Is It Time to Rebrand? A Simple DIY Audit for Founders

A step-by-step DIY brand audit to help founders and small businesses decide when it’s time to rebrand, or when a simple refresh will do

Co-founders Kristian Harris and Keenan Garvey of Bulk Branded

Hi, I’m Kristian, and I run Bulk Branded. We’re a UK-based promotional merchandise company that works with brands of all sizes, from startups that just want a few dozen tote bags to global companies placing orders for tens of thousands of products. We focus on helping businesses look sharp and consistent, whether that’s through branded mugs, custom apparel, or unique, fully bespoke merchandise. Over the years, I’ve had a front-row seat to how brands evolve. I’ve seen businesses outgrow their own identity without even realising it. That’s why I wanted to write this piece, not to tell you to run out and spend thousands on a shiny new logo, but to help you figure out whether your brand is still doing its job. Because sometimes, it isn’t. And it can be hard to see that when you’re in the thick of running a business.

This is a straightforward DIY audit you can use to decide if it’s time to rebrand or if your current brand just needs a bit of a polish.

Why Rebranding Isn’t Always the Answer

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that a rebrand will fix everything. Your sales are slowing, your competitors look slicker, your social engagement has dipped… and a full rebrand seems like a magic solution. It rarely is.

The truth is, sometimes your brand is perfectly fine, but your messaging or marketing hasn’t kept up. Other times, your audience perception has shifted. Or your offering has. And occasionally, yes, your brand truly has outlived its usefulness, and a complete overhaul is needed.

Before diving into a checklist, it’s worth being brutally honest with yourself: are you looking for a rebrand because things feel stale, or because they actually are?

Step 1: Audit Your Brand’s Visual Identity

Let’s start with the obvious, your logo, colours, and typography. I often say that a logo isn’t your brand, but it is the front door to it. If your logo looks like it belongs in another era (and not in a cool, retro way), you might be signalling to customers that you’re behind the times.

Take a step back. Literally. Print out your logo and place it next to competitors’ logos. Does it look modern? Or at least intentional? Does it feel like it represents what you sell or the audience you want to attract?

Ask yourself:

● Would I be proud to see this logo on a billboard tomorrow?

● Does it still work across all mediums, social media, packaging, merch, your

website?

● Have my colour palette or fonts aged well?

Here’s something to note: If your brand feels “off” but your logo isn’t terrible, you might not need a complete rebrand. Sometimes a refresh, a new font pairing, a simplified version of your logo, or a more cohesive colour palette, can breathe new life into everything.

Step 2: Examine Your Messaging

Brand visuals matter, but words carry more weight than most founders realise. Read through your website copy, email campaigns, product descriptions, and even how you introduce your company at networking events. Is it consistent? Does it reflect who you are today, not who you were when you launched?

For example, at Bulk Branded, we used to lean heavily on affordability. That was fine when we were new, but now, quality, customisation, and service are our big selling points. If we still used our old messaging, we’d sound like a budget printer rather than a trusted branding partner.

Questions to ask yourself:

● If I stripped away my logo, would people recognise my tone of voice?

● Do we sound like we’re trying too hard? Or worse, like we don’t care?

● Are we telling a consistent story across every platform?

● Does this messaging resonate with the customers we actually want, not just the ones we happen to have?

Step 3: Look at Market Positioning

This part is harder because it forces you to acknowledge what competitors are doing well. Who else is selling to your audience? How do they present themselves? If you were a customer, would you choose them over you? Why?

A lot of companies don’t realise they’ve been repositioned by the market over time. You might’ve started as a “premium” brand but over the years, cheaper competitors positioned you as “expensive.” Or maybe you’ve stayed small while the industry has consolidated, so you’re now perceived as “niche.”

Try a quick positioning test:

1. Write a one-sentence summary of your business.

2. Write a one-sentence summary of your top three competitors.

3. Be honest, do you stand out, or do you sound like everyone else?

If you sound generic, that’s a red flag. A brand should occupy a clear, memorable space in someone’s mind.

Step 4: Gather Audience Feedback

This is where it gets uncomfortable. It’s easy to assume you know what customers think of your brand. But most of us are biased.

A simple survey can be eye-opening. Send an email or ask for feedback on social media. Even better, have an outsider interview a few loyal customers.

Ask:

● How would you describe our brand to a friend?

● What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you see our logo?

● Why did you choose us over a competitor?

● What do you wish we’d improve?

Be prepared to hear things you don’t like. Maybe people find your branding “cheap” or “dated.” Or maybe they don’t notice your branding at all, which is arguably worse. One of my favourite things to do is look at reviews. The words customers use about your brand can be revealing. If you’re positioning yourself as luxury, but reviews constantly mention “cheap,” something’s misaligned.

