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Archive for the ‘Custom USB Memory Sticks’ Category

Planes Trains and Automobiles – Custom Flash Drives

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

If you’re looking for promotional giveaways or gifts for speakers at a seminar or conference or perhaps you just want to something to liven up a press event or product launch then you can’t really go wrong with a custom USB flash drive.

USB Custom Plane

USB Custom Plane

Flash drives have already established themselves as incredibly popular products in the promotional sector and it’s easy to understand why. There is not really any other product that offers the same degree of utility combined with an ability to pre-load all of your sales brochures, presentation slides and marketing material onto it.

Whilst CD’s and DVD’s have historically been used to load sales material on and they have been handed out at shows and events they just don’t have the same user appeal and whilst they are cheaper they can end up just tossed in the nearest bin. Flash drives on the other hand are still very desirable and sought after and we know from experience and customer feedback that they are kept and used over and over again.

The easiest option is to just get some printed up with your logo or brand and ideally ask the supplier to pre-load your sales data during the manufacturing process or just before they ship them to you if you’re up against it in terms of pulling your material together. There are lots of standard designs and models to

Custom USB Train

Custom USB Train

choose from and they come in a wide range of colours and shapes. Most suppliers will have examples on their web sites of printed or engraved versions they’ve produced for their clients and the majority will happily supply you with samples if you want to see what they look like in the flesh.

Standard printed flash drives are a good option but if you have the time you could consider going all the way and getting yourself some custom (bespoke) memory sticks designed and manufactured. These are surprisingly cost effective to do and visually they can be stunning. There’s no doubt about it a well designed and well produced custom flash drive will set you apart from the competition and get people talking about your company and its products which of course is exactly what you want from a promotional product!

custom usb car

custom usb car

New manufacturing processes and increased competition amongst the factories that produce custom memory sticks has driven down prices, all but eliminated the set-up and tooling costs and improved the lead times. All you need is the “gem” of an idea for your custom USB drive to be developed around. Pretty much any thing is possible as these examples of planes, trains and automobiles illustrate.

If you are interested in getting your own custom USB flash drives produced then give us a call and chat your ideas through with one of our sales team. Our in-house deisgners can work with you to develop your concepts into 2-D and 3-D drawings for the factories to work from and we’ll advise you on the best choice of material and memory size for your partiuclar event/show.

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Planes Trains and Automobiles – Custom Flash Drives

Custom USB Memory Sticks – Sitting And Reflecting

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

There is no doubt about it, a custom USB memory stick done well will grab peoples attention, gets them engaged with you and your company and gets them talking about your product(s). Really good examples of custom USB memory sticks can create a viral “chatter” beyond your initial target audience. It’s not unusual for photographs of bespoke flash drives to appear on Facebook, BEBO, personal blog sites and other Social Networking sites and forums – and all of this is excellent free advertising.

Some products like the excellent Orange characters (below) and the Portable USB Toilet (also below) really do lend themselves to being created as a Custom Memory Sticks. In the case of the Orange characters they dovetail brilliantly into Orange’s TV and Poster campaign whereas the USB portable toilets are just that little bit different and not an obvious case for a custom USB stick. Both have generated significant attention and “chatter” and show just what can be done with a little thought and imagination.

Custom Memory Sticks

Custom Memory Sticks

Just like any standard branded memory sticks, custom (or bespoke) versions are incredibly popular as giveaways at trade shows, conferences, press events, road shows and fresher fairs. Whether you give away custom versions or standard factory models printed with your logo or brand they’re still going to be well received and the inherent usefulness of the memory stick will be appreciated by all. But, if you do want to get that little bit more from the sticks then you should consider going for a fully customised version.

Historically higher costs and longer lead times took bespoke versions out of reach many customers but increased competition amongst the factories that manufacture them has dramatically increased the lead times and in many cases the initial tooling and set up costs have are now waived (subject to minimum order quantities)

Custom USB Toilet

Custom USB Toilet

The per unit cost of a custom version is now only pennies more than the standard version and most suppliers of branded memory sticks will be able to quote and supply for custom versions. The better suppliers will also have in-house designers that can work with you to develop and design 2-D and 3-D concepts for your approval before any formal order is placed. Typically you’ll then get a physical sample of your sticks before the factory commits to the final production.

