Brand Communications Audit Steps

 

STEP 1:
Materials Review:
The first step, crucial in all audits, is gathering and reviewing as many of your materials as possible. The objective is to determine which items are being used, and to assess their quality and consistency as objectively as possible. Only by putting everything side by- side in one place will omissions, quality lapses and inconsistencies be readily apparent.

Once all the materials have been collected, we compare them for consistency and quality, using the Communications Audit Result form. We rate each piece on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high). Although this exercise is subjective, quantifying our opinions makes it somewhat less so. To further reduce subjectivity, we will ask one or two staff members to also rate the pieces and average the results. We will use the following criteria when doing the rating.

Criteria for consistency rating:
Is the strategy or primary selling point the same as other the pieces?… does the piece look like it comes from the same organisation?… are style and the use of colors, type, and paper consistent?… does it perform a specific function in synch with other items?… are trademarks used properly?

Criteria for quality rating:
Is the piece complimentary to the organisation/product it represents?… is information communicated easily and persuasively?… can we determine its objective, and do we think it achieves it?… could we improve upon the strategy with the same budget?… could we improve upon the creativity?

STEP 2:
Competitive Review:
This involves gathering as much material from your major competitors as possible.
Depending on the extent of competition, this is a process that can easily take dozens of hours spread over many weeks unless some limitations are imposed up front.

Fortunately, much of the information and material we seek may be available within your organisation or available via the Internet. General and corporate competitive materials will most likely be found in the marketing communications departments. Competitive product information and materials will most likely to be found in the sales department, particularly among those involved with field sales.

Obtaining other competitive materials is usually a simple matter of contacting the competitor directly as a business prospect, or in the case of the annual reports as a potential stockholder.
Finally, we will do as much independent research as need and budget allow. As examples: scan trade magazines… pick up literature… ask dealer and retailer salespeople for their opinions on the relative merits of the client’s and competitors’ products… take pictures of signs…surf the Web.

STEP 3:
Overall Evaluation:
Using a form such as the Communications Audit Result makes it apparent which specific materials are not adding to, or are actually subtracting from, communications effectiveness. Even more important, such a form provides a way to evaluate overall effectiveness.
Although the audit ratings are based on subjective judgments, the consistent methodology used makes comparative evaluations valid. And since both quality and consistency are expressed numerically, it is easy to determine relative effectiveness.

 

To view the final steps involved in the Brand Communications Audit, click here.