Installed Trench Heater

But, despite the connotations a Trench Heater is actually a very stylish, very effective form of in-floor heating, cooling and climate control system. These units have integral heat exchangers built into them, they are cost effective to run and because they are discrete and good-looking they are typically found in high-end houses, apartments and offices.

One of the leading designers and manufacturers of Trench Heaters is UK based Jaga. Jaga describe themselves as “working towards a better world. Starting at home. Our culture is one of aesthetics, durability, social responsibility, fair-trading and putting the least possible burden on the environment.”

For Jaga one of their challenges is how to communicate the benefits of their heating systems to their target customers and partners. Traditional brochures worked to a degree but producing significant volumes of glossy and expensive brochures flew in the face of their stated values of “putting the least burden on the environment”. An alternative option, something as innovative as their trench heaters was called for and the solution was a bespoke USB flash drive designed and manufactured in the shape of a trench heater and carrying the Jaga brand on the reverse.

The beauty of these custom USB flash drives is that they look fantastic, they capture people’s imagination and they bring what some might consider to be a boring subject to life. What’s more is that are small, portable and they can of course be pre-loaded with lots of product information, technical specification details, installation information, and media files that show the Trench Heaters in situ in a variety of different environments.

Custom USB

Whilst custom USB flash drives like these are a little more money to produce than standard flash drives and the lead times are a week or so longer its an investment that can reap big dividends. Get it right as Jaga clearly have here and you end up with a Custom USB flash drive that will create a significant amount of interest and “chatter” in your product.

Irrespective of what your product is and how dull it might be considered you can really bring it to life with the imaginative use of bespoke USB Flash drives.

USB Robot

What makes matter worse for Peter Crouch is his lanky 6 ft 7 in frame, which of course only serves to make the dance look even more ridiculous. So much so that the “robot” goal celebration was recently voted footballs funniest moment of 2010, which in itself is surprising because the dance was first, unveiled in 2006!

If it is a tribute to the dance skills of Peter Crouch then the USB Robot is not a bad tribute because the robot is well designed, well crafted, strong and manoeuvrable and it’s head and shoulders above standard shaped flash drives in terms of making an impact.  But, unlike professional footballers the USB Robot does not cost a fortune and there’s no lengthy contract negotiation period to consider!

These unique USB flash drives are only a few pennies more than standard models and that’s despite being crafted from metal and coming with their own keyring. In terms of lead-time they are available within 14 days of order, which is on a par with most other USB sticks.

USB Robot Flash Drive

Whilst the USB Robot might not be to everyone taste it is a little different and it can be branded (printed or engraved) with a logo so that it’s personalised to your company – just like any of the more regular USB branded memory sticks.

If you do decide to order the USB Robot Flash drive then don’t forget to get your data pre-loaded onto them. Pre-loading data on USB flash drives can help offset the cost of purchasing them because you won’t have to print quite as much sales collateral or go to the expensive of shipping it around the country. Data loading up to 100MB of information is usually free and beyond this the cost is marginal.

If the USB Robot is not you thing but you are looking for branded or promotional USB flash drives then give us a call and speak to one of our team and we’ll talk you through the extensive range of options we have.

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 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.

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!

Some of the most recognised brands include: Dunlop, TaylorMade, Adidas, Ping, Titliest, Callaway, Wilson, Nike and Mizuno. Every player will have their favourite clubs manufacturer, favourite golf ball manufacturer and so on and these global brands commit millions of pounds each year on R&D, design and sponsorship to make for example their particular golf clubs or golf balls the preferred choice of the golf community.

USB Golf Bag

With every manufacturer scrambling for consumer spend in the midst of tough economic times its interesting to see the innovation now creeping into the advertising and marketing plans of many brands. Nowhere is this more evident than in the use of USB flash drives. Of course they are not using just any old factory designed flash drive with their logo printed on, no, they are commissioning fully bespoke flash drives in the shape of their equipment.

So, next time you’re at the London Golf Show or the Scottish Golf Show or any Golf Show for that matter don’t be surprised to coaxed onto a trade stand with the lure of a Custom USB Golf Ball or a Custom USB Golf bag. These super little promotional products are facsimiles of the real thing just a little smaller and of course they’re fully functional USB flash drives.

The beauty of these products is that the manufacturer can pre-load onto the flash drive all of their product range, technical data sheets, video’s of the product in use, testimonials from professional players, details of local stockists, links to their web site and so on. Rather than hand out lots of glossy but heavy and expensive marketing information

USB Golf Ball

its far easier for all concerned to have this information on a small, handy and imaginatively produced flash memory stick. Easier for the recipient as they won’t be burdened with lots of brochures to lug around the show and easier for the giver as their print costs, storage costs, transport costs etc. will all be dramatically reduced.

Because USB flash drives are incredibly popular products they will be welcomed as promotional gift and unlike CD’s or DVD’s they will be used.  Done well they’ll also generate a real level of interest and “chatter” which is precisely what any good promotional product should deliver.

Custom flash drives, as these images illustrate, can be manufactured in any shape and in a range of different materials. Pricing is just a little more than a standard flash drive you just need to allow a week or so more for their manufacture.

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.

Fulham FC Custom USB

The team at USB2U send our best wishes to Fulham FC  and will be backing them to win the match tonight. We are after all a little biased because Fulham were kind enough to place their order for some custom USB memory sticks with us and for this we thank them and we’ll offer our hearty support tonight.

Of course the Custom USB flash drives we supplied (manufactured in the shape of the Fulham FC club badge) will have had little bearing on the team’s performance but it is great to be associated with a winning team. The custom sticks that Fulham ordered clearly went down well as they have been back for more and we can’t help but hope that their continued success on the field will see them come back time and time again.

Of course you don’t have to be a hugely succesful football team to order custom or branded USB memory sticks. Today lots of companies, schools, universities and clubs buy branded memory sticks to help with their brand development, to generate interest in what they do and their products and services and to say “thank you” to customers and staff. Prices for custom sticks in particular have fallen over the past few years and minimum order quantities are now set at at accessible level of 50 pieces so (for printed not custom versions) everyone can afford to order them.

For many the cost of buying branded flash drives is off-set by the savings made in pre-loading  marketing, sales and product material onto the memory stick rather then printing and transporting them to an event or show.

Come on Fulham!

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 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

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.

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

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

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.

The Air Traffic Control Body for the UK, Nats, has just announced an extension of the restrictions into and out of UK airspace until Saturday 0100BST at the earliest. With conditions deteriorating today its anyones guess when the restrictions will be lifted and “normal service” resumes.

Realistically even when the restrictions are lifted it will be days, if not weeks, before things return to normal.

The majority of branded flash drives are manufactured and printed in China and then air freighted into the UK with carriers like TNT, DHL and UPS.  The operations of these carriers are all severely impacted by the suspension of flights in and out of the UK and as such there will be many customers anxiously waiting for news on their branded USB flash drive orders.

If you have got an event, show, activity which the USB flash drives were ordered for and it looks like they are not going to arrive in time you could consider getting some printed in the UK.

At USB2U we hold significant quantities of blank (un-printed) USB memory sticks that we can get printed up and delivered to you within 48hrs. Even if we don’t have exactly the same model or size of the ones you’ve ordered we will have something that will get you out of trouble.

We can’t suggest that we anticipated the eruption of the Volcano but we do always carry UK stock to allow us to provide a “Rush” service to our customers. Whether you been let down by a Volcano, another supplier or you just need branded flash drives in a hurry we can help so pick up the phone and give us a ring to talk through you requirements.

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 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.