Why Brand Audits Matter in the Art World - and How We Can Help

“All of the great ideas, without action, become stale and useless. The key to turning dreams into reality is action.” - Jim Rohn, American Entrepreneur and Author. 

Everything that we know and love started as an idea - potential - but if people like Vinton Cerf and Bob Kahn (Internet inventors), Steve Jobs and Bill Gates didn’t act on them, we wouldn’t have a lot of the things we’ve come to know and love. Global connectivity has skyrocketed thanks to great ideas acted upon, and as of April 2024 there were 5.44 billion internet users, with a massive 5.07 billion also being social media users - that’s 62.6 percent of the global population that you can connect with! 

That of course means a massive amount of content for the masses to consume, and walking the tightrope between unique yet appealing, loud enough to make a statement but not so much so that you create discomfort, fast-paced but not too fast that you leave your community behind - all while staying authentic -  can be daunting and add to the already overwhelming task of starting a business, especially in the art world.

The Importance of Staying Fresh in a Visual Industry

The art world is heavily visual and can have an extremely high standard, and Brand Identity is a critical factor when you’re trying to stand out in the industry. A strong brand can enhance credibility, attract new clients, and encourage loyalty among existing ones. However, maintaining this requires regular evaluation. 

As with the human experience, the better you understand who you authentically are, the better you can navigate your surroundings, and this is where a Brand Audit comes into play. A Brand Audit is a comprehensive examination of your brand that is usually done annually, or when you’re at a crucial stage in your journey. It defines your current position in the market, reviews the effectiveness of your key message and how you communicate it, and examines your target audience/s in comparison to competitors and other external factors, which helps you to understand the current perception of your brand and areas for improvement. 

Undergoing a Brand Audit at crucial phases of your business development helps maintain alignment of brand elements, provide a clear picture of your brand's strengths and weaknesses, and makes it easier to gauge if it resonates with your target audience's needs and wants. Overall, a handy tool to guide your brand refreshment strategy!