BRAND AUDIT CHECKLIST ANALYSIS A Comprehensive To Do List for Marketing Success

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“An idea without a plan is just a dream...”

Where do you start with your brand? The age old question. How about a comprehensive Brand Audit? On the following pages we provide a blueprint of our Brand Audit process at Sango Digital. A thorough list of pertinent questions you need to ask yourself about your brand. Where it is today. More importantly, where it will be tomorrow.

Obviously, this is the name of the game. But standing out in an often crowded marketplace takes a lot of hard work and some sound strategy to back it. Analyzing your company, brand or product from a variety of angles and then moving forward with the correct courses of action takes courage, insight and impeccable timing. Our process is detailed and well thought. And it’s only matched by our commitment to helping you become not just a faint whisper, but a voice that really stands out in the crowd within your industry.

What exactly needs to be audited for my brand? Well, when you take a step back and really think about it, your brand is actually a complex matrix of a variety of elements, both internal and external. Throw in the systems you already have in place or possibly need to implement, and a dose of public and industry perception and you have an untamable monster on your hands without the proper direction and plan.

INTERNAL • • • • • •

Positioning Brand values Unique selling proposition, brand promise, or brand essence Brand Voice Culture Product/service positioning

EXTERNAL • • • • • • •

Corporate identity—logos and other brand elements Collateral – brochures, print materials, tradeshow displays, etc. Website Social media Sponsorships & memberships News/PR Content marketing and other assets—blogs, white papers, case studies, articles, books, etc. • Testimonials • Videos

SYSTEMS • • • •

Corporate identity/brand standards HR policies/on-boarding process Sales process Client touch points

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” – Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon

HOW ARE YOU POSITIONED IN THE MARKET! • • • • • • • • • •

Who are you? What is your market? What is your product of service? What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)? What is your brand essence? What are your brand values? Describe your corporate culture. Does it fit your brand? What is your elevator speech? Mission? Vision? Would everyone in your company describe your brand similarly? Are important decision-makers aware of your branding and marketing initiatives?

Describe your brand tone, look & feel VOICE AND STYLE • • • •

Describe your brand voice. Review sample headlines. Review sample copy. How do you use your company or brand name in possessive, plural, or in combination with other items? • How do you write your company name? All caps, title case, shorthand, something else? VISUAL IDENTITY • Is your name trademarked or registered? • Do you have a single logo or trademark? • Is it used consistently across your materials?

Gather all of your collateral • Round up samples of your materials - brochures, print materials, and print ads. • Do you have a tradeshow display? • Do all of your materials look like they’re from the same company? • Are any of them outdated, or formatted in an inappropriate style? • Is your brand used consistently, following a standard set of rules? • Are the colors consistent across various pieces?

We can also create Infographics for your brand to help easily identify nearly every area of interest.

Ideas that click materialize when you are fully illuminated to seeing your brand in a whole different light. The proper light, really. Defining a business’ value proposition is the initial step in differentiating them from their competition. Everybody has something unique to offer their clients, so why not explore it? With the right market research and analytics, the value proposition will not only be efficiently implemented, but also effectively measured. Let’s face it, no one likes to throw away money. Stop throwing ideas against the wall and seeing what sticks. Sango Digital will put together your next brand analysis, with forcible solutions and easily applied methods for expanding your brand’s long term growth.

LET’S GET DIGITAL! And what about all the Social Media stuff? How does that fit into my mix?

Here’s what needs to be closely reviewed for optimum results… WEBSITE • Search performance - can you be found online when you search for your name, or your product or service? • What about your core competencies? Do you show up when they’re searched for within your location? SOCIAL MEDIA • Are your social media sites up to date? Do they accurately reflect your brand? • Are you utilizing each social media platform to its fullest potential in an effort to increase your brands’ awareness in your marketing place? • Are your logo elements correct and consistent on all your social media platforms?

Analytics. Analytics. Analytics. More important than one can imagine. There is a sweet science to the proper process to uncover the essence of your brand. We’ll help you find it, and get all the pie charts and diagrams moving in the direction you want for your company. Beauty lies in simplicity, and seeing your numbers and touch points properly outlined. That’s what we do at Sango.

What does the future look like? Where does your brand go from here? Once you’ve updated your brand, how will you answer the following? • • • • • •

What does your brand currently look like? What types of assets, tools, collateral, or stories do you want to have? How will your firm demonstrate expertise? How will the market perceive you differently? Which of these pieces do you have now, and which are you missing? What are the first priorities for reaching your future state?

Here are some other Brand Opportunities to explore: • Sponsorships/civic involvement/memberships/News/PR • External assets - speaking engagements, articles, books, blogs, etc. • Testimonials • Videos

• • • •

HR Policies/on-boarding process Internal systems Customer service Internal and client surveys

© 2014 Sango Digital, LLC. All rights reserved.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss your brand and consider our services. Call to arrange a confidential meeting. Sango Digital is a full service marketing consulting agency that offers coaching and consulting to help our clients improve their marketing and maximize their potential. Whether you are looking to improve your email marketing, website conversions, marketing communications, branding, advertising, promotions or any aspect of your marketing, we can help you develop an integrated strategic marketing plan designed to meet your goals.

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www.sangodigital.com