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Archive for the ‘Custom USB’ Category

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The Winner In The Clubhouse – Custom USB Golf Clubs and Balls

Friday, May 28th, 2010

The golf equipment and clothing market is a multi-billion pound global market, which given that there are reckoned to be in excess of 30 million regular golfers worldwide is not surprising. Like many sports several key brands tend to dominate the market albeit these brands tend to fragment into clubs, golf balls, clothing and accessories.

Some of the most recognised brands include: Dunlop, TaylorMade, Adidas, Ping, Titliest, Callaway, Wilson, Nike and Mizuno. Every player will have their favourite clubs manufacturer, favourite golf ball manufacturer and so on and these global brands commit millions of pounds each year on R&D, design and sponsorship to make for example their particular golf clubs or golf balls the preferred choice of the golf community.

USB Gold Bag

USB Golf Bag

With every manufacturer scrambling for consumer spend in the midst of tough economic times its interesting to see the innovation now creeping into the advertising and marketing plans of many brands. Nowhere is this more evident than in the use of USB flash drives. Of course they are not using just any old factory designed flash drive with their logo printed on, no, they are commissioning fully bespoke flash drives in the shape of their equipment.

So, next time you’re at the London Golf Show or the Scottish Golf Show or any Golf Show for that matter don’t be surprised to coaxed onto a trade stand with the lure of a Custom USB Golf Ball or a Custom USB Golf bag. These super little promotional products are facsimiles of the real thing just a little smaller and of course they’re fully functional USB flash drives.

The beauty of these products is that the manufacturer can pre-load onto the flash drive all of their product range, technical data sheets, video’s of the product in use, testimonials from professional players, details of local stockists, links to their web site and so on. Rather than hand out lots of glossy but heavy and expensive marketing information

USB Golf Ball

USB Golf Ball

its far easier for all concerned to have this information on a small, handy and imaginatively produced flash memory stick. Easier for the recipient as they won’t be burdened with lots of brochures to lug around the show and easier for the giver as their print costs, storage costs, transport costs etc. will all be dramatically reduced.

Because USB flash drives are incredibly popular products they will be welcomed as promotional gift and unlike CD’s or DVD’s they will be used.  Done well they’ll also generate a real level of interest and “chatter” which is precisely what any good promotional product should deliver.

Custom flash drives, as these images illustrate, can be manufactured in any shape and in a range of different materials. Pricing is just a little more than a standard flash drive you just need to allow a week or so more for their manufacture.

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The Winner In The Clubhouse – Custom USB Golf Clubs and Balls

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Custom USB Flash Drives – Promotional Products Par Excellence

Monday, May 10th, 2010

If you’re looking for a promotional product or corporate gift then you should give custom USB flash drives serious consideration. Don’t just settle for the all too obvious branded mug, baseball cap, T-shirt, pen or soft toy because they’ve all be done to death already and promotional products need to help your brand stand out from the crowd.

Custom USB flash drives are made to order, bespoke, flash drives that are manufactured in a shape, style and material of your choosing. Typically a custom flash drive is produced in a 2-D or 3-D shape that represents something about your company or your company’s products. So, if your company manufactures forklift trucks you could get a bespoke flash drive produced in the shape of a forklift. Similarly if your company imports fruit you could get a custom USB memory stick produced in the shape of a banana or apple.

Custom USB

Custom USB Forklift

Alternatively if you have invested in an advertising campaign (TV, Press, Radio etc.) then you might want to come up with something that links into the campaign. Orange Mobile for example recently commissioned some brilliant custom USB cartoon characters that were designed around the characters in their TV and poster campaign. The reaction to the memory sticks from their customers and partners has been brilliant and far exceeded their expectations. The sticks themselves also show just what can be done with a little thought and imagination.

The process to order custom USB flash drives is not as difficult as you might think. It’s really just a question of coming up with the idea and then asking our design team to work up some ideas for you. Of course if you have some very fixed requirements (like Orange) then it’s even easier because the flash drives will be designed to match, exactly, the characters.

Custom USB Examples

Custom USB Examples

Once a design has been agreed the factory will produce a physical sample for you to approve. This will be air freighted in from the factory because it’s important that you not only see and feel the sample but that you confirm the material that it’s proposed to manufacture the drive from.

Once the samples have been approved its full steam ahead with the production. The total lead time to consider for a custom flash drives is around 4 weeks from initial contact but this can increase if multiple samples and amends are needed so where you can factor in a little extra time.

As the examples above illustrate custom USB memory sticks can look fantastic and they really do create a level of interest, “chatter” and response that simply cannot be matched by more traditional promotional gifts and give-aways.

