Custom USB - Plymouth Uni

In the case of The University of Plymouth they didn’t just want a standard flash drive that was printed with their logo instead they wanted a fully customised USB drive that matched the shape and colour of the monolith that marks the entrance to the University. The finished custom USB flash drive looks similar to a standard rectangular flash drive but has a distinctive sloping edge and is of course branded up with the Plymouth University logo.

Additionally, Plymouth University were keen that the flash drives could be personalised by each student so a white “signature panel” was included on the reverse of each flash drive. Handy in the event of the flash drives getting mixed up in lectures or simply lost on the campus.

The finished flash drives were supplied with a customised blue lanyard and the overall effect was stunning.

Custom Flash Drive - Plymouth Uni

Custom USB flash drives are increasingly being used by universities not only to hand out (or sell) to their students but many are now using them to distribute prospectuses on and other course material. It’s not unusual these days to go to University or University department Open Days and be handed a printed flash drive that contains all the information you’ll need on the University, what courses are on offer, what the expected offer levels will be, what the key dates are and how to apply.

In many cases it’s cheaper for the universities to buy flash drives and get all this information loaded onto the drives rather than get the paper prospectuses printed. The added benefit is the data loaded on the flash drives can be changed at the last minute (if needs be) and they can be re-used again the following year if too many are ordered – you simply wipe the data and re-load them again!

It looks like paper prospectuses are still going to be with us for some time to come but the availably of the same information over the web, on memory sticks and on products like iPads and Kindles is eventually going to lead to their demise.

Custom USB

One of the primary objectives of any product launch event has got to be getting your audience informed, excited and enthused about your company and your product(s). You want them to go away from your event as advocates; you want them to write positive articles about the product, to post articles on their blogs and to use social networking sites to create plenty of “chatter” about what they’ve seen and what you’re launching.

Typically at any launch event there’ll be plenty of new information to disseminate and then distribute. You’ll have executives and product managers briefed, primed, and well rehearsed to deliver a knock out pitch, your Q & A’s will have been developed and honed to perfection and the venue carefully chosen to create the right ambience and put your audience in the right frame of mind.

With all of this attention to detail don’t forget that at the end of it all when the lights go up and the audience goes to leave you want them to have at hand all of the information on your new product or service. Loading them up with piles of brochures, copies of FAQ’s, technical sheets is unlikely to be popular. You could of course email this information out after the event or post it onto a web site or you could do something a little more interesting and unusual and pre-load

Custom Flash Drive

all of this information onto a customised (bespoke) USB flash drive.

A Custom USB Flash drive can be manufactured in the shape of your new product or designed to look like your product brand. It will be unique to you and your company, it will function just like any normal USB flash drive and done well it really grab people attention. In addition to carrying your product launch information its highly likely that the flash drive will get used by the recipient after the event to save and carry their own data around. This on-going usage of the flash drive all adds to the viral effect that you need to underpin your launch.

Bear in mind that if you do order custom USB flash drives that you need to allow around 3-4 weeks for the design and production of the flash drives. The data-loading can be done during the manufacturing process or any time right up to the event itself.

The beauty of custom USB memory sticks is that they can be produced it a shape or design that is either a facsimile of your brand or logo or in a shape that represents the product or service you are promoting.  For example if you are an automotive company and you want to promote the launch of a new model to your dealership or existing customers then you could get a custom memory stick manufactured in the shape of the new car. This in turn can be attached to a branded keying and the custom memory stick can be pre-loaded with all of the sales data sheets, performance reviews and media files showing off the car.

Similarly if you’re a pharmaceutical company and you have a new drug to announce/launch then you could commission a custom memory stick in the shape of the drug and distribute these at the press launch and any subsequent conferences and seminars. Again the on-board flash memory can be pre-loaded with data sheets on the product, its target market, pricing, availability and any supporting presentation files or media files.

With custom memory sticks the limitations are really only defined b y your imagination. Historically the price of a custom memory sticks was a limiting factor because the factories that produce then were reluctant to accept small runs of less than 500 pieces and even when they did the set up costs were horrendous. But, in 2009 as competition for business increased and manufacturing and set up processes improved the barriers to entry reduced dramatically.  Today the price of a custom memory stick is on a par with a standard printed memory stick and in most cases the factories are now absorbing the origination and mould costs themselves.  It’s also possible to get small runs of 100+ custom memory sticks produced for only marginally more than a standard printed stick.

The winner from these changes during 2009 was the end customer, particularly smaller companies that wanted a relatively small quantity of memory sticks. The only thing to bear in mind when considering custom memory sticks is a slightly longer lead time. Because the factories will have to produce a mould and physical sample the lead time extends from a typical 10 days to 21 days so plan ahead.

Custom memory sticks deliver a real “wow” factor and done well they can create a “viral” type of buzz as word goes around about the sticks. The visual impact coupled with the functionality ensures a much greater likelihood of any marketing or advertising messages getting across to target audience and just as importantly for that message to be repeated over and over again with the continued use of the custom memory stick.

During 2009 here at USB2U we saw a huge increase in the demand for custom USB memory sticks from a diverse range of clients and we expect this trend to continue into 2010. As experts in the field we are able to offer you a free consultation service to talk you through the art of the possible, to share with you the range of materials and moulding options and to work up designs for the factory to manufacture from – this is a free consultation and design service with no commitment. If you are considering a bespoke or custom USB memory stick in 2010 give us a call. We’d love to hear from you and to work with you on your project.