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Posts Tagged ‘promotional’

Give USB Flash Drive Bottles and Drinks This Christmas

Monday, December 6th, 2010

One of the more traditional gifts to give to customers, suppliers, the postman and other ancillary staff that support your business throughout the year is booze. Whether it’s wine, spirits, champagne or just a few bottles of good beer or cider, drinks have always been a popular way to say “thank you”. But, in today’s politically correct times is it still appropriate or safe to hand out alcohol at Christmas.

USB Bottles and USB Wine Cork

USB Bottles and USB Wine Cork

How for example do you know that the recipient of your alcoholic gift is old enough to drink, what if you end up putting temptation in the way of someone who is desperately trying to “get off the booze”? Is giving alcohol to a courier driver or delivery driver appropriate or is there a danger that you’re innocently encouraging drinking and driving. How do you ensure you don’t give alcoholic drink to someone whose faith does not allow him or her to drink it?

As a business if you step back and think about the potential risks involved in giving away drinks at Christmas and the potential dangers in upsetting some of the recipients you might decide there are better alternatives and alternatives with less “banana skin” opportunities.

USB Barrel

USB Barrel

If you’re determined to go with a drink related theme then there are plenty of other options that you might want to consider. One such alternative is a custom USB flash drive in the shape of a wine bottle, a wine stopper, a beer bottle, a whisky key or a bottle opener. Of course if you have the time any shape or design is possible.

The beauty of giving away a custom USB flash drive is that whilst the shape might be drink or alcohol related its is genuinely something that everyone can use regardless of age, gender or religious belief. If you fill the custom USB bottles or barrels with your company’s Christmas message and your sales brochure(s) then they become not just “thank you” gifts but great sales tools as well.

USB Bottle Opener

USB Bottle Opener

Of course for some a good bottle of wine or spirits is always going to be the preferred gift to receive but if you are the giver you can’t ignore the pressure not to offend and you certainly can’t afford to be on the receiving end of claims that the drinks you gave were inappropriate. Unfortunately we live in litigious and politically correct times and risks, no matter how small, are best avoided.

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Give USB Flash Drive Bottles and Drinks This Christmas

Squeezing The Most From Your Promotional USB Flash Drive Budget

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Advertising and marketing budgets have been hit hard over the last couple of years and whilst there are glimmers of the economy recovering its still early days and consequentially purse strings are still pulled relatively tight. That said businesses can’t afford to stand still and the need to advertise and promote your business and products is still of paramount importance but, where hard cash is being spent its critical that you squeeze as much as possible from your budget.

When it comes to buying promotional USB flash drives there are several factors that you should consider because they will help you to get the best possible “bang for buck”:

  • Don’t pay for unnecessary memory – USB flash drives are available in a wide range of sizes starting from 32MB all the way up to 64GB. Popular USB flash drive sizes are 1Gb – 2GB and these are normally ample for any corporate gifts or promotional give-aways. If you buy USB flash drives larger than this then the costs start to rise quite substantially. Similarly if you buy flash drives smaller than 1GB the price reduction is relatively small but more importantly the likelihood of the flash drive being used on an on-going basis is dramatically reduced. Without on-going use you don’t get the benefit of your brand being continually recalled or promoted.
  • Reduce the number of colours you want printed – Ink costs and each colour printed has a set-up cost associated
    Barclays USB Flash Drives

    Barclays USB Flash Drives

    with it. Whilst some suppliers might absorb some of these costs to secure your business its unlikely that they’ll swallow all of them. If you have a complex logo or a logo with 4 or more colours see if you can simplify it. Its not unusual for there to be various “complex” and “simple” versions of a company logo available because good designers understand that a logo will be used in a variety of way and so they plan ahead accordingly.

