The single biggest factor in whether branded merch turns out well isn’t the vendor. It’s the brief.
I can only work with what I’m given. A vague ask gets a generic answer, every time, from anyone.
What a weak brief sounds like
“We need some swag for an event.” “Something with our logo on it.” “Whatever’s popular right now.”
None of that is wrong to say, it’s just not enough to work with. Left with only that, any distributor is guessing, and the safest guess is always the most generic option on the shelf.
What actually helps
Who’s receiving this, and what do they already care about. What’s the occasion, and does it need to last a day or a year. What’s the budget, honestly, not the number you think sounds reasonable. What’s worked before, and what’s flopped.
That last one matters more than people think. Telling me what didn’t land tells me as much as what did.
The five minute version
You don’t need a formal brief document. A two line email answering who, what occasion, and what’s worked before gets you further than a vague ask ever will.
The better the brief, the less generic the outcome. That’s true with any distributor, not just me, though I’ll take the extra context every time I can get it.
