Before you sit down to make your next marketing strategy–moreso, before you make any big, swift changes to your branding or logo–take a moment to survey the people closest to the work, the people who know it best and care about it the most.
A survey is a key component of a brand audit; ideally it should be a regular part of strategic planning and creation of the annual marketing strategy. Think of it as internal “market research,” where you’re exploring your weaknesses and opportunities from within. As you’ll see, a simple 10-question survey or even five prompts in a workshop setting can reveal opportunities and help avoid mishaps.
The Format of Internal “Market Research”
The quickest, easiest way to get feedback is by using a Google survey. All you need is a Google login to create one, and Google is accessible to people across platforms. I recommend this method if you have a lot of people who want to weigh in remotely or if you have a people who may not feel comfortable speaking in front of leadership.
You might also consider gathering a core group of stakeholders (an intersection of leadership, board, and staff) for an in-person workshop or roundtable. This can generate additional ideas as people bounce ideas off each other. I recommend this method if you are experiencing some low morale (you can keep the workshop focused on the positive changes you want to make and the best things about the organization) or if you have staff who are not aligned (let them hear directly from each other).
A third option: Go hybrid! Host a core gathering to gain in-person feedback, and then send a Google survey to catch a broader group. Vice versa works too.
Some examples from Flicker Media clients:
5 Questions You Should Ask in Your Survey
You should ask the questions that will help you create a strategy down the road. So make a point to gauge things that will help you create a SWOT, brand guidelines, audience targeting, etc. At minimum, I recommend these five questions (however painful they might be to ask):
Don’t miss that last one–perhaps Cracker Barrel wouldn’t have been in such a mess in Fall 2025 if they had spoken directly to their long-time staff and founders first.
At Hope For The Warriors, feedback on the brand identity revealed a readiness for rebranding that surprised leadership–but also a desire to stay true to the feeling of military pride. This allowed HOPE to charge forward with modernizing the brand ahead of the nonprofit’s 20th anniversary, while also avoiding any backlash that could come from inadvertently separating the brand from the mission.
At St. Andrews Lutheran School, staff feedback revealed a need for more clarity around what makes the school special and more consistency in the use of brand guidelines.
Need some help getting going on your staff survey? I’m happy to help draft your survey, run your workshop, and even complete an audit or brand strategy. Learn more here.
A survey is a key component of a brand audit; ideally it should be a regular part of strategic planning and creation of the annual marketing strategy. Think of it as internal “market research,” where you’re exploring your weaknesses and opportunities from within. As you’ll see, a simple 10-question survey or even five prompts in a workshop setting can reveal opportunities and help avoid mishaps.
The Format of Internal “Market Research”
The quickest, easiest way to get feedback is by using a Google survey. All you need is a Google login to create one, and Google is accessible to people across platforms. I recommend this method if you have a lot of people who want to weigh in remotely or if you have a people who may not feel comfortable speaking in front of leadership.
You might also consider gathering a core group of stakeholders (an intersection of leadership, board, and staff) for an in-person workshop or roundtable. This can generate additional ideas as people bounce ideas off each other. I recommend this method if you are experiencing some low morale (you can keep the workshop focused on the positive changes you want to make and the best things about the organization) or if you have staff who are not aligned (let them hear directly from each other).
A third option: Go hybrid! Host a core gathering to gain in-person feedback, and then send a Google survey to catch a broader group. Vice versa works too.
Some examples from Flicker Media clients:
- In the case of nonprofit organization Hope For The Warriors, we asked for feedback from the entire staff and board. But we took time to also do a roundtable with a core group that had more stake in the rebrand.
- For HPS–Nonprofit Allies, when they struggled to pinpoint exactly what made them so special, we took the survey instead to the clients who chose them as their consultant. One of the survey responses was gold, and now we are using some of that stakeholder’s words verbatim in HPS campaigns (not as a testimonial, as part of the boilerplate).
5 Questions You Should Ask in Your Survey
You should ask the questions that will help you create a strategy down the road. So make a point to gauge things that will help you create a SWOT, brand guidelines, audience targeting, etc. At minimum, I recommend these five questions (however painful they might be to ask):
- What sets us apart from our competition?
- Who is our ideal client/donor/member?
- Why might people avoid our organization?
- What should be included more in our marketing and communications?
- What feedback do you have about our brand identity, specifically our logo?
Don’t miss that last one–perhaps Cracker Barrel wouldn’t have been in such a mess in Fall 2025 if they had spoken directly to their long-time staff and founders first.
At Hope For The Warriors, feedback on the brand identity revealed a readiness for rebranding that surprised leadership–but also a desire to stay true to the feeling of military pride. This allowed HOPE to charge forward with modernizing the brand ahead of the nonprofit’s 20th anniversary, while also avoiding any backlash that could come from inadvertently separating the brand from the mission.
At St. Andrews Lutheran School, staff feedback revealed a need for more clarity around what makes the school special and more consistency in the use of brand guidelines.
Need some help getting going on your staff survey? I’m happy to help draft your survey, run your workshop, and even complete an audit or brand strategy. Learn more here.