Is Your Brand in Good Shape? Take our Brand Health Check!

We always say it to our clients, but it’s true: your brand says everything about who you are and what you stand for. More often than not, your brand is the first impression that your audience will have of you. That is why clarity around your brand, its purpose and positioning is essential to your organisation’s growth. Like your business, your brand isn’t a static entity. Instead, it has to grow and evolve as your business does.

A brand is often mistaken for just a logo and a strapline. Once those elements are designed and chosen to represent the organisation, they are often treated as a ‘job done’, whereas they should be continually monitored and included in your plans for growth and expansion.

How healthy is your brand?

It can be difficult to know when to step back and review your brand’s identity. Below, we’ve shared a handy list of questions you can ask yourself to check the health of your brand.

Is your business offering something new?

• Are you promoting a new division of your business?

• Have you developed a new service or product?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, now might be a good time to review your brand. If your brand identity doesn’t fully communicate everything you offer, it’ll be much harder to gain traction with any new products or services you’re launching.

Are you thinking about changing your name?

• Does your name no longer reflect who you are or what you do?

• Are you undergoing or discussing a merger?

Sometimes, it’s possible to outgrow your organisation's current name, especially if you’re considering a merger. Of course, mergers are great for consolidating the business power of two separate entities. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that each business may have different brand loyalty levels, which are also important assets. Regardless of your business name, it should always effectively convey what you offer, your values, and what you stand for.

Are you growing rapidly?

• Does your growing team need guidelines on using your brand correctly?

• Has your customer profile changed, and are you getting noticed - for the right reasons?

We all know that rapid growth is great for the bottom line, but it brings challenges that can cause your brand to become disjointed if you’re not careful. New employees must understand your brand, or it may become lost or diluted. You also need to consider your customer profile and whether that’s changed. If so, it might be a good time to rethink your image so you can continue to appeal to them.

Are you at risk of becoming out of date?

• Is your brand starting to look outdated against competitors?

• Does your brand look relevant to your industry?

Staying fresh and current is critical if you’re to remain competitive. New technologies influence how we communicate, and as social media and website best practices evolve, your brand can quickly look aged and irrelevant. Although trends come and go in the world of branding, even the most timeless of brands need to make adjustments.

Are you lacking consistency?

• Do all of your brand assets (social media, website, sales collateral, case studies, event inserts, etc.) look uniform?

• Does your tone of voice match up to how you’d like?

An inconsistent tone of voice and contradictory brand assets can confuse your customers and send the wrong message. This is where a brand audit and the development of clear brand guidelines can help keep you on track.

Did your brand get a clean bill of health?

How did you answer the above questions? If you sailed through, then great! You have a strong, consistent brand that stands out from the crowd. If you’re still unsure, there are plenty of other reasons why your brand might need attention. By building a robust brand strategy, you’ll be doing everything you can to ensure your brand gets noticed by the right people in the right places.

At Dynam, we know branding can be hard to get right. There is a lot to consider, and an expert perspective can often help. If you want a second opinion, then get in touch with us. Our team of branding experts can help you shape and focus your brand to ensure it’s working harmoniously with your business.