Intake · Objectives · Audience · Product · Delivery
Merch brief template
The standard brief template we use with corporate clients in Mexico to scope merch projects. Covers objectives, audience, product, customisation, sizing, delivery, calendar, budget and contact owners. Designed to reduce rework and align expectations from the first iteration.
Section 1: project context
The first section of the brief establishes the project context. Project name, internal reference, sponsoring area, budget area, expected approval date, target delivery date, and a brief description of the business objective behind the merch programme. The business objective can be: brand reinforcement at a trade fair, employee recognition, customer loyalty, sales incentive, distributor incentive, product launch support, anniversary or holiday gift.
The brief also includes the source of the brief — request from the marketing area, HR, sales, communications or external agency — and the decision makers per area. When the project involves multiple departments we recommend filling the brief in a joint session with all areas present to align objectives and avoid changes later.
Section 2: audience and sizing
The second section describes the target audience. Number of recipients, demographic profile, role or department when applicable, geographic distribution, language preference. When the audience is employees we add the size roster — declared size per recipient with written confirmation. When the audience is external we add criteria for any customisation — name, position, region, language.
The sizing section specifies whether the brief includes a sizing pilot run, whether the customer prefers aggregated sizing by percentage, whether the project includes a backup kit with additional sizes for first-month replacements, and who is the responsible person for size collection and confirmation.
Section 3: product and customisation
The third section describes the product. Product type or family, base reference when it exists in catalogue, suggested material when it is custom, applicable certification when required by ESG commitment, expected shelf life, MOQ per product and aggregated volume. The section also includes packaging requirements — individual packaging, kit assembly, gift wrap, packaging for transport.
Customisation specifies the artwork — final file, version, approval status, copyright owner and licensing — and the customisation technique per piece — embroidery, screen print, sublimation, DTF, engraving, debossing, hot stamping. The brief also specifies the colour palette with Pantone references and the brand elements to include — logo, slogan, campaign hashtag, personalisation fields.
Section 4: delivery and logistics
The fourth section describes delivery and logistics. Delivery destinations with full address and contact per destination, access protocol when applicable — schedule, access point, receiving owner, dock window — and required delivery format — by appointment, by courier with acknowledgement, by palletised transport for large volumes.
When delivery is to an event, the brief includes event name, dates, location, booth number, on-site consignee, dock window and any special instructions from the venue. When delivery is to multiple corporate addresses, the brief specifies whether delivery is centralised or per destination, who coordinates at each destination and who signs the acknowledgement.
Section 5: calendar and budget
The fifth section establishes the calendar. Artwork approval date, production start date, quality control date, shipment date, delivery date. Each milestone is assigned to a responsible person with backup. The brief also includes the approval flow — single level, two levels, three levels — and the expected duration of each level.
Budget section specifies amount per piece, total budget, payment terms — advance, fifteen days, thirty days, forty-five days — and billing flow — single invoice, per destination invoice, per event invoice. The brief also includes any financial restrictions — ceiling per unit, ceiling per line, restrictions on amounts, requirement of three quotes.
Section 6: contacts and approvals
The sixth section lists the contact persons per area. Commercial contact at the customer, decision-making commercial contact, billing contact, receiving contact at each destination, art approval contact, internal compliance contact when applicable. The brief also specifies the workshop owner — commercial and quality — and the escalation contacts when applicable.
The approval section specifies who approves the brief, who approves the quote, who approves the artwork, who approves the delivery, who approves the invoice. The brief closes with signature of the responsible person at the customer and the workshop owner, and the date of approval.
FAQ — brief template block
Is the brief template mandatory?
Yes for corporate customers with formal processes. For smaller orders we accept a simplified brief via email or messaging, but we recommend the formal template to avoid rework.
Can the brief be modified after approval?
Yes, but changes after artwork approval may generate rework costs. The change policy is documented in the quote and applied per case.
Who fills the brief at the customer?
The commercial contact at the customer usually fills the brief with support from the requesting area, marketing, HR, sales or communications. For multi-area projects we recommend a joint session.
Is there a digital version?
Yes, the template is available in Word, Excel and Google Docs format. The customer chooses the format that best suits their internal processes.
Request the brief template
If your company wants to adopt the brief template to standardise merch project intake, let's talk. We deliver the template in editable format and, if required, brief your team on its use.
The brief template described on this page reflects the workshop's usual practice with corporate customers in Mexico. Sections and fields can be adapted to the customer's internal processes; the workshop is flexible in adopting customer-specific formats when required. Corp-Merch.MX is a Mexican workshop for corporate merch production; we operate independently and the template information does not constitute legal or commercial advice.