Step 5: Audit Internal Alignment

Your brand isn’t just how you look externally. It’s also how your team sees and represents your company. If your employees aren’t aligned, your brand won’t be either.

Ask your team:

● How do you describe the company to friends?

● What do you think makes us different?

● What values do we represent?

If the answers are inconsistent, you don’t have a brand problem, you have a brand identity crisis.

Step 6: Check Performance Metrics

Sometimes the data speaks for itself. If you’ve noticed declining engagement, lower conversions, or stagnant growth, your brand might be part of the problem. It’s not always the root cause, but branding does impact metrics like:

● Click-through rates (are your visuals and messaging compelling enough to make people click?)

● Conversion rates (are you attracting the right customers or just any customers?)

● Repeat business (does your brand inspire loyalty?)

A dip in one area isn’t necessarily cause for a rebrand. But a consistent downward trend across multiple touch points can signal that people aren’t connecting with you anymore.

Step 7: Assess Whether Your Brand Reflects Your Future

This is the big one. A brand doesn’t just represent who you are, it’s who you’re becoming.

If you’re planning to move upmarket, expand internationally, or shift your offering entirely, your current brand might not have the range to grow with you.

For instance, Bulk Branded started small. We printed simple items. Today, we’re handling huge custom orders, producing bespoke designs, and building long-term partnerships. We needed a brand that felt scalable.

Ask yourself: Will this brand still make sense in five years?

Signs You Might Only Need a Brand Refresh

Full rebrands are expensive, time-consuming, and often unnecessary.

Here are signs a refresh will do:

● Your logo is solid, but colours and fonts feel dated.

● You like your name, but the design execution could be sharper.

● Your messaging needs a tone update, not a full rewrite.

● Customers recognise and trust your brand, but you feel bored of it (boredom isn’t a reason to rebrand).

Signs It’s Time for a Full Rebrand

A full rebrand means revisiting your name, positioning, visuals, and messaging from the ground up. That’s a big move.

Consider it if:

● Your business model has changed significantly.

● Your audience has shifted entirely.

● Your name is confusing, limiting, or doesn’t translate well internationally.

● Competitors are constantly mistaken for you.

● Your brand has negative associations you can’t shake.

A Practical DIY Brand Audit Framework

Here’s a simple way to do this on your own (or with your team):

1. Visual Check: Collect all your brand assets (logo, fonts, colours, packaging, website screenshots, social posts) and pin them on a wall or digital board. Look at them as a whole. Do they feel cohesive?

2. Messaging Check: Write out your current elevator pitch, tagline, and a few

paragraphs from your website. Are they consistent and confident?

3. Positioning Review: Write a one-liner for yourself and your top competitors. Would a stranger instantly know how you’re different?

4. Audience Insights: Send a five-question survey to your customers. Keep it simple, but ask for honest opinions.

5. Data Review: Pull up analytics. Look for patterns, especially if certain products, ads, or campaigns perform much worse than others.

6. Future Goals: Write down where you want the business to be in 3–5 years. Does your current brand feel like it belongs in that future?

Do this audit every 18–24 months. Brands evolve faster than we think.

The Emotional Side of Rebranding

One thing I’ve learned working with hundreds of businesses: founders are often emotionally attached to their brand identity. That’s not a bad thing, but it can cloud judgment. If you designed your own logo, you might love it, even if it’s hurting your growth. Or maybe your brand name was inspired by your pet. That’s sweet, but if no one understands it, you’re making things harder than they need to be. Sometimes stepping back and letting outside voices weigh in is the best decision you can make.

How Bulk Branded Approaches Branding

At Bulk Branded, we see branding as more than logos and merchandise. We think of it as a full ecosystem. If a company’s branding feels disjointed, we can’t create merchandise that feels consistent or premium. So we often act as a quiet advisor, pointing out where a client’s identity might be holding them back.

Some of our most successful projects started with a small suggestion: “What if we simplified your logo before printing it on a thousand hoodies?” That one tweak changed the entire perception of their company.

A rebrand is not a vanity project. It’s a business decision. Done well, it can attract new customers, reposition your company, and energise your team. Done poorly, it’s an expensive distraction.

The good news? You don’t need a big budget to start assessing your brand. This audit is a starting point. Print this checklist. Make time for honest conversations with your team. Ask your customers what they think. And then, if the evidence points to a rebrand, you’ll know it’s the right move.

If not, maybe you just need a refresh, and that’s perfectly fine. Sometimes polishing what you have is the smartest branding move you can make.