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Archive for the ‘Branded Memory Sticks’ Category

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Flix on Stix Movie Rental – Another Revolutionary Use for Branded USBs

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

We have slowly been witnessing USB flash drives take the place of their less advanced predecessor, the CD. We have been finding that more and more photographers are sending newly wed photos on branded USB flash drives in place of CD’s and we recently reported in one of our articles Ford replacing CD players in their new Focus’ with a USB port as standard (CD Player Dropped from New Ford Focus – Replaced With USB Ports).  We have now found quite a revolutionary new way that USB memory sticks are being used instead of CDs, DVDs and even Blu-Ray Discs.

The traditional film rental market is facing pretty gloomy times with the development of easier ways to rent films such as Love Film and online rental.  However, Flix on Stix thinks that they may have found a gap in the market with an alternative way to rent films.  The name of the company pretty much explains the idea, films are rented using a USB flash drive.  Films are rented and transferred onto a USB memory stick via kiosks resembling ATM machines.  The clever part of this idea is how the films are rented.

Flix on Stix Movie Rental

Flix on Stix distribute a company branded USB memory stick, known as a ‘passport’ to customers wanting to use the service.  The flash drive is pre-loaded with proprietary anti-theft software to stop the transfer of the films once rented and the files will self-delete when the specified rental days have expired.  The flash drives and ports are also USB 3.0 to ensure a speedy transfer rate of the chosen film.

Branded USB Flash Drive

The idea has some legs as it eradicates problems that traditional film rental stores had with late fees, scratched discs or limited copies of a particular film.  Another benefit is that you do not have to leave the house to get and return the film, only to get the film.  However, this venture is up against other popular film rental developments such as online movie rental through stores such as iTunes, Blockbusters and also the services on Sky and Virgin television.

Despite these issues it is clear that Flix on Stix is a revolutionary use for promotional USB memory sticks.  The use of USB flash drives allows for more advanced technology that CDs or DVDs such as 3.0 transfer speeds, the pre-loaded anti-virus software, timed file deletion but most importantly company branding.

Having the promotional USB flash drives that would be used to transfer and play the films would get Flix on Stix much more brand exposure that traditional methods.  When the person downloads the film they will use the flash drive, when they play the film in a room full or friends they will use the flash drive and when they talk about the service to friends they can show them the flash drive.  The brand exposure for the company is much wider than with traditional DVD renting.  Now only time will tell if the idea catches on and can stand up to the tough competition.

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Flix on Stix Movie Rental – Another Revolutionary Use for Branded USBs

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The Branded USB Flash Drive Rush Service: Help With a Tight Schedule

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Today’s world is getting faster and faster. With the development of speedier and more functional travel, devices and communication it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. This translates to every part of our lives but especially work, we wonder how we used to get things done without certain technologies that we now rely on.  We know first hand that deadlines get shorter and shorter with more and more to do; our ability and capacity are stretched to their extreme, that’s why we offer a Rush Service.

USB2U Rush Service

If you have an event coming up and don’t have the promotional material that you need or you are frantically trying to organise a conference and need an impressive finishing touch quick we have just the service for you.  Our Rush Service offers branded USB memory sticks within 48 hours of the confirmation of order.  We hold blank stock of the most popular range of USB flash drives for those that need their promotional USB memory stick urgently.

It may seem unbelievable but we really can get USB flash drives branded with you logo in your hands within 48 hours.  We have tried to make the process as simple and stress free for anyone ordering their logo USB flash drives through the Rush Service because we know that they will most likely be occupied with all of the other things that they have to plan for the event or campaign.

To achieve these timescales and to make the process as smooth as possible we do need a bit of help on the customers side.  If the artwork is ready to go in the right format, an order can be confirmed and a proof can be approved in a short time then the process can be underway in good time and the time goal can be met.  The colour of the flash drive is subject to availability but we always make sure that we have a range of memory sizes to fit your specification.

Data loading is also usually possible in these tight timescales but since we will do this in-house it will depend on the speed at which you can get the files to us, the size of the files and the availability of our data-loading machine and team.  Despite this, we will always try to accommodate your requirements, just give us a call to discuss the possibility.

Not only is the fete to get branded USB memory sticks a pretty impressive one but we have done it many times in the past and have gained much experience at it.  If this service fits your requirements for the busy schedule that you have in planning your event then just give us a call to discuss what you need and get the order for your promotional USB flash drives rolling.

