Read a more in depth review of what’s included in the five phases of our brand audit.

Why hire us as your Brand Audit agency?

Thinking about choosing Lane to conduct your brand audit? Here’s why you’re making a solid decision:

• Strategic Insights: Gain a deeper understanding of your brand’s position in the market, with comprehensive analysis that illuminates paths to greater competitiveness and success.
• Aligned Brand Identity: We help ensure your brand’s identity, message, and values are consistently communicated across all platforms, enhancing recognition and loyalty.
• Enhanced Engagement: By identifying and implementing improvements in your brand strategy, we aim to increase engagement with your target audience, driving growth and profitability.
• Informed Decision Making: Our audit provides a solid foundation for future marketing strategies and investments, ensuring they are data-driven and focused on delivering maximum ROI.
• Objective Perspective: As external auditors, we offer unbiased insights that internal teams might overlook, providing fresh perspectives on your brand’s strengths and opportunities for improvement.

Our dedicated team at Lane leverages years of experience and industry insights to deliver a brand audit that not only identifies areas for improvement but also celebrates your brand’s successes. Let us help you unlock your brand’s full potential.

Questions we get asked about Brand Audits

Here are some FAQs about brand audits as a brand audit agency. Have you got more questions we haven’t answered? Get in touch.

What does a brand audit involve?

A brand audit is an assessment of every aspect related to your current branding – from collateral reviews & competitor analysis through to researching customer sentiment & awareness levels towards it. Our brand audit process includes phases for setting objectives, gathering data, analysing the findings, making recommendations and creating an implementation plan.

Each audit is devised as a bespoke project based on the budget, scope and desired outcomes.

How does my business benefit from doing a brand audit?

An effective brand should help your business to achieve it’s objectives faster and more cost efficiently.

A successful brand audit can uncover vital new insights about your business’s identity which can then help inform marketing strategies going forward; enhance customer engagement; increase recognition in the marketplace; plus even help differentiate yourself against competitors too.

What areas do you cover during data collection?

During data collection, our team will work closely with you to understand the scope and desired outcomes of the project. We might decide to review all existing collateral, analyse competitor activity, conduct focus groups with internal & external stakeholders alike; assessing media performance; or look at audience behaviour.

How long does it take until I see results?

Depending on factors such as scope or complexity our team should deliver initial findings within 4-6 weeks followed by a full report within 8 weeks depending on the discussed timeline requirement at kick-off meeting stage.

What format will my results be made available in?

Our reports will be delivered electronically via PDF format following completion/approval stages.

How does the brand audit process work?

Once you’ve identified that you would like to conduct a brand audit, we would work closely with you and your team to outline the scope, the objectives and timeline. As a brand audit agency, although we follow a tried and tested process, each project is different. We’ll work with you to develop the project that’s right for your business.

How much does a brand audit process cost?

There’s not fixed cost for a brand audit, and will depend on the scope of the project. If you have a budget in mind, let us know and we can work with you on what will be delivered for within that budget.

How often should a brand audit be conducted?

A brand audit isn’t a time triggered project. There are a number of things that might trigger a brand audit, such as:

The stagnation of sales.

You might have seen sore product range sales volumes are decreasing, and the organisation wants to understand a broader picture of what’s happening before making decisions.

Shift in customer perception of the brand.

As society changes, what customers value changes, and what they’re willing to tolerate changes. Better understanding these shifts with a brand audit can help make better decisions.

Rising competition in the marketplace.

New entrants keep popping up everywhere, and you want to know how worried you should be, and how you can maintain or grow your position in the market.

Unclear impact of brand.

You have a feeling you have a strong brand, but you’re not sure the impact it has on the success of the organisation.

Change of guard.

Either a new CMO or new Board members who want to be confident they understand they lay of the land before making any big decisions.

How will your agency help us implement the recommendations resulting from the brand audit?

Our agency provides tailored support to help clients effectively implement brand audit recommendations, including strategic guidance, design updates, and messaging refinements. We collaborate closely with your team, offering ongoing consultation and expert insights to ensure a smooth execution and successful brand transformation.

What does a brand audit agency do?

A brand audit agency will conduct a thorough analysis of both internal and external factors, identifying inconsistencies, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

By gathering insights from various sources, including customer feedback, competitive analysis, and digital presence, they will provide actionable recommendations.

The ultimate goal of working with a brand audit agency is to help businesses enhance their brand’s overall impact, build stronger connections with their target audience, and foster long-term growth and success.

What is branding versus brand design?

Branding is the strategic process of creating, defining, and managing a company’s unique identity, voice, and values in the market. It encompasses all aspects of how a brand is perceived and experienced, including messaging, tone, and customer interactions. Brand design, on the other hand, is the visual representation of a brand’s identity. It involves creating and implementing a consistent visual language, including elements such as logos, typography, color palettes, and imagery. While branding focuses on the holistic approach to shaping a brand’s perception, brand design specifically targets the visual components that convey and reinforce the brand’s essence.

A brand audit will deep dive into both branding and brand design.

What is the purpose of brand audit?

The purpose of a brand audit is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of a brand’s current performance, positioning, and consistency across various touchpoints. This systematic analysis enables businesses to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement, ultimately informing strategic decisions and driving growth. By uncovering insights into consumer perceptions, competitor positioning, and internal brand alignment, a brand audit helps businesses refine their brand identity, enhance their market presence, and maintain a competitive edge in an ever-evolving landscape.

How many steps are in a brand audit?

A brand audit typically involves several steps, and the exact number may vary depending on the scope and objectives of the audit. Our expert brand audit process comprises five phases, including objectives and measurement, data gathering, analysis of findings, recommendations, and creating a plan. Each phase is designed to provide a comprehensive and structured approach to evaluate a brand’s performance and identity, uncover insights, and develop actionable recommendations.

By following a systematic approach, businesses can conduct a thorough brand audit that enables them to refine their brand positioning, enhance customer engagement, and drive long-term success.

What is the first step of brand audit?

The first step of our brand audit process is typically a kick-off session with the client to discuss the scope, objectives, and expectations of the audit. This helps ensure that the audit is aligned with the client’s goals and requirements. The next step is to establish clear objectives and measurement criteria to guide the audit process. Once the objectives are defined, data gathering commences, including research on the brand’s performance, customer perceptions, and competitor analysis. Analysis of the findings follows, leading to recommendations and a plan to refine and enhance the brand’s identity and positioning.

What is the difference between brand audit and brand analysis?

While the terms brand audit and brand analysis are often used interchangeably, there are some key differences between the two. A brand audit is a comprehensive and structured evaluation of a brand’s performance, positioning, and consistency across various touchpoints. It involves a systematic process of data gathering, analysis, and recommendations.

On the other hand, a brand analysis typically focuses on a specific aspect of the brand, such as its visual identity or messaging strategy. While a brand analysis can provide valuable insights, a brand audit is a more comprehensive and holistic approach to evaluating a brand’s overall performance and identity.

We’ve written more about brand analysis in our comprehensive guide to conducting a brand audit.

If you’re interested in either service, let us know how we can help.

Can I conduct a brand audit myself?

Yep! Whilst you may decide an agency will help you get the best results, you may not be in a position to hire an agency. We’ve developed a comprehensive guide to conducting a brand audit, as well as guidance on how to conduct a brand analysis, which will take you through the different stages, and what to look for at each phase. You’re welcome!