2009 July | USB2U Articles

Archive for July, 2009

Corporate Memory Sticks

Monday, July 20th, 2009

Portable USB drives have a number of names associated with them. Among other things, these small drives are sometimes referred to as memory sticks. A corporate memory stick is essentially branded USB memory available as on-the-spot storage for files, photos, and documents to be accessed by computer or similar USB device.

The benefit of creating personalized corporate memory sticks that are branded with a company logo, slogan, or advertising is that you help generate repeat business by creating positive experiences for your customers. As a promotional item or accessory to customer service or sales, they help keep your company foremost in the customer’s mind when they use the corporate memory stick in the future.

The range of memory sticks available to companies is expanding, as more people become accustomed to using them to transfer files between users and storing information on them that would normally be available from their home computer. The freedom to carry a tiny device to business meetings and “plug in” to computers on location, rather than having to carry along their own equipment, is a welcome benefit for data-conscious professionals who are often on the move.

In turn, companies are pre-loading these flash drives or memory sticks with data security measures that prevent unauthorized use of certain information. SanDisk is one company on the leading edge of this level of innovation, as a feature of their Cruzer Enterprise USB drives. The added security allows businesses to distribute information and monitor access to select individuals without jeopardizing their corporate networks.

Of course, this level of protection is not always necessary, but the broad use of corporate memory sticks have made this level of sophistication a necessary evil for those who need to distribute proprietary data.

In general, memory sticks are made from strong, lightweight materials that make them extremely reliable and virtually indestructible. Some providers like Liquidmetal Technologies take the extra step of offering laser-etching techniques and customized cases that are made to order. The less expensive dealers still provide either screen-print, spot or full four-colour printing techniques to achieve the results you want.

You’ve probably seen the various shapes and styles of corporate memory sticks on the market, from models that resemble ball point pens, credit cards, cigarette lighters, padlocks, or tiny, wooden logs. Some have jewels or even diamonds encrusted on them, some have key chains or lanyards attached or convenient carrying cases.

Whether these USB memory devices are more novelty or expensive accessory, the concept is the same. The goal is to create something that’s eye appealing, something that will generate conversation that leads to a promotional opportunity for your business.

When deciding on a style that suits the needs of your clientele, keep in mind that most online dealers who sell corporate memory sticks require a minimum quantity to be purchased. Branded packaging, like gift boxes, carrying pouches, or other accessories are available, but will obviously add to the cost per item and shipping charges. One has to consider the initial expense of a custom design as an investment in growing business by promoting your company.

Corporate Memory Sticks

Tags: Corporate Memory Sticks, Memory Sticks
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Branded USB drives: Things to Look For

Monday, July 20th, 2009

The popularity of branded USB drives has made many people eager to get their business name on one as quickly as possible, so they can hand them out to customers as a promotional incentive. If you intend to include data files or programs on the jump drives themselves, however, a little planning and attention to detail can go a long way to increasing your chances for a successful transaction.

Let’s say you want to include a promotional video or a special offer sheet for customers who come back for another purchase or service offering. Ideally, you would have a master file that you would provide to the custom provider. The provider would then mass-produce the file(s) across all of the jump drives you ordered.

A reputable dealer for USB jump drives will provide a pre-production sample, showing you exactly what the data will look like when a customer plugs the jump drive in on location and opens the file. This provides a final approval stage that eliminates costly and time-consuming mistakes that need to be corrected later.

You want to provide a client with an easy-to-use storage drive they can use for more than just viewing your product catalog or company policies. If any of the data requires a measure of confidentiality or security, you increase the potential for confusion and frustration caused by those who are not as familiar with computers and the different types of documents commonly used for business.

Software compatibility is always a concern as well. If a customer has an older model computer or earlier versions of important programs like Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, or internet browsers like Internet Explorer or Mozilla’s Firefox, they may not be able to use the files you load on a branded USB drives right away without some form of upgrade.

There are other considerations as well. What printing options will you choose for your drives? Lettering and designs can be screen-printed, embossed, engraved, or printed using spot colour or more advanced “full colour” processing. Will your branded USB drives have a lanyard or key chain attached as a convenience? What shapes, materials, and colours are suited best for your company’s brand image?

Having as many of these details worked out in advance will eliminate processing delays and make the entire process go more smoothly from start to finish.

With so much to consider in designing adequate branded USB drives for your particular needs, it makes sense to check your provider’s return policy well before placing an order. If possible, read reviews from others who have used the same provider and generated feedback on their experience. Ask around for anyone who may have ordered promotional products in the past, and inquire on what they did or didn’t like about the transaction.

