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Posts Tagged ‘Promotional USB Drives’

Drawing in the Crowds

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Many companies and businesses today are finding more and more that attending trade/marketing shows is one of the best ways to attract new business, especially in these hard times of the recession. Many potential clients can be approached face to face, and leaflets and freebies can be handed out, which help people to remember different companies and their services.

There are many types of giveaways that companies can offer to prospective clientele. Free pens with the company logo or slogan written on them are a big hit, as everybody needs a pen from time to time. Other companies opt for things such as stress balls, chocolates, balloons and even alcohol, occasionally, to draw in customers. All of these usually have the company logo and details featured prominently on the packaging and are ordered in mass quantities.

However, it seems that one of the latest trends in advertising your business is to use promotional USB memory drives, or pen drives. These are memory sticks which come in a variety of sizes, from as small as 64mb to a larger 4 GB, or sometimes even more. They can be used to store vital company information on them, such as price plans, contact information, available packages on offer and even videos and images showing the company to its best advantage. Also, they can be locked after they have been created, meaning that once the information is on the promotional USB memory drive, it cannot be deleted.  In addition to all these benefits, the exterior casing of the USB pen drives can be customised to show the company logo and/or slogan on the front. A lot of them also come in plastic cases that prevent them from being damaged and make them easier to stack and display on a marketing stand.

A lot of companies that are using promotional USB memory sticks to advertise their business seem to be finding that they have a bigger impact than using items such as chocolates or balloons. This may be because they are easy to slip in a handbag or wallet, so people will find them after they have left the show and access them to jog their memory of the company. Also, as it is so easy these days to use a laptop whilst travelling, people can access the promotional USB memory sticks even when they are going home on the train or the tube, for example.

The range of promotional USB memory drives that are available is ever growing. From the classic brushed aluminium style to leather, from wooden ones to novelty varieties such as wristbands or spheres, there is a type out there to suit every need. They can also be bought in an array of colours including yellow, green, red, blue and pink. Eco friendly memory sticks are also available, which are classed as environmentally friendly.

So, if you have booked yourself in for a trade show and need to find some way of advertising your business that is not only cost effective, but doesn’t hurt the environment, USB sticks may be the way forward. With such a wide range to choose from and incredible versatility when it comes to choosing the actual design that will best suit your company, promotional USB memory drives cannot be beaten.

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Drawing in the Crowds

Secrets to Growing Your Business: Promotional Pen Drives

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Portable USB memory has advanced significantly in the last few years, and the range and style of flash drives available today are many. Companies who want to market their logos and products to a large audience of potential customers are using promotional pen drives to “spread the word” about their business.

The phrase “pen drive” is a general term for many types of USB storage that don’t all necessarily look like pens. The other interchangeable terms for this type of portable storage are flash drives, jump drives, and memory sticks.

However, the most stylish pen drives do resemble executive ballpoint pens. When you unscrew the cap, however, instead of a writing instrument you find a handy USB flash drive to store documents, data files, pictures, and other important information that can be used with any available computer.

For a business that sells products or services, promotional pen drives offer opportunities for cost-effective advertising and for building up brand awareness with their clients. Customers appreciate these promotional “freebies,” since they can be plugged into any available USB port on a Windows or Mac-based computer and used without any previous setup requirements.

Offering pen drives to all your customers makes smart business sense, since it generates opportunities for repeat business when people use the devices outside of your place of business. What you really get is a portable business card that has your business name, logo, address, or phone number.

If the recipient uses this device in public, it may generate conversation from satisfied customers who can tell others about what your firm does or how well they were treated when they did business with you.

As data files, computer documents, and digital photo files get larger and carry more information, a pen drive can provide some much needed storage space for frequently used files on a computer that are not vital to the operating system. Those who design audio devices, satellite receivers, and other electronic equipment are adapting their products to accept pen drives by adding USB ports to their components for easy transfer.

This means that music files, pictures, and digital media can now be accessed on more than just computers. The increasing availability of high-speed internet service and wireless networks allow business people to share information more quickly and easily than ever before.

In essence, by offering promotional pen drives to business associates and customers, not only are you contributing to the growth of your brand name and reputation, you are opening doors to inexpensive channels of communication that weren’t possible less than ten years ago. Flash drive companies are also addressing data security concerns by including encryption software with many of the newer drives.

