Checking brand consistency: a brand check in one afternoon
Everyone thinks the brand is fine, until you lay all your materials side by side. An old logo on the website, three shades of blue, a brochure in a different typeface. A one-afternoon brand check shows you where things clash and what to tackle first.
MerkBrouwers team4 min read
Why a brand check is worthwhile
A brand rarely goes off course all at once. It happens gradually. A colleague makes their own template, an agency uses an old file, a new colour creeps in via social media. You don’t see it in isolation, but you do when it’s all together.
A brand check makes that visible. The aim isn’t to find someone to blame. The aim is to see where your visual identity is missing, unclear or hard to find.
One afternoon is enough to get started. You don’t need external research or a big project. All you need is time, a few colleagues and your visual identity to hand.
Step 1: Gather what currently goes out
Take an hour to gather materials. Choose what people actually see, not what sits in an archive. Think of:
Online. Your website, your social media profiles and a few recent posts.
Email. A few email signatures from different colleagues and your newsletter.
Documents. A quote, a presentation and a letter as they’re actually sent today.
Print. Brochures, business cards, posters or an annual report.
On location. Signage, clothing or an exhibition stand, if you have them.
Step 2: Compare everything with your visual identity
Lay the materials side by side, on a table or on one large screen. Then go through them with a few set questions. Is the right, current logo used? Are the colours correct? Is everything in the agreed typeface? Does the text sound the way your brand should sound?
Make a simple list with three columns: what you see, where it is and what’s wrong. Also note what’s going well. That shows which agreements do work.
Ideally, do this with two people. Someone who knows the brand well and someone a little further removed from it. The second person often spots things the first no longer notices.
Step 3: Find the cause behind each error
An error on its own says little. What’s more interesting is why it happened. Most deviations come down to one of these causes:
The file couldn’t be found. People then grab whatever they have to hand, such as a screenshot.
There was no template. Someone had to make something themselves and did their best.
The agreement wasn’t clear. The manual didn’t say what to do in this situation.
The version was out of date. After a change, not all files and partners were updated.
Step 4: Choose three actions and plan the next check
You don’t have to fix everything at once. Choose the three issues that come up most often or are most visible. Often that’s a missing template, an outdated logo at a partner or an unclear rule in the manual.
Then schedule a fixed time for the next brand check, for example every six months. That way you can see whether your actions are working. It also gets quicker each time, because you know where to look.
If you use an online brand manual, look there too. MarkBase, for example, shows which brand elements are complete and what’s still missing. That helps you find gaps in your visual identity before someone fills them in themselves.
In short
Gather what actually goes out and compare it with your visual identity.
Look at logo, colour, typeface and tone.
Find the cause of each error: findability, template, agreement or version.
Choose three actions and schedule a fixed next check.
Why does a consistent brand pay off? Read what research says, with the source for every figure.
