Assessing your organisation’s communications with audits

• Audits strengthen an organisation’s identity and communications by revealing strengths and areas for improvement.

Two main types of audits:

• Communications audit: Reviews your own organisation’s messaging, visuals, channels, and brand consistency.
• Organisation audit: Reviews other organisations’ identity and communications to learn best practices.

• Audits assess: brand architecture, brand strategy consistency, visuals, messaging, and audience/donor experience.
• Materials to review: website, emails, social media profiles/posts, print mail, ads, case studies, and other communications.
• Sampling: Use 10–15 pieces of each type from the past year or all from the past 3 months to represent audience experience.

Conduct audits by:

• Collecting materials
• Reviewing each piece against clear criteria
• Using a scale (1–5) to rate clarity and consistency
• Using blind audits for audience experience (someone unfamiliar explores your organisation)
• Findings should be actionable; assign responsibility and create timelines for implementing changes.
• Brand architecture audits: Identify parent brand, sub-brands, products; assess strengths, weaknesses, presentation, and type (house of brands, branded house, hybrid).
• Brand strategy audits: Evaluate if messaging and visuals accurately reflect the organisation and appeal to the audience; identify areas for improvement.
• Audience experience audits: Understand how target and donor audiences experience your organisation from first contact to engagement; map audience journeys.
• When learning from other organisations: assess messaging, channels, visuals, and audience journey to identify useful strategies and differentiate your organisation.
• Audits can be used together or separately, depending on organisational goals.