Last year at a presentation I was giving on brands and branding a lady asked me what I considered to be the three most important characteristics of strong brand. I can’t remember exactly what I said at the time, but I can remember that my answer probably involved four factors rather than three.

The start of a new year is a classic time for organisations to take a fresh look at their brands and branding – for a quick health check, light refresh or perhaps the full rebrand workout.

If you are embarking on this process and looking for some simple critique criteria, these basic pointers may be a good place to start. So here they are, rationalised down to three essentials. And in a classic 3 C marketing format.

The three Cs of branding:

Credibility

/ Is it relevant to the values and goals of your company?
/ Is it relevant to target audience?
/ Does it give instant reassurance and trust?
/ Is it in step with today’s world?
/ Does it encourage an emotional connection as well as a rational one?

Consistency

/ Is it executed to a high standard across all applications?
/ Do your people understand your brand and its importance?
/ Is it easily recognisable – look and feel/tone of voice/behaviour?

Competitive

/ Does it stand out?
/ Does it support your USPs?
/ Does it add value?