Another note of interest is that most of the custom branded USB drives purchased from vendors are manufactured overseas in China or Taiwan. The flash memory chips are obtained from an OEM supplier like Intel or Samsung. In some cases, the vendors that assemble the final product may use lower quality or recycled memory chips to save money.

Check with your supplier to verify that good quality materials are being used, and ask for a sample of your custom design before you all them to ship a completed order.

Branded USB drives: Things to Look For

Tags: branded USB drives
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Branded Memory Sticks replace the Chainsaw

Friday, July 17th, 2009

Most companies, irrespective of their size, will either exhibit at or attend one or two trade shows, conferences or business forums each year. In some cases companies become serial exhibitors or serial attendees of such events.

For some attendees part of the attraction is to simply gather as many “freebies” as they can from the exhibitors but for the vast majority their attendance has a serious business justification. Attendance or participation is typically linked

Custom USB Van

to building industry and competitor knowledge, networking or buying and selling.

Historically it was impossible to attend these events without either printing the equivalent of a rainforest’s worth of brochures and sales literature. Likewise many attendees’ arms get extended during their day as they accumulate the said printed material.

Another casualty of this frenetic conference and exhibition giving and attending is the humble tree that surrenders itself to the chainsaw to provide the raw material for the brochures and sales collateral But things are changing, albeit slowly.
Today more and more companies recognise the environmental, production, storage and distribution costs of such actives and are now switching to USB Memory sticks. The humble USB memory stick can be pre-loaded with electronic copies of sales brochures, price lists, presentation slides, videos, links to web sites etc. In fact all of your businesses sales collateral can be pre-loaded onto a single tiny USB Memory stick.

custom usb forklift

As well as replacing a huge amount of expensive and heavy paper the USB memory sticks can of course be branded to carry a company logo or brand.

You can take USB memory sticks one stage further and get a fully customised memory stick produced in the shape of your company logo or perhaps a specific product, examples include USB trucks, guitars, fruit, light bulbs, aeroplanes, mobile phones etc. In fact pretty much anything can be manufactured with a USB connector on the end. These customised versions make a real impact and are ideal when there is a particular product to launch or promote.

Whether a customised memory stick or more conventional branded USB memory stick is used the benefits to all are obvious. With the fall in the price of branded and customised memory sticks the costs when compared against printed collateral also stack up. So putting aside the environmental arguments branded USB memory sticks make commercial sense hence why their use is becoming more popular.

Branded Memory Sticks replace the Chainsaw

Tags: Branded Memory, Branded USB, Custom USB, custom usb drive, Customised USB Memory Stick, Promotional USB, Promotional USB Drives
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Stylish Branded USB Speakers

Friday, July 17th, 2009

If branded USB Memory sticks are not doing it for you or your client then what about these cracking portable stereo’s!

speakers. Available in Blue, White, Black, Silver and Red. They are palm sized units that lend themselves nicely to branding.

Branded Speakers

They’re not just a novelty product either as these speakers really do kick out some excellent sounds. The speakers “pop” apart but are held together by magnetic clasps when travelling. They run off rechargeable batteries which provide a good 6 hours of music. Suitable for anything with a standard 3.5mm audio jack so your i-pod, MP3 player, PC, mobile phone etc.

Speaker output is an impressive 4W. Featurers a retracatble cable and charging indicators.

Stylish Branded USB Speakers

Tags: branded speakers, Branded USB, promotional gifts, promotional speakers, Promotional USB
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Custom USB Drives – Let Your Creative Juices Flow

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

Ok, you’ve decided you want some USB memory sticks to support a forthcoming product launch, conference or exhibition but which type of USB memory stick is going to best reflect your company’s brand and products.

Whilst branded USB Memory sticks are an excellent idea and they are justifiably popular at the moment will they really lift your brand and get the recipient talking about your company and the messages that you want to convey.

Custom USB Banana

Standard USB memory sticks, and the Twister model is apparently the most popular, only go so far. They can carry your company’s logo, the body shell can even be pantone matched to one of your logo’s primary colours and of course you can pre-load the memory sticks with sales data sheets or conference material. But this is what everyone does.

There is a danger that plain old branded memory sticks are becoming just a little too ubiquitous and as a consequence for some they’ve lost the “wow” factor.

An alternative, and an option that has become increasingly popular, is a fully customised USB memory stick. Customised memory sticks can be manufactured in any shape, colour or design. Examples include USB Memory sticks in the shape of bottles, cars, aeroplanes, fruit, forklifts, trucks, brides, guitars, houses, rugby balls and even tampons!

