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Posts Tagged ‘custom memory sticks’

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Custom USB Flash Drives – Top Tips Directory

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

Over the past year we have published a number of bi-monthly Top Tips articles to help educate, improve purchasing and sort problems relating to Custom USB Memory Sticks.

The following provides a short summary of these tips with links to the full articles. We hope that you find these of interest and it’s certainly worth bookmarking this page as we shall continue to add more Custom USB related top tips in the future.

Tip 1. Custom USB – When A Chip Is Not A Chip

This article explains what to look for when comparing the quality of the USB Flash chips. There is a broad range of quality in the market, if the price you are being quoted seems to good to be true, it normally is. Read full article here

Tip 2. Custom USB – The Hidden Dangers Of Autorun

One of the benefits of using promotional USB memory sticks is the ability the load and provide users with targeted information. There has been a growing trend of having this data automatically run when the memory stick is inserted. However, there are many hidden dangers of doing this, read on………….

Tip 3. Custom USB – How To Select Your Supplier

There are now many UK suppliers that provide Branded USB Memory sticks. How do you ensure that you are comparing apples with apples when selecting your supplier. This following article provides some useful pointers. Read here

Tip 4. Custom USB – The Manufacturing Process Explained

When purchasing promotional USB memory sticks its useful to be aware of the full end-to-end process. This will allow you to ask informed questions and ensure no suppler blinds you with science. Read full article here:

Tip 5. Custom USB – The Hazards Of Buying Promotional USB Memory Sticks

The following article gives the pitfalls of buying branded memory sticks – so buyer beware. Read full article here:

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Custom USB Flash Drives – Top Tips Directory

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Inject Some Drama Into Your Press Event With A USB Syringe

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Lets face it if you’re organising a press event one of the many challenges you’ll face, and there will be many, will be how to inject some “oomph” and interest into the event itself and to make sure that the attendees all go away buzzing and equipped with all the material they need to write about your announcement(s).

You can have all of your executives and speakers fully briefed, rehearsed and armed to the teeth with well researched Q & A’s, you can book the best hotels, lay on great food, order in some terrific wines and you can make sure that the presentations and demonstrations (always risky) are nailed. Even if you succeed with all of this you still have to face the challenge of distributing the presentation material used throughout the event and you have to make sure they remember the event once they leave the venue.

Custom USB Flash Drives

Custom USB Flash Drives

There are obviously lots of ways in which you can achieve this but one option might be to consider a themed custom USB flash drive – a flash drive manufactured in the shape of your companies logo or more pertinently in the shape of something that reflects the product or service that is central to the press event. A custom USB drive is a great way to generate some “chatter” about your product or service and an even better way to distribute all of your presentation material – don’t print these and hand them out when you can save them onto the custom flash drives and allow your attendees to read/print them at their leisure.

Custom flash drives have been produced to bring to life product launches and press events for some of the more challenging products including; trench heaters, portable toilets, fork-lift trucks and tyres.

USB Syringe

USB Syringe

If you don’t have the time to allow for a custom USB stick to be designed and manufactured then another interesting alternative is the USB Syringe. These syringes can be printed with a company logo and handed out in a complimentary box. They obviously lend themselves to the pharmaceutical or drugs market but if you can play on the word “inject” in the context of you’re your release then they’re an ideal option.

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Will Custom USB Flash Drives Take Off In 2011

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

If there is one area in the promotional USB flash drive market that failed to take off as predicted in 2010 it was Custom USB Flash drives.

Falling set up fees coupled with greater competition, improvements in production techniques and faster lead times were all expected to lead to a huge upsurge in demand for custom USB flash drives during 2010 but it just never happened. Whilst there was a small uplift in the sale of custom sticks most companies still opted for standard factory designs that were overprinted or engraved with their logo.

Overall demand for promotional USB flash drives continues to increase year on year but it’s interesting that companies

Twister USB

Twister USB

remain steadfastly conservative in their choice of drive. The most popular promotional flash drive continues to be the “twister” model, which has been around for years. Whilst the Twister is hardly the most exciting of products it’s popular because it has no cap to lose, its compact, comes in a wide range of colours and it’s one the cheaper models available.

Custom USB flash drives are a little more expensive than any of the “standard” drives that are available but not by as much as people might think. And, if its impact, brand recall and “chatter” that you want to create then it’s hard to beat a custom USB flash drive. With millions of promotional USB sticks being given away every year most there is a real danger of a “so what” response to being given yet another Twister flash drive. Custom USB drives on the other hand almost demand to be not only used but flaunted around which is exactly what you want someone to do with any promotional product.

Custom USB drives can be fabricated in any 2-D or 3-D shape. They are available in a wide range of materials and any good supplier of branded USB flash drives or memory sticks should be able to help you come up with concept drawings and final demands from which your custom sticks will be made – if they can’t then find another supplier.

Custom USB Flash Drives

Custom USB Flash Drives

So, whilst 2010 was a bit of a false start for customised USB flash drives expectations are that they will ultimately break through and begin to pick up a much larger share of the overall market. Watch this space because it could get interesting.