If you have a product, brand or idea that lends itself to a custom product then be prepared to push for it because the end results are well worth it.

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Custom USB Memory Sticks – Sitting And Reflecting

Custom USB Memory Sticks – A Glossary Of Terms

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

In the sixth of the series of top tips to consider when purchasing Customised USB Memory Sticks, we have provided a glossary of all the main terms required when dealing with Customised USB Memory sticks.

To help demystify the purchasing and manufacturing process we have compiled a glossary of terms. Hope this helps!

A-Grade Flash: This relates to the source of the USB flash memory. Branded A-Grade lets you know that it is a new flash chip, which has been manufactured by one of the major industry brands such as Samsung, Intel and Hynex. These will go through the highest level of quality testing and will carry a longer warranty. They will carry a premium charge.

Artwork: This needs to be provided so the custom USB Memory Stick can carry your logo and / or marketing message. There are many different file types in which artwork can be saved as. The preferred formats which provide the sharpest print are ai(adobe illustrator) or eps (photoshop) and these should be in a vectorised format.

Auto Run: 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.

Custom USB Forklift

Carabineer Keyrings: Also known as snap link, snap hook, D ring or ‘biner. These are keyring that function like a climber’s carabineer. So great for attaching onto bags or lap top cases.

Data Encryption: There is software that we can add to your Branded Memory Stick that allows any data on the stick to be fully encrypted. This means that if you lose the Memory Stick it would be very difficult for anyone to access the data held on it.

Data Load: It is possible to load your data files onto the promotional USB Flash Drives. The data can be supplied in any format and is loaded onto the drives. Popular data formats are: MPEG’s, PDF’s and Powerpoint Presentations. This data can also be protected so the user can not delete and auto run (see above).

Drive Partition: It is possible to have your promotional USB Memory Stick manufactured with two separate drives. One drive partition can hold data that can not be deleted (protected) and the other can be for saving and storing data.

Duplication: Please reference Data Load.

Embossing: This is the method of adding a logo onto your Leather USB Flash Drives. Sometimes known as ‘stamping’.

Engraving: This is the process of adding a logo onto metal USB Flash Drives. Fantastic results and very durable and is highly recommended as a branding option for metal models.

Full Colour Print: Allows photo quality print but is only available on certain models.

Key Ring: Simple circular keyring which hooks onto the end of a USB Flash Drive.

Lanyard: a cord with an attached hook that is used to hold the promotional USB Flash Drive. Sometimes know as neckties.

Memory: You would usually refer to the memory of a promotional USB Flash Drive simply as ‘memory’, but others terms use are ‘capacity’ and ‘storage.’

The memory sizes come in a range if different sizes. They double up as follows, 32Mb, 64Mb, 128Mb, 256Mb, 512Mb, 1Gb, 2Gb, 4Gb, 8Gb and 16Gb.

1GB of memory is the most popular size but its useful to know exactly how many files this would hold.

Some technical jargon:

  • 1024KB (kilobyte) = 1MB (megabyte)
  • 1024MB =1GB (gigabyte)
  • A good quality photo is about 100KB
  • An MP3 music file is about 3MB upwards
  • A document file can be anywhere from 25Kb upwards

branded usb

Branded USB Memory Sticks

Mock Up: An image illustrating the USB flash drive with your logo file. A further proof would be provided prior to production.

MOQ: Minimum Order Quantity

OEM B-Grade Flash: This relates to the source of the USB Flash memory. Brand A-Grade lets you know that it is a new flash chip which has been manufactured by one of the major industry brands, but it is inferior quality and will not carry their brand or warranties.

Pantone Reference: All colours have a specific reference will allows printers to match any logo colours. These 3 or 4 digit references must be provided with the artwork.

Proof: This is a visual of the chosen Flash Drive. It details the layout, size and colours in the logo. It is important that the proof is checked closely.

