Samui Design Ezine

A brand or corporate identity is the ‘visual and perceptual representation of who an organisation is, what the organisation does and how it does it’. If you get it right, branding will establish your business in its market and reinforce the buying relationship between you and your clients. But an ineffective brand will make it difficult for your customers to connect with your company and the products and services that you are selling.

The following is a brief introductory guide on how to evaluate the success of your existing brand.

1. How are you branding your company, products and services?
   
   • Do you have a company logo?
   • Do you use company stationery (letterhead/compliment slips/business cards...)?
   • Do you have company/products/services brochures or leaflets?
   • Do you have an annual report?
   • Do you publish a newsletter?
   • Do you have a website/intranet?
   • Do you use printed forms (order/invoices/petty cash...)?
   • Do you ever advertise (recruitment or other)?
   • Do you send mailshots?
   • Do you use manuals/packaging?
   • Do you have buildings/vehicles signage?
   • Do you have a uniform?
     
2. Is there a consistent look and feel across all materials?
   
   For all of the above (where applicable), answer the following questions
   
   • Does the logo always appear with the same colours and typeface?
   • Does the logo appear on every piece of marketing material that is seen by a customer and/or member of staff?
   • Do you have standardised colours/typeface and language?
   • Are these used consistently throughout all marketing material?
   • Do you have written guidelines on how to use the logo and company colours/typeface?
   • Are these known, understood and observed by everyone in the company?
     
3. Are your clients, peers and members of staff aware of what you stand for?
   
   Now in more general terms (and these are often forgotten when evaluating a company’s brand positioning)
   
   • Do you have a building sign that tells passers by who you are and what you do?
   • Do all members of staff answer the phone in the same way every time?
   • Do all your members of staff know what you do?
   • Do they understand what your brand stands for?
   • Do they know what your mission statement and short term/long term marketing strategy are?
   • Who is your target audience?
   • Does your brand come across as the solution for these customers?
   • How does your brand/brand awareness compare to that of your competitors?

This is only a small extract of what a design audit should consider. If you wish to conduct a more thorough audit of your company identity or, following this quick audit, you have already identified areas of your branding that need help, contact us. We can work with you to help you make the most of your existing identity, or to create a new brand that will enable you to achieve your business goals.

Next month … how to establish and strengthen your brand