Posts Tagged ‘USB Flash Drives’
Monday, April 29th, 2013
Technology has a habit of permeating every facet of our daily lives and USB memory sticks are proving they are no exception to the rule. Whether they’re used to celebrate a child’s birth, to record childhood events, to store precious wedding photographs or to record the mundanities of everyday life there is no doubting the impact they have made since their introduction some 10 years ago.
Millions of USB sticks are bought in the UK every year and millions more are given away as promotional products to support product launches, as competition prizes and to hand out at conferences and university open days! Wherever there is a need to store and transport data, to hand out data or to raise brand awareness USB sticks are being used.
Today even in death USB sticks can’t be avoided – in the last couple of months we have supplied printed USB memory sticks to Funeral Directors, Will writing companies and to family members of the deceased.
Funeral Directors and Will writing companies are using them just like any other company – they’re printing their brand and logo on the USB sticks, pre-loading them with information about their services, links to their websites, testimonials from customers etc. and then they are handing them out to prospective clients. Apart from the subject area there is nothing unusual in how these particular USB sticks are being used.
But the USB sticks being supplied to relatives of the deceased are interesting because these are typically printed with a photo that celebrates the life of the person that has died. The memory on the stick is then loaded with what amounts to a “scrapbook” of their life; photos, video clips, music they loved, tributes from friends and family and links to websites that they have created: Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr etc.
The USB sticks are then either handed out on the day of the funeral or sent out to friends and family to help them celebrate the life of the loved one that has died. Whilst they might not be for everyone there is no doubt that done well they are a loving tribute to person that has died and they help the person putting them together to heal from their loss.
With the seemingly relentless march of technology into every aspect of our lives we are all going to have to think about how our own personal “digital footprints” are managed and remembered.
Tags: death, funeral, Printed USB Memory Sticks, USB Flash Drives, usb sticks
Posted in Printed USB Memory Sticks, Promotional USB Sticks, USB Memory Stick, USB Memory Sticks, USB2U News | Comments Off
Monday, April 22nd, 2013
Mention Wedding Favours and it’s one of those subjects that seems to divide the nation and generate plenty of heated debate on wedding forums and comments on wedding photographers blog sites.
For some they’re an essential part of any wedding, they’re an expression of thanks to the guests for attending the wedding and they’re a fun way of giving something back to those that have come together to make the day special. For others at a time when the economy is still in trouble they are just an extra expense that they can’t afford but feel obliged to offer anyway. Aren’t they just another thing that contributes to the on-going commercialisation weddings?
USB Wedding Favours
If you’ve got a wedding coming up and you’re in the camp that is very much pro-wedding favours then you’ve no doubt already done your research and have found that favours tend to fall into two distinct camps; the edible “foodie favour” or the “keepsake favour”. The food-related options tend to be the old favourites like cookies, sweets, chocolates, jams, macaroons and teas but anything goes albeit presentation is everything!
Keepsake wedding favours include options like; CD’s or DVD’s with a handpicked playlist, jewellery, candles, pens and pencils and even lottery tickets in personalised lottery ticket holders (printed or engraved).
A relatively new idea is the USB memory stick favour. These are USB sticks that are printed or engraved (typically with details of the wedding, the names of the bride and groom, the wedding date etc.) and the USB sticks are then pre-loaded with details of the wedding, the engagement, photos of the happy couple (the more embarrassing the better), photos from the hen and stag nights and if you’re able to photo from the wedding day itself!
USB Memory Sticks Wedding Favours
A few year ago fully personalised USB memory sticks would have been too expensive for most people but lately prices have been falling and memory sizes have been increasing (as things tend to do in the computer world). Today you can order as few of 25 printed or engraved USB wedding favours for only a couple of pounds each. The range of styles and designs available is huge and you can choose from some really good looking wood, metal, leather or plastic styles some of which can be supplied (personalised) in only 24hrs – handy if it’s a “shotgun wedding”!!
