How to write a merch brief

Category overview

We offer a wide range of branded merch in this category:

• goal
• audience
• MOQ
• budget
• deadline
• quality

Česko a EU kontext

Czech and EU context. Standard VAT 21% applies to merch in Česko — 12% for selected services, 0% for exports outside the EU. From January 2025 mandatory e-faktura (ISDOC) for all B2B transactions — full integration with client financial systems (SAP, Pohoda, Money S3, ABRA). Czech remains default on invoices and labels. ÚOOÚ requires GDPR + Personal Data Protection Act 101/2000 Coll. compliance. GOTS, GRS, FSC, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, EU Ecolabel honoured across the EU. goal, audience, MOQ categories fall under these regulations.

Cenotvorba a rámce

Pricing and financial framework. We quote in CZK or EUR with 21% VAT. For enterprise clients framework agreements with volume discounts — from 5% at CZK 100,000 annually to 15% at CZK 1,000,000 annually. Proforma invoice 50% deposit + 50% before dispatch for new clients; payment terms 14-30 days for recurring B2B. SEPA bank transfers, payment cards via Stripe. Invoices in ISDOC format from January 2025 mandatory. For goal, audience, MOQ categories the standard price tiers apply — 250-1,250 CZK net per piece for basic products, 1,250-5,000 CZK net for premium gifts.

Dodací lhůty

Lead time. Standard cycle for goal, audience, MOQ — 5-8 working days. For extensive personalisation — 10-15 working days. For Asia imports — 8-12 weeks. During autumn season and pre-Christmas period timelines extend by 1-2 weeks. 10% warehouse buffer for recurring B2B clients.

Sezónní plánování

Seasonal planning. Česko has strong B2B merch seasons — January-February, April-May (Easter, Mother’s Day), June, September (back-to-school, trade shows), October-November, December (Christmas, Black Friday). Onboarding programs launched in January and September. For goal, audience, MOQ synchronise campaign calendar 6-8 weeks ahead.

Doprava a logistika

Shipping and logistics. Central warehouse Praha (Hostivař). Shipping via Česká pošta (Balík), PPL, Zásilkovna, GLS Česko, DHL Česko, DPD Česko, UPS Česko, FedEx. Delivery in Česko 24-48h, in EU 3-5 days, outside EU 5-10 days. Multi-address delivery to Praha, Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň, Liberec, Olomouc, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové.

What it is

Category goal is among the most frequently ordered in Czech B2B merch. goal in the branded version combines functionality, brand aesthetics and durability — each piece passes AQL.

For B2B clients in Česko we offer goal in variants matched to the brief. goal is available from the local Praha warehouse.

Czech and European brands in the goal category offer different quality tiers. Each project in goal goes through digital proofing and a physical sample.

goal is central to the goal category — Corp-Merch delivers tens of thousands of pieces annually for B2B clients in Česko. audience in branded version is a standard element of onboarding and loyalty programs in Praha.

MOQ with client logo works in seasonal campaigns — 5-8 week lead time. budget is available in Pantone variants, with certificates and premium packaging.

deadline accompanies Corp-Merch clients from brief to delivery with dedicated project owner. Selection of quality in goal is based on brief, warehouse availability and campaign calendar.

When to order

Standard lead time for goal is 5-8 working days from the Praha warehouse. Seasonal windows should be reserved early — Black Friday and Christmas require 6-8 weeks.

For goal with extended supply chains the cycle is 8-12 weeks. Express 24-72 hour turnaround is available for selected goal products.

The July-August holiday period extends production by 1-2 weeks. For year-end invoicing production must finish by 20 December.

goal — summer collection available March-August, 8 weeks ahead of first delivery. audience — autumn collection launched August-September, delivery October-November.

MOQ — limited holiday edition, brief in October, delivery first half of December. budget — warehouse rotation quarterly; minimum reasonable time 4-6 weeks for goal.

deadline — spring collection launched January-February with delivery March-April. Calendar of quality is synchronised with customer campaign calendar.