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Custom USB Flash Drives – Promotional Products Par Excellence

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Bespoke USB Flash Drives – Take Control

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

If you’re looking to buy some branded USB flash drives for a forthcoming event, product launch or show then rather than settling for a standard design with your logo or brand printed on it why not consider a bespoke solution.

The vast majority of promotional memory sticks given away in the UK are normally one of a small handful of standard “factory” designs with the ubiquitous “Twister” or “Rotate” model as its sometimes referred to being the most commonly used.

These standard models are popular because they are easy to source, they come in a range of colours and they carry print well. As a promotional product they are great in so far as they go hence why they are ordered in such large volumes. These standard drives are a “safe bet” and because they are readily available and can typically be delivered in a week or so there is little need to forward plan.

Whilst these attributes are all excellent and they really do deliver as a promotional product (particularly if you pre-load them with data) there is no doubt that bespoke flash drives will really get you noticed and will generate a level of “chatter” and interest that standard flash drives simply can’t match.

Of course if you just want your branded flash drives to carry your logo and be a vehicle for distributing presentation slides, product information etc. then a standard drive might be appropriate.

Custom USB

Custom USB

Bespoke flash drives are designed and manufactured to your exact requirements. They can be manufactured in any 2-D or 2-D shape and from a range of different materials. Just like a standard flash drive they are available in a range of different memory sizes and they can be printed, embossed or engraved as required.

When it comes to designing custom memory sticks pretty much anything can and has been done ranging from USB fruit, USB people, USB vehicles, USB cartoon characters and so on. So, if for example you are a widget manufacturer and you’re about to launch a new widget on the world and you have a press launch arranged to underpin the launch you might consider commissioning a bespoke flash drive in the shape of your widget. Consider the impact when these are handed out at the press event and product launch particularly if they are pre-loaded with all the launch material.

Standard branded flash drives are still incredibly well received and whilst we’re not quite at the point of people saying or thinking “so what” there is no doubt that the market is in danger of saturation. You can cut through this by going the extra mile and commissioning a bespoke flash drive. Do bear in mind that the lead time for bespoke flash drives is 2-3 weeks longer so build this into your plans.

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Bespoke USB Flash Drives – Take Control

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We Never Tyre Of Custom USB Flash Drives

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

BFGoodrich are one of the leading tyre manufacturers in the world so when it came to ordering a USB flash drive for one of their promotional activities they were adamant that the flash drive should reflect not only their brand but their core products – Tyres.

Standard branded memory sticks were never going to be able to do the job because whilst they are great at showing off a brand the challenge with BFGoodrich was to go the extra mile and come up with something that was not only visually excellent but was also a tactile representation of what they do and what they stand for.

Working with the BFGoodrich team we came up with the idea of a rubber USB wristband. These flash drives are a little different because they wrap around the users wrist just like a bracelet. They relatively light, easy to wear and look a lot like the charity wristbands that you see a lot of these days. But, for BFGoodrich the idea was to develop the wristband and create a unique mould so that the finished product was not only rubber but had a tyre tread on the surface.  The wristband was then produced in black and with their logo on and the end result looks stunning. In fact it looks just like a piece of tyre tread fashioned into a wristband!

USB Wristband

Whilst not to everyone taste there is no doubting the innovation behind it and the “wow” factor these custom memory sticks create. What BGGoodrich have shown is that with a little imagination you can come up with a really interesting, imaginative and eye-catching custom USB solution.

Custom memory sticks can be fashioned in 2-D and 3-D shapes and manufactured from a range of different and flexible materials. The incremental cost of a fully bespoke drive is not much more than a standard factory model but you do need to allow a little more time for the production because the factory will want time to produce physical samples and proofs for your approval. If you can afford the time and you can build it into your project plan then custom sticks are definitely worth the wait.

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We Never Tyre Of Custom USB Flash Drives

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We’re Getting All Eggcited About Our Custom USB Flash Drives

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Maybe its because Easter is fast approaching or maybe its because they are incredibly cute but our custom USB eggs certainly seem to be hitting the mark at the moment.

The two latest customers to commission these custom USB eggs were Teesside University and the highly regarded video games design and production company Alien After All.

Teesside University Custom USBTeesside University wanted something to bring their student packs to life. The student packs they had produced were themed around “cracking the potential” but in paper format they were deemed a bit flat and boring. The answer was have a bespoke USB Memory stick in the shape of a egg – corny = possibly, memorable = yes! This was then loaded with bespoke course information that students could pick up as they toured the university.