The cost of producing flash drives is dwindling, and those savings are passed on to those who purchase them. They are more lightweight, durable, and reliable than other forms of media storage, with no moving parts. In addition, there are now wide ranges of “sizes” of pen drives that can now store up to 64GB of re-writeable data, although 16GB drives are much more common.

Remember, these are small devices that can easily fit in briefcases, backpacks, even trouser or shirt pockets. The colour, size, and style combinations now available are incredible, and designing promotional pen drives to match the personality of your business could be a small step that generates repeat customers and a greater market share than one might think possible.

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Secrets to Growing Your Business: Promotional Pen Drives

Can you delete files from pre-loaded Promotional USB Memory sticks?

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Picture the scenario. You have just taken receipt of your bright new USB Branded Memory sticks for an event that is due to commence in 2 days. You load the first of the USB Memory Sticks into your PC and to your horror you discover that the data has been loaded incorrectly or there is an error with the original information provided.  Apart from putting a wet towel over you head what options do you have? He’s a list of things that may help:

USB Dataload

  1. Try to minimise the risk of this happening in the first place. Ensure your Custom USB supplier provides you with screen grabs of the data for sign off. Ideally ask for a pre-production sample of your Branded USB Memory sticks with the data preload. This way there little risk of any issues in the future.
  2. If the data is not protected or has an autorun. Then there are some easy solutions:

    • Delete the data from the memory sticks and re-load. Doing these individually is a painful and slow process and is not recommended for batches of over 100 units, unless you have an army of people to throw at this. This process is also prone to quality issues.

    • There are several data duplication companies in the UK that can take the Branded Memory sticks and format and reload the data relatively easily and quickly.  They can process up to 3000 memory sticks within a few hours. Job done.
  3. The nightmare scenario! If the memory sticks are data-protected or have an autorun it becomes far more complex. No surprise, as by the very nature the Promotional USB Memory Sticks are engineered to stop end users doing exactly what you want to do, namely delete and change the data. The software required to do this will be dependant on the controller that the Branded Memory Stick has been loaded with. The controller is the mini operating system that all USB Memory sticks have. Again there are several options to resolve this.

    • Return back to the manufacturer. They have the technology to format and reload the data, but the downside is that it will take time to return to the Far East, get them reloaded and shipped back. You would need to allow up to 2 weeks for this.

    • Some USB Providers will have the software to allow the data to be deleted in the UK. If not, ask them to try to obtain from the manufacturer. This would allow them to delete the data. Then the next challenge would be reloading the data. The easiest thing to do would be to load the new data with no protection or an autorun. However, if this is a pre-requisite then there are a few UK Data Duplication companies that have the capabilities of loading the data with copy protection and autorun. Again this will be dependant on the controller that is on the Branded USB Memory Drive.

The moral of this story is to ensure that you minimise the risk of this happening, by having a pre-production sample produced. Otherwise you will be entering a very stressful process and that towel will continue to get wetter!

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Can you delete files from pre-loaded Promotional USB Memory sticks?

USB Hubs and promotional pen drives

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

USB ports have a number of applications, allowing connection of USB sticks and promotional pen drives.  However, many people choose to use hubs.  Hubs are a device that allows for many other devices to be connected to a single USB port.  The advantage of this is that hubs are often built into computer equipment.  This allows for each device to work on one internal USB as opposed to every port having independent USB hardware.

Hubs come in a variety of forms.  Along with more regular hubs are hubs that are known as inverse or shared and these allow several PCs to access a single peripheral.  Only one PC can access a peripheral at any one time, but many computers can be hooked up, using all recognized devices off and on.

If a USB network has many hubs, it requires the hubs to be connected to each other.  A hub network can only extend a USB network up to five times.  Bus-powered hubs are not allowed to be connected with each other in a series; these specific hubs draw all of their power from the computer’s interface.  Many devices use more power than this type of hub can provide.

When creating hubs, you may end up blocking other ports.  Ports are closely spaced, of course plugging in certain devices may block a port rendering it unusable.

Due to hubs being external, you can now get them in novelty shapes to make your computer look more fashionable.  There are designs from time traveling spaceships to nuclear missile launch consoles to name just two.  We need to have these hubs for all our gadgets, but we also want to be looking good while using them.  Gadgets such as USB devices and promotional pen drives cater for our needs for novelty as well as practicality.