  • Plan ahead and order early – The vast majority of USB flash drives that are printed up with a company brand or logo are manufactured to order from factories in China. Despite the distances involved and the freight costs associated with shipping flash drives around the world it is still considerably cheaper to get flash drives this way. If you order flash drives at the last minute then you’ll pay a premium to get them printed locally and you’ll have far less choice in terms of memory size and style of memory stick.
  • Only buy gift boxes if you really need them – this speaks for itself but its worth checking that any price you are quoted does not include a charge for gift boxes (unless you want them). Most branded USB flash drives will come in individual “poly” bags or they’ll be in a free plain white box.
  • Pre-load any data during the manufacturing process – one of the best ways to offset the cost of buying branded USB flash drives is to pre-load them with your company sales brochures, media files, presentation files and so on – saving this data onto the flash drive means you won’t have to go to the expense of getting them printed. The trick though is to make sure you have the data ready early so that it can be loaded onto the flash drive at the point of manufacture (this is usually free). If you are late supplying your data then expect to pay a fee for it to be loaded post manufacture.
  • Get several quotes before ordering – we all have our own favourite or “preferred” supplier(s) but when you’re sourcing branded USB flash drives its definitely worth shopping around and getting several quotes. If you do choose a new supplier make sure you get a firm quote in writing, read any associated T & C’s and payment terms and make sure the price is a fully inclusive price. In particular watch out for print set up, print origination charges and high delivery charges!
  • Buying the cheapest USB flash drives can end up costly in the long run – before you just accept the cheapest price you are quoted its best to make sure you are comparing “apples with apples”. Some unscrupulous vendors will supply graded or re-cycled flash chips unless you specify “new”. Whilst most of these will work you can expect a much higher failure rate and much slower performance – not exactly what you want if you’re printing your brand on them! Choose your vendor carefully, check out their testimonials and if you’re at all concerned take references.
  • Avoid buying your USB flash drives during the peak demand periods – there are a couple of times of the year (every year) when the price of flash rockets and this has a knock on effect on the price of USB flash drives. The times to avoid if at all possible include the early run up to Christmas (late September and October) when many large manufacturers buy up flash chips for their Christmas manufacturing schedules and the time around Chinese New Year when there is a general scarcity in the market.
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Squeezing The Most From Your Promotional USB Flash Drive Budget

Some Of Our Branded USB Memory Sticks Are Getting A Makeover

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Makeovers are all the range at moment. It’s difficult to switch on the TV these days without being challenged to “look 10 years younger” or “look good naked” or for the more adventurous to take the challenge of an “extreme makeover”.

Boots No.7 Twister USB

Boots No.7 Twister USB

Taking a lead from the more gentle, non-invasive approaches of these program’s we’ve applied the same principals to some of our branded USB memory sticks and come up with some interesting new looks and styles. Of course changing the colour of the rotating “clip” on a Twister style USB flash drive is not quite as radical as undergoing cosmetic surgery but by applying different coloured clips to the standard models that are usually supplied with a plain silver/metal clip the results are stunning.

The Twister USB flash drive has long been the best selling promotional USB drive and the introduction of these new colour options that allow you to mix and match the body shell with a “clip” in a complimentary colour almost guarantee its position as “top dog” in the branded USB memory sticks market for the foreseeable

Max Factor USB Twister

Max Factor USB Twister

future.

With a certain degree of irony its interesting to see that some of the first customers to embrace these “madeover” Twister USB drives include two leading cosmetic companies; Boots No.7 and Maxfactor. Of course you’d expect these brands to have their finger on the pulse when it comes to what’s current and hot in the market so perhaps it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. For them it was the black on black option that was the winner but for other clients like the National Trust the ability to mix a metallic finished clip with a pantone matched body shell to create a bespoke look was the way forward.

National Trust Twister USB

National Trust Twister USB

Following on from the success of the makeover to our Twister Range of USB flash drives we’ve now got our designers looking at a couple more products within our Classic Range to see if we have any other candidate for a makeover.

If you’re looking for branded USB memory sticks for a forthcoming event, show or promotional activity then just give our team a call and they’ll talk you through the options.

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Some Of Our Branded USB Memory Sticks Are Getting A Makeover

Lanyard USB Flash Drives With A Military History

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Lanyards, also referred to today as neck-straps, are ropes or cords that are typically worn around the neck (hence the reference to neck-straps) to secure to you something of value or importance.