Custom USB Ice Cream

Customised USB Memory sticks done well really do support and enhance the brand/product and are particularly good for press events where you want to launch a new product or at an exhibition where you want your company or product to stand out from the crowd. Don’t just think in two dimensions either because they can be manufactured in 3-D as well.

With a customised stick you can inject a bit of fun or character into your event. The finished product really does become an intrinsic part of your activity rather than just a medium on which documents are conveyed to the audience. Done well they become a talking point in themselves and have life beyond the event as colleagues, associates etc. all talk about them.

There used to be a huge premium to pay for any bespoke USB project but today the factories are keen for work and many have dropped or have reduced significantly the cost for the mould set up and tooling. There is a slightly longer lead time for any custom USB memory stick so do bear this in mind and factor a couple of extra weeks into your planning process.

At the moment there really has never been a better time to choose a custom USB Memory stick so get those thinking caps on and let the creative juices flow.

Custom USB Drives – Let Your Creative Juices Flow

Tags: Custom USB, custom usb drive, customised USB, Customised USB Memory Stick
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Taking Mail Order Brides to Another Level

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

No, we’ve not lost the plot and we’re definately not moving into the mail order brides business but we have recently completed a Custom USB Bride Memory Stick for one of our customers. This cute looking USB

custom usb bride

memory stick is being used by a Bridal Wear company to promote their range of wedding gowns and wedding accessories. They are able to pre-load the custom USB stick with their catalogue, a range of photo’s that really show off their gowns and they are able to customise the contents to a specific customer.

The custom USB brides have become a real talking point and have generated lots of interest in the business generally. Customers are happy to recieve the memory sticks and its a lot easier for them than lugging around lots of brochures and catalogues.

If you are interested in a Custom USB Memory stick in the shape of something that represents your business then give us a call. We’d be delighted to hear from you and at the moment we have an offer on all Custom USB disk where we absorb most of the tooling and set up costs.

Taking Mail Order Brides to Another Level

Tags: Custom USB, custom USB device, custom usb drive, Customised USB Memory Stick
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I’m Really Digging These Custom USB Memory Sticks

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

Get it…ok the puns a bit weak but this example of a custom USB Digger again illustrates the art of the possible with a Custom USB Memory Stick. At the moment because the factories are desperate for work to keep their production lines busy they are offerring significant discounts on the moulds and set-up charges for a custom USB memory stick. So, whilst our standard USB memory sticks look great you might want to consider a fully bespoke version. Go on let those creative juices flow…..

custom usb digger

If you are looking for either branded USB memory sticks or custom memory sticks then give us a call at USB2U. We’ll work with you on your requirements and mock up some examples and ideas for you free of charge.

On our standard range of branded usb memory sticks we’re currently offerring free pantone matching of the memory stick body shell.

I’m Really Digging These Custom USB Memory Sticks

Tags: Custom USB, custom usb drive, customised USB, Customised USB Memory Stick
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What’s The Most Popular Storage Capacity for Promotional USB Memory Sticks?

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Branded USB Memory sticks are becoming evermore popular for the transfer and storage of large amounts of data. This popularity is mainly due to their compact size, ease of use and the dramatic reduction in price over the past few years.

One of the key decisions to make when purchasing Branded USB Memory sticks in the storage capacity.

Before delving into which capacity to select a short technical overview as is useful to understand the measurement terminology used when defining memory capacity.

Electronic data is measured in ‘bytes’. Multiples of these are:

• 1 Kilobyte (KB) is equal to 1,024 bytes

• 1 Megabyte (MB) is equal to 1,024 Kilobytes (1,048,576 bytes)

• 1 Gigabyte (GB) is equal to 1,024 Megabytes (1,073,741,824 bytes)

Branded USB Memory sticks range from 32MB to 16GB. They double up in size from 32MB:

•      32MB (almost obsolete)
•      64MB
•      128MB
•      256MB
•      512MB
•      1GB
•      2GB
•      4GB
•      8GB
•      16GB

You need to be aware that all Promotional USB Memory sticks need a small amount of capacity to allow it them work. As a general rule of thumb around 5% of the storage capacity will be used by the Memory Stick to manage how it stores the data on the stick.

So, how much data can each stick hold? The amount of data that can be stored depends on the type of the data, such as MP3 audio files, digital photos, word files etc. and the quality for example the resolution of photos. As a benchmark 512MB memory stick would typically store about 250 photos.

When deciding what capacity to select for your Branded USB Memory sticks you need to consider the following.

