10 corporate merch mistakes to avoid

(1) No strike-off — guaranteed color/quality issues. (2) Ordering wrong sizes (default M-only). (3) Ignoring brand-book Pantone — Delta-E > 5 ruins recall. (4) Cheap material first impressions — hurts brand perception. (5) Last-minute orders — rush + 35% surcharge + no time for revisions. (6) Packaging afterthought — boxed-out gift = perception drop. (7) No QC contract — vendor accountability gap. (8) Wrong INCO term — surprise customs fees. (9) Generic catalog items — undifferentiated. (10) No retention metric — can't justify next budget.