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Will Custom USB Flash Drives Take Off In 2011

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The Word Is Out On Custom USB Flash Drives

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

For several years the promotional USB flash drive sector has been dominated by standard, factory-designed flash drives that are simply overprinted with a company logo. Standard flash drives are relatively easy to procure, they come in a wide range of different styles and colours and they are given away in their millions every year. Branded and printed flash drives have become a runaway success in the promotions sector.

Standard USB flash drives are popular with companies because they’re the “easy option”. Plenty of suppliers offer them, there are lots of examples around that show how good they look branded up, the lead-time for them is pretty short at circa 10 days and they’re relatively inexpensive.

Custom USB Words

Custom USB Words

Compared to standard factory designed USB flash drives, custom USB flash drives seem to be in another league of difficulty in terms of ordering them and the perception is that they are much, much more expensive with horrendous lead times. Historically this is might have been true but with significant investment in production facilities and increased competition amongst the factories that produce them prices and lead-times have been reduced quite significantly.

Even with this extra investment Custom (bespoke) USB sticks are still a little more expensive than standard USB drives but if you want your drives to stand out from the crowd and really grab people’s interest then they are the way to go.

In some ways the standard models have become victims of their own success because they are everywhere today and as the old saying goes “you can get too much of a good thing”. Lets face it if you’ve been given numerous USB flash drives and they are all pretty much the same model with broadly the same memory on them and you’re given another one it’s a case of “so what”. This is exactly the reaction you don’t want if you’re the company that has invested in the USB sticks!!

Conversely if you take the time and trouble (and you spend a little more) on custom USB flash drives that are designed and manufactured specifically for you then you’re still pretty much assured of generating a “wow” when they are distributed.  If you want people to sit up and take notice of your company, your brand and your products then custom sticks are definitely the way to go. You don’t even need to come up with anything spectacular in terms of design – these custom models have been manufactured in the shape of the company’s name but they look fantastic and really do arouse the recipient’s curiosity and interest.

Custom USB Trench Heater

Custom USB Trench Heater

Of course these days anything can be moulded and manufactured so if you are thinking of going down the custom route challenge your supplier and see what they and their design team come up with. After all if they want your business they should be willing to invest some time in coming up with some creative ideas for you.

Whilst standard designs will no doubt continue to dominate in the short term the word is out on the benefits of custom USB flash drives.

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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

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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 Drive – UK Banks Profits Recover

Friday, August 6th, 2010

With a bumper set of results announced by the UK Banks this week, the industry seems to have recovered from the financial turmoil of the past few years and are again reporting large profits. This is great news for the exchequer, tax payers who own major stakes in some of these banks and the economy in general.

Some of the banks issued their press packs including the financial information via Branded USB Memory sticks. This follows a long trend of banks making use of Branded Memory sticks.

Bank Branded Memory Sticks

There are numerous reasons why banks now embrace Branded Memory sticks including the following:

  • Branded USB Memory sticks are a unique way to get their brand in front of an existing or potential ‘key’ customers.
  • Branded USB Memory sticks are a great way to disseminate information to key customers, staff, or city analysts.  The data can be passive, so the user would need to click on the files, or interactive for a more immersive experience.
  • Branded USB Memory sticks are excellent ‘keep sakes’ and with a high probability that users will save their own information on them. Making the USB a valued tool that has a high intrinsic value.
  • The cost of USB Flash Memory has fallen dramatically over the past few years, so they have become a far more cost effective promotional item.
  • USB Branded memory sticks now come in over 100 different models or can be designed and built to order…..making them truly unique to bank brands.
  • The speed of delivery is now as little as 48hrs, which includes a logo print – so ideal for emergency use – great if banks need to get information out quickly.
  • Branded Memory sticks can be ordered in as little as 25 units – so it can be a targeted campaign.
  • CD / DVDs are now seen as old hat, with Branded USB Memory sticks taking over as the media of choice for sending content.
  • The technology has improved making Branded USB highly robust and reliable.
  • Security and encryption technology is now well advanced to protect any sensitive information stored on the Branded Memory sticks.
  • Finally, there are now several professional providers of Branded USB Memory sticks in the UK, making the process of ordering very simple.

Whilst some pundits perceive banks as technology dinosaurs, they are certainly waking up to opportunity of Branded Memory sticks.

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Custom USB Drive – UK Banks Profits Recover

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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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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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Custom USB Flash Drives Come of Age in 2009

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010

Whilst 2009 was another good year for the ever popular branded and promotional USB memory stick the key trend to emerge from 2009 was the growth in the sale of custom flash drives. Unlike branded memory sticks which are typically “factory designs” that are then printed on, a custom memory stick is, as the name suggests unique to the client. It’s a fully bespoke 2-D or 3-D shape that is fabricated to include a USB connector and flash memory.

Custom USB

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.

USB Wristband

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.

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Custom USB Flash Drives Come of Age in 2009

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