To allow for high-speed devices to work in their fastest mode, all hubs between the computer and devices must be high speed.  Devices should fall back to high speed once plugged into a full-speed hub. It is best to use USB 2.0 with high-speed devices.  Although this is true, USB 2.0 also incorporates and surpasses USB 1.1.  This means that full-speed and low speed devices are compliant, but not all 2.0 hubs operate at high-speed.

USB hubs use one or more integrated controllers.  They usually support a four port hub system.  You can get hub controllers that support 7 ports.  Some hub controllers can convert PS/2 to USB for your mouse and keyboard.

A self-powered USB hub is suggested for your smaller devices such as mice and keyboards.  When getting into your larger devices such as, external drives, printers and scanners, AC powered hubs are said to be a better choice.  Some AC powered hubs come with an adapter while others don’t.  Make sure to get the hub that best suits your needs.

If you have multiple devices that you will be using with your computer, hubs are probably the way to go.  They make your ports conveniently accessible.  They are inexpensive and especially handy with laptops where you may need more ports in order to use more devices.  You really can’t go wrong using a hub to support your devices.  You are more likely to have what you need right at your finger tips.  No matter whether you are using your promotional pen drives, a USB keyboard or mouse, make sure you have the correct hub.

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USB Hubs and promotional pen drives

The potential for unusual flash drives

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

There is a world out there beyond the typical everyday flash drive.  This world is comprised of unique and personal ways of showing and sporting your promotional flash drives.  These are sure to grab anyone’s attention!

Flash drives now come in jewellery for the ladies.  You can wear them as a stylish necklace or a dazzling bracelet.  Not only are you carrying the information you need on you, you are doing it in style!  These are so realistic looking that no one will even know they are promotional flash drives until you take it off and plug it into your computer.  That is when people will begin to ask you the questions out of sheer curiosity.

We have all heard or even used the popular term ‘thumb drive’.  Now that can be a literal statement!  You can buy a very realistic looking thumb that has a retractable flash drive!  People will wonder what you are doing with that extra thumb!  Putting that aside, imagine the looks when it is sticking out of your computer!

Along with these very intriguing drives, you can get sports balls, animals, iPods, cars, and just about anything you can imagine.  If you are going to have something on you, it might as well be unique, trendy and well, you!  Trendy really can meet technology with these whimsical designs.

There are sites that will design promotional flash drives for you.  There is anything from crosses, wristbands with personalized sayings, gold bars, cameras, and many, many more.  Go for it and be creative!  The aspect of the wristbands and jewelry are an advantage because they are actually attached to your body.  You will be much less likely to lose them.

If you are currently in sales, think about the fact that this could be a sales tactic and advertising tool.  You can get trendy promotional flash drives that are representative of what you are selling, or your business services.  Maybe you just want something to draw attention as a conversation starter. It could be for personal reasons to give yourself a smile during the day while you are working.

Many people have become huge fans of these unique flash drives!  Let your personality and taste shine as you work and download.  Start a collection!  There are so many out there that there is something for everyone.

If you can’t wait to find a flash drive that is unique to your taste, just type in ‘unique flash drives’ into your favorite search engine and you will be awe-stricken at the creativity that has been associated with these small pieces of technology.

Get rid of that plain flash drive!  Carry your info in style with an infinite number of unique flash drive shapes, sizes, themes, logos and colors.  Get the attention of others and maybe even give yourself a smile or two.  If nothing else, they would make great gifts for people of all ages!  You can purchase them as a gift of caring or a hilarious gag!  Go for it!

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The potential for unusual flash drives

Sizzling Summer Special!

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

We are delighted to offer Free Pantone Matching on our most popular models, whatever the memory size or quantity of the order.

Simply provide the Pantone Colour you would like the body of the memory stick to match and we’ll do the rest.

Our normal Pantone Matching price is £150!

Promotional USB Free Colour Matching

The models included in this offer are:

• TWISTER – More info
• MOSCOW – More info
• BERLIN – More info

Please fill out our quick form and we’ll get back to you with a quick quote: Click here

This amazing offer will end at the end of August 2009 – so don’t miss out.

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Sizzling Summer Special!

The Hidden Dangers Of Autorun In Promotional USB Memory Sticks

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

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.

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The Hidden Dangers Of Autorun In Promotional USB Memory Sticks
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