Structured brief · 11 blocks
Corporate merch brief template
The template we use to quote and produce corporate merch in Mexico. Eleven blocks covering product, quantities, customization, packaging, logistics, evidence, CFDI 4.0 and delivery. If you send it to us complete, the formal quote goes out within 48 business hours.
Block 1 · Client and program identification
The first block of the brief identifies the client and the program. It includes legal name, RFC (Mexican tax ID), fiscal address, fiscal regime for CFDI 4.0 purposes, name of the program owner, email and phone, and trade name when it differs from the legal name. When the client is an IMMEX company, the IMMEX program number and modality are noted (warehouse, manufacturing, services). When the client is a government agency, the purchasing unit, procedure number and delivery calendar set in the contract are noted.
This block is mandatory. Without it we cannot generate a valid CFDI 4.0 or route the delivery correctly.
Block 2 · Program goal and audience
The second block describes the program goal and the audience the piece targets. Is it a seniority recognition for collaborators with five, ten, fifteen and twenty years? Is it an operating uniform for store staff? Is it an onboarding kit for new engineers? Is it a courtesy gift for an industry congress? Is it a press kit for an international fair? The answer guides the decisions on product, print method and packaging.
When the audience is mixed — staff, press, VIP and speaking — the estimated quantity per audience is noted to calculate the pieces with differentiated treatment. For example: 800 pieces for staff in collective packaging, 200 pieces for press in box with card, 50 VIP pieces in rigid box with personalized ribbon.
Block 3 · Product and quantities per SKU
The third block is the most detailed. It lists each product (SKU) with total quantity and, when applicable, distribution by size, color or variant. For t-shirts we note composition, weight, blank brand when there is preference, garment color and size curve. For backpacks we note capacity in liters, main material (600D polyester, nylon, organic cotton), color and additional features (laptop compartment, thermal compartment, audio jack). For electronic items we note battery capacity, voltage, certifications and accessories.
For runs with split sizes we indicate the target curve — for example XXS 5%, S 20%, M 35%, L 25%, XL 10%, XXL 5%. The actual curve is adjusted when the client closes the internal size collection; the difference between target curve and actual is the most common source of shortages and surplus.
Block 4 · Customization: method, position and files
The fourth block defines customization. The primary method is chosen — screen, embroidery, sublimation, digital transfer, laser engraving, DTF — and an alternative method when applicable. For each product we note the logo position (left chest 8 cm from the neck, centered back, right sleeve, etc.), size in centimeters, number of inks or colors, and reference to the file in editable format (AI, CDR, vector PDF) plus the client's brand manual.
When the logo requires a specific Pantone, the code is noted. When variable text is required — collaborator name, collaborator number, seniority date — the data file is sent in Excel with UTF-8 encoding and the order of the variables is defined. Variable-text customization usually requires a pilot of five to ten pieces before full production.
Block 5 · Individual, collective and delivery packaging
The fifth block defines packaging. For individual packaging: polyethylene bag with seal, one-color printed cardboard box, rigid box with personalized ribbon, cloth sleeve, or none (master packing only). For collective packaging: corrugated cardboard box with quantity per box, external label with SKU and quantity, internal division with separators when applicable. For delivery packaging: pallet, stretch wrap, shipping label and acknowledgment format.
When the program includes kits with several pieces (t-shirt + tumbler + notebook + card), packaging is part of the product and is quoted separately. The brief must distinguish between the packaging of each SKU and the packaging of the assembled kit, because the cost and time of packing change.
Block 6 · Logistics and delivery
The sixth block defines logistics. For each delivery destination — corporate, warehouse, event, collaborator address — the full address with postal code is noted, reception hours, name of the responsible person, contact phone, access requirements (prior appointment, badge, ID, reception format) and delivery deadline. For event deliveries, the event name, dates, venue dock window and on-site consignee are noted.
When delivery requires on-site staff for placement or unloading, the number of people and the days are noted. When the destination requires multiple deliveries on a calendar — for example a weekly delivery over a quarter — the full calendar is noted and it is scheduled as staggered production.
Block 7 · Regulatory compliance and evidence
The seventh block notes the regulatory compliance required. For textiles NOM-004-SCFI-2006 applies with manufacturer label, country of origin, composition, care and size. For electronics NOM-024-SCFI-2013 applies with commercial information and, when connected to the mains, NOM-003-SCFI-2014 on electrical safety. For beverage sets NOM-141-SSA1-SCFI-2012 applies with denomination of origin, net content, alcohol by volume, batch and warning legends. For food NOM-251-SSA1-2009 and NOM-035-SSAH-2012 apply.
When the client requires additional documented evidence — shop compliance letter, certificates of origin, laboratory test certificates, signed AQL reports — it is noted in this block. Evidence is delivered within 48 business hours of the request.
Block 8 · CFDI 4.0 and billing data
The eighth block collects the data for CFDI 4.0. Legal name exactly as it appears in the SAT's constancia de situación fiscal, RFC, fiscal address with postal code, fiscal regime, uso de CFDI (G03 general expenditures, G01 acquisitions, I04 transportation equipment, etc.), forma de pago (PUE single-payment, PPD installments or deferred), método de pago (transfer, check, card) and email for CFDI delivery when it differs from the program owner.
When the operation involves payment complement, foreign trade or Carta Porte 3.0, it is noted in this block. For IMMEX clients the program number and temporary import pedimento are required; for Carta Porte shipments origin and destination with correct postal codes are required.
Block 9 · Deadlines, partials and calendar
The ninth block defines the calendar. Brief approval deadline, art approval deadline, production start date, first partial delivery date, dates of the next partials, program close date. When the client has a hard date associated with the program (convention, fair, anniversary, launch, recruiting fair), the event date drives the calendar and the rest is built backwards.
When production is scheduled in partials, each partial has its own MOQ and its own timeline. The smallest partial sets the production schedule, not the largest.
Block 10 · Approvers and owners
The tenth block identifies the approvers. Name and email of the person approving the brief, of the person approving the final art, of the person approving packaging, of the person approving the physical sample when applicable, of the person approving delivery and signing the acknowledgment. Without these owners identified, the program is delayed because each approval requires a query.
When any approver changes during the program — vacation, resignation, restructuring — the client notifies us by email and we update the flow. Approval traceability is kept for twelve months.
Block 11 · Special considerations
The eleventh and last block collects considerations that do not fit in the previous blocks. For example: recycled or fair-trade pieces, specific certifications required by the client, confidentiality requirements, registered brand handling, special packaging conditions for fragile or high-value pieces, temperature-controlled product handling, air transport restrictions for pieces with lithium battery, phytosanitary requirements for pieces with organic material, secondary labeling language.
This block is optional but useful. When a program has a particular consideration that does not appear in the previous ten blocks, capturing it here speeds up the quote and reduces the risk of misunderstanding.
Send us your brief for a quote
Complete the template with the eleven blocks and send it through the form on this page. We deliver a formal line-by-line quote within 48 business hours. If you have questions about any block, raise them in the message field and we will respond before quoting.
The brief template is a structured guide to reduce quoting time and minimize the risk of order error. It is not a contract or a price commitment until the formal quote is approved with a purchase order. Corp-Merch.MX operates independently and the template information reflects the quoting process at the time of publication.