Buying branded USB memory sticks should be an effortless process and for the most part it is. However, there are many examples of where things have and could go wrong – some real horror stories! However, by asking the right questions and selecting a reputable supplier you can avoid most of these issues.

This guide provides the top ten hazards of buying promotional USB memory sticks and how to avoid them.

Find a reputable supplier

There are many UK companies providing branded USB memory sticks. As with any industry the quality of these companies varies widely. Whilst standard due diligence is always required, here are a few tips to help you with the process:

• Reputation speaks volumes. Don’t be afraid to ask for references and testimonials from their existing customer base and make contact. If they have provided excellent service levels, they will delighted to share their branded memory stick successes.
• Make sure there are full contact details on the web site including address and contact telephone numbers – and phone them!
• It is always good practice to run a credit check to make sure your memory stick supplier is in good financial health. This is more important if you are being asked to pay upfront for the branded USB memory sticks.
• Ensure they are working from a business premises. There is a growing trend for individuals pertaining to be companies working from home without the infrastructure to support you if things go wrong or they fall ill or go on holiday – it happens. A simple way to check this is by using Google Earth, or ask the question

Hidden costs

When stating your requirements to a USB memory stick supplier be specific about your needs and ensure that they are all met by studying your quotation carefully. Ask for terms and conditions and be aware of payment terms and delivery date promises. For example some companies will charge extra for print and origination, so ensure that these are covered in the quotation. There as also hidden ‘rush fees’ if deadline are not met, so again ensure these are full disclosed.

Quality of Chipset / Housing

If you quote sounds to good to be true – then it probably is! The core cost of any branded USB memory stick is made up of the USB body shell and USB flash chip components. There are several techniques to shave the costs on these, for example using inferior quality housing and reconditioned USB Memory chips.   Both carry reputational risk for you or your client if things go wrong. So ensure you ask for a sample to check the housing quality and your supplier provides new branded A Grade chipsets such as Samsung, Hynix, Micron or Intel.

It is also worth asking what the manufacturer’s Quality Assurance testing procedure is for branded memory sticks.

Proofs/screenshots

Most suppliers will mock up a visual of what the promotional USB memory stick will look like before production. This does not always match the finished product. So ensure that the proof carries the colour pantone references and size of the logo. The leading suppliers will provide a photo of your printed pre-production brand stick so you know exactly what you are going to get and there are no surprises!

Dataloads

Many clients are faced with the dilemma of whether they should add an autorun facility to their promotional USB promotional memory sticks.

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 or link directly to a web page.

The obvious advantages of this facility is that it ensures the user is presented with the information the client wants them to see, without having to find the information themselves. This makes is a very intuitive process and ensures the information on the USB memory stick is delivered. However there are some hidden drawbacks:

• Nuisance factor. If one of the objectives is to ensure that the USB promotional memory stick is a keepsake that the end user will access on a regular basis then its worth bearing in mind that every time the user wants to access or save a document they will have to run through the dataload programme. Fine for the first few times, but thereafter they may find this an irritation and relegate the memory stick deep into a draw!
• Autoruns will not work on Win 98SE or 2000 operating systems – beware there are still many users out there with these systems. You will also need to ensure that the appropriate code is written into any autorun for it to work on Mac operating systems.
• Some corporate firewalls restrict autoruns, so the danger is that the end user will never see the data.

There is am alternative method, why not consider loading the data onto the USB branded memory stick with an icon labelled ‘Click Here To Start’ and allow the user to access the data when they want.  This data can be protected so it would not be deleted, but overcomes may of the issues detailed above.

Shipping / Customs

Almost all branded USB memory sticks are manufactured in the Far East and as such need to pass through both Chinese and Taiwanese and UK Customs. For the vast majority of orders this is pretty seamless process. However, any consignment can be pulled for inspection and customs may request additional information. If a global brand is printed on the promotional USB memory sticks they may ask for written authentication from the end clients that the goods are not counterfeit.  Either way a custom check will delay your order from a few days to up to 3 weeks!

