Case study · FMCG launch
Seasonal product launch
Case study: seasonal merch campaign for a new beverage collection launch in 8 Czech cities.
Czech & EU context
Seasonal product launch is one of the key FMCG campaigns where corporate merchandise plays a dual role: practical (the customer takes home the product or sample) and communicative (the buyer's visual identity is transferred to other users). The program described included the launch of a new summer collection of soft drinks (3 flavours: lemon-mint, grapefruit-basil, forest fruits) on the Czech market in 8 cities (Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň, Liberec, Olomouc, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové) with an accompanying merch campaign. The program included 12,000 pieces of branded merch (woven bag, metal bottle, wooden openers, sunglasses with logo, bracelets from recycled plastic) and 8,000 product samples.
The buyer was a mid-sized European FMCG group with a Czech branch in Prague. The campaign goals were: (a) increase awareness of the new summer collection by 25% over the previous season, (b) acquire 15,000 new loyalty program customers, (c) achieve 8% sales growth in the main season (June–September). The merch campaign was part of a broader communication strategy including in-store tastings, influencer marketing, social media and digital advertising. The program budget was CZK 4.8 million excluding VAT, 30-day invoice maturity, payment in CZK.
A specific feature of the program was the short time window and high volumes. The main season (June–September) required delivery of all merch by the end of May, i.e. 4 months before the start of the campaign. The program involved coordination of 12 suppliers (textile, metal, wood, plastic, paper), 8 regional distributors, 4 sample agencies and 2 influencer agencies. All merch items were manufactured in the EU (Czech, Slovak and Polish factories) to minimise the risk of delay and meet certification requirements.
Operational tactics and steps
Operational procedure involved eight phases: (1) brief and concept approval (3 weeks), (2) graphic design and DTP (3 weeks), (3) supplier selection and sample collection (3 weeks), (4) pilot production (1,000 pcs) and pilot test on 100 customers (2 weeks), (5) approval of final materials (1 week), (6) serial production (4 weeks), (7) quality control and packaging (2 weeks), (8) distribution to 8 cities (2 weeks). Overall lead time from brief approval to completion of distribution was 18 weeks. This number is longer than for a standard B2B merch program (8–12 weeks), but corresponds to the complexity of an FMCG launch campaign.
Distribution to 8 cities took place in parallel through regional distributors (each city had its own distributor responsible for delivery to 50–80 stores). Main carriers were PPL (for larger shipments over 30 kg) and Zásilkovna (for smaller shipments to pickup boxes). Average delivery time from the central warehouse in Prague-Hostivař to a store was 1.6 days. For large stores (hypermarkets like Kaufland, Albert, Tesco) transport by truck with hydraulic platform was arranged (loading and unloading within 30 minutes). Total logistics costs amounted to 4.2% of the program budget (excluding VAT), which corresponds to the usual 3–5% for FMCG campaigns of this scale.
Serial production involved 5 main merch categories: (a) Woven cotton bag (100% cotton, 200 g/m², dimensions 380 × 420 × 100 mm, offset print, 3 colour versions matching the 3 flavours), (b) Metal bottle of stainless steel 304 (500 ml, double wall, vacuum insulation, laser engraved logo), (c) Wooden opener (beech wood, FSC certified, laser engraved logo), (d) Sunglasses with UV400 filter (acetate, metal hinges, sublimation print on inner side of arms), (e) Bracelet from recycled plastic (from recycled PET bottles, 5 colour variants matching the flavours). All products met the requirements for OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (bag), LFGB (bottle), FSC (wood), UV400 (sunglasses) and GRS (recycled plastic).
Product and printing selection
The product mix was designed with respect to the target group: young adults (18–35 years old) living in cities, interested in healthy lifestyle, environmental protection and new gastronomy trends. All merch items were functional, reusable and had a visual identity matching the new collection. The woven cotton bag served as the main carrier of merch and visual identity — every use in a supermarket, market or café increases brand awareness. The metal bottle with vacuum insulation keeps the drink cold for 12 hours or hot for 6 hours, is suitable for everyday use in the office and on trips. The wooden opener and UV400 sunglasses are complementary items that increase the practical value of the merch set.
