Is Your Brand Having a Mid-Year Crisis? Take This Quiz to Find Out
August: The Quiet Danger Zone for Brands
By the time August rolls around, many business owners are operating on autopilot. The year kicked off with energy, strategy sessions, and ambitious goals. But then came spring busyness, summer distractions, and client work that demanded constant attention. Somewhere in the mix, marketing routines slipped, and the brand you carefully curated in January? It might be quietly unraveling.
Here’s the thing—brands rarely collapse overnight. Instead, they fade through small, almost invisible compromises:
A Facebook graphic uses a slightly wrong shade of your brand color.
A vendor pulls an outdated logo from their files because “it’s what they had.”
Your Instagram feed slowly loses its style and becomes a random assortment of content.
These aren’t catastrophic mistakes in isolation. But together, they’re like a slow leak in your brand’s tire—you won’t notice the danger until the momentum is gone.
That’s why August is the perfect time to run a Mid-Year Brand Health Check. It’s far enough into the year for problems to surface, but not too late to correct them before the final quarter.
Instead of a lecture, I’m giving you something more practical: a 7-question self-test to see where your brand really stands—and to help you take the right next step.
The Mid-Year Brand Health Quiz
For each question, choose the answer that best describes your current situation. Keep track of your points, then tally your score at the end.
1. How consistent is your brand’s look across all platforms?
A. Perfectly consistent. Website, social media, packaging, print—they all look unified. (3 points)
B. Mostly consistent, but small variations creep in. (2 points)
C. All over the place—colors, fonts, and styles change depending on where you look. (1 point)
Why it matters: Consistency builds recognition and trust. Without it, you’re just adding noise to the marketplace.
2. When was the last time you updated your brand guidelines?
A. Within the last 6 months. (3 points)
B. In the last 2 years. (2 points)
C. I don’t have official brand guidelines. (1 point)
Why it matters: Brand guidelines are your visual DNA. Without them, your brand is vulnerable to unintentional changes every time someone makes a new asset.
3. How well does your brand reflect your audience’s current needs?
A. Perfectly. I’ve recently updated visuals and messaging based on research. (3 points)
B. Somewhat. I know they’ve changed, but I haven’t adapted much yet. (2 points)
C. Poorly. My brand feels out of sync with my audience. (1 point)
Why it matters: Audiences evolve. If your brand doesn’t, you risk losing relevance.
4. How often do people compliment your brand visuals?
A. Often—it’s a key talking point in my business. (3 points)
B. Occasionally. (2 points)
C. Rarely, if ever. (1 point)
Why it matters: A distinctive brand sparks conversation and builds memorability.
5. Compared to competitors, where does your brand stand?
A. Clearly distinctive in style, tone, and identity. (3 points)
B. Somewhat similar. (2 points)
C. Almost identical—it’s hard to tell us apart. (1 point)
Why it matters: If you look like everyone else, customers choose on price, not loyalty.
6. How much do you enjoy using your own brand?
A. I love it—it inspires me to create. (3 points)
B. It’s fine, but some elements feel dated. (2 points)
C. I’m over it. (1 point)
Why it matters: Your energy toward your brand influences how customers perceive it.
7. Are you prepared for the next big season in your business?
A. Yes—templates, campaigns, and visuals are ready. (3 points)
B. Sort of. (2 points)
C. Not at all. (1 point)
Why it matters: Strong brands lead with intention, not last-minute scrambling.
Scoring Your Mid-Year Brand Health
18–21 points: You’re Solid. Your brand is in excellent shape. Keep maintaining consistency and staying tuned to your audience.
12–17 points: Stable but Vulnerable. You’re doing well, but cracks are forming. A brand refresh now can prevent bigger issues later.
7–11 points: Crisis Mode. Your brand is inconsistent, outdated, or disconnected from your audience. Act now to turn things around.
DIY Brand Fixes You Can Start Today
Even if your score wasn’t perfect, here are quick wins:
Audit your touchpoints: Website, social media, packaging—ensure visual and tonal alignment.
Update your brand guidelines: Lock in your fonts, colors, and usage rules.
Refresh your audience profile: Match your visuals to their current style.
Clean up your asset library: Delete outdated files.
Plan seasonal campaigns now: Design your fall and holiday materials in advance.
When It’s Time to Bring in a Professional
Some problems are surface-level. Others require a strategic brand overhaul—and that’s where I come in.
Here’s how I help brands like yours:
Custom Brand Audits: I identify where your brand is slipping and provide a roadmap to fix it.
Full Brand Refreshes: I modernize your logo, colors, and style to keep you relevant without losing your identity.
Visual Identity Systems: I create brand kits and guidelines so your look stays consistent everywhere.
Strategic Messaging Alignment: I help you communicate your value clearly to the right audience.
Next Steps? Take the quiz and email with any questions you may have, I would love to chat.
Photo by Rishabh Dharmani on Unsplash