In the APR Creative studio, we’re obsessed with visuals of all kinds – logos, typography, photos, art and everything in between. And guess what? So are your customers. When was the last time you did a Visual Audit of your brand? We’re thinking it might have been a while ago, so let’s work through this together, starting with what you need to do and why you need to do it.
A Visual Audit is a fancy way of saying a formal review of any and all visual materials, including both digital and print collateral. Each visual opportunity to communicate with your customer –the look of your website, business cards, social media profiles, retail store layout and personal appearance – all impact the value of your brand. A prospective client’s first impression of you and your business is crucial to converting them from a once-off buyer to a long-term customer.
So why are visuals so important?
For starters, 90%* of information transmitted to the brain is visual and is processed 60,000* times faster than text, so your visual strategies must be working as best they can to achieve your business goals. Often it’s your visuals that a customer will notice first and continue to recognise again and again, so you need to make sure they are all in line with your brand. This is where a Visual Audit will be your saviour.
What do you need to do for a Visual Audit?
Firstly, collate anything that includes your logo and even things that don’t. Include past and present documents, brochures, stationery, website, digital and social advertising, photography, illustrations – basically everything!
Next, get ready to answer these important questions for each and every type of visual:
- Is there a better way of doing it?
- Is what we are doing having the same cut through as it used to?
- Is the collateral focused and in line with our brand?
- What new technology could provide new ways to engage with our target audience?
- Can we do some research and ask our customers how they want to interact with us?
- Is what we are doing the best way to market to potential customers?
Get your team involved too – what do they think is working well and what needs a refresh? We all have opinions and tastes when it comes to visuals so use your immediate resource pool of talent for feedback.
How often should you perform a Visual Audit?
A thorough audit of all your current visual communications across print, online and environmental should be done every 12 months to ensure you are maximising achieving your business goals. Conducting a yearly audit ensures that you are not just doing the same things you have always done on autopilot. It provides an opportunity to ask: is our collateral consistent and on brand?
Cohesion across all brand touch points builds trust with consumers and improves the customer experience. So get obsessed with your brand visuals and start making them work for you in better, more effective, ways. A Visual Audit is a wonderful way to see how far you’ve come and make a solid plan for future projects.
We would love to assist with your visual auditing process, so get in touch info@https://aprcreative.com.au or give us a call on 03 9598 3588.
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