Whilst it’s not a comprehensive list here are our Top 5 tips when buying USB sticks:

1. Simple and strong logo’s work best: Let’s face it, if you’re working for a large corporate company or school then you’re not going to have a huge amount of choice about which logo or brand you use for your printed USB memory sticks. Typically not only will there be a prescribed brand that you’ll need to use but you’ll also have clearly defined brand rules and guidelines to adhere to which dictate print sizes, colours etc.

   Because of the relatively small amount of space on a USB stick ideally you need to use simple logos with strong colours that create a visual impact. It may be necessary to approval to adapt an existing logo to get the best effect.

2. You need the highest resolution you can get hold of: To get a great finish it’s essential that you use high resolution artwork. Vector shaped artwork is best because it will not lose any sharpness irrespective of how big or small you make it. Vector logos will typically be saved as .EPS or .AI files. If you have an in-house designer they’ll understand what’s needed. What you can’t really do is just “grab” a jpeg from your company web site because if you use this to print from the final printed image will look pixelated.
3. Choose a type or style of USB memory stick that compliments your logo: OK, this sounds pretty obvious but some logos look better on a particular style of USB memory stick. Large, complex logos work better on products like the USB Credit Card but simple, clean logos work really well on smaller USB sticks like the Twister (the capless model)

   If you’re not sure what the best option is then ask your supplier to work up a range of “mock-ups” for you. They should be happy to do this for you and at no cost.

4. Don’t go cheap on the memory size: Whilst cost will of course be a determining factor it’s important to get the balance right between choosing the correct capacity and the budget available for your USB memory sticks.

   If you hand out custom USB sticks with a small storage capacity there is less likelihood that they’ll get used. They are “ok” if you’re just using them to distribute data but if you want them to have a life beyond the initial distribution its important you give the user a reason to carry them around. A memory stick with little or no real or perceived storage will just end up in the back of a drawer.

5. Don’t forget to pre-load data: If you have data that you want to load onto your branded USB memory sticks then to get it ready early. This way the data can be loaded during the manufacturing process and it typically won’t cost you anything.

Twister USB Sticks

Whilst there are hundreds of suppliers of custom USB memory sticks in the UK the vast majority of these will place their orders on a host of specialised factories in China or they will have their own manufacturing capabilities in China. Either way Chinese New Year will effectively mean that nothing gets produced or shipped for around 3-4 weeks and even when production starts up again it can take a week of two for things to get back to normal.

Buying Custom USB Memory Sticks During Chinese New Year

Normal production and delivery schedules are typically 7-10 days from the date you place your order with a UK suppliers albeit a fairer measure is from the date you approve the production proof which can be a couple of days after the order has been placed. Given the logistics involved it’s no mean feat to make this happen and understandably a major event like a long national holiday can have a dramatic impact.

The key dates to be aware of are the 6^th January to the 4^th February. If you place an order for custom USB memory sticks after the 6^th January then there is a very strong likelihood that you won’t get your order delivered until the end of the first week in February (at best) and most likely mid-February. So, be very wary of any delivery promises you are made over the next few days and weeks because we’re about to enter a very unstable and unpredictable time.

The only safe way to buy Custom USB Memory Sticks if you have a delivery deadline that falls during the next few weeks is to find a local supplier that holds UK stock and can print and dataload (if needed) the stock for you.

Given the costs and risks associated with doing this most of the smaller suppliers won’t be able to offer what is commonly called a “rush service”. Instead, you’ll need to seek out one of the larger and more established companies like USB2U who always carry a large inventory of blank USB memory sticks and have in-house capabilities to print and dataload the USB sticks.

The “Rush Service” that USB2U offer allows them to fulfil orders in as little as 24hrs but during Chinese New Year this can get stretched to 48hrs as demand for the service increases.

For the very latest information about what USB sticks are available and in what memory sizes you are best to give them a call.

Custom USB Boxes

But, if you are giving away your USB flash drives as a gift then there is a judgment to be made about whether the small additional cost of a gift box is a price worth paying – both in cost terms and also in terms of environmental impact.

There is no getting away from the fact that USB sticks make a bigger, better impact when handed out in a printed gift box. It just looks like more thought has gone into the gift and anyone given the gift is going to be more impressed with the gift and they are therefore more likely to remember who gave it to them and think positively about any brand associated with it.

Custom Flash Drive Boxes

Very few people would consider handing out their Christmas or Birthday gifts without first wrapping them up so it is surprising how many businesses give out promotional gifts without considering the packaging options.

There are a wide range of standard gift boxes and tins available for custom USB sticks. They can call be overprinted with a brand or message and typically they will come with a custom foam insert to hold the USB sticks firmly in place.

The incremental cost to get your flash drives supplied in a printed gift box is relatively small and it’s a price well worth paying for greater impact you’ll make.