Decoration was handled by different techniques depending on material: woven cotton bag — offset print (Pantone colours matching the 3 flavours — yellow for lemon-mint, pink for grapefruit-basil, purple for forest fruits), sublimation print on inner pocket for smaller educational text about the flavour; metal bottle — laser engraving of logo (15 × 8 mm on front), Pantone colour of logo exactly according to visual identity; wooden opener — laser engraving of logo (50 × 8 mm), text with campaign hashtag on back (35 × 5 mm); sunglasses — sublimation print on inner side of arms (logo 25 × 5 mm) and on outer side of lenses (screen print, transparent logo 40 × 8 mm); bracelet — pad print (logo 25 × 5 mm) and embossed text on inner side (information on ecological origin, 60 × 4 mm).
The colour palette was based on the visual identity of the new collection. Three primary colours: light yellow (Pantone 13-0859 TCX, lemon), deep pink (Pantone 17-2230 TCX, grapefruit), dark purple (Pantone 19-3640 TCX, forest fruits). Two secondary colours: white (background, Pantone 11-0601 TCX) and grey (complementary, Pantone 17-5102 TCX). The buyer logo (black) was placed on all items in a unified position (front side, top left corner for the bag, centre for the bottle and opener, inner side for the sunglasses, outer side for the bracelet). Dimensional tolerance ±2 mm in logo position, ±0.5 mm in product dimensions.
Logistics and VAT / e-Invoicing
Distribution to 8 cities and 360 stores took place in parallel in two waves: first wave (April, 4 cities: Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň) and second wave (May, 4 cities: Liberec, Olomouc, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové). In each city the merch was distributed to 30–60 stores depending on size (most stores in Prague, fewest in Liberec). The stores included large chains (Kaufland, Albert, Tesco, Billa, Lidl), retail networks (TETA, dm drogerie), specialised stores (organic food, delicatessen) and gastro establishments (cafés, restaurants, food trucks). In each store the merch was placed near the checkout or in the promo zone with product tastings.
VAT and invoicing were handled according to standard Czech regulations. The supplier invoiced in CZK with 21% VAT, 30-day maturity, with the option of invoicing in UBL 2.1 or ISDOC format for e-Invoice. The buyer was identified for VAT purposes in the EU (VAT ID CZ…), entitled to full VAT input deduction. For invoicing the European head office (outside CZ) the supplier was able to issue an invoice with the note "tax to be accounted for by the customer" per § 196 of the VAT Act (reverse charge). Payment terms: 30% deposit on order, 50% upon completion of production, 20% upon completion of distribution and approval of acceptance protocols.
Logistics coordination included: (a) 8 regional distributors (one for each city), (b) 12 daily PPL pickup lines for smaller stores, (c) 8 own truck bases for large stores, (d) 16 Zásilkovna backup pickup points for emergency deliveries, (e) 2 external courier services for urgent deliveries. Average delivery time from warehouse departure: 1.6 days. Time from order to delivery to store: 5–8 days. Coordination took place through shared cloud storage with real-time tracking (each shipment had GPS tracking).
KPI and success measurement
Program success measurement was based on four KPI groups: product quality, schedule adherence, complaint rate and commercial impact on the buyer's brand. Product quality was measured by inspecting 100% of pieces before dispatch. The inspection included: (a) woven bag — stitch check (6 stitches per 2.5 cm), sublimation print check (uniformity, no bubbles), (c) metal bottle — vacuum insulation check (12 h test at room temperature), laser engraving check (legibility, depth), (c) wooden opener — wood check (no knots or cracks), laser engraving check, (d) sunglasses — UV400 filter check (spectrophotometer), sublimation print check, (e) bracelet — elasticity and strength check, embossed text check. Of 12,000 pieces, 78 defects were found (0.65%), all repaired before dispatch.
