A brand audit is a way of detailing accurate data and information that is analysed to display how effective or ineffective your current company is performing against a number of metrics. Depending on your intentions a detailed brand standards audit can be used to highlight whether your company is meeting its stated short-term and long-term goals, or to decide whether performance levels are acceptable when placed alongside the performance of competitors within your market on several different metrics. Hiring a brand standards audit service that is to a high and professional level is a fantastic way to ensure there is a fair and honest appraisal of how your company is currently performing.
It is vitally important for any business to have a clear and honest understanding of where it sits in the marketplace compared to its competitors, to understand areas of strength and where things can be improved upon, to establish overall performance of the brand as a whole, but to also understand how and why you should align your strategy to the expectations and perception of your brand by your customers. A thorough brand standards audit by an independent auditing service is the only way to ensure you have all the relevant data, information, and analysis to make the necessary changes.
How does a brand standards audit work?
The first thing that is taken into consideration is the company in question and the strategic targets and long-term objectives that are desired at this stage. From here, a framework can be created which looks at metrics linked to those strategic targets, and which type of customers you wish to target and the marketing plan that you believe will be the most effective way of winning those customers over to your company.
The second thing that needs to take place is a questioning of your current customers, looking at the website and social as a simple starting point. Surveys can also be conducted on the ground and in person, via email and telephone, as well as mystery shopping and other ways of garnering information from your customers in as honest way as possible. Without honest answers you won’t be able to deliver honest improvement.
Next, look at your website and social media processes and interactions and look at ways in which they can be improved to raise the standards of the customer experience no matter which route they are taking to find your brand. Whether a person speaks to your customer service agents over the phone, walks into a store, purchase via the company e-commerce website, or interacts with your customer service team via social media, the brand consistency should remain the same and the approach consistent.
Keep an eye on all raw sales data and information that flows into your company from various sources and you’ll soon discover what makes your customers tick, and what aspects of your business is faltering for whatever reason. Putting all of these bits together and continuing to monitor and tweak your approach over many months and years will ensure a gradual growth and improvement for your company through the assistance of brand standards auditing from a professional auditing service.
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