Shipping: USB Flash Drives are usually manufactured in the Far East, typically from China. Once the items are ready they are flown from China to the UK using a courier. Unfortunately this is not an overnight service and in some cases the items could take 4-5 days to arrive in the UK. Deliveries can be affected by delays in customs clearance either in China or in the UK.

Silk Printing: The most common method of printing onto USB Flash Drives. This option usually offers up to 4 colours to be printed to 1 position. Sometimes know as Spot Print.

Tagging: This is the term used to label a drive letter on a USB memory stick. For example rather than having the generic ‘removable drive’ title, you could add a company name or short message.

Resin Dome Sticker: This is an alternative method of adding a brand to a USB Memory stick. It allows full colour print and ensure that the logo will not deteriorate or be damaged by knocks or scratches.

Rush Service: USB2U hold blank stock in the UK for real emergencies. It is usually possible to have these items printed and delivered to your door in 48 hours. Call your account manager for an update.

USB: Universal Serial Bus. This is an industry standard introduced to allow peripherals to be used across all desktop and laptops.

USB Flash Drive: The most commonly used term but others we’ve heard are; USB memory stick, USB pen drive, USB key drive, USB jump drive, USB thumb drive and USB drive.

USB 2.0: The main primary difference between 2.0 and the previous standard of 1.1 is that the 2.0 USB Memory sticks are faster. USB 2.0 averages a data rate of 480 Mbps (megabits per second) while USB 1.1 only hits 12 Mbps, which make 2.0 about 40 time faster. Your memory sticks should all be 2.0.

USB 3.0: This is the new ultra fast standard for the USB Industry. In short it will allow data transfer of up to 4.8 Gbps. However, this will not be mainstream for at least 2 years.

Wall Paper Feature: You can now have your company logo or brand set as a watermark on the drive screen when your client opens your promotional USB flash Drive. When asking for a quote just let us know whether you would like to add this feature along with your specifications.

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Custom USB Memory Sticks – A Glossary Of Terms

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

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

Headline Sports Events – Branded Memory Sticks

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics nearly upon us and the 2010 Football World Cup just around the corner we’re soon going to be awash with branded and co-branded products bearing the official logos of these global events and their official sponsorship partners.

Whilst the Winter Olympics are likely to be a more low key affair in the UK the World Cup is set to be massive, particularly in England where support will grow over the next few months to reach fever pitch. So, be prepared to be deluged with flags, pennants, badges, mugs, pens and of course branded memory sticks!

Vancouver Olympics USB Flash Drives

Although its still a couple of years away branded products and merchandise for the 2012 London Olympics are already beginning to appear. There’s no doubt about it global sporting events such as these are a marketers dream. There are very few other platforms with such global reach, such concentrated focus and an “engaged” audience. These sporting events offer a tremendous opportunity to build or reinforce a brand on a truly international scale.

Of course not everyone has access to the huge marketing and advertising budgets that official sponsors of these global events have at their disposal. But you don’t have to be a Coca Cola, Sony, or Visa to take advantage of the branding opportunities presented by sport.

There are always plenty of local or national opportunities for sponsorship that might be more appropriate and better targeted for you. Branding memory sticks with your logo on to support the event (or team) is just one example of how you might participate.

Instead of just printing your logo on a memory stick it’s only marginally more expensive to get a custom 3-D shape memory sticks produced. Imagine supporting your local Hockey Team with a custom shaped USB Hockey Stick or supporting your local Cricket Team with a Custom Shaped USB Cricket Bat. These custom usb memory sticks can carry your brand/logo and be printed with your contact details and of course you can pre-load data onto the sticks as well.

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Headline Sports Events – Branded Memory Sticks

How Do You Select A Supplier for your Custom USB Memory Sticks

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Custom USB Memory Sticks should not be confused with printed or engraved USB flash drives. These are standard designs that are simply overprinted with a company logo or brand and whilst they are incredibly popular they are not custom memory sticks.

A custom USB memory stick sometimes also referred to as a bespoke flash drive is, as the name implies, designed and manufactured to meet a specific customers requirements. There are pretty much no limits to what the memory stick can look like, what colour it comes in or what size it is.