Alien After All are the company behind the design and development of one of the latest Nintendo DSi Games – DoDoGo. The game breaks new territory, it’s a download game packed full of captivating missions, bonus level challenges and promises great fun for gamers of all ages. One of the key characters are the little dinosaur eggs and the custom USB’s commissioned by Alien After All have been manufactured in the shape of the eggs. These are ideal give-aways to support the launch of the game. Expect them to become collectors items of the future so preparing your own little egg treasure hunt might not be a bad idea!

Alien After All Custom USB

Both Teesside University and Alien After All have illustrated just how well a custom USB stick can fit into an overall advertising and marketing plan. All it takes is a little imagination and a little bit of time in your project plan to get them manufactured.

If eggs are not your thing don’t worry because custom flash drives can be produced in pretty much any 2-D or 3-D shape and in a variety of materials. If you are interested then the best thing is to give us a call and talk through your ideas. Our in-house designs team will then work up some concepts for your approval and give you the all-important prices and lead times.

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We’re Getting All Eggcited About Our Custom USB Flash Drives

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Weakness of Sterling Drives up USB Flash Drive Prices

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Over the last 3 months the pound (GBP) has fallen around 11% against the US dollar (USD) and at the moment the trend looks like continuing downwards. Sterling today fell to a 10-month low against the dollar with many analysts now predicting a continuation of the fall to $1.4.  The fall seems to be driven by a number of key factors including:
GBP USD

  • Currency speculators have built up over $6bn of short positions against sterling (effectively betting that it will fall).
  • There are doubts about the Bank of England’s Bank of England’s plans in relation to quantitative easing in the UK.
  • Opinion polls over the week-end seemed to indicate that Labour could hold onto power in the forthcoming general elections – the market is concerned that labour will not deal with effectively with the UK’s record fiscal deficit.
  • The Prudential’s purchase of AIG’s Asia business will put further pressure on the pound because $25bn of the transaction will be in cash and in dollars.

If the pound does fall to $1.4 then this will represent a 17% fall in a relatively short space of time. This has a significant impact on the cost of imported goods into the UK and has a direct bearing on the costs of branded flash drives and custom USB memory sticks.

Pretty much every USB memory stick in the world in manufactured in China and suppliers of memory sticks pay the factories in China in US dollars. Consequently, the fall in the value of the pound has a direct impact on the cost of USB flash drives. Couple these currency cost increases with the recent 2.5% increase in VAT its easy to see why costs risen over the past couple of months and look set to increase moving forward.

Some suppliers will have protected themselves to some degree against these fluctuations but this is only likely to be short-lived. If you are looking to buy branded memory sticks now then be prepared for quotes to be valid for just a day or two (the suppliers need to protect themselves against the vagaries of the market) and be prepared to make decisions quickly to secure the best price you can.

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Weakness of Sterling Drives up USB Flash Drive Prices

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Customised USB Memory – Tip 4. The Manufacturing Process Explained

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

In the forth of the series of top tips to consider when purchasing Customised USB Memory Sticks, we explain the manufacturing.

Once you have selected your supplier (See Tip 3) it’s worth understanding the manufacturing process, as this will give you a great appreciation of some of activities and the supplementary questions that you may wish to ask. On the face of it you would assume that the manufacturing process for Customised USB Memory sticks would be simply. However, pulling back the veneer shows a complex and challenging process.

Custom USB

There are 3 hardware components that make up a Branded Memory Stick:

  • The Flash Memory Chip, which comes in various memory sizes from 64Mb to 16Gb.
  • The PCBA Board which houses the Chip, Electronics and USB Connector
  • The casing that houses and protects the USB Memory Stick. These come in a myriad of shapes and designs.

Custom USB

Your UK supplier will be contracted to the factory/s that will purchase each of the above three components and assemble them. The following is the typical process a reputation factory would follow:

  1. They will purchase the Flash Memory Chips from companies such as Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Intel or other OEM brands. Care that they do not use B grade or recycled flash memory.
  2. All chips will be tested before attaching into the PCBA
  3. Any data that needs to be added onto the USB Branded Memory Stick is typically loaded at this stage. Again all units are QA tested. A screen print of the data will be sent to the client for sign-off.
  4. The factory will purchase the housing from dedicated manufactures. Again whilst certain models look the same it is important that only quality material is used.
  5. The next step is for the factory to screen print, emboss or engrave logos onto the shell of the USB Memory Stick. This can be a long and drawn out process if completed by hard, however most of the larger factories have fully automated printing processes. A proof will be sent to the client for signoff.
  6. The factory’s production line is then responsible for inserting the PCBA into the housing.
  7. Once the units have been assembled a full QA is again undertaken.
  8. Any accessories are added to the USB Branded Memory sticks, e.g. key rings.
  9. Finally they are packing into gift boxes or bubble bags.
  10. A courier picks up the goods, which need to be cleared through the originator’s and UK customs.