Historically the “something” would most likely have been a whistle, sword or pistol, which was typically connected to the wearer’s uniform. Lanyards were particularly popular with navy or cavalry officers where there was a much greater risk of losing your weapon or whistle. Clearly not something you wanted to happen!

Over time the functional side of the lanyard within the armed forces has diminished and you’re more like to see them in use today as a decorative attachment with different coloured braids that make up the lanyard denoting rank and affiliation within the armed forces.

Outside of the armed forces lanyards have become incredibly popular within business and academic communities for displaying name badges, ID badges and security tags. Lanyards of this type are typically manufactured from polyester, nylon, silk or PET and will typically be branded in some way.

Lanyard USB

Lanyard USB

One of the more recent innovations in the world of the lanyard is the development of the USB Lanyard – this novel product combines all the benefits of a lanyard with all of the benefits of a USB flash drive. Essentially it’s a USB flash drive integrated into the “clip” of the lanyard. The fact that you can pre-load data onto the flash memory embedded in the lanyard clip and brand both the “clip” and the lanyard itself makes it an ideal product for seminars, conference, trade shows, large companies with staff who wear ID badges and so on.

Just like any conventional USB flash drive the Lanyard USB is available in a range of different memory sizes starting from 512MB all the way up to 16GB. The width of the lanyard is a little wider than some of the standard ones available because the clip has to be wide enough to accommodate the flash memory and the flash controller chips.

Because of the multiple branding options presented by this product it really does look stunning and shows off a brand or multiple brands incredibly well. For the wearer the benefits are obvious; security, ease of use, simplicity and whether you like wearing them or not (and the world seems to be split on this) they do look pretty stylish!

Whilst lanyard USB flash drives are unlikely to topple the dominance of standard promotional and branded flash drives they are an option that is likely to grow in popularity.

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Lanyard USB Flash Drives With A Military History

Promotional USB Flash Drives Take Northampton By Storm

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Well, maybe “taken by storm” is a slight stretch but nevertheless it’s good to see USB2U, a Northampton based supplier of branded memory sticks being selected by Northampton University and Northampton Borough Council to supply them with their branded USB flash drives.

Not all local authorities, schools and universities put enough emphasis on local procurement which in today’s highly competitive environment where budgets are under increasing pressure it’s understandable that price is commonly the main factor in any buying decision. But, providing the price and service is right then it makes good economic sense to source locally so its hats off to these two organisations for working with and selecting USB2U.

Northampton University

Northampton University

USB2U have been supplying promotional USB flash drives and custom (fully bespoke) USB memory sticks since 2002 and are now regarded by many as the leading supplier in the UK. Their client base includes a significant number of household names including; BT, Microsoft, Intel, RBS, The Royal Opera House and Coutts to name but a few. Additionally, USB2U are active members of the Northampton Chamber of Commerce and members of the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association).

NBC USB Flash Drive

NBC USB Flash Drive

Given the pedigree of USB2U both Northampton University and Northampton Borough Council knew they were in safe hands and because USB2U offer some of the most competitive prices in the business they were pretty much guaranteed to get their USB flash drives on the most favourable terms possible.

If you’re based in or around Northampton and you’re interested in buying branded USB flash drives for your business then give the team at USB2U a call on 0800 008 7079. USB2U’s offices are in Duston, Northampton and their knowledgeable and friendly team are always happy to meet with you to discuss your requirements and to develop a range of concepts and ideas for you free of charge and with no obligation.

If you’re not local don’t let this put you off because USB2U ship anywhere in the world!

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Promotional USB Flash Drives Take Northampton By Storm

Promotional USB Credit Card – Easy On The Wallet

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Credit Cards have been with us for nearly 100 years albeit the first general purpose cards were not launched until 1966 when the very first Visa card was issued. Whilst there have been huge developments in the underlying accounts associated with these cards and the cards themselves have developed to include integrated microchips and holograms the basic size and shape has not really changed since their launch.