Returning goods / Warranties

Unfortunately things go wrong! The mark of a good supplier is how they manage these issues. All customised USB memory sticks should carry at least a 12 month warranty. Ensure your supplier stipulates this as part of their Terms and Conditions.  However, if the items need replacing it make take several weeks for the branded USBs to be returned to the manufacturer and repaired or replaced.

Poor Packaging

Poor quality packaging can spoil a great looking USB memory stick. In particular the insert that holds the USB memory stick within a box needs to be of the same shape and size of the USB branded memory drive. Again the only solution is to have a sample of a box before you order.

Delivery Timeframe

Do not leave the ordering of branded USB memory sticks to the last minute unless you want to pay a premium for rush fees and limit your choice of what is available in the UK. Allow at least 2, ideally 3 weeks, from providing your supplier with the artwork, which kicks off the production process.

Quality Of Print

The printing of logos onto your branded memory stick is a real art form that at best makes a perfect reproduction of your logo at worst makes it look like real mess and something you would not want to associate your brand to. The typical printing process is spot or screen-printing. This is great for simple logos with up to 4 colours. However it cannot print tints, tones, complex logos or a logo with many colours. A new full colour printing process is now evolving allowing greater printing capabilities. Again if time permits ask for a pre-production printed sample and remove this potential dangers.

Look out for our next top tip, which will focus on the benefits of different USB models and designs.

As marketing and advertising budgets in a “post economic meltdown world” were slashed the demand for branded memory sticks and printed USB flash drives continued unabated. The early predictions of “doom and gloom” in the sector failed to materialise and although there have been periods of price volatility throughout the year this has not dissuaded customers from pushing ahead with their projects.

Towards the end of 2009 several key trends emerged which are likely to continue into 2010:

	Custom Memory Sticks also referred to as bespoke USB flash drives will become more popular because the historic minimum order quantities and relatively high initial tooling and mould set-up costs have been all but removed. As a result it is now possible to get a fully customised USB memory stick in a shape/design that is unique to your company, brand or product for pretty much the same price that you would pay for a simple printed memory stick
	Twister USB Sticks will continue to dominate the branded range of memory sticks. During 2009 the cap less “twister” style of memory stick accounted for over 60% of all orders where a standard factory design/mould was used. In 2010 their on-going dominance looks assured not least because its now possible to pantone match the body colour of the twister memory stick to any primary colour from a design/logo.
	Photo Quality Printing is now possible on many branded memory sticks and for very little additional cost. Historically it was only possible to “spot print” onto a memory stick and you paid for each colour printed. This was not only expensive but ruled out many complex logos or designs. Today many factories offer full photographic reproduction and with costs tumbling its likely this will become the de facto standard in future.
	Smaller Print Runs of 50 pieces or less are now much more affordable bringing printed USB memory sticks into the reach of many smaller companies. The willingness of factories to support smaller batches of printed sticks is also likely to see them used for smaller conferences and seminars.
	Continued Price Volatility will make it difficult to forward predict prices or get firm quotes that last more than a few days. Because the factories price in $ (USD) companies buying from outside of the US need to factor in exchange rate fluctuations plus supply/demand price related increases on the core flash memory components. Good advice is to try and avoid the Chinese New Year period and the run up to Christmas when the volatility is at its worst.

The one thing that does seem clear it that branded and promotional USB drives are going to be with us for sometime to come and that their popularity continues to grow. As far as memory sticks are concerned it seems that you can’t get too much of a good thing!

The great thing about the modern range of promotional usb flash drive products is that they can be tailored to your every need in order to maximise the benefit from using the product. For example, if a company specialises in wood supplies, why not offer usb stick made from wood. The traditional type of usb flash drive will be plastic and rather plain but the advances in technology means that the container for the drive can come in all different sizes and from all different materials. The limit on what can be used for a flash drive is probably only bound by imagination but there are obvious budgetary and usefulness constraints placed upon this type of product. It may cost a bit more to utilise the promotional element of the flash drive but it has to be questioned if the cost effective element is then worth it. Many firms would be happier to pay a higher price for a promotional tool if it guaranteed that they would have a better chance of being recognised by a firm and hopefully earning more business.