This entire process can take between 7-14days

The UK suppliers should undertake their own QA process before despatching these to you.

View Tip 1. Here, Tip 2. Here, Tip 3. Here.

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Customised USB Memory – Tip 4. The Manufacturing Process Explained

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Customised USB Memory – Tip 3. How To Select Your Supplier

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

In the third of the series of top tips to consider when purchasing Customised USB Memory Sticks, we explain some of the elements you should consider when selecting a supplier of Branded USB Memory sticks.

There are two options to consider:

Custom USB

Option 1. Selecting a supplier from the UK

Most orders for Customised USB Memory sticks are normally processed via a UK intermediary. These organisations manage the entire end-to-end process, but more importantly most will ensure that the manufacturing process is fully audited and of a high quality.Custom USB

So what should you be looking for when selecting a supplier? Of course price is important, but this should not be the primary driver. A small saving may be a false economy if end users start to experience problems when using the Branded Memory Sticks. Think of the reputational risk and the inconvenience of getting these replaced.

Whilst there is no substitute to full due-diligence, there are some simple things you can do to sort the wheat from the chaff.

  • First Check they have a proven track record by contacting previous clients.
  • Ensure there is a contact telephone number on the site and speak to a representative.
  • Ensure they are working from business premises. There is a growing trend for individuals pertaining to be companies, but working from home without the infrastructure to support you if things go wrong. An easy way to check this is by using Google Earth.
  • Ensure they only use new branded USB Flash Chips.
  • Finally do not pay for any part of the order until the goods are in the UK and ready for despatch.

Option 2. Selecting a supplier from the Far East.Custom USB

The primary benefit of purchasing from the Far East is that you can potentially save money. However, it is a complex process and would expose you to a high degree of risk. The key disadvantages are that:

  • You must undertake due diligence on the provider to ensure they are a genuine company. It seems that every contact that sells Branded USB memory sticks claims to be a factory. This is factually incorrect, at best most are intermediaries.
  • All suppliers will ask for the full funds to be transferred to their bank account before they commence any work. So a real act of faith.
  • If things go wrong it is extremely difficult to send items back to the Far East. At best you may get the supplier to repair / make good any errors, but this would take several weeks and you have to pay for them to be shipped to the Far East.
  • There are many pitfalls that could occur if the order is not correctly specified to the Far East supplier. For example, ensuring that dataload autorun is as requested by the client or are they using genuine class A USB Flash chips.
  • Finally if you wish to purchase direct from the Far East, manufacturers are desperate to secure new business and will offer heavily discounted rates by cutting many of the quality corners mentioned above.

In short, if you are an infrequent purchaser of Branded USB Memory sticks then purchase from a recognised UK supplier. If you purchase on a regular basis then it may be cost effective to purchase direct from the Far East, but ensure you undertake full due diligence and ideally visit the factory before sending any money.

View Tip 1. Here, Tip 2. Here.

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Customised USB Memory – Tip 3. How To Select Your Supplier

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Customised USB Memory sticks are getting more and more unusual

Monday, February 15th, 2010

At USB2U, we are asked everyday for unusual and wacky Custom USB ideas. People are certainly realising now that they no longer need to settle for a standard ‘Classic’ model and that Customised USB’s are much more acceptable in terms of cost these days.

Certainly the shapes and sizes we get asked for seem to be getting more and more unusual. We’ve been asked for cricket bats and balls, light switches, animals and parts of the human body!!

Custom USB’s are far more simple to produce than you’d think. All we need initially is a concept/design to work from and we’ll create a mock up to show you how the custom USB would appear.

You could even send your own hand written drawing or idea for us to work from.

Our talented design team will then arrange a visual mock up to bring to life your idea. Once the mock up is approved we then create an actual physical sample of the product – the most common material used to make customised USB’s is PVC, but they can also be made using plastic or metal.

After the sample has been approved the factory then produces the final quantity ordered and they are shipped into the UK via a courier then direct to you. The whole process for Custom USB’s from order to delivery is usually between 14-21 days.

So, if you have an upcoming event or meeting and require something different it could be worth considering Custom USB’s. All you need to do is contact the team at USB2U and we’ll guide you through the process from start to finish.

Custom USB - USB2U

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Customised USB Memory sticks are getting more and more unusual

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