A brand audit is a structured review of everything your brand looks and sounds like, scored against a standard you define. Collect every touchpoint, score each against a short rubric, check the legal and accessibility basics, then rank the gaps by impact. It can be done in a few days with a spreadsheet and a few people who see the brand with fresh eyes.
This article is about the method. For the specific visual signals that make a brand look high-end, see what makes a brand look premium.
Step 1: Define the standard
You cannot score consistency without something to be consistent with. Gather or write down:
- Logo versions and clear-space rules
- Colour values and typefaces
- Tone of voice notes
- Core message and audience description
If no guidelines exist, the first finding is that you need them. Use the current best examples as a provisional standard and mark that clearly.
Step 2: Collect every touchpoint
Capture screenshots or photos, with dates, of:
| Group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Digital | Website pages, email templates, social profiles and recent posts, Google Business Profile |
| Sales | Proposals, quotes, presentation decks, invoices |
| Physical | Signage, packaging, business cards, uniforms, vehicles |
| Voice | Phone greeting, email signatures, auto-replies |
| Video | Recent ads, intros, thumbnails |
Include the awkward ones: old PDFs, third-party listings and directory entries. They are where the brand drifts.
Step 3: Score each touchpoint
Use a 0 to 2 scale for each criterion, so scoring is quick and comparable.
| Criterion | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logo use | Wrong or distorted | Mostly right | Correct |
| Colour | Off-palette | Close | On-palette |
| Typography | Unrelated fonts | Partly matched | Matches system |
| Imagery | Clashes or generic | Acceptable | Consistent style |
| Voice | Off-tone | Mixed | On-tone |
| Message clarity | Unclear offer | Somewhat clear | Instantly clear |
| Currency | Outdated | Partly current | Current |
Total each touchpoint and each criterion. Low touchpoints show where to act; low criteria show systemic problems, such as colour drifting everywhere.
Score with two people independently, then compare. Disagreement is itself useful: it shows where the standard is vague. For a longer view of cross-channel consistency, read building a consistent visual identity.
Step 4: Check the basics that carry risk
Accessibility
WCAG success criterion 1.4.3 sets a minimum contrast of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18 point or larger, or 14 point bold or larger). Text that is part of a logo is exempt, but low-contrast presentation of a logo chosen by the author is not covered by that exemption (W3C). Test your brand colour pairs, especially button and body text colours on your site.
Trade marks
Check whether your name and logo are registered, and whether similar marks exist. IP Australia says examiners look at similarity that could cause confusion and at distinctiveness, and provides the Australian Trade Mark Search and a free TM Checker for this (IP Australia). A trade marks attorney can search more broadly, including unregistered marks. This is general information, not legal advice.
Step 5: Prioritise fixes
Rank each gap on two scales, visibility (how many people see it) and effort (how hard to fix), and sort into three groups:
- Fix now: high visibility, low effort, such as an outdated social bio or wrong logo file.
- Plan: high visibility, high effort, such as a website template or signage.
- Tidy later: low visibility, such as old PDFs.
Assign an owner and a date for each item, and keep the master files in one shared folder.
Beyond the visuals
Consistency is necessary but not sufficient. Ask whether the brand says something distinct. A single clear idea carried across channels does more than polished sameness, which is the subject of building a campaign around one creative idea.
Limits of an audit
An internal audit reflects the opinions of the people doing it. Add outside views where you can, such as five customers asked what the brand stands for. Scoring tells you where you are inconsistent, not whether the brand is right for the market. Repeat the audit annually, or after any rebrand.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Studio works on brand films, animation and creative direction, and its Growth division on marketing strategy. If you would like help turning audit findings into a plan, contact us.