• What is the objective of your Promotional USB Memory stick campaign. If it is to provide specific data or information that is pre-loaded, then the size should match the amount of data to be loaded. If the requirement is to allow the user to use the Memory stick as a promotional keepsake, then there needs to be sufficient headroom over and above any data that you may wish to load.

• What budget do you have? The higher the capacity the higher the price. However, the price differential between a 64MB and 1GB is no longer that great.

• The market for flash memory is volatile and is driven by supply and demand. Therefore, it is worth checking if there are any special offers on different USB Memory capacity. For example it has been know for 512MB to be cheaper than 256MB.

• If the Branded USB Memory sticks are gifts for prospects or existing key clients, you need to consider the perceived value of the item you are giving. So if budget is limited it may be prudent to buy less of higher capacity Branded USB Memory sticks.

Based on the above criteria, currently the most popular capacity for Branded USB Memory sticks is 1GB, but watch this space!

What’s The Most Popular Storage Capacity for Promotional USB Memory Sticks?

Tags: Branded Memory, Branded USB, Branded USB Memory, custom twister usb, Custom USB, customised USB devices, Customised USB Memory Stick, Memory Sticks, Promotional USB, Promotional USB, Promotional USB Drives, promotional USB flash drive, Promotional USB Memory sticks, Promotional USB Sticks, USB Branded Memory Stick, USB Memory Sticks, USB2U Promotional USB
Posted in Branded USB, Custom USB, Promotional USB, Promotional USB Drives | No Comments »

Top Ten Pitfalls Of Buying Promotional USB Memory Sticks

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Buying Branded USB Memory sticks should be a painless process and for the most part it is. However, there are numerous examples of where things have gone wrong – some real horror stories! However, the good news is that by asking the right questions and selecting the right supplier you can avoid most of these issues.

This guide illustrates the top ten pitfalls of buying Promotional USB Memory Sticks and how to avoid them.

Find a reputable supplier

There are many suppliers providing Branded USB Memory Sticks As with any industry the quality of the organisations varies widely. Whilst normal due diligence is always required, here are a few tips to help you with the process:

• It is always good practice to run a credit check to make sure your supplier is in good financial health. This is more important if you are being asked to pay upfront for the Branded USB Memory sticks.

• Reputation speaks volumes. Don’t be afraid to ask for references and testimonials from their existing customer base and make contact. If they have provided excellent service levels, they will not be embarrassed to share their successes.

• Make sure there are full contact details on the web site including address and contact telephone numbers – and phone them!

• Ensure they are working from a business premises. There is a growing trend for individuals pertaining to be companies are working from home without the infrastructure to support you if things go wrong. An easy way to check this is by using Google Earth.

Hidden costs

When stating your requirements to a supplier be specific about your needs and ensure that they are all met by studying your quotation carefully. Ask for terms and conditions and be aware of payment terms and delivery date promises. For example some companies will charge extra for print and origination, so ensure that these are covered in the quotation.

Quality of Chipset / Housing

If you quote sounds to good to be true – then it probably is! The core cost of any Branded USB Memory Stick is made up of the USB Housing and USB Flash Chip components. There are ways of saving costs on these buy using poor quality housing and reconditioned USB Memory chips. Both carry reputation risk for you or your client if things go wrong. So ensure you ask for a sample to check the housing quality and your supplier provides new branded A Grade chipsets such as Samsung, Hynix, Micron or Intel.

It is also worth asking what the manufacturer’s Quality Assurance testing procedure is.

Dataloads

To autorun or not to autorun that is the question! Many clients are faced with the dilemma of whether they should add an autorun facility to their promotional USB Promotional Memory Sticks.

An autorun facility allows users to insert a USB Branded Memory Stick and for the computer to automatically run a programme e.g. a movie file.

The advantages of this facility is that it ensures the user is presented with the information the client wants them to see, without having to find the information themselves. This makes is a very intuitive process and ensures the information on the USB Memory Stick is delivered. However there are some hidden pitfalls:

• Nuisance factor. If one of the objectives is to ensure that the USB Promotional Memory Stick is a keepsake that the end user will access on a regular basis then its worth bearing in mind that every time the user wants to access or save a document they will have to run through the dataload programme. Fine for the first few times, but thereafter they may find this an irritation and relegate the memory stick deep into a draw!

• Autoruns will not work on Win 98 or 2000 operating systems – beware there are still many users out there with these systems. You will also need to ensure that the appropriate code is written into any autorun for it to work on Mac operating systems.

• Some corporate firewalls restrict autoruns, so the danger is that the end user will never see the data.

