The One Thing You Need to Budget For When Branding

Don't overlook the importance of a brand audit, because it can spot issues and missed opportunities before you do.

Logo? Check. Style guide? Check. Website? Check. What more do you need when you’re creating a budget for your brand?

One crucial, yet overlooked, step is setting aside money for a brand audit.

A brand audit is a critical tool that can help you refocus and reassert your company. A brand audit points out the areas you're leaking opportunities; it tells you where you can tighten things up and where they need to be more transparent. It’s a safeguard against future losses—in fact, it can be your canary in the coal mine to keep you from hemorrhaging money.

A brand audit informs the rest of the brand redesign. It lets you know what might be missing, what’s not coming across correctly, and what you can do better as a whole. Think of it as a routine health exam. You may think everything is going perfectly, but what’s underneath the surface? What does the doctor see that you don’t? A brand audit can answer those questions and save you unnecessary fixes in the future by catching them sooner.

Every brand audit is slightly different. Different aspects are tackled depending on each case. Here are some of the costly errors that we look for:

• Broken links

• Missing pages

• Poor user experience

• Lack of cohesion between visuals and messaging

• Misspellings

Each of these mistakes makes your site look unprofessional and costs your business money.

In the end, a brand audit is an essential tool. You don’t have to move forward with the suggestions, but at least you know what isn’t landing with your consumers. You and your team can look at the changes to be made and decide what should be tackled first.

CG Communication has been performing brand audits and helping companies make their brand more accessible for several decades. Right now, CG Communication is running a special on their brand audits. Until October 1, you’ll be able to get a full brand audit (which includes a website audit) for $399. Contact cynthia@cgcommunication.com to book today.