In the current economic climate, it is important for a firm to do everything that they can to gain an edge over their rivals and this is exactly what a promotional usb flash drive can do. The effectiveness of this product would pay for itself in no time at all and would help to mark out the firm as one of innovative thinking and embracing new ideas. Sometimes the additional image benefits of these promotional tasks are as important as the actual promotional work itself and this is certainly an area where this product will assist with.

If you have not considered if a promotional usb flash drive is right for you and your promotional needs, perhaps it is time to give it some thought. As more and more firms become comfortable with the digital age, providing catalogues and brochures in an electronic format is more attractive and a lot more environmentally friendly. This means that you can be seen as a firm who is pushing all the right boundaries by embracing the advantages offered by using a promotional usb flash drive product.

No matter what colour is associated with your firm, it will be possible to find a promotional usb flash to match your corporate branding. The importance of having a cohesive image is one that is extremely important to a firm as this will make it much easier for a firm or potential customer to remember you. Using the right sort of usb flash or promotional item will reinforce your image in the mind of a customer and could place your company at the forefront of any decision they will make in the future. Given the current economic crisis that is affecting so many people around the world, it has never been more important to do everything that you can to improve your companies fortunes. Again, it is important to remember that if you don’t do it, your rivals may well do this and they will get the opportunity to make the sales that you are missing out on.

One of the other benefits that comes with using promotional usb flash technology as a gift to other firms is that it is possible to preload the flash drive. This means that you can include details about your firm and your products or services for the recipient to view at their own leisure. This will give you a greater chance of making an impact upon them and it should ensure they will always be able to examine your product details and will have your contact details at close hand. This form of promotional activity is extremely clever and goes a long way towards creating a relationship between the two firms. Given the current economic climate, anything which can be done to make the bonds between a supplier and buyer stronger should be encouraged.

Anything that you can do to sell yourself and make your firm more attractive to potential customers is well worth considering and promotional usb flash products are a little bit different. The fact that they offer fashion and functionality should make them the ideal product to use these days and by offering them to other people and firms, you will be doing everything you can to promote your firm. Every time your potential customer goes to use their promotional usb flash drive, they will remember where they received it from and you may be rewarded with future sales and business in the months and years ahead.

It may be that the promotional USB sticks are required to contain information and content about the company but this is no problem at all as content is able to be pre-loaded onto the cards. This can greatly help a firm spread the word about their products and will make it easier for potential customers to have all the relevant details to hand. Using this form of promotion should enable companies to allow their customers to be more informed about what they can do, which will hopefully translate into a greater number of sales in the long term. Anything which can promote a long-term business relationship in this day and age has to be worth considering for a company.

The only thing limiting the style of USB sticks these days are budget and imagination. This is due to the vast array of new styles, designs and concepts that are being used for USB sticks and this inevitably filters into the promotional USB sticks market. The quirkiness of these new styles and designs lends them perfectly to the promotional world and should really help firms and businesses spread the word about them. It used to be that colours would be the most eye catching element of a product but with leather and wood being just two of the fabric choices available for the modern range of USB sticks, the sky is the limit. This has extended to different designs like credit card shapes holding the USB stick or wristbands all of which will help the owner stand out from the crowd.

promotional USB sticks have rapidly changed over the past year or two and if you previously considered them but thought against the decision, perhaps it is time to reconsider. No matter what you are trying to promote, having your name, logo or mission statement incorporated onto promotional USB sticks will act as a great marketing tool for you and your needs. Ensuring you reach as many people as possible is hugely important and this simple yet hugely effective marketing tool enable any company or business to get ahead in a difficult market.

A few extra steps may be required to ensure files that are pre-loaded remain secure and, if extra space for storing files is provided, that the flash drive remains useful to the widest possible audience.

Let’s say, for instance, that your company wants to distribute a product catalogue or an annual report to a select group of retailers that your firm normally does business with. To reduce the cost of printing hard copies and distributing them by mail, you decide to generate a bulk order of promotional USB memory sticks for easy reference within your sales network.