There is a middle way, why not consider loading the data onto the USB Branded Memory Stick with an icon labelled ‘Click Here To Start’ and allow the user to access the data when they want. This data can be protected so it would not be deleted, but overcomes may of the issues detailed above.

Proofs/screenshots

Many suppliers will mock up a visual of what the Promotional USB Memory Stick will look like before production. This does not always match the finished product. So ensure that the proof carries the colour pantone references and size of the logo. Some suppliers will provide a picture of a printed pre-production so you know exactly what you are going to get.

Shipping / Customs

Almost all Branded USB Memory sticks are manufactured in the Far East and as such need to pass through both Chinese / Taiwanese and UK Customs. For the vast majority of orders this is pretty seamless process. However, any consignment can be pulled for inspection and customs may request additional information. If a global brand is printed on the Promotional USB Memory sticks they may ask for written authentication from the end clients that the goods are not counterfeit. Either way a custom check will delay your order from a few days to up to 3 weeks!

Returning goods / Warranties

Things go wrong! The mark of a good supplier is how they manage these issues. All Customised USB Memory Sticks should carry at least a 12 month warranty. Ensure your supplier stipulates this as part of their Terms and Conditions. However, if the items need replacing it make take several weeks for the Branded USBs to be returned to the manufacturer and repaired or replaced.

Poor Packaging

Poor quality packaging can ruin a great looking USB Memory Stick. In particular the insert that holds the USB memory stick within a box needs to be of the same shape and size of the USB Branded Memory drive. Again the only solution is to have a sample of a box before you order.

Delivery Timeframe

Do not leave the ordering of Branded USB Memory sticks to the last minute unless you want to pay a premium for rush fees and limit your choice of what is available in the UK. Allow at least 2, ideally 3 weeks, from providing your supplier with the artwork, which kicks off the production process.

Quality Of Print

The printing of logos onto your Branded Memory stick is a real art form that at best makes a perfect reproduction of your logo at worst makes it look like real mess and something you would not want to associate your brand to. The typical printing process is spot or screen-printing. This is great for simple logos with up to 4 colours. However it cannot print tints, tones, complex logos or a logo with many colours. A new full colour printing process is now evolving allowing greater printing capabilities. Again if time permits ask for a pre-production printed sample and remove this potential pitfall.

Top Ten Pitfalls Of Buying Promotional USB Memory Sticks

Tags: Branded Memory, Branded Memory, Branded USB, Branded USB Memory, Branded USB Memory Sticks, Promotional USB, Promotional USB, Promotional USB Drives, Promotional USB Flash, promotional USB flash drive, promotional usb flash drives, promotional usb memory, Promotional USB Memory sticks, USB Brand, USB Branded Memory Stick, USB Memory Sticks, USB storage capacity
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USB2U – Express Service

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Have you been given the task of sourcing Promotional USB memory sticks in a hurry, but keep getting quoted a 10-14 day turnaround? Have you been let down by another supplier? Or need Branded USB memory sticks for a show or event where the deadline will not move? If so, USB2U offers an Express Service for printed USB memory sticks!

The vast majority of Promotional USB memory sticks are manufactured in the Far East then shipped to the UK. The timeframe to proof, manufacturer and then to ship in (assuming there are NO customs delays) means that the typically turnaround is 10-14 days.

At USB2U we like to offer our customers a safety net by offering an Express Print and Delivery Service. We keep stock of the most popular USB memory stick models in the UK and we can proof, print in up to 4 colours and delivery the entire job within 48 business hours. For those real emergencies we can even deliver the same day.

In addition, to our rapid printing we are able to upload your data files to your memory sticks, saving you another time consuming task.

All you need to do is provide us with the artwork and data files then just relax and we’ll do the rest.

Please call a member of our friendly team to discuss your requirements and obtain a quotation on 01604 685040 or email: trade@usb2u.co.uk

Express Service Overview in 3 steps:

Day 1: Place order / sign off visual proof
Day 2: USB2U prints your items / uploads your data
Day 3: Items delivered to your door or direct to your client

USB2U USB Twister
Twister: Our most popular model

Some of our customers’ comments:

“Amazed that the Branded USB Memory Sticks arrived so quickly – it got us out of a real fix”

“I ordered printed USB’s memory sticks on Wednesday afternoon and they were delivered on Friday morning – WOW – thanks”

“I was let down at the last minute by another supplier. USB2U were able to rescue our exhibition”

USB2U – Express Service

Tags: Branded Memory, Branded Memory, branded sticks, Branded USB, Branded USB Memory, Branded USB Memory Sticks, Memory Sticks, Promotional USB, promotional usb memory, USB Memory Stick, usb2u
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