The beauty of this for the promotional industry is that pretty much everyone now carries a wallet, purse or bag with them that has a compartment designed to carry a standard credit card shaped product. So whilst the promotional industry has historically not been in the market of giving away credit cards per se it has latched onto the potential to give-away products that fit neatly into a wallet or purse.

USB Credit Card

USB Credit Card

Examples of this include cards shaped calendars, card shaped calculators, card shaped CD-ROM’s and so on. As such it’s perhaps no surprise that we have now have the credit card shaped USB flash drive. These credit card USB flash drives work in exactly the same way that a “standard” flash drive work but the flash memory, the flash controller chips and all of the connectors etc. have been squeezed into a card that is barely any thicker than a standard credit card.

So not only do these cards slip easily and comfortably into any wallet or purse but they also have the added benefit of being large and flat enough to carry complex and intricate prints. So, if you’ve got a large logo, a logo with lots of colours or perhaps a logo with graduated tints then your options with a standard memory stick like the ubiquitous twister flash drive are limited but with the credit card version you can pretty much have what you want.

USB Credit Cards

USB Credit Cards

The USB Credit Card just like any other USB drive can (and should) be pre-loaded with sales brochures, marketing material, media files, external web links and so on. These files can (if you allow them) be deleted by the user after they have been read and they can then use the storage space of the USB drive to save their own documents to. Pre-loading data files is a great way to get tons of useful information into the hands of your customers and prospects and in giving them a branded USB credit card you’ll be giving them something that will be used and stored in their wallet along with their other important cards.

In the credit card industry this used to be called getting “share of wallet” and there’s no doubt that by getting your brand prominently placed in a wallet or purse that you’re brand is going to get a real fillip.

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Promotional USB Credit Card – Easy On The Wallet

USB Flash Drives Finally Nail The Floppy Disk

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Given they were first developed in 1971 it is perhaps more of a surprise that floppy disks have lasted as long as they have. What’s even more surprising is that Sony, who are the last major manufacturer still producing them, managed to sell over 12 million of them last year. Clearly there are still some die-hard supporters of this technology around but the bad news for them is that from next year Sony will stop its production leaving just a handful of 2nd tier manufacturers to fill the void.

Given the relatively tiny amount of data you can save onto a floppy disk (around 2MB) and their awkward shape they have simply been out gunned over recent years by CD’s DVD’s and of course USB Flash Drives. Consider that a fairly middling 4GB flash drive can store 2,000 times more data than the largest floppy disk and you get a feel for why this technology is now effectively obsolete.

Floppy Disk Vs USB Flash Drive

Floppy Disk Vs USB Flash Drive

At their peak in the 1990’s it’s estimated that around 5 billion floppy disks were in use. Today you won’t find any new PC’s shipping with an integral floppy disk drive and most software applications have long outgrown the storage capacity on offer from a floppy disk.

Of course some people still use them to store and back-up their personal data and files but considering that we now store and save digital photographs, music tracks and videos (all of which have files that are too big to be stored on a floppy disk) their use is likely to be limited to small document files and back-ups routines developed years ago.

Unlike USB flash drives one area that floppy disks never really entered is the promotional gift or corporate give-away market. Floppy disks might have been used to hand out corporate and sales information on but printing company logo’s onto them and handing them out to promote a companies products or services was never really done. In contrast today tens of millions of USB flash drives are given away every year by companies looking to promote their brand and/or products.

Because USB Flash drives are available in a wide range of different styles, colours, materials and formats they have been used by many school, universities and companies (large and small). They look excellent when printed with a logo; they can be fully customised and supplied with complimentary lanyards and/or key rings.

USB Flash Drives are portable, lightweight, attractive, easy to use and work with anything that has a USB port on it. Their ubiquity and popularity make them an ideal choice for anyone looking to save and carry their data with them. USB flash drives are floppy disk killers and branded USB flash drives have rapidly risen to become a key product within the Sales and Promotional Marketing industry.