How do you ensure that this competitive information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands? The first step is to distribute these memory sticks only to authorized representatives that will have likely filed non-disclosure agreements with your company in advance. This ensures a measure of control over who has the information and how it is utilized.

The second step to protecting proprietary information is to encrypt or restrict the use of the files themselves. A distributor can pre-load data files with read-only access or include password protection that requires a user to enter a password to open the file. Strong encryption technology can delete files completely after a finite number of unsuccessful attempts to open a file.

In this way, marketing agreements between retailers and manufacturers, policies and procedures, and confidential data are protected and the risk of unauthorized access by competitors is minimized. If files are accidentally deleted or a flash drive malfunctions, a control group could retrieve the memory stick before replacing it.

These measures apply most in institutions where information is most specific and ultimately valuable, like government, non-profit, and civic organizations, universities, large corporations, and private interest groups.

promotional USB memory sticks distributed to employees or managers of these entities are not just handy tools for sharing information, but are company-owned assets that are subject to accountability and proper use, especially among principals with some measure of authority and cultural or professional influence.

Another factor in relation to data integrity and promotional USB memory is the issue of compatibility. In some cases, older computers will have problems running pre-loaded movies or applications that are native to newer operating systems like Windows Vista and Windows 7.

In addition, security firewalls designed by IT groups to protect corporate networks may prevent auto run capabilities for audio and video files or certain file types that could be used to spread computer viruses.

A corporation or an LLC, then, has important challenges with regard to IT security and data integrity. When designing and ordering promotional USB memory sticks, these firms must develop acceptable use policies, limit access to computers with USB drives, and keep antivirus software programs up-to-date to protect their company’s interests and ensure successful transactions when sharing information.

With more than 5,500 schools and colleges participating in these programmes, Young Enterprise currently reaches more than 350,000 young people a year from primary school right through to university.

However, one of the challenges students have is to select a business that is relatively easy to establish, where there is genuine demand, the sunk investment is low and it gives scope for the students to learn many aspects of running a business.

One solution is selling Branded USB Memory sticks. These could carry the name of the school, colleague or university. It is also possible to have personalised Customer USB Memory sticks. These are ideal for storing and transporting course work.

So why are Promotional USB Memory sticks an ideal solution:

• Students understand and many have previously used USB Memory sticks.
• The sunk cost to purchase Branded Memory sticks is now relatively low.
• The minimum order quantity can be as little as 50 units.
• There is a ready-made market within the students’ educational establishment as their fellow students and staff will need a USB Memory sticks.
• The opportunity to make a reasonable return on investment.
• There are numerous UK suppliers, so no need to deal direct with the Far East where most of the Branded USB Memory sticks are manufactured.
• Students will be exposed to a wide range of business activities including negotiating with suppliers, specifying design requirements, all the financial aspects of purchasing the Promotional USB Memory drives, pricing, marketing, fulfilment and finally customer services.

All in all, selling Branded USB Memory sticks ticks many of the boxes demanded by the very worthwhile Young Enterprise Scheme.

For some attendees part of the attraction is to simply gather as many “freebies” as they can from the exhibitors but for the vast majority their attendance has a serious business justification. Attendance or participation is typically linked

Custom USB Van

to building industry and competitor knowledge, networking or buying and selling.

Historically it was impossible to attend these events without either printing the equivalent of a rainforest’s worth of brochures and sales literature. Likewise many attendees’ arms get extended during their day as they accumulate the said printed material.

Another casualty of this frenetic conference and exhibition giving and attending is the humble tree that surrenders itself to the chainsaw to provide the raw material for the brochures and sales collateral But things are changing, albeit slowly.
Today more and more companies recognise the environmental, production, storage and distribution costs of such actives and are now switching to USB Memory sticks. The humble USB memory stick can be pre-loaded with electronic copies of sales brochures, price lists, presentation slides, videos, links to web sites etc. In fact all of your businesses sales collateral can be pre-loaded onto a single tiny USB Memory stick.

custom usb forklift

As well as replacing a huge amount of expensive and heavy paper the USB memory sticks can of course be branded to carry a company logo or brand.

