In 2000, Kevin Lane Keller introduced the brand report card, a pioneering framework for evaluating brand performance and equity. His ten essential attributes gave managers a structured approach to diagnosing brand strengths and weaknesses. However, twenty-five years later, the landscape of brand building—particularly in corporate and institutional spaces—has shifted significantly.

Digital transformation has redefined the brandscape, raising expectations and amplifying the importance of purpose. Technology plays a central role in how organisations engage with their stakeholders, while inclusivity, sustainability, and ethical practices have moved from optional to essential. For brands to remain relevant and resilient, a more modern framework is needed to reflect these evolving dynamics.

At Firstwater, we’ve built upon Keller’s seminal work by integrating our Brand Value Creation (BVC) methodology and the six indicators of brand clarity. Using BVC as a lens, we expanded on the original attributes to create a 12-question scorecard to address today’s most pressing challenges and opportunities. Our goal: to help brand leaders drive meaningful conversations among leadership teams about the evolving role of brands in an “always-on” and “always-meaningful” marketplace.

STARTING WITH THE SIX INDICATORS OF BRAND CLARITY

From diagnosis to performance

Having proven their validity, the enhanced model is aligned with the six indicators of brand clarity, the measurement framework that underpins our approach to strategising and building strong, purpose-driven, future-focused sustainable brands. To recap, the six indicators are:

1. Higher purpose — aligning with clarity of mission and long-term investment in identity;

2. Purpose-driven strategy — supporting cohesive decision-making and alignment across a portfolio;

3. Conscious communications — focusing on consistent, authentic messaging across all touchpoints;

4. Intrinsic motivations — evaluating internal alignment and commitment to human values;

5. Empathetic connections — ensuring relationships are meaningful and based on shared value; and

6. Creative agility and resilience — supporting adaptability and innovation in a dynamic marketplace.

12 QUESTIONS TO FUTURE-PROOF YOUR BRAND

Aligned with the six indicators of brand clarity, the enhanced scorecard is a smart tool that encourages leadership discussions and helps assess efforts purposefully and impactfully. By turning traditional attributes into thoughtful questions, this model connects initiatives with stakeholders' expectations and meets today's empathy, inclusivity, sustainability, and resilience needs.

Below is a comprehensive exploration of the 12 key attributes, each methodically recast as essential questions that align with the six indicators. This framework is intended to guide in identifying strengths, exposing vulnerabilities, and generating actionable insights that refine and elevate their brand strategy. This approach allows organisations to move beyond surface-level evaluations to embrace a deeper, more strategic alignment with their mission, values, and staleholder needs.

Indicator number one
HIGHER PURPOSE

1. Are you correctly positioned?

Does your brand clearly articulate its unique value proposition and stand apart from others?

Why it matters

Strong positioning ensures stakeholders instantly understand why they should choose your brand, enabling you to stand out in competitive markets.

Tech starter for ten

Use digital engagement to craft compelling stories about your value proposition. Leverage social media, websites, and apps to amplify your positioning consistently.

2. Does your brand receive sustained support?

Are you consistently investing in your brand to ensure relevance and long-term success?

Why it matters

Sustained investment ensures your brand evolves with the market, maintaining relevance and stakeholder trust.

Tech starter for ten

Leverage data analytics to monitor brand equity trends and ensure continuous resource allocation for campaigns, content, and innovation.

Indicator number two
PURPOSE-DRIVEN STRATEGY

3. Is your pricing aligned with the market’s perceptions of value?

Does your pricing reflect the perceived quality and meet stakeholders’ expectations?

Why it matters

Pricing aligned with perceptions builds trust and reinforces the value proposition, ensuring your brand meets functional and emotional expectations.

Tech starter for ten

Utilise AI-driven pricing models to dynamically align with market trends and customer expectations.

4. Does your brand fit cohesively into your portfolio?

Does your brand portfolio and architecture work logically, targeting distinct markets without overlap?

Why it matters

A cohesive portfolio maximises synergies while targeting distinct segments, ensuring clarity and preventing brand cannibalisation.

Tech starter for ten

Digital asset management systems can streamline portfolio oversight and identify opportunities for optimisation.

