Nice to know
Successful promotional products:
Briefing as
the key to
success.
The perfect promotional products briefing:
How to get the right product faster.
As a promotional products distributor, bb trading guides companies daily in selecting and sourcing promotional products with logo or design. Our experience is clear: the better the key details are defined from the start, the more suitable the proposals – and the smoother the process, from ideation to delivery.
A good promotional products briefing doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming. A few targeted details help us work efficiently and suggest the items that fit your company, your target audience, and the intended use.
Promo items briefing:
Clear details make the
difference.
In practice, most mistakes don’t happen in production but due to unclear or late requirements. Adjustments after order placement often lead to unnecessary revision loops – extra work, delays, or additional costs that could have been avoided.
With a clean briefing, we can set up your promotional products project correctly from the start, select suitable items, and spot potential pitfalls early. This saves time for both sides and ensures more predictable planning.
Clean briefing instead of revision loops:
Your benefits at a glance.
A clearly formulated promotional products briefing allows:
• …faster product selection
• …more targeted suggestions instead of long lists
• …fewer questions during the project
• …realistic timing and budget planning
The clearer the starting point, the more efficient the project.
Quantity or relevance:
How much information really matters.
Many clients wonder whether to provide too much or too little information. The key is not quantity but quality.
Without any guidance, selection tends to be very broad. One or two clear instructions, however, give direction, usually resulting in much more suitable suggestions and greater satisfaction.
Inspirations & No-Gos:
How small hints help with product selection.
Helpful are inspirations from everyday life. Have you recently seen an item online, in a shopping center, or at an event that could suit your brand? Share these impressions with us – we check feasibility, customization, and delivery times.
Equally valuable is a short list of products or categories that are not suitable – e.g., no insulated bottles, no textiles, no electronic gadgets. Such hints help us narrow down the selection effectively.
Name your favorites clearly:
Why precision leads to better proposals.
If a favorite already exists, precise wording and communication is particularly useful. A common example: the coffee-to-go cup.
If it’s only mentioned that a coffee-to-go cup is liked, it remains unclear whether it’s one option among many or the central focus. Consequently, proposals may be too broad.
If it’s clearly stated that the coffee-to-go cup is fixed and multiple variants are desired, we can suggest suitable models in different materials, designs, and price ranges.
Clear instructions improve results. Guidelines don’t limit creativity; they help apply it effectively.
Compact promotional products briefing:
Essential information.
For most promotional projects, the following information is sufficient for a solid selection:
- Occasion, theme, or intended use of the item
- Clear description of the target audience
- Desired delivery date or event date and order time
- Required quantity
- Budget or price range
This baseline allows a targeted preselection and realistic assessment.
The More, The Better:
Optional additional criteria.
Depending on the project, additional details refine the selection. Optional but valuable for us:
- Product colors, ideally Pantone C
- Number of colors
- Type of customization
- Size restrictions for shipping or distribution
- Material requirements (e.g., no PVC)
- Packaging (none, standard, or custom)
- Other requirements, CSR/compliance, production location, etc./li>
- Previously used promotional products
- Your own suggestions, wishes, ideas, inspirations, or favorites
- Desired date for initial concepts or proposals
Efficient for both sides:
Why this briefing model works.
A good promotional products briefing doesn’t need to be long. Clear key data, supplemented by optional hints, is enough to suggest the right items.
From our perspective as a distributor, a clean briefing is key to successful projects and satisfied clients.
This reduced inquiry lowers the barrier to entry while ensuring we get all critical information. Result: targeted suggestions, fewer questions, fewer approval loops, and an efficient project flow.
In short: a clear promotional products briefing gets us to the goal faster.
Win-win all around.
Here are two templates to help you formulate your request efficiently:
➔ Email template (ready-to-copy text)
➔ Interactive PDF (to send as an attachment)