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The Branded USB Flash Drive Rush Service: Help With a Tight Schedule

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A Great Time of Year for a USB Corporate Gift

Friday, August 19th, 2011

It’s the holiday season and many employees are using their paid leave to go on holiday. They usually bring back simple gifts for their colleagues who were holding the fort in their absence.  Our office is no different; we have had bags of fruity sweets brought back from countries on the continent with the flavours that no one likes still left months later.  Employees’ bringing small gifts back with them from holiday is a nice gesture; it shows that they were thinking about their colleagues in the office whilst soaking up the sun somewhere a little more relaxing.  The same applies between companies.

USB Fan

Although no companies take a ‘holiday’ as such, small gifts and gestures can make a company feel valued, thanked or just thought of.  Unexpected but well-timed and thoughtful corporate gifts can strengthen relationships just as much as big expensive and extravagant corporate hospitality.

If at this point in the article you expected us to suggest that useful, large memory branded USB memory sticks would make an ideal gift to the employees of another company, you would be right.  However, there are other things that we think would also make perfect gifts.  We also offer a range of USB corporate gifts comprising of fans, and speakers.

USB Fan
The USB fan is a welcomed new gadget in time for the hot summer months and can show employees that you care about their comfort in the suns heat. The central area of the fan allows for a resin dome sticker that supports full colour printing, ideal for displaying complex logos. The airflow produced by the fan is big enough to provide an accurate cold blast without blowing papers and or pens around on a desk.

Pod Speaker
The small pod speaker is an impressive and quirky portable speaker, great for employees to take on holiday as the speaker charges via a USB lead and can be played outdoors on the battery or when plugged in at a desk. When closed the speaker is only 35mm high, which is makes for easy transportation. There is also little mess with wires or wrapping them around the speakers when storing the pod as the headphone jack and lead is retractable. The area on the pod allows for clear printing of a company logo and is a great functional promotional tool.

USB Pod Speaker

Small Speaker Bar
These compact yet powerful computer speakers fit easily under a monitor or neatly on an office desk for those who listen to music whilst working. The speakers source power and play music from a computer connected via a USB port. This makes them simple and easy to connect as there is no need to play around with drivers or (headphone jack ports).

Large Speaker Bar
These large speakers lay low and wide whilst providing a strong and clear sound. There are three buttons displayed on the top of the speakers, which turn the power on and off and control the volume without having to change it on the device or computer. The port on one end of the speaker connects via USB to the computer sourcing power and music. The other end of the speakers allows for another device such as a phone or an MP3 player to be played through the speakers when plugged in.

We think that along with custom USB flash drives, these corporate gifts are ideal as a ‘middle of the year’ present which will certainly stand out and won’t get lost with the competition of other company gifts at Christmas.  To see more images of the fans and speakers and to find out more visit the Other USB Gifts page on the ‘products’ navigation bar at the top of the page.

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A Great Time of Year for a USB Corporate Gift

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How to Choose the Perfect Branded USB Flash Drive Model

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Here at USB2U we boast one of the largest ranges of branded USB flash drives. Although that is a good thing because it gives our customers a lot of options when choosing their perfectly customised USB memory stick, it can make things a little more difficult.  We are constantly gaining new customers who are new to buying promotional memory drives so, to make it a little easier on them we want to offer some help and guidelines when choosing the best logo memory stick for their company.

  1. USB2U Product Range

    The first thing we have done to help select the right branded USB memory stick is to separate them into 11 categories:

    1. Classic USB Range – A collection of the most popular branded USB flash drives.
    2. Metal USB Range – A little tougher and durable and can be very sophisticated and stylish.
    3. Leather USB Range – An executive and professional option that allow for a stylish embossing.
    4. Credit Card USB Range – A very functional use of a USB flash drive that allows for a large printing area making them great for promotion.
    5. Key USB Range – An easily portable and impressive use for a USB memory stick that usually makes an impact.
    6. Pen Range – Perfectly living up to the name ‘USB pen drive’ this range doubles in functionality and is perfect for conferences.
    7. Wood Range – A tactile option that shouts ‘eco-friendly’.
    8. USB People Range – This fun USB option expresses individuality and can be personalised to a profession or personality.
    9. Novelty Range – This branded flash drive range includes wristbands, carabineers, batteries, metal cans, etc.
    10. Eco Friendly Range – This range of flash drives are a mixture of other models but the cases are recycled.
    11. Custom Range – This range is completely dependent on you, if you can imagine it, we can make it.