Specification

Quality standards — AQL 1.0-2.5 inspection, AQL 1.0 for electronics, full visual inspection for premium packaging. Packaging — individual protective packaging for electronics, multi-pack for textiles.

Logistics — central warehouse Praha (Hostivař), shipping via Česká pošta, PPL, Zásilkovna, GLS, DHL, DPD, UPS, FedEx. Documentation — 21% VAT invoice in CZK, CMR, EUR1.

Material certificates — GOTS, GRS, FSC, OEKO-TEX Standard 100. Decoration and colour — Pantone Coated and Uncoated, CMYK with ICC FOGRA39 profiles.

Specification of goal — Pantone Coated/Uncoated, min. 300 dpi, AI/EPS/SVG. Materials of audience — OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS, GRS certificates.

Decoration of MOQ — Pantone Aqua, DTF, Madeira Polyneon embroidery — AQL 1.0-2.5. Packaging of budget — cardboard boxes with paper filling; CS/EN/DE labels.

Logistics of deadline — Praha (Hostivař) warehouse, shipping via Česká pošta / PPL / Zásilkovna / GLS / DHL / DPD / UPS / FedEx. Documentation of quality — 21% VAT invoice in ISDOC format, CMR.

Common mistakes

Brief submitted too late — client comes 2 weeks before an event. Underestimating quantities — re-print costs 40-80% more.

Decoration technique mismatched to material — always proof. Brand book colour mismatch — digital proofing and physical sample.

Seasonal logistics overlooked. Missing certificates required by the end client.

Brief submitted too late for goal — submit order at least 6 weeks before event. Wrong choice of audience — not all decoration techniques work on every material.

Underestimating volume of MOQ — order with 10% buffer. Pantone confusion on budget — Pantone Coated vs Uncoated.

Ignoring certificates on deadline — OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for textiles. Seasonality overlooked for quality — Christmas and Black Friday require 6-8 weeks.

Execution process

Client brief — consultation on product selection, MOQ, decoration techniques. Design preparation — digital design and physical sample.

Approval — client approves sample, Pantone colours and technical specification. Production — manufacturing with AQL control.

Quality control — 5-10% sampling. Packaging and dispatch — boxes with paper filling.

Process for goal — brief → selection → digital design → physical sample → approval → production → control → delivery. audience starts with brand manual analysis and Pantone colour definition.

For MOQ we prepare 2-3 design variants for client selection. After approval of budget we launch production with ongoing AQL control.

deadline goes through 100% visual inspection for premium orders. Dispatch of quality via contracted carriers (Česká pošta / PPL / Zásilkovna / GLS / DHL / DPD / UPS / FedEx).

Compliance and certificates

OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificate for all textiles. REACH — no SVHC above 0.1% w/w.

RoHS for electronics — heavy metal limits. GOTS for organic cotton — full traceability.

GRS for recycled polyester — minimum 20% recycled content. FSC for paper and wood.

goal is supplied with OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificate (class I or II). REACH compliance for audience — no SVHC above 0.1% w/w.

RoHS for MOQ in case of electronics. GOTS certification for organic cotton in budget.

GRS for recycled polyester in deadline — minimum 20% recycled content. 21% VAT invoice for quality — from January 2025 mandatory ISDOC format.

Lifecycle

Short-term (1-3 months) — seasonal campaigns, events. Medium-term (3-12 months) — onboarding and ambassador programs.

Long-term (1-3 years) — loyalty programs. Continuous improvement — catalogue updated quarterly.

Product lifecycle management — selection, proofing, production, warehousing, distribution. Sustainable lifecycle — recycled materials and certifications (GRS, GOTS, FSC).

Short-term goal is used in event campaigns — 5-8 week lead time. Medium-term audience powers onboarding programs — quarterly rotation, 10% warehouse buffering.

Long-term MOQ as part of loyalty programs — framework agreement with 5-15% discounts. budget in sustainable lifecycle — recycled materials (GRS, GOTS, FSC) and return program.

deadline — continuous improvement: catalogue updated quarterly. quality — after-sales support: claims in 3 working days, re-prints 7-14.

Frequently asked questions