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Posts Tagged ‘custom flash’

DIY Custom USB Memory Sticks

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

You don’t need to be good with a hammer, chisel or trowel to build your own custom USB memory stick – it’s not that sort of DIY project. But if you are looking for something a little challenging, interesting and fun then building your own custom USB stick is a great idea, incredibly rewarding and it’ll certainly get people talking.

DIY USB Kit

DIY USB Kit

The core component of any USB memory stick is a module that incorporates the USB connector, the flash memory and a controller chip for the flash memory. These three elements combine to give you a way of connecting your USB stick to a PC or Mac, to store data and to control the way the stored data is managed. The way in which this “module” is packaged is what gives you overall look and feel of a memory stick.

Custom USB Ideas

Custom USB Ideas

Commercial USB memory sticks are typically “housed” in standard rectangular plastic or plastic/metal shells some with a removable cap and some with an integral cap or cover like the ever-popular Twister USB flash drive. When you build your own USB drive you can be as creative as you like and we’ve seen all sorts of weird and wonderful examples over the years.

If you’re looking for a hands-on challenge for say a club a school class or Scout Group then a “build you own USB competition” is a brilliant idea. Children are typically avid users of USB flash drives and the idea of being able to design and build their own custom version is sure to get them fired up and get them thinking about all aspects of design, production and functionality.

Custom USB Projects

Custom USB Project

If you are interested in custom USB flash drives for your business, school or university but you don’t want to build them yourselves then don’t worry because there are lots of companies offering a professional design, build and supply service. Do bear in mind that you’ll pay a little more for a custom USB stick but the end result will be worth it. Lead times are also longer at around 4 weeks compared to the standard 2 weeks for printed USB sticks.

Custom USB sticks are getting more and more popular because they are a sure fire way to get your USB memory stick(s) to stand out from the crowd. A few years ago very few branded or printed USB memory sticks were given away but today millions are given away so it’s increasingly important to get yours to grab people attention from the “get go”.

At USB2U we not only supply self-build USB kits but we offer a full design and build service so if you’re interested in Custom USB Memory Sticks give us a call and speak to one of the team.

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DIY Custom USB Memory Sticks

Custom USB Words – Inspiring Promotional Products

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

A picture paints a thousand words but what if the picture is the word or in the case of these custom USB sticks manufactured in the shape of a word. When considering branded USB memory sticks as a promotional product most people immediately think of a standard factory designed USB stick that has a logo printed on it. These are great, they’re popular and they do a good job in terms of generating interest, and in terms of affinity to the brand printed on it.

Ironically the downside of using standard designed USB sticks is their popularity. So many USB sticks are now being given away that if you really want something that is truly memorable and something that stands out from the crowd then its worth considering a custom USB memory stick. Custom USB memory sticks (also known as bespoke flash drives) are commissioned pieces that are designed and built specifically for you. As such they are unique and exclusive to you and whomever you give them to. You own the design of any custom USB flash drive and they will not be made available to any other customer.

Custom USB Letters

Custom USB Letters

Custom USB memory sticks can be produced in a wide variety of materials and in any 2-D or 3-D shape you want. Recent examples of custom USB sticks include Forklift trucks, Guitars. Eggs, Erasers and Signs but anything is possible.

Using your company’s name as the basis for a custom USB stick also works incredibly well as these examples illustrate. These simple but very effective ideas just work and arguably they work better than a shape or product that could have been designed to represent the brand or company name.

Custom USB Word

Custom USB Word

The lead times for custom USB flash drives are a little longer at around 4 weeks (this is to allow for the fabrication of the tooling and the custom production) but if you have the time in your project or event schedule then they are worth the wait. The cost of Custom USB flash drives used to be significantly higher than standard models and the minimum order quantities were high at around 1,000+ pieces. Today with increased competition in the market and improvements in mould set-up and production the costs are now only marginally more and the minimum order threshold has dropped to around 200 pieces.

If you are looking for a promotional product that really stands out from the crowd, something that will generate “chatter” and interest in your, your company, your products and/or your news then its definitely worth considering a fully customised USB flash drive.

Don’t worry about having the design skills to develop an idea or concept because good, professional suppliers of USB sticks will have their own experienced in-house design teams who can work on the most basic of ideas and develop a series of mock-ups for you to consider.

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Custom USB Words – Inspiring Promotional Products

Custom USB Strawberries – Made For Wimbledon

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Strawberries are one of the most popular soft fruits in the UK and they are synonymous with the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament where around 30,000 kilos are eaten during the course of the Championships (topped off with thousands of litres of cream of course!)

Its not surprising that strawberries are so popular because not only do they taste great but they are a source of natural sugar and provide excellent amounts of vitamin C and potassium both of which are minerals essential in our diet.

Less tasty but nevertheless just as popular are custom USB flash drives and just to illustrate that they can be supplied in any shape you want here’s an example of a tasty looking strawberry that is actually a custom USB flash drive so it would be best to avoid covering these in cream!

Strawberry USB Flash Drives

Strawberry Flash Drives

Of course USB strawberries are not going to be to everyone’s taste but they work just like standard USB flash drives albeit they generate a little more “buzz” and interest when used to promote a product or service. Standard flash drives printed up with a logo are almost as popular as Strawberries at Wimbledon but custom versions are getting more and more popular.

If you’ve got an event, show, conference or press launch and you really want to grab people’s attention and give them something to take away that reminds then of your and you company/product then it’s definitely worth considering a bespoke memory stick. Any design, any product, any shape can be manufactured in 2-D or 3-D and a wide range of materials are available to create the right overall effect.

All that’s needed to start the process is an idea! Once you have this get in touch and our in-house design team will work up some concepts for you and then develop these with you until you’re happy. The next stage is the production of physical samples for your approval and after that the final mass production. Lead times for custom flash drives are understandably a little longer at around 4 weeks but the finished results are definitely worth the wait.

Custom USB Flash Drives

Various Custom USB

Don’t forget to you can pre-load your data onto custom USB flash drives just as you can with any standard drive. So, make sure you have your sales material, your media files, presentation slides and any other data ready to load onto the drives when they arrive. If you don’t want the hassle of having to data load the memory sticks yourself then this can be done by the factory during the manufacturing process (normally free of charge) or the data can be loaded just before they are despatched to your offices.

So, as you sit back in the sunshine and watch the tennis get your thinking cap on and come up with your own ideas for a killer custom flash drive!

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Custom USB Strawberries – Made For Wimbledon

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 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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