Understandably for some businesses who have an strong environmental message to push, packaging and gift boxes is a going to be a non-starter, but for everyone else they ought to be considered.

Pick any market niche and you’ll typically find a number of companies that are using USB sticks in an innovative way and interesting way. On this page we’ve put up a few images of custom USB flash drives that have a “sporting theme” – they range from fully customised Nike Trainers that are sent out in a promo pack to encourage sales of the trainers to printed “Twister USB Sticks” for the ECB that have been pre-loaded with coaching videos to help develop the sport.

Football Related USB Flash Drives

The Premier League have been using them to send out information to each club in the league and individual clubs like Fulham FC have commissioned custom USB drives in the shape of their club emblem to sell to fans via the club shop.

You don’t need to have the budgets of the Premier League, Fulham FC or Nike to commission your own custom USB sticks. Fairly basic printed versions like those used by the ECB are available for less than £2 per stick (subject to memory size and quantity ordered) and for this price typically includes pre-loading any data you want to put on the stick, the print costs and delivery in gift boxes!

Sports Related Custom USB Sticks

Even if you want to commission your own shape of USB drive, perhaps in the shape of one of your products, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive they are these days. A typical fully bespoke USB stick is only marginally more per unit than its standard “factory designed” counterpart. Providing you order more than say 300 units you won’t have to pay any set-up or mould fees and you’ll “own” the design when the job is done.

The only think to bear in mind if you do want something fully customised like Nike or Fulham FC is the longer lead times. Standard USB sticks can be printed, data-loaded and delivered in anything from 2-10 days but custom sticks take around 3-4 weeks. The extra time is necessary to work up the design and 3-D drawings, to produce the moulds and samples and once the samples are approved to manufacture the USB sticks.

If you have the time then it’s certainly worth opting for a custom model because these make a much greater impact when handed out and get people talking about the product and brand associated with it.

PVC USB FLash Drive Examples

The word ‘custom’ may put many people off because it sounds expensive.  Custom USB flash drives will cost a little more than the standard branded USB memory sticks however the cost is continually decreasing with falling set-up and production costs.  However, if you are looking for a custom shaped USB flash drive but are on a tight budget we have just the thing for you, Custom PVC Flash Drives.

Our custom PVC drives can be produced in any 2-D shape allowing for a lot of creativity and they also come in five standard shapes; circle, square, oval, t-shirt and rectangle.  The drives can be printed in full colour, which makes it effective for complex logos and detailed images.  They’re lightweight and slightly squidgy and the USB connector slides back into the body when not in use so there is no cap to loose.  Basically the PVC USB flash drives have all the benefits of a custom USB flash drive but without any large tooling and set-up costs and they are available with a much more aggressive lead time.

Due to their low material costs a promotional USB PVC memory stick would be an excellent give-away at a trade event where contact will be made with a lot of potential customers.  The flash drives can be filled with a memory capacity of 64MB to 16GB giving a lot of flexibility and ultimate customisation.

To spend your marketing budget a little more effectively and to see some more examples of our custom PVC flash drives visit the Custom PVC Flash Drive product page or just dive right in and get a quote.

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.

We are well aware that buying branded USB memory sticks is no different and can be a bit of a minefield.  The first problem is choosing the right promotional USB memory stick company but with the product range, service and standard offers that we give all of our customers we don’t think that is a hard decision to make.  The next problem is choosing the style, memory size, quantity and services that you want to make your logo USB flash drives personal for your customers and right for your company.

One of the biggest factors impacting the price of the USB stick is the memory size on the flash drive (to see more information about what impacts the cost of flash drives see one of our previous articles: Why do small quantities of USB flash drives cost so much?).  We find that most customers have problems choosing the right memory size for their USB.  So, if you are one of these customers, we have made three points to consider when choosing the right amount of megabytes or gigabytes in your logo USB flash drive.

1. USB Data Loading – One of the first things to consider is whether you want to have sales and marketing information or any files pre-loaded onto your flash drives.  If this is the case then the size of the files will help you work out the minimum flash drive memory that you need to accommodate for the information size.
2. USB Flash Drive Use – What is the purpose of the promotional USB flash drive?  If they will be used purely as a promotional handout then a 256MB or 512MB flash drive might be appropriate.  However, if the branded flash drives are for customers to use repeatedly or for internal employee use then anything from 1GB up to 16GB or in some cases 32GB.
3. Brand Exposure – Smaller memory flash drives are least likely to be used and sometimes even thrown away by customers once they have viewed the files and discovered that they are a low capacity flash drive.  In contrast larger sized flash drives will be of much more use to customers and most likely be re-used gaining much more brand exposure to the customer and others.