Schedule adherence: planned completion 18 weeks from brief approval, actual completion 18 weeks and 5 days (5-day delay due to sunglasses manufacturer delay caused by sublimation press failure). Distribution to all 8 cities and 360 stores took place in the planned two waves (April + May). The pilot test on 100 customers showed 92% satisfaction with the merch (against a target of 85%), confirming the correctness of the product mix.
Complaints in the 60-day period: 47 complaints out of 12,000 pieces (0.39%). Main categories: (a) 18 complaints about sublimation print quality on sunglasses (insufficient white coverage on the dark design), (b) 12 complaints about mechanical damage to bottles during transport, (c) 8 complaints about wood defect in openers (cracks), (d) 6 complaints about loose stitches on bags, (e) 3 complaints about incorrect colour. All complaints were resolved by replacement within 14 working days. The buyer rated overall quality as "very good, within expectations for a large-scale FMCG campaign".
Commercial impact on the brand: the buyer measured through internal sales data (sales volume growth, market share, customer retention), influencer campaign data (reach, engagement, conversion) and merch effect data (hashtag tracking, social media analysis). In the main season (June–September) the brand recorded a 31% increase in awareness of the new collection (against a target of 25%), 17,200 new loyalty program customers (against a target of 15,000) and 11% sales growth in the main season (against a target of 8%). The attributable merch effect (including tastings and influencer campaign) accounted for approximately 28% of the total effect, the rest was attributed to the price campaign and increased social media marketing.
What it is
Seasonal product launch is a B2B program oriented towards supporting the launch of a new FMCG product on the market through branded merchandise. It typically includes 3–7 merch items (textile, metal, wood, plastic, paper), 3–10 colour variants matching the flavours or variants of the product, distribution to dozens or hundreds of stores in several cities, and coordination with other marketing activities (tastings, influencer marketing, social media). The program is usually part of a broader seasonal campaign and has clearly defined KPIs (awareness, customers, sales).
When to use it
A seasonal product launch program pays off for every major FMCG launch (new collection, new flavour, new edition), where product awareness needs to be increased within a short time window (4–8 months). A suitable volume depends on market size and number of stores: for 50–100 stores, 3,000–8,000 pieces of merch are recommended, for 100–500 stores 8,000–30,000 pieces, for 500+ stores 30,000+ pieces. The recommended lead time is 16–24 weeks (longer than for standard programs due to coordination of multiple suppliers and regional distributors). The program requires a dedicated project manager and close coordination with the buyer's marketing department.
Specifications
Program specifications include: list of stores with addresses and contact persons, product mix including colour variants, graphic manual of visual identity including colour palette and Pantone codes, certification requirements (OEKO-TEX for textiles, LFGB for metal and ceramics, GRS for recycled plastic, FSC for wood, UV400 for sunglasses), distribution plan (cities, stores, deadlines), requirements for merch placement in stores (typically near the checkout or in the promo zone), payment terms (deposit + progressive payments + final). The budget for 100 stores typically ranges from CZK 1.5 to 4 million excluding VAT, depending on scope and complexity.
Mistakes to avoid
The most common mistakes in seasonal FMCG launch campaigns are: (1) too short lead time (realistic lead time is 16–24 weeks, not 8–12), (2) absence of pilot test (at least 1,000 pcs should be produced and tested 4 weeks before full production), (3) insufficient specification of requirements for stores (each store has a different format and different capacity for merch placement), (4) absence of coordination with the marketing department (merch campaign must be in synergy with tastings, influencer campaign and social media), (5) underestimating seasonality (the main season requires delivery 4 weeks before the start, not 2 weeks), (6) absence of real-time monitoring (each shipment should have GPS tracking and delivery notifications), (7) insufficient complaint planning (0.5–1% complaints is normal for an FMCG campaign, a replacement process must be prepared).