      USB2U Sample Product Range

  2. Now you understand the various branded USB memory stick ranges it is important to understand what your company flash drives will be used for and what you want to get from them, that will largely help you decide which model is most applicable to you.  For example, if you need them for purely promotional purposes and want to hand as many as you can out at a trade fair then a cost effective flash drive from our classic range would probably be best.  However, if you want to say something through your flash drives to your customers, such as, ‘we are an experienced and professional brand’ a logo USB flash drive from the leather range may be more fitting.
  3. What artwork do you want on the custom USB flash drive?  If you just want, say, your logo and a web address then all of our flash drives will usually accommodate for a standard logo size however, if images and a lot of colour will better portray your brand then something from the credit card range will be perfect for a large printing area and full colour printing.
  4. The budget for your promotional USB memory sticks will no doubt be a major deciding factor.  We do not publish the prices of our flash drive due to the volatility of the cost of the flash drives but if you make an enquiry via our enquiry form we will get back to you within 2 hours (during office hours) with the costs and help you in your quest to find the perfect promotional USB memory sticks within budget.

These guidelines and points to consider should give you a good idea of the kind of branded flash drive that is right for your company.  However, if you are still no closer, then give us a call or make an enquiry and one of our dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable account managers will help you find out which USB model is best for you.

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How to Choose the Perfect Branded USB Flash Drive Model

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Augmented Reality Promotional USB Flash Drives

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

A lot of our articles recently have been on the development of USB technology and other general technology. This has got us thinking about other applications for technology on USB sticks for promotional purposes and to create a buzz, so we got thinking about augmented reality.

For those of you who haven’t heard of augmented reality it is a pretty cool development in technology.  Many of you will have come across it on televised sport without knowing it as augmented reality.  It is used in the end of game analysis on Match of The Day, to measure and show distances of kicks on live rugby and in athletic events to show world records and competitor results.  All of these uses make watching sport more interesting and informative.

The more known uses of augmented reality are in smart phone applications.  Applications that use the smart phone’s camera to show where a restaurant is around you or point out and label landmarks use augmented reality.  These applications can be really impressive and quite helpful.

Augmented Reality with branded USB flash drives

Augmented reality has also been used to advertise cars and films with a computer and a webcam.  BMW used augmented reality back in 2009 to advertise the release of the new Z4.  All that was needed was simple piece simple software was downloaded from the website to use the webcam and a Z4 printout.  Once the application was software was opened and the piece of paper was placed in view of the webcam a 3D version of the new Z4 car could be seen on the paper that could be turned and spun to see each angle of the car.  A nice added feature was that the car could also be driven round your desktop leaving coloured tyre marks on the screen to match the television advert.

Pepsi used a similar idea with their drink cans to advertise the release of the Avatar film.  When a can was placed in view of the webcam a helicopter from the film appeared on the screen and followed the can around.  We have also seen boxes that display the ring from Lord of the Rings in it, T-shirts that show a dagger in the chest and many more creative ideas.

With the recent article that we wrote about company who used their promotional USB memory sticks to print QR codes on we thought that branded USB flash drives are an ideal medium for augmented reality.  The software could be pre-loaded onto the logo USB memory stick to be installed onto the computer and when the webcam recognises the USB flash drive it displays a company logo or something even more creative like and interactive product.  To see which of our many, branded USB memory sticks are most suitable for your creative, technological and creative ideas visit our branded USB product range.

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Augmented Reality Promotional USB Flash Drives

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A USB Flash Drive Branded with a QR Code

Friday, August 5th, 2011

One of our recent branded USB memory stick jobs, seen on the right requested a square pixelated symbol to be printed on one side of their bamboo flash drives from our Wood USB range.  Some people may not be aware of what this dotted picture is.  It could be thought that it was a weird, complex company logo or a symbol for a marketing campaign.  It is in fact, a QR code.

A QR Code Printed onto a Branded USB FLash Drive

As with everything in business nowadays ‘Quick Response Codes’ is often shortened to ‘QR codes’.  They work in a simlar way to a barcode, once scanned with a QR scanner the code is read and the relevant information is produced.  They were first used in tracking parts with vehicle manufacturers but their uses have more recently moved to marketing on devices such as mobile phones and computers.  QR readers can be downloaded onto smart phones or computers using apps such as QR Reader, KAYWA reader or i-nigma reader.  When the code is ‘scanned’ by taking a picture with the phones camera or the computers web-camera the code can direct the phone to do a variety of things such as open a website, display text, show some text, write an SMS message, show a location on Google maps and many more things.  These QR codes have been used on marketing campaigns, on billboards, in newspapers, on business cards and even on chocolate.

