Brand Audit
An outside look at how your brand actually shows up, from your website to your sales deck, and what customers really think of it. You get a prioritized list of what to fix first.
Since 2006
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$320M+ lifetime client revenue powered by our software
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4+ year avg. client relationship
You can't fix what you can't see clearly. We review your brand across every touchpoint to show exactly where the opportunities and problems are.
Most brand problems are invisible until they're expensive
Brand drift happens gradually. Inconsistencies compound. Competitive threats emerge slowly. By the time brand problems are obvious, they're usually expensive to fix. A systematic brand audit catches issues early and identifies opportunities before competitors do.
You're too close to your own brand to see it clearly.
Internal teams know what the brand is supposed to communicate, which makes it hard to see what it actually communicates. Fresh eyes identify perception gaps, missed opportunities, and brand weaknesses that insiders overlook.
Brand inconsistencies erode value slowly, then suddenly.
Every off-brand touchpoint weakens brand equity. Logo misuse, color drift, message inconsistency - they seem minor individually, but compound into major brand confusion. Regular audits catch drift before it becomes expensive to correct.
Your competition is constantly evolving - are you?
Markets change. Competitors improve. Customer expectations shift. A brand that was differentiated two years ago might be generic today. Competitive brand audits identify exactly where you stand and where opportunities exist.
What's included in a brand audit
Your logo, colors, typography and visual elements across every application, and where they are inconsistent or missing.
How the brand performs at each touchpoint: website, social, print, physical spaces and customer service.
Your brand set against key competitors, and where it can stand apart.
How customers, prospects and stakeholders actually see you, against how you intend to be seen.
Where your guidelines are followed, ignored, or do not exist.
A prioritized plan with timelines, resources and expected impact.
At the end you have a clear picture of where your brand stands today, how it compares with your competitors, where the gaps are between that and what your market expects, and a prioritized roadmap for closing them.
How a brand audit works
We collect everything the brand touches, from business cards to billboards, to see the ecosystem as it is.
Conversations with leadership, employees, customers and partners, so perception is heard from more than one side.
How you compare with direct and indirect competitors, and where the white space is.
Consistency, effectiveness and alignment across touchpoints: what is working, what is not, and why.
Recommendations ranked by impact and feasibility, with timelines, resources and measures of success.
Where an audit fits
An audit is a good first step when you're not sure what needs to change. It shows where your brand stands and ends in a prioritized roadmap. Depending on what it finds, the next step might be brand positioning, a new identity with a brand identity kit, or simply fixing how the existing brand is applied.
Brand Studio work
Brand for a Music Manager
A memorable identity, brand book, and launch strategy for Good Folk, a Nashville-based talent management company.
For Good Folk / Built with Squarespace
12 Weeks To Profitability
Re-Brand for an ISP
Aligning vision, rallying internal teams, and scaling Andrena Internet’s presence across new cities.
For Andrena Internet
Relaunched under its new brand ahead of an $18M Series A
Brand & Product for a Digital Vault
A completely new identity and custom site build for Locket, a platform that helps people document, value, and protect their most meaningful possessions.
For Locket / Built with Vercel and Supabase
$10M+ in Value Stored Within 2 Weeks of Launch
Branding for Media Business
A custom identity and digital design built for The Creative Factor, a publication tailored to creative leaders.
For The Creative Factor / Built with Squarespace
50% Newsletter Subscriber Growth in 3 Months
What's nice was that everyone was on the same page. The Coalesce team was attentive and punctual.
James Smits
Co-Founder, Andrena Internet
Brand audit FAQ
When should we consider a brand audit?
Brand audits are valuable during major transitions - new leadership, market expansion, competitive pressure, declining performance, or when you suspect your brand isn't performing as well as it could. Most successful brands audit regularly to stay ahead of issues.
How much does a brand audit cost?
A brand audit with Coalesce runs $15K to $25K. You get a structured evaluation of your current brand across touchpoints, a gap analysis, a competitive comparison, and clear recommendations, delivered on a fixed timeline. It's a defined deliverable, so we can quote it firmly up front.
What will you need from us for the brand audit?
Access to all brand materials, stakeholder interviews, customer feedback data if available, competitive intelligence, and brand performance metrics. We'll provide a complete list during scoping, but we can work with whatever level of access you can provide.
How long does a comprehensive brand audit take?
Typically 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the scope and complexity of your brand ecosystem. A focused audit of a single brand can be done in about two weeks. Larger brands with multiple product lines or markets take longer, and we'll give you a firm timeline when we scope it.
Will the audit include customer research?
Yes, customer perception research is a core component of any comprehensive brand audit. We use surveys, interviews, and focus groups to understand how your brand is actually perceived versus how you intend it to be perceived.
What's the difference between a brand audit and a brand strategy project?
A brand audit evaluates your current brand, shows where it falls short, and ends in a roadmap for fixing it. A brand strategy project decides where your brand should go and defines how to get there. Audits often inform strategy projects, and we can combine them into a single engagement if needed.
Can you audit our brand if we don't have formal brand guidelines?
Absolutely. In fact, the absence of formal guidelines is often revealed as a key issue during the audit process. We evaluate how your brand is being interpreted and applied without formal guidance, which often highlights the need for better brand documentation.
Ready to see your brand clearly?
Most brand problems are fixable when caught early. Let's identify exactly where your brand stands and where the opportunities are.