What a brand audit is
A brand audit is a structured look at how a business presents itself, compared with how it wants to be perceived. It answers two questions. What does a new client actually see when they encounter the business? And does that match the business the owners know?
The idea is borrowed from content audits, which the Nielsen Norman Group describes as work that examines, assesses and evaluates the quality of content after it has been gathered into an inventory. A brand audit applies the same discipline to every channel a client sees, including the website.
What it covers
It is common for owners to think of the brand as the logo and the website. Clients experience much more: the search result, the Google profile and its reviews, social channels, email replies, proposals, quotes, invoices, signage and vehicles. Each one adds to their view of the business, and the weakest often matters most, because it is the one they remember.
The table on this page lists what to check in each channel and the findings that come up most often.
| Question | What to check | A common finding |
|---|---|---|
| Search result and Google profile | Name, category, photos and recent reviews | Few reviews, and the newest are old |
| Website | Opening message, proof and next step | The opening could describe any competitor |
| Proposals and quotes | Structure, design and clarity of price | A different format each time |
| Social channels | Recency, consistency and proof of work | Long gaps between posts |
| Identity in use | Logo versions, colours and type | Several versions of the logo in use |
How to run one
Start by gathering one example of everything a client sees. Then review the channels in the order a new client meets them, usually starting with a search on a phone. Rate each for clarity, whether a stranger would understand what the business does best, and consistency, whether it matches the rest. Compare the whole with the alternatives clients consider. Finally, sort what you found into a prioritised list.
Keep, sharpen or replace
The most useful output is a short list sorted into three groups. Keep what works, especially elements clients already recognise. The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute’s research on distinctive brand assets is a reminder that well-known, unique elements are worth protecting. Sharpen what is right in principle but unclear or inconsistent in practice. Replace only what actively works against the business.
What happens next
An audit is most valuable when it becomes the brief for the next piece of work. Zelexis offers a brand audit as a standalone service and as the first step in larger projects, ending with a working session to agree priorities so the business leaves with a clear next step.
A useful next step
Something to try this week.
Spend one hour reviewing your business as a new client would, on a phone and without logging in. Search the business name, open the Google profile, read the website’s first screen, open your latest social post and read your most recent quote. Write one sentence on what each tells a stranger.