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USB Flash Drives Finally Nail The Floppy Disk

Branded USB Memory Sticks Not To Be Confused With Memory Sticks

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

A Memory Stick is a removable flash memory card format that was developed and launched by Sony in late 1998. Memory Sticks are a proprietary design of Sony’s and are commonly used as a storage medium in Sony digital cameras, MP3 and MP4 players, hand-held consoles and video cameras.

Since their launch various “flavours” of the Memory Stick have been introduced including the Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, the Micro and Pro-HD. These variants embrace higher speed formats and smaller form factors but of late it is a format that has struggled to keep up with the demand and usage of SD cards in the market. Sony have now introduced their own version of the SD card which to some has signalled start of the end of the Memory Stick.

Memory Sticks could theoretically have been used by the promotions industry as a portable storage medium but “memory cards” have just not caught on like USB Memory Sticks.  The primary reason is that these cards are typically used “inside a device” and therefore any branding is not on display, equally, the shape and size of a Memory Stick does not lend itself to being carried easily.

USB Memory sticks, also referred to, as USB Flash Drives, USB Thumb Drives and USB Pen Drives have become the dominant medium for portable storage. Not only are they incredibly easy to use but also they are lightweight, portable, easy to attach to a key ring or lanyard and these days they are available in a wide range of memory sizes up to a whopping 64GB! They also come in a wide range of styles, colours and shapes, which can all, be over printed, engraved or embossed with a logo.

Branded USB Memory Sticks

Branded USB Memory Sticks

If you’ve got data to save, store and transport then for the majority of people a USB memory stick is the preferred option. It’s partly for this reason that they are now commonly used by companies as a promotional product or a way of distributing data and information (e.g. at a seminar, conference or press event).

A USB Memory Stick rather than a Memory Stick, printed up with a company logo is a popular and sought after item with a high perceived value. Users of USB memory sticks not only value them but they use them on a regular basis and as such any brand printed on them gets excellent exposure and excellent and positive brand association.

By pre-loading sales brochures, price lists, technical data sheets, media files and web links onto the memory sticks before they are distributed companies can offset the cost of buying the branded memory sticks against the print savings they make.

So when considering Memory Sticks as a promotional tool make sure it’s a Branded USB Memory Stick you seek quotes on.

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Branded USB Memory Sticks Not To Be Confused With Memory Sticks

Looking For A Robust Promotional Flash Drive

Friday, June 18th, 2010

If you’re looking to buy a strong, robust and stylish USB flash drive for promotional purposes or for use at an event or show then you might want to consider the metal Capsule USB Flash Drive.

Not only is this USB drive manufactured from metal but instead of the cap simply “pulling off” its screwed on to give a really tight fit. So much so that the drive is virtually waterproof as well as being virtually indestructible.

The Capsule drive can be supplied in any colour you want because its made to order and the shell is spray painted before any branding is applied. So, unlike most other flash drives that are manufactured from plastic with aluminium trims each capsule drive is hand finished and spray-painted. There are some standard factory colours (white, blue, black and red) that are available off the shelf but any colour is possible and it only adds a couple of days to the manufacturing process to get the Capsule Drive produced in your preferred colour.

Capsule Flash Drive

Capsule Flash Drive

Because of their innate strength these drives are excellent when attached to a key ring because they will absorb all of the usual bumps and scrapes that anything on a key ring and attached to a bunch of keys will pick up in every day use. Not only that but because of how they are manufactured, painted and printed the brand will last and is not going to get scratched away.

If you’ve got a brand or product synonymous with security, strength or resilience then the Capsule will certainly be a good fit.

Whichever flash drives you choose don’t forget to pre-load your company data, presentation slides, sales brochures and links to web sites. This data can be “locked” so it cannot be deleted, you could make it “auto-run” so an application starts as soon as its plugged into a USB port or you could simply load the data into a separate partition so that your pre-loaded data is always kept separate from any personal data the recipient might load onto the drive.

Data can be loaded onto the flash drives during the manufacture or just before delivery if you’re up against it in terms of pulling all of your data together! Either way pre-loading data is a great idea because you fully maximise the promotional benefits of the product you’re buying.