You can take USB memory sticks one stage further and get a fully customised memory stick produced in the shape of your company logo or perhaps a specific product, examples include USB trucks, guitars, fruit, light bulbs, aeroplanes, mobile phones etc. In fact pretty much anything can be manufactured with a USB connector on the end. These customised versions make a real impact and are ideal when there is a particular product to launch or promote.

Whether a customised memory stick or more conventional branded USB memory stick is used the benefits to all are obvious. With the fall in the price of branded and customised memory sticks the costs when compared against printed collateral also stack up. So putting aside the environmental arguments branded USB memory sticks make commercial sense hence why their use is becoming more popular.

One of the key decisions to make when purchasing Branded USB Memory sticks in the storage capacity.

Before delving into which capacity to select a short technical overview as is useful to understand the measurement terminology used when defining memory capacity.

Electronic data is measured in ‘bytes’. Multiples of these are:

•      1 Kilobyte (KB) is equal to 1,024 bytes

•      1 Megabyte (MB) is equal to 1,024 Kilobytes (1,048,576 bytes)

•      1 Gigabyte (GB) is equal to 1,024 Megabytes (1,073,741,824 bytes)

Branded USB Memory sticks range from 32MB to 16GB. They double up in size from 32MB:

•      32MB (almost obsolete)
•      64MB
•      128MB
•      256MB
•      512MB
•      1GB
•      2GB
•      4GB
•      8GB
•      16GB

You need to be aware that all Promotional USB Memory sticks need a small amount of capacity to allow it them work. As a general rule of thumb around 5% of the storage capacity will be used by the Memory Stick to manage how it stores the data on the stick.

So, how much data can each stick hold? The amount of data that can be stored depends on the type of the data, such as MP3 audio files, digital photos, word files etc. and the quality for example the resolution of photos.  As a benchmark 512MB memory stick would typically store about 250 photos.

When deciding what capacity to select for your Branded USB Memory sticks you need to consider the following.

• What is the objective of your Promotional USB Memory stick campaign. If it is to provide specific data or information that is pre-loaded, then the size should match the amount of data to be loaded. If the requirement is to allow the user to use the Memory stick as a promotional keepsake, then there needs to be sufficient headroom over and above any data that you may wish to load.

• What budget do you have? The higher the capacity the higher the price. However, the price differential between a 64MB and 1GB is no longer that great.

• The market for flash memory is volatile and is driven by supply and demand. Therefore, it is worth checking if there are any special offers on different USB Memory capacity. For example it has been know for 512MB to be cheaper than 256MB.

• If the Branded USB Memory sticks are gifts for prospects or existing key clients, you need to consider the perceived value of the item you are giving. So if budget is limited it may be prudent to buy less of higher capacity Branded USB Memory sticks.

Based on the above criteria, currently the most popular capacity for Branded USB Memory sticks is 1GB, but watch this space!

This guide illustrates the top ten pitfalls of buying Promotional USB Memory Sticks and how to avoid them.

Find a reputable supplier

There are many suppliers providing Branded USB Memory Sticks As with any industry the quality of the organisations varies widely. Whilst normal due diligence is always required, here are a few tips to help you with the process:

• It is always good practice to run a credit check to make sure your supplier is in good financial health. This is more important if you are being asked to pay upfront for the Branded USB Memory sticks.

• Reputation speaks volumes. Don’t be afraid to ask for references and testimonials from their existing customer base and make contact. If they have provided excellent service levels, they will not be embarrassed to share their successes.

• Make sure there are full contact details on the web site including address and contact telephone numbers – and phone them!

• Ensure they are working from a business premises. There is a growing trend for individuals pertaining to be companies are working from home without the infrastructure to support you if things go wrong. An easy way to check this is by using Google Earth.