The points above should hopefully help you work out the exact size of the flash drive size that you need for your promotional flash drive and if not, at least point you in the right direction.  That should make at least one decision in buying your perfect custom USB flash drives easy, now you just have to pick the model, services and quantity…

Lego Custom USB Memory Stick

Searching ‘cool USB drive’ on Google Images is not the most effective way of keeping up to date with new USB flash drive news but can certainly be an entertaining 5 minutes looking at some wacky things that people have come up with.  Nintendo Wii remote controls, Lego bricks, wine corks, cars, clothes pegs, vegetables and figurines are a small number of the shells that people have made to case their USB flash drive in.  We think that these flash drives are certainly cool and deserve some kudos, some of them can even make you laugh or have you stare in amazement at the level of attention and detail.  These novelty drives, although extremely imaginative, seem also very impractical.

One of the greatest benefits of USB flash drives is that they are portable and can be stored with a large amount of data for their size (up to 256GB for one specific flash drive).  It has to be asked how often some of these novelty USB drives would be used for what they were made for, or how much they would sit on a desk as an ornament.  I’m sure many of us have had the situation where our USB flash drive fit into our laptop or the back of a computer tower because they pack the USB slots so close together and our flash drive is a little too bulky to fit between the leads and existing USB connectors.

A Selection of Our Custom USBs

We also sell a variety of novelty branded USB flash drives disguising themselves as other things.  Although in most cases our Promotional USB memory sticks are not as bizarre as some that can be found on Google but fortunately, they are much more functional.  Take, for example our USB mini people which can be customised to our customers requirements.  Our USB pill drive, not surprisingly resembles a pill, the credit card range are almost exactly the same size as the real thing and our USB key drive disguises itself nicely on a key ring.  We sell many more in our standard range of Logo USB memory sticks; metal and plastic USB bottle, USB pen range, USB bottle opener, the list continues.  All of these drives are easily portable and extremely functional.  If however, a custom USB flash drive really is what you are looking for then we have just the thing for you.

We can cater for your custom USB needs by customising the shape, colour, size, almost everything about the USB flash drive.  Contact us via telephone, email or via our quote form so we can work with you to produce your perfect custom USB and who knows, maybe your USB will be seen in our next search for ‘cool USB drives’ on Google Images.

Apart from kissing your job goodbye, there may be something that can be done to rescue the situation.

Firstly contact the UK Branded USB provider assuming you have not purchased direct from the Far East. A reputable company will give you more than excuses and apologies and sort the issue out. If you have purchased direct from the Far East and wait for the normal response of ‘return the goods and we shall replace’ the deadline will be missed.

So what can go wrong and what can you to save?

1. Courier delays. If the Branded USB Memory Sticks have been delayed in transit and are now stuck at an international hub, you may be able to save some time. Ask them to hold them at their hub rather than sending on a next day delivery and arrange for a point to point courier to pick them up and deliver direct to your event or client. Beware it will have all the commercial invoices on the box so if you want these to remain undisclosed you’ll need to ask the courier to remove.
2. Delays in customs. If you need the goods urgently, the Far East or UK customs have a way of selecting your order for inspection. Not much that can be done other than to provide your courier with a letter or authentication prior to despatch to minimise the risk.
3. The Promotional USB Memory sticks do not work when you plug them in. You will need to test on various operating platforms and not behind a corporate firewall as this may restrict access. If there is still a problem then format all the disks and pray!
4. Problems with the Branded USB print. If the brand police are not happy, but end users will not really notice then commercially it may be worth using the USB Branded Memory sticks and then kicking the provider’s shins very hard and asking for a part refund. However, if there is something materially wrong, then ask a UK printer if they can remove the logo using a special solution and then reprint. Can be costly but worth a shot. Alternative produce some dome stickers with your logo printed on and place on top of the offending print. If you have used a Twister memory stick which is the most popular model, then look to print some new clip via a UK provider and replacing.
5. Problems with the dataload on the Custom USB Memory Sticks. If data has been loaded on to the USB Drives and it is not protected or has an autorun function then simply format the Branded USBs and reload the data. For quantities of less than 100 units, grab a very long coffee and spend a few hours doing this thankless task. If time does not permit, or if the quantity is higher then contact a UK data duplication house that can do this for you at a price. If the disks are protected then panic! The only chance you have is to ask the supplier for software that will allow you to reprogramme. This is both a technically difficult and a time consuming process.
6. Missing Accessories or problems with packaging. It is not uncommon for essential items such as keyring or lanyards to fit on the branded memory sticks have been forgotten when despatched from the Far East. Or the gift box they come in to be broken. Again there are several UK suppliers that hold this type of stock. So get onto web and start searching – you should find something that will do the trick.

If none of the above works then search for a UK supplier that holds blank USB Memory sticks and who can print within the timeframe required.

Finally always insist on a pre-production working sample, that way you will know exactly what you are going to receive and allows you to sleep easier…well just a little!

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

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

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.