Indicator number three
CONSCIOUS COMMUNICATIONS

5. Is your messaging and identity consistent?

Does your brand maintain a uniform tone, messaging, and visual identity across all touchpoints?

Why it matters

Consistency builds trust and strengthens brand recognition, ensuring credibility with audiences.

Tech starter for ten

Brand governance platforms ensure uniform messaging and identity across global teams.

6. Is your marketing strategy integrated across platforms?

Are your efforts coordinated to deliver a cohesive and compelling brand message?

Why it matters

An integrated strategy ensures seamless brand experiences, building deeper connections.

Tech starter for ten

AI and analytics tools can personalise messaging while maintaining cohesion across channels.

Indicator number four
INTRINSIC MOTIVATIONS

7. Do managers and teams understand what your organisation stand for?

Vice versa, do you and your leadership team clearly understand how your brand resonates with employees and customers?

Why it matters

When leadership and teams align, they deliver consistent messaging, innovation, and operations, building internal motivation and external trust.

Tech starter for ten

AI-driven employee engagement tools can help leadership assess team alignment and identify gaps in internal motivation.

8. Are your internal teams aligned with your organisation’s mission and values?

Are employees motivated and unified in delivering consistent experiences?

Why it matters

A unified workforce motivated by shared values fosters internal and external trust.

Tech starter for ten

Collaboration platforms like Monday, Slack or MS Teams can improve internal alignment by fostering transparent, purpose-driven communication.

Indicator number five
EMPATHETIC CONNECTIONS

9. Does your brand deliver the benefits people desire?

Are you meeting employee and customer needs by creating engaging and valuable experiences?

Why it matters

Delivering on needs builds loyalty and strengthens relationships.

Tech starter for ten

Customer relationship management (CRM) systems can provide data-driven insights to fine-tune experiences and anticipate customer needs.

10. Does your brand foster inclusive engagement?

Are your brand experiences inclusive and representative across diverse demographics?

Why it matters

Inclusive engagement builds trust and expands your audience, fostering loyalty.

Tech starter for ten

AI-powered accessibility tools, like automated captions and screen readers, can ensure inclusivity across all digital touchpoints.

Indicator number six
CREATIVE AGILITY & RESILIENCE

11. Is your brand staying relevant?

Are you adapting to trends, technologies, and customer behaviours to remain essential?

Why it matters

Relevance secures long-term loyalty and keeps your brand top-of-mind.

Tech starter for ten

Social listening tools like Brandwatch or Sprout Social can identify emerging trends and inform adaptation strategies.

12. Do you monitor brand performance?

Do you track impact, performance, and perceptions regularly?

Why it matters

Monitoring allows brands to adapt to market trends, maintaining alignment with their mission.

Tech starter for ten

Dashboards like Google Analytics or Tableau offer real-time insights into performance metrics and customer sentiment.

WHY THIS MODEL MATTERS

This BVC scorecard is necessary because it transforms traditional branding attributes into discussion-provoking prompts organisations can use to evaluate and improve their sustainable brand-building efforts. Reordering and expanding attributes into probing questions creates a self-diagnostic tool that aligns branding with the diverse demands of modern stakeholders. This enhanced tool emphasises essential contemporary principles—empathy, inclusivity, sustainability, and adaptability—ensuring that brand strategies reflect internal realities and resonate deeply with external expectations.

People seek authenticity and purpose, and this enhanced model aids organisations in making more informed decisions while fostering meaningful connections. It goes beyond evaluating the surface level of identity and leadership to exploring factors that shape resilience, relevance, and trust. With these enhancements, this tool transcends the traditional approach to brand-building—towards empowering brand as a leadership imperative and a vehicle to help shape the future of business with clarity, purpose, and enduring impact.

Your turn: Evaluate your business through brand

We’ve created a FREE downloadable worksheet that walks you through these 12 questions with practical steps to build a stronger, future-focused brand. Use the worksheet to:

• Identify strengths and opportunities;

• Build targeted strategies for growth;

• Foster alignment and engagement.

Ready to future-proof your brand?

Get in touch to learn how can help you lead with clarity, purpose, and impact.