QR codes are free to generate and can be made on sites such as www.qrcode.kaywa.com and www.qrstuff.com.  The issue however with QR codes however, is that mobile phones and computers do not come with QR reader software already installed, an application must be downloaded onto the devices before the code can be read.  Despite this QR codes are great for marketing because they mean that static, traditional advertising such as billboards and magazine adverts can become digital and mobile only by taking a photo.

Now, with our recent job printing QR codes onto the branded USB memory sitck, even devices like USB flash drives, which have both digital and static marketing benefits can become that little more digital and mobile.  We think that this job was a great idea and should be very effective as a promotional USB memory stick.

Of course, the idea that a device can open a file, a website or a location on a map has been around for while with branded USB flash drives.  With the auto-run feature that will automatically open certain files when plugged into a computer can be installed onto our promotional flash drives.  To find out more about the auto-run feature visit the USB duplication and data-loading page.

If you are new to QR codes try ‘scanning’ the QR code to the left and see where it takes you…

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A USB Flash Drive Branded with a QR Code

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Putting Serial Numbers On Your USB Memory Sticks

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Lets face it the vast majority of USB memory sticks that are handed out by companies these days are primarily given away to promote the brand that’s printed on the USB stick. Occasionally companies will load them with sales material (brochures, price lists, tech sheets, movie clips and links to web sites) but more often than not the USB sticks are just used as a “giveaway”.

USB Memory Sticks with Serial Numbers

USB Memory Sticks with Serial Numbers

As giveaways they work well because they have a high perceived value and the people they are given to will typically use them to store and carry their own data around with them – it’s this regular and repeated use that gets the company’s brand exposed over and over again and the fact that the brand is associated with something that has real personal value helps to build strong emotional ties to the brand.

If sensitive data is pre-loaded onto the USB memory sticks it’s a good idea to consider password protecting the data or even putting some form of encryption solution of the USB memory stick. You might also want to associate every USB stick you give out to a specific person or company and the easiest way to do this is get a unique serial number printed on every stick and record who you give each one to.

USB Serial Number

USB Serial Number

Some companies that distribute their sales brochures and distributor and reseller price lists on USB flash drives do this not so much to track them if they get lost but to create different “batches” of USB sticks (determined by a range of serial numbers) onto which they then pre-load different prices lists (with differing discount structures etc.). When your faced with 500 USB sticks they all look the same so a serial number is just a bit of a safety net to make sure the right person/company gets the right information – you also have an audit trail of who’s been sent what.

For companies that give flash drives out to their employees of schools and universities that hand them out to students, serial numbers are a handy way of recording who has been given which USB flash drive – this way if they get lost (and they will) they can be returned to the rightful owner.

Whilst the examples here show every USB drive uniquely marked with a serial numbers they could instead be engraved a persons or companies name if preferred – you just need to provide a spreadsheet with these details when you place any order

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Putting Serial Numbers On Your USB Memory Sticks

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Be Bold, Be Strong, Make An Impact

Friday, June 24th, 2011

What’s the driving factor for most companies when they buy promotional or branded USB memory sticks?

Are they simply buying them as an easy way to distribute information and to save themselves the cost of printing, transporting and storing sales and marketing collateral or are they looking to drive customer engagement and hopefully sales.

Is the purchase of USB memory sticks driven by the need to give a gift or “thank you” to attendees at a conference or seminar or are they being purchased to engage with journalists and the media at a press event or product launch?

Whatever the reason for buying them it’s important that companies understand that branded memory sticks are a great way to develop and extend their brand. If you give USB sticks away with a reasonable amount of storage space on them then, they will almost always get used by the recipient to store and carry their own data around with them.

Companies buying USB sticks need to tap into this on-going use and ensure any brand or logo they print onto the USB drives is bold, strong and makes an impact – this is their opportunity to develop and push their brand, not just once but, every time the USB stick is used or handed around.

Excellent Example Of Colour Matched USB Flash Drives

Excellent Example Of Colour Matched USB Flash Drives

There are lots of examples of branded USB sticks around where they’ve been purchased for the right reasons but the execution is poor because:

  • Standard black USB sticks with a black print has been chosen because they’re the easy option and a single colour print is cheaper but it’s a missed opportunity – if a companies brand colours are red and white then don’t buy black USB sticks and print them with a black logo/text.
  • Too much information is printed and it looks “squished” and difficult to read – it makes far more sense when you’ve only got a limited amount of space to work to stick to a simple but strong message.
  • Opportunities to take advantage of colour matching the body of the flash drive are missed – standard factory colours are “OK” for companies in a hurry but many suppliers of USB sticks will pantone match the colour of the flash drives – this takes a little longer but the end results are much better.

