How to Improve the Brand Image of Your Company

Forget what you’ve heard about brand image being a logo or a colour palette. The reality? Brand image is the reputation you earn, the stuff people say about your business the moment you leave the room, or when you’re just another name in a Google search. In 2025, the brands that stand out aren’t just busy with marketing, they’re building trust, winning loyalty, and turning customers into advocates at every touchpoint. If you want a brand image that actually works for you, here’s how to make it happen.

What Is Brand Image?

Before you can improve your brand image, you need to know what it actually is and how it shows up in the real world.

Brand image is the story people tell about your business when you’re not in the room. It’s shaped by every conversation, every online review, every pixel of your website, and every way your team shows up. Whether someone meets you in person or stumbles across your brand on TikTok, they’re building a picture and deciding if you’re the kind of business they want to work with.

Why Does Brand Image Matter?

In a world full of noise, reputation is everything. A strong brand image does more than look good, it gets you noticed, builds trust, and makes you the obvious choice.

  • You become the name people remember and recommend.
  • You attract clients (and team members) who actually want to work with you.
  • You can bounce back from blips and own your narrative, even when things go wrong.
  • You get to charge what you’re worth, not what the market expects.

How to Assess Your Current Brand Image

You can’t improve what you haven’t measured. Start with a quick (but honest) brand image audit:

Step-by-Step Brand Image Audit Checklist

  1. Google your business (and your products). What’s showing up first, your own site, a glowing review, or a two-star rant?
  2. Check your online profiles (Google Business, LinkedIn, Trustpilot, industry directories). Is everything up to date and on-brand?
  3. Search your name on social media. See what pops up: hashtags, mentions, the good, the bad, and the “wish they’d emailed us first.”
  4. Dive into feedback. Surveys, support tickets, emails, what themes come up again and again? Use AI tools to spot patterns fast.
  5. Size up your competitors. Where are they shining? Where do you look stronger?
  6. Ask your team. What do they hear from clients? What would they change if they were in charge?

What now?
Don’t get lost in the weeds. Spot the patterns. Where does reality not match the reputation you want? That’s your to-do list.

Actionable Steps to Improve Brand Image

1. Refresh Your Brand Identity

Your look and feel is the first impression. Don’t let outdated logos or clashing colours kill your credibility.

  • Tighten up your visuals and make sure everything (website, socials, sales decks) matches.
  • Tell your real story, ditch generic claims and show what makes you, you.
  • If your brand identity no longer fits who you are or what you do, exploring a brand refresh or rebrand can help you reconnect with your market and stand out for the right reasons.
  • Consistent, distinctive brand identity is the foundation of positive perception.

2. Get Serious About Digital Reputation

Your brand lives online. Manage it, don’t ignore it.

  • Own and polish every major online listing (Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, industry directories).
  • Set up Google Alerts for your brand and product names so nothing slips under the radar.
  • Use smart social listening tools (AI-powered ones if you’re feeling fancy) to track what people are saying.
  • Negative review? Respond fast and with purpose. You might even win a fan.
  • Effective brand reputation management means monitoring conversations and responding with clarity.

3. Make ESG and Purpose Mean Something

Anyone can slap “sustainable” or “community-minded” on a website. Few back it up. If you care, prove it and talk about it often.

  • Share updates on what you’re actually doing (not just what you hope to do one day).
  • Show progress, even if you’re not perfect. People value honesty over hype.
  • A real-world example: A retailer we worked with switched to compostable packaging, told their story on socials, and saw a flood of positive feedback.

4. Turn Your Team into Advocates

Your people are your best brand builders (and sometimes your harshest critics).

  • Give your team the tools and confidence to share what they love about working with you, on LinkedIn, in meetings, or at the pub.
  • Feature “day-in-the-life” takeovers, celebrate wins, and bring the whole crew into your brand journey.
  • We see it all the time: Agency teams sharing their real stories always brings in more (and better) leads.

5. Use Social Proof Like You Mean It

People believe people. Not faceless brands.

  • Make it easy for clients to leave reviews at just the right moment.
  • Put your best testimonials front and centre, on your site, in proposals, on social media.
  • Real stories and honest feedback always beat corporate copywriting.
  • Building trust is much easier when you incorporate genuine brand image tips like social proof, case studies, and customer advocacy.

6. Consistency Wins

Brand confusion is a conversion killer.

  • Audit everything: website, email templates, socials, packaging, even your out-of-office reply.
  • Hunt down old logos, rogue fonts, or off-tone copy and give them a refresh.
  • Train your team so everyone’s singing from the same song sheet (and not freelancing with your brand assets).
  • Consistency across every platform strengthens brand image improvement and builds customer confidence.

7. Be Ready for Bumps in the Road

Every brand faces issues. The best brands don’t hide, they handle it.

  • Have a plan for negative press or social blowups before you need it.
  • Be quick, honest, and human in your response.
  • Show what you’re doing to fix things (not just what you wish had happened).
  • If your reputation takes a hit, proactive brand reputation management can help restore trust and loyalty.

Brand Image Tips for 2025: Quick-Start Checklist

  • Review your online presence and reputation monthly
  • Keep visuals and messaging fresh and aligned
  • Use AI tools to monitor what people are saying (and act on it)
    Share your ESG and impact stories. Truthfully
  • Get your team talking about your brand
  • Put genuine reviews and case studies where people will see them
  • Audit for consistency everywhere
  • Have crisis templates and a plan for feedback

Brand Image Mistakes to Avoid

No one gets it perfect all the time but some mistakes can quietly undo all your hard work. Watch out for these common pitfalls that trip up even the best brands:

  • Dodging feedback (people talk, better to join the conversation)
  • Letting your look or message get stale
  • Talking up ESG or values you can’t actually back up
  • Forgetting your team are brand builders too
  • Treating brand image as a “set and forget” project

Brand image improvement is a habit, not a one-off. If you want to build trust, grow your influence, and become a brand people actually remember, focus on your brand identity, keep your brand reputation management sharp, and don’t be afraid to ask whether you need a brand refresh or rebrand to get ahead.

Ready to start? Let’s chat about your brand image.

Or alternatively, take a look at some of our recent work!