Custom memory sticks can be manufactured as a 2-D or 3-D shape and in a range of different materials. The only one constraint is that the custom shape has to be large enough to accommodate a standard USB connector (so that you can connect it to our PC or Mac) and within the custom shape there has to be enough room to house the PCB and Flash Memory Modules.

Custom USB

Whilst there are lots of companies that can supply standard branded or printed flash drives there are far fewer that can or will offer custom solutions. The reason is that to get the best from a custom memory stick you really need a supplier with in-house design skills coupled with a real understanding of what is possible and the time to engage with you and discuss your requirements. Its then critical that they deliver a range of options for you and then work with the factory to produce the mould(s) and physical samples for you to approve. Unlike standard printed flash drives its critical that you see a custom memory stick in the flesh before you go into manufacture.

A lot of suppliers have neither the skills or experience necessary to enable you to get the best custom solution for your money and worst still they’ll under estimate the lead times and effort involved (by all parties) and over estimate their ability to deliver.

Custom memory sticks are truly excellent way of making your company stand out from the crowd so don’t be put off. Whilst there is some extra effort involved and they will be a little more expensive the end results can be fantastic. Some great examples of custom USB memory sticks:

USB Eraser USB Eraser – a 3-D memory stick manufactured in the shape of a classic eraser. Used by an animal drugs company that wanted to promote its new “pain eraser” drug. By playing on the wording of the product name and its key strap line they came up a novel custom memory stick that really got their message across.
Wedding Dress USB Wedding Dress USB – a custom 2-D flash drive manufactured in the shape of a wedding dress for a Bridal wear company that wanted something to grab their customers attention. The memory stick was pre-loaded with their sales brochure and some great photo’s of their dresses and gowns.
Forklift USB Forklift USB – this is a 2-D custom USB memory stick manufactured in the shape of a forklift truck. Not surprisingly it was supplied to a forklift truck company who in turn used it to promote their company at a trade show. They pre-loaded the memory stick with their sales PDF’s, links to their web site and media files.

If you are looking for Custom USB Memory sticks then find yourself a supplier that has a successful track record or delivering these in the past and ideally has worked on multiple 2-D and 3-D projects.

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How Do You Select A Supplier for your Custom USB Memory Sticks

Custom USB Memory Sticks – Future Collectors Items

Monday, November 30th, 2009

The primary objective of a well thought out and well designed custom USB memory stick is to promote the product, brand, event or company that’s its manufactured for. After all the company paying for the memory sticks needs to see a return on their investment.

USB Twisters

Today custom USB memory sticks can be manufactured from a variety of materials such as PVC, ABS, Silicon and PET. By using these materials the factories have been able to drive down the set-up and production costs without any compromise on quality. Production runs of a couple of hundred pieces are now possible and are they are only marginally more expensive than a standard memory stick.

The manufacturing process means you can now get fantastic detail in either a 2D or 3D custom shape so the design limitation is more to do with imagination than any production process. Examples of custom USB fruit, vehicles and animals abound on the Internet but more sophisticated offerings that dovetail into magazine and TV advertising are now beginning to emerge.

Well conceived and manufactured custom memory score incredibly well in terms of “wow” factor and brand association and because they are now only marginally more expensive lots more companies are opting for them.

There is also an interesting secondary market developing in these custom USB memory sticks and that is amongst collectors. Of course people will collect anything but custom USB sticks have all the characteristics of a product that will drive a secondary collectors market – they are produced in relatively small numbers, they are attractive, fun, functional, quirky and many have additional packaging and other components (key rings, lanyards, presentation tins etc) that can also be collected.

With this in mind if your are commissioning your own custom USB memory sticks its worth ordering a few extra to tuck away just in case their future value rockets. Of course if you are promoting a product or brand that plays into the collectors market(s) then you could also consider a series or range of custom memory sticks to help drive the collectable aspect of them and get some viral marketing and discussion flowing.

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Custom USB Memory Sticks – Future Collectors Items

How can Universities can get best ‘bang for buck’ when buying Branded USB Memory sticks?

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

The most progressive universities understand that Branded Memory sticks are an ideal vehicle to allow students and staff to store and transport at university and between halls / other residents.