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Looking For A Robust Promotional Flash Drive

Top 10 Tips For Buying Promotional Flash Drives

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

The growth in the use of USB flash drives, memory sticks, thumb drives, pen drives (call them what you will) by the promotional sector continues unabated. Its no surprise really when you consider just how well printed or branded flash drives look, the fact that you can avoid costly print costs by pre-loading electronic copies of your sales material on the drives and the benefit the recipient gets by being able to use the flash drive to store their own documents on.

When looking to buy promotional flash drives there are a few things to look out for:

1. Make sure you choose the right style of flash drive: There are lots and lots of different standard designs of

Promotional Flash Drives

Promotional Flash Drives

flash drives on the market with the twister flash drive as the most popular but this is not right for everyone because its relatively small and as a result complex or large logo’s don’t work well on it. To help you choose ask you supplier to work up various examples with your logo and ask them to send you samples of the short list if you have time. Most companies will do this free of charge. Material, shape and colour options are the fundamentals to consider.

2. Choose the right memory capacity: There is a balance between choosing flash memory capacity based on your budget versus a higher level of memory that makes the flash drive more appealing to the recipient. As you’d expect the smaller the memory capacity the cheaper the price of the flash drive. But, if you’re looking to pre-load and “lock” your company data onto the flash drives it’s important to make sure that there is sufficient space, not only for this data but also to ensure the drive is of value to the user. Its all about balance – there’s no point paying for memory that you don’t need for your own data but you want people to use the flash drives and promote your product or company effectively.

3. Choose the right logo to print onto the flash drive: If your company logo is complex, contains graduated colours and/or tints then it might not be suitable. Remember the space you are printing onto is relatively small and the printing options on some memory sticks are limited. Its not unusual for complex logo’s to be simplified before being printed onto a memory stick

Promotional Flash Drives

Promotional Flash Drives

4. Choose the right printing option: Typically flash drives are “spot printed” but they can also be laser engraved or embossed. Another option that’s growing in popularity is to use “Dome Stickers” – these top quality stickers enable complex logo’s to be printed and protected under a layer of resin and are ideal for logo’s with tints or graduated colours

5. Have your artwork available in the right format: If you want your printed flash drives to look good then its essential that you provide your artwork in the highest resolution in a format that does not compress the image data, e.g. Jpeg. Ideally you should supply your artwork in EPS or AI format.

6. Choose the right packaging: For many the right packaging option is no packaging but before you discount packaging on ethical or ecological grounds remember that promotional flash drives in gift boxes do look better and more professional. You don’t have to opt for a top end tin presentation box with foam inserts because printed cardboard boxes (manufactured from recycled cardboard) work just as well.

7. Choose the right accessories: Key rings, carabineers and lanyards are a great option to add value to your branded memory sticks by making it more functional and easier to carry.  The lanyard or carabineers can also be branded to increase your brand exposure.

8. Be clear on your timeframes: Its critical that you allow enough time when ordered printed flash drives. Whilst many companies will offer a “rush” service you will typically pay more for this and reduce your design options. The majority of flash drives are manufactured in the Far East and as such you need to allow around 10 days from approval of the proof to the delivery of your final product.

9. Cheapest isn’t always the right option: There are certain factors to be consider when comparing prices for

Promotional Flash Drives

Promotional Flash Drives

branded USB flash drives. Make sure the prices you are being quoted are for new Grade A chips and not re-cycled or Grade B chips that have a much great failure rate, Secondly make sure all of the cost quoted is fully inclusive, e.g. does it include; print set up, print origination, pantone matching, data-loading, accessories delivery and finally what are the payment terms.

10. Select a Company with a proven track record: It’s incredibly important that you choose a reputable company that has an established reputation in the marketplace. There are far too many people trying to make a ‘quick buck’ from unsuspecting customers so don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials from companies they have supplied to. Pre and post sales support from designated account managers will help to ensure that whole process runs smoothly and you are provided with the correct information from the outset. Remember that guarantees on products are worthless if the company is not around to honour them.

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Top 10 Tips For Buying Promotional Flash Drives
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