WHY YOUR BRAND NEEDS AN ANNUAL REVIEW
Your brand is not a static entity—it's a living, breathing representation of your business. To stay relevant, connected with your audience, and aligned with your goals, it's important to spend time to review your brand. While a complete brand refresh should happen every 3 to 5 years, an annual review is essential to ensure you're brand is showing up.
1. Review Your Main Messaging
Your brand messaging is the story you tell, the values you stand for, and how you communicate with your audience. But as your business evolves, your messaging might need to evolve too. Ask yourself these questions during your annual review:
Does your messaging still align with your business goals and vision for the upcoming year?
Is it resonating with your target audience?
Is it clear and concise?
If your messaging no longer reflects your future goals or is not attracting the right audience, it's time to rework it. Ensuring that your messaging remains relevant and aligned with your vision will help guide your marketing, customer engagement, and growth.
2. Analyze Your Leads & Clients
A crucial part of any brand review is understanding how well your brand is attracting your ideal customers. Take a deep dive into your client base:
What percentage of your leads and clients are your ideal customers?
Are you getting inquiries from people who do not fit your ideal client profile?
If your leads are not aligning with your target market, it could signal that your brand isn't resonating with the right audience. One way to gain insights into your ideal clients is to survey them or have 1-on-1 conversations to understand their perception of your brand. Their feedback can help you identify areas for improvement and ensure you're positioning yourself in a way that appeals to the right people.
3. Look at Your Competitors
Keeping an eye on your competitors is a critical part of any brand audit. How are they positioning themselves in the market? What messaging are they using? Are they attracting the same audience?
Look at your competitors and analyze how they present their brands. Is their messaging similar to yours? How do they show up in the market?
How do you differentiate yourself?
If you find that you and your competitors are saying the same things, it could be time to refine your differentiators. Make sure your brand stands out in a way that is meaningful to your target audience. Clear and unique positioning will help set your business apart and make it memorable.
4. Talk with Your Team and Staff
Your team is an extension of your brand. They interact with customers and help shape the overall brand experience. Understanding how your team perceives your brand is crucial to ensuring consistency and alignment.
How is your team experiencing your brand?
Are they delivering the brand message consistently to customers?
By meeting with your team one-on-one, you can gather valuable feedback on how they feel about your brand and how they communicate it to others. If there are discrepancies or misunderstandings about your brand’s identity, it may be a sign that further internal communication or training is needed.
5. Conduct a Brand Audit
A brand audit is a comprehensive review of everything your brand touches. From your website to your social media presence, marketing materials, and customer interactions, consistency is key. A brand audit will help you assess whether your brand looks and sounds the same across all touch points.
Is your brand experience consistent across all platforms?
Does it reflect your defined brand personality?
Is there an emotional connection with your customers?
Your brand should have a consistent visual and verbal identity that customers can easily recognize and connect with. A successful audit will reveal any gaps in consistency and help you refine your branding to create a more cohesive, emotionally engaging experience.