So what are the major advantages for Universities who embrace Branded USB Memory sticks:

USB for Universities

  • It reduces the cost of printing and transporting paper, so it’s environmentally friendly.
  • Ideal vehicle for sending prospectus out.
  • Allows staff to take information and coursework home to work on, make changes / mark and upload to the university network.
  • Students can back up coursework that they complete off site or at university  as a safety net.
  • The USB Memory sticks can be branded with the university logo to add greater affinity with the university.
  • Passwords can be added to the Customised Memory sticks so if the data is sensitive it can be made secure.
  • Data can be loaded and protected on the Branded USB Memory sticks. So the university could consider providing all the standard university docs, e.g. university term dates, policies, link to web sites etc.
  • A unique serial number can be printed to the side of the Branded USB Memory stick to allow any lost memory sticks to be easily reunited with their owner.
  • A strip can also be added to the Branded USB Memory stick so users can add their names.
    With the current scrutiny of university budgets and horror stories in the media of poor procurement from universities / LEAs, what should you consider when purchasing Branded USB memory sticks.
  • Try to obtain three quotes from established UK suppliers
  • Ensure that you are offered a line of credit, you should not ne required to make any upfront payments.
  • A free sample of the proposed USB Memory stick should be requested.
  • Ensure that the chips in the Branded Memory sticks are new and not recycled or reconditioned.
  • Consider contacting other local universities and purchasing a larger order with different logos, as economies of scale would definitely drive the price down.
  • Explore getting a local company to sponsor the production of the memory sticks and in return you can add their logo / contact details to the back.
  • Why not consider a totally unique Customised Memory stick in any design that fits the university.

The benefits of Branded USB Memory sticks combined with students appetite for new technology has lead to many leading universities embracing USB Memory Sticks as an essential tool for learning.

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How can Universities can get best ‘bang for buck’ when buying Branded USB Memory sticks?

Why PR Agencies Should Embrace Customised USB Memory Sticks?

Monday, November 16th, 2009

The core of any successful PR agency is to ensure that the story you are trying to push makes an impact with the target media. They are competing against other agencies try to grab the same column inch space.

So how do you make sure that the PR message is delivered in a manner that is impactful, cost effective, relevant and above all practical.

Custom USB

The answer is the simple Branded Memory Sticks. But not just any generic, standardised and boring shape or size. What the optimum delivery vehicle for any press pack is the Custom USB Memory Stick. Technology has now markedly improved, to allow  a simply picture or graphic to emerge as a unique Customised USB Memory Stick that is in the shape of the story / product / brand you are trying to promote.

Custom USB

So whether its the launch of a new car, drink, food, financial product, in fact any shape or size you can think of, a Customised Memory Stick can be made to that shape. Simply load the press pack onto the Customised Memory stick and away you go. So why does it tick all the boxes?

  • It is human nature for someone to start playing / pulling apart a Customised USB Memory stick and to start showing it to other colleagues and ultimately plugging it in to see what all the fuss is about. For example, a well known health product provider wanted to launch a new female sanitary towel and a key part of this was PR. So they produced a USB memory stick in the shape of the product! The impact was dramatic, how could it be anything else.
  • A range of factual and multimedia data can be loaded onto the Customised memory stick which autoruns once the memory stick has been plugged in.
  • This is a great keepsake so the story / product you are trying to promote will have longevity.
  • The cost of manufacturing has fallen dramatically and the minimum order quantity for Customised Memory Stick can be as low as 100 units.
  • So how to you go about getting a Customised Branded USB Memory stick? Firstly contact an established and reputable UK USB Memory Stick provider. The process thereafter is simple.
  • Send a picture of the shape of the memory stick you are after.
  • A 3d Cad drawing will be prepared for sign-off.
  • Tooling will be produced and a pre-production sample manufactured.
  • Once this is agreed the full production and delivery will take less than 2 weeks.

So before you start pulling together that next cardboard folder full of reams of paper, think again….. Custom USB Memory sticks could be what makes your PR campaign a success or not.

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Why PR Agencies Should Embrace Customised USB Memory Sticks?
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