"On average, design alert businesses increase their market share by 6.3% through using design." The Design Council. Make your business grow with a visual audit. Visit www.visualaudit.com.au for more information.

1. BrandThink
Issue #3
A bimonthly newsletter from BrandHOUSE
Make
your
b �in�s
grow

2. "On average,
design alert business
increase their
market share by 6.3%
through using design." Design Council
In the last issue of BrandThink we looked will have significant impact on customers’
at the eight steps to being loved, the eighth purchasing decisions.
step involved conducting a visual audit.
In this edition of BrandThink we will look A visual audit reviews all of your existing
at how a visual audit adds value. internal and external communications;
its brand message, products and services
ask yOurself and provides feedback and advice in how
to improve, build upon or change it to align
• Do you want to increase your
with your current business goals.
marketshare over your competitor?
• Do you want to influence customer whaT we dO
purchasing decisions?
Firstly BrandHOUSE will review your
business goals, positioning,
• Do you want to make people love
key differentiation, and marketing
your brand?
strategies. We’ll conduct an audit of your
existing brand communications, as well
• Do you want to increase business growth
as those of your competitors, to gain a full
through expansion in existing and
understanding of your brand needs and
emerging markets through diversification
opportunities.
beyond those which you currently
operate in?
• review existing research reports,
business plans, and marketing materials;
In business, you routinely conduct
assessments of your financial health
• conduct interviews: company executives,
through monthly bookkeeping procedures.
customers, partners and other key
In addition, you do an annual inventory to
stakeholders;
maintain correct internal financial records.
This is your financial audit.
• conduct visual audit of corporate and
brand communications;
Obviously, the financial health of your
company is extremely important.
• conduct visual audit of competitor
However, you should also conduct an
materials; and
annual (or more frequent) audit of your
business’s visual appeal to customers,
• develop brand attribute profile and
because the visual image of a business
design criteria.

3. whaT is invOlved in a visual audiT eighT BenefiTs Of a visual audiT
A visual audit provides an analysis Success in business, be it about a product
of an company’s brand and its brand or service, in essence comes down to two
management and marketing effectiveness. factors; innovation and growth. A visual
It assesses a brand’s strengths, audit provides the mechanism and strategy
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. to do just that.
It identifies growth opportunities From the visual audit you will gain:
including those achieved by brand
repositioning and brand extension. • an evaluation of your current use
The visual audit will outline of design;
recommendations to improve brand equity,
brand positioning, brand management and • an evaluation of your peers/competitors
marketing effectiveness. use of design; and
We set about a thorough analysis of • a plan for the use of design at a strategic
how you communicate both internally level in your business.
and externally. The first priority is to
determine a key contact within your The visual audit will prioritise any areas
company with access to materials and the that require urgent attention. With a
workplace, and who can also provide the timeline and plan to be developed with
following: an extensive design brief for all of your
communications:
• Company details ie. legal entity, vision
and/or mission statement, business plan, • It identifies areas in which you can gain
executive summary, general statement over your competitors;
about(who your company is and what you
do) and customer profile. • It helps you to see those aspects of your
business that make you unique;
Examples of all forms of internal
communications inclusive of: • It gives you the head start you need
to identify problems that need to be
• Tender documents, sample emails, addressed; and
notices, forms (leave, safety and job
application forms), internal programmes, • It helps you to focus on your customers
value service mapping (shop floor and their needs.
graphics).
grOw yOur Business
Examples of all forms of external
There is a link between design and better
communications inclusive of:
business performance. According to a
recent study by Design Council in the
• Focussed (ie. letters, submissions), B2B
UK, "On average, design alert businesses
- to your clients and prospective clients,
increase their market share by 6.3%
brochures, posters, packaging,
through using design." Wouldn't you
Advertising (ie. general promo and job
like to see that sort of growth in your
advertisements), DVD/CD-ROM, image
business? Adding value to products
library, Verbal(ie. phone answering),
and services makes businesses more
sales presentation, information from
successful. The more value you are able
focus groups (debriefing, customer/
add to your core products and services,
consumer interviews).
the better they do. But when you use
design to add value, they do even better in
Quite simply, we look at everything.
a whole range of ways, including increased
Because only by looking at everything
profit, turnover and market share.
can we advise you on strategies to better
communicate to your target market and For further information on visual audits
become top of mind. and how they can be used to transform
your company and your product or service
offering visit www.visualaudit.com.au or
contact BrandHOUSE on (03) 9723 7114.

4. Simply put, if you don’t innovate
then you won’t survive.
Brands must be relevant as markets evolve.
Those brands that recognise that markets
are fractured over many platforms, who
leverage existing, new and emerging
touchpoints will be the future.
Don’t be a brand for today.
We would love to hear from you. To learn
more about your business challenges.
To discuss how we are able to help.
To provide insight. To think about how
we can partner with you to give more
presence to your brand.
T: +61 3 9723 7114
chris@brandhouse.net.au
www.brandhouse.net.au
www.visualaudit.com.au
29 Terrigal Crescent,
Kilsyth Victoria 3137
Australia
Define. Inspire. Transform