Hidden costs

When stating your requirements to a supplier be specific about your needs and ensure that they are all met by studying your quotation carefully. Ask for terms and conditions and be aware of payment terms and delivery date promises. For example some companies will charge extra for print and origination, so ensure that these are covered in the quotation.

Quality of Chipset / Housing

If you quote sounds to good to be true – then it probably is! The core cost of any Branded USB Memory Stick is made up of the USB Housing and USB Flash Chip components. There are ways of saving costs on these buy using poor quality housing and reconditioned USB Memory chips.   Both carry reputation risk for you or your client if things go wrong. So ensure you ask for a sample to check the housing quality and your supplier provides new branded A Grade chipsets such as Samsung, Hynix, Micron or Intel.

It is also worth asking what the manufacturer’s Quality Assurance testing procedure is.

Dataloads

To autorun or not to autorun that is the question! Many clients are faced with the dilemma of whether they should add an autorun facility to their promotional USB Promotional Memory Sticks.

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.

The advantages of this facility is that it ensures the user is presented with the information the client wants them to see, without having to find the information themselves. This makes is a very intuitive process and ensures the information on the USB Memory Stick is delivered. However there are some hidden pitfalls:

• Nuisance factor. If one of the objectives is to ensure that the USB Promotional Memory Stick is a keepsake that the end user will access on a regular basis then its worth bearing in mind that every time the user wants to access or save a document they will have to run through the dataload programme. Fine for the first few times, but thereafter they may find this an irritation and relegate the memory stick deep into a draw!

• Autoruns will not work on Win 98 or 2000 operating systems – beware there are still many users out there with these systems. You will also need to ensure that the appropriate code is written into any autorun for it to work on Mac operating systems.

• Some corporate firewalls restrict autoruns, so the danger is that the end user will never see the data.

There is a middle way, why not consider loading the data onto the USB Branded Memory Stick with an icon labelled ‘Click Here To Start’ and allow the user to access the data when they want.  This data can be protected so it would not be deleted, but overcomes may of the issues detailed above.

Proofs/screenshots

Many suppliers will mock up a visual of what the Promotional USB Memory Stick will look like before production. This does not always match the finished product. So ensure that the proof carries the colour pantone references and size of the logo. Some suppliers will provide a picture of a printed pre-production so you know exactly what you are going to get.

Shipping / Customs

Almost all Branded USB Memory sticks are manufactured in the Far East and as such need to pass through both Chinese / Taiwanese and UK Customs. For the vast majority of orders this is pretty seamless process. However, any consignment can be pulled for inspection and customs may request additional information. If a global brand is printed on the Promotional USB Memory sticks they may ask for written authentication from the end clients that the goods are not counterfeit.  Either way a custom check will delay your order from a few days to up to 3 weeks!

Returning goods / Warranties

Things go wrong! The mark of a good supplier is how they manage these issues. All Customised USB Memory Sticks should carry at least a 12 month warranty. Ensure your supplier stipulates this as part of their Terms and Conditions.  However, if the items need replacing it make take several weeks for the Branded USBs to be returned to the manufacturer and repaired or replaced.

Poor Packaging

Poor quality packaging can ruin a great looking USB Memory Stick. In particular the insert that holds the USB memory stick within a box needs to be of the same shape and size of the USB Branded Memory drive. Again the only solution is to have a sample of a box before you order.

Delivery Timeframe

Do not leave the ordering of Branded USB Memory sticks to the last minute unless you want to pay a premium for rush fees and limit your choice of what is available in the UK. Allow at least 2, ideally 3 weeks, from providing your supplier with the artwork, which kicks off the production process.

Quality Of Print

The printing of logos onto your Branded Memory stick is a real art form that at best makes a perfect reproduction of your logo at worst makes it look like real mess and something you would not want to associate your brand to. The typical printing process is spot or screen-printing. This is great for simple logos with up to 4 colours. However it cannot print tints, tones, complex logos or a logo with many colours. A new full colour printing process is now evolving allowing greater printing capabilities. Again if time permits ask for a pre-production printed sample and remove this potential pitfall.