The best advice for companies when buying branded or promotional USB flash drives is to ensure they allow time to get the right USB sticks in the right colour and with a logo printed on them that reflects their company. Compromise, unless you really do not have the time, should not be an option!

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Be Bold, Be Strong, Make An Impact

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Black, Small But Perfectly Formed

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Not all USB memory sticks are born equal. Some are large, some are small, some are manufactured from plastic whilst others are lovingly crafted from brush aluminium or leather. Some only have a teeny, tiny memory capacity whilst others have a stonking 16GB or 32GB to play with.

Small USB Memory Sticks - Nano

Small USB Memory Sticks - Nano

As ever beauty is in the eye of the beholder and at USB2U we’re quite taken by these small, black Nano Slider USB flash drives. It’s the first time we’ve produced them in black and we (and the customer) are delighted with the results. The black finish on the USB stick works particularly well with the two-tone blue print and the attached black keyring attachment finishes it off perfectly!

At only 33mm x 12mm the Nano Slider is the smallest USB memory stick we supply so if you are looking for something that sits comfortably on a keyring then this is about as handy and unobtrusive as it gets.

The case (shell) colour can be produced in any colour you want albeit black we’ve decided does look pretty spectacular. Despite the small size of the Nano it can still be supplied with memory up to 16GB.

Whichever model of branded USB memory sticks you choose it’s worth thinking about loading data onto them before you hand them out to your customers, prospects or staff. The primary function of a USB stick is to hold and carry data so it makes sense to use the memory you are paying for to pre-load your sales brochures, price lists and any other collateral.

Most recipients of a promotional USB stick will plug it into a PC or Mac and will typically look at any files that are loaded onto the stick. Whether you “lock” the data onto the stick is optional but if you’re only buying sticks with a small amount of memory on them locking the data is not recommended because people simply won’t use them if there is no space left onto which they can save their own data. If they don’t use them then you won’t get any on-going brand exposure, which is one of the usual benefits of giving away USB memory sticks.

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Black, Small But Perfectly Formed

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5 Reasons You Must Buy Your USB Memory Sticks From USB2U

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Are you looking for a supplier for your branded USB memory sticks? With the range of “new” suppliers that keep popping up everyday it’s increasingly difficult to work out who to entrust with your order – after all, all USB flash drives are the same aren’t they?

The short answer is no – unfortunately there seems to be a lot of USB flash drives reaching the market that are not quite what they might appear at first glance so when you’re selecting a supplier you really do need to be on your mettle.

Branded USB Flash Drives from USB2U

Branded USB Flash Drives from USB2U

Here’s just a few reasons why you should buy your promotional USB memory sticks from USB2U:

  1. We’ve been around for a while – USB2U has been supplying USB memory sticks and other USB related products via its sister company (USBNow.co.uk) since 2002. What we don’t know about the USB standard and products that use it probably isn’t worth knowing. In this time we’ve supplied millions of USB products to hundreds of thousands of customers.
  2. We’re trusted by some of the biggest brands in the world. As you might expect our customers’ range from small start-ups to some of the most powerful and respected companies in the world. The USB memory sticks we supply to these companies carry their brand so it’s their image and reputation that is on the line – no ifs, no buts, the USB sticks we supply not only have to look good but they have to work.
  3. We don’t and won’t supply cheap rubbish – we know a number of other companies are passing off masked or recycled Grade B as new Grade A flash drives – it’s normally pretty easy to tell:
    • The price is significantly cheaper than most other established and reputable suppliers can supply them at – often the price is that low that its cheaper than the core flash memory component is to buy in the flash commodity market.
    • The read/write speeds will be very, very slow – promotional flash drives are normally a little slower than flash drives you might buy in the high street but low quality drives can be significantly slower.
    • A masked drive that claims it’s a 1GB might in fact only be able to store say 600K of data – when you plug it into your PC it will say it’s a 1GB, it will even let you save nearly 1GB of data onto it but if you then try and read the data in another PC it mysteriously won’t be there!
  4. We offer a solid guarantee – our own reputation has been built over the last 9 years and we don’t let out customers down. If things go wrong and in reality it happens occasionally then we’re here to sort it out for you.
  5. Our prices might not be the cheapest but they reflect the best possible price we can offer without making any compromise on the quality of the core product – the USB flash drive. We offer immediate 30-day terms for all educational establishments and public sector organisations and we’re happy to consider requests for credit from all other companies.
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