Everyone on our almighty planet Earth is going through a period of transformational change whether it is being experienced from a perspective of a child that is just being welcomed to this world or through the eyes of a business owner that looking at the present image of its company and trying  to figure out the direction for the next big and bold step into the future

Comparing both cases, it is all about the survival, this primal need for being that tightly links with Maslow’s need for safety known as security and personal existence | 

Making sure that the safety factor is being fulfilled appears to be one of the most desired needs that every person, every living creature and every organization longing for. In the current era of pandemically-caused instability where today is the only certain moment that can be defined and understood from the perspective of participator and observer, allows considering the element of adaptability to secure the position of our well-being and our companies (if we are founders, directors, CEOs or aspired directors) |

Think about it. The goal of the majority of business strategies is to position their brands on an enduring and as static as a possible place of competitive advantages by the series of smart and attractive approaches that convince audiences about the value that a specific service or a product line can bring that is being represented by a brand. By establishing clever approaches to market positioning and delivering an offering that answers the exact needs and wants of a business, a brand shall be as adaptable as possible to respond appropriately to the challenging circumstances of the change. Companies shall undertake periodic audits of their strategies to set the direction for the ideal scenario of success and organizational planning based on an analysis of their industry focus and some sort of forecasting image of how it should or have a chance to evolve | 

The core value of having a strong brand is the silent power of expression … it is the visibly significant voice that speaks out using the visual lingua of branding rather than the loud and noisy sometimes vulgar voice of masses|

Why brand audit matter?

1. It allows doing health-check MOT of a brand that represents an organization
2. It reveals the hidden issues and also brings to daylight the hidden gems that when spotted on time can initiate a period of transformational change and an era of new beginnings
3. It brings the only certain factor in this unpredictable and ever-changing environment of constant forecasting and juggling with mitigating risks
4. It allows evaluating brand positioning and makes a room for refocusing strategy
5. It provides insights into industry dynamics, competitors status, and customer preferences
6. It improves brand image and enhances its credo
7. It allows to sharpen or completely re-design the brand silhouette, marketing communication, and collateral

In the era of the continuous race for competitive edge amongst brands that outdo their approaches towards strengthening their position, a brand audit allows them to captivate and engage the right audience at the right moment and through the optimum touchpoints. Today’s strong brand might suffer drastically tomorrow due to the unknown yet politically-economic circumstances that might significantly impact market trends and behaviors of consumers.

A comprehensive brand audit done by an external professional that allows fresh perspectives to enter into an organization can oftentimes reveal a handful of new growth opportunities for your brand, unravel new resonating channels between your brand and generations of target and current consumers | { Dr A A Drzewiecka }

What are the key outcomes of a brand audit?

• Power of a business
• Strength and the current image of a brand
• Brand awareness in the marketplace
• Weaknesses of branding efforts
• Trends and opportunities
• Threats that might be present in the future
• Competitive positioning
• Reputation in the marketplace
• Effectiveness and impact of brand activities

“A brand is the silently spoken value that does not need to shout loud to be heard” | Dr A A Drzewiecka

Seeing branding NOT as a useless evil product of commercialization that aims only to tempt buyers to spend their money on something that they don’t necessarily need but rather perceiving it as SOOP “superficial out of profundity” opportunity to engage with consumers through the superficial world of sensory, affective and creative experiences and looking at their needs rather than wants. The phenomenon of experiential branding that allows businesses to create meaningful experiences in a variety of industries by focusing on the brand essence as the representative of its value, equity, and personality  |

Having a strong and holistic picture of a brand allows a company to see the quality that is being brought to the market. It also touches the matter of adaptability of brands to current and near-future circumstances that could potentially create opportunities for growth by aligning its present tactics to the needs of market dynamics.

BRAND AUDIT BENEFITS

1. Position of Your Brand
2. Strengths and Weaknesses Discovery
3. Improvement of Strategies
4. Making Connections between offerings and expectations
5. Getting to Know Your audience

And growing, growing, growing the quality of Your brand.

If you wish to see what your brand represents, how it is experienced by consumers, how the brand influences or not consumers and what is its market share, get in touchget in touch for a tailored brand audit consultations that consist of brand audit and strategy implementation proposal.

Recommended reads | 

Schmidt, B. (2009).Schmidt, B. (2009). The concept of brand experience. Journal of Brand Management, 16, 417-419.

Aaker, D.A. (1991) Managing Brand Equity, The Free Press: New York.

E M Steenkamp, J., Batra, R. & Alden, D. (2003).E M Steenkamp, J., Batra, R. & Alden, D. (2003). How perceived brand globalness creates brand value. J Int Bus Stud 34, 53–65.