Briefing process
The seasonal FMCG launch campaign briefing process includes: (1) brief from the buyer (product specification, target stores, deadlines, budget, KPIs), (2) supplier selection with FMCG experience, (3) approval of the timeline and division into phases, (4) graphic design and DTP including Pantone colours, (5) sample selection, (6) pilot test on 1,000 pcs, (7) approval and start of serial production, (8) quality control (100% output control), (9) packaging and distribution to stores, (10) coordination with marketing department, (11) complaint monitoring (60-day period), (12) KPI evaluation and final report. Recommended payment structure: 30% deposit on order, 30% upon completion of production, 30% upon completion of distribution, 10% upon final KPI evaluation.
Case example
The specific case study involved a mid-sized European FMCG group with a Czech branch in Prague, which launched a new summer collection of soft drinks (3 flavours) on the market. The program included 12,000 pieces of branded merch (woven bag, metal bottle, wooden openers, sunglasses, recycled plastic bracelets), and 8,000 product samples. Distribution to 8 cities (Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň, Liberec, Olomouc, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové) and 360 stores. Budget CZK 4.8 million excluding VAT (of which 38% merch, 22% distribution, 18% marketing, 14% samples, 8% reserve). Invoice maturity 30 days, payment in CZK. Realisation took 18 weeks from brief approval. Complaints 0.39% of total volume. KPIs achieved: 31% awareness increase, 17,200 new loyalty program customers, 11% sales growth.
Regulatory compliance
The program is subject to the following regulations: Act No. 634/1992 Coll. on Consumer Protection (mandatory information in Czech), Regulation (EU) No. 2016/679 (GDPR, protection of personal data of customers and influencers), REACH Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 (restrictions on chemicals in textile products), Act No. 121/2000 Coll. on Copyright (use of buyer logos and photographs requires owner's consent), Act No. 477/2001 Coll. on Packaging (records of packaging waste), Act No. 110/1997 Coll. on Food (for food samples), Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (mandatory allergen information), Regulation (EU) No. 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (for the metal bottle), Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety (for sunglasses).
Alternative comparison
An alternative to a large-scale FMCG launch campaign with own merch is the use of a specialised promo agency (e.g. Czech companies like Promo Czech, Argema, Alukov, or international companies like Brand Addition, Brandbuilders), which will provide complete service including design, production, distribution and evaluation. The advantage is lower administrative burden for the buyer, the disadvantage is a higher unit price (usually 20–35% above direct realisation). Another alternative is a digital campaign (social media, influencer marketing, email) without physical merch, which is cheaper but has a lower emotional impact. A third alternative is cooperation with the buyer's existing merch items (advertising items from the previous campaign) instead of producing new ones, which reduces costs but limits visual originality. The most suitable option depends on the buyer's marketing objectives, time frame and budget.
Lifecycle
The lifecycle of an FMCG launch campaign includes four phases: (1) Preparation (8–12 weeks): brief, graphic design, supplier selection, pilot test. (2) Realisation (8–12 weeks): production, quality control, distribution to stores. (3) Main season (12–16 weeks): merch sales, product sales tracking, tastings, influencer campaign. (4) Evaluation and archiving (4–6 weeks): KPI analysis, final report, merch archiving for next campaign. It is recommended to plan the launch as an annual cycle (spring for summer collection, autumn for winter collection), with ongoing optimisation of the product mix and visual identity.
Role note
This page describes the general procedure for planning and executing a B2B merch campaign as part of a seasonal FMCG launch. It does not contain any claim of partnership, official supplier relationship or endorsement by any specific FMCG group. All data on prices, volumes, cities and timelines are illustrative and based on common commercial frameworks. Specific conditions always depend on the individual brief, selected product and market situation at the time of the order. The mention of a mid-sized European FMCG group serves as an illustration of a typical buyer, not as a reference to a specific company.