The really nice things about these using USB sticks as wedding favours (aside from the fact that you can easily load them with lots of personal data) is that they come in a wide range of great looking gift boxes that can also be individually personalised – these can then be used as name “cards” on the tables to add that extra special flourish!
Tags: favour, favours, usb, USB Flash Drives, USB Memory Sticks, wedding
Posted in USB Memory News, USB Memory Stick, USB Memory Sticks, USB2U News | Comments Off
Thursday, April 18th, 2013
It’s that time of year again when Universities and Colleges start to gear up for their open days. Intake numbers last year were down by across all universities by nearly 54,000 students with the increased fees thought to be responsible for much of the fall in numbers.
So as the campaign to attract students gets underway again Universities and Colleges (particularly those outside of the “elite” group) know they have to up their game and demonstrate real value for money coupled with excellent courses, facilities, tuition levels and employability data.
Much rides on the open day events because it’s the universities opportunity to impress the student (and their parents) so in addition to tours, presentations, lectures, hands on-events and paper prospectuses a growing number are now handing out USB memory sticks that are pre-loaded with loads of information about the University including video tours, performance tables, lists of all the courses, application forms, links to websites and information about the social events going on in and around the university.
University USB Sticks
Arguably much of this information can (and is) made available on the university web sites but a USB stick enables the university to collate all of the information in one place and make it easily accessible without any worries about whether it can be “downloaded” ok. It’s a “nice touch” to give out a USB stick, they’re always well received and students do use them to store and carry their own data on.
The promotional industry has produced many stats over the years showing that when a USB stick is given away it generates a strong affinity to the company or brand that is doing the giving – clearly if this is reflected in the educations sector (and there is no reason why it would be different) then there are clear affinity benefits associated with handing out USB sticks in addition to the practical benefits they offer the students and their parents.
Even with the recent price increases (driven by supply issues in the market) promotional USB memory sticks are still relatively inexpensive. At USB2U we offer 30-day payment terms to all schools, colleges and universities and we’ll pre-load the USB sticks with up to 200MB of data free of charge. We’ve also typically got lots of offers available to schools on free lanyards, keyrings and gift boxes – just give one of our team a call and ask about the current offers.
We’ve been supplying schools and universities in the UK for the last 10 years. We’re rated as a 5* “Excellent” supplier on TrustPilot which is now based on over 800 customer reviews so you know you’re going to be in sage hands!
USB Sticks for Universities
Tags: college, school, supplier, university, usb, USB Flash Drives, usb sticks
Posted in Memory Sticks, USB Memory Stick, USB Memory Sticks | Comments Off
Monday, April 8th, 2013
The majority of Chinese workers live and work in cities, whilst many of their relatives remain in their ancestral towns / villages. With such a vast country, returning home can take many hours, if not days. This coupled with increased prosperity and disposable income has resulted in national holidays taking on greater importance.
The 4th April is the start of ‘Tomb Sweeping’ and is regarded as the most important custom in the Qingming Festival from which the name of Tomb-sweeping day is got. Cleaning the tomb and paying respect to the dead person with offerings are the two important parts of remembering the past relatives. Weeds around the tomb are cleared away and fresh soil is added to show care of the dead. The dead person’s favourite food and wine are taken to sacrifice to them, along with paper resembling money. This is all burned in the hope that the deceased are not lacking food and money.
So why would this impact on Branded USB Memory sticks? In short, the vast majority of Promotional USB Memory sticks are manufactured in the Far East, in particular China. This includes all the component manufacturers such as flash chip suppliers and the assembly / finishing factories.
On the run up to a major holiday, chip manufacturer start to slow and stop production. This in return results in a shortage of supply and increase in prices prior to and for a short period after the holiday.
The leadtime for delivery is also increased as factories and couriers will shut over the holiday period. This delay is compounded by backlogs that are built up at Chinese Customs, which can add several days to the delivery.
So what can you do to protect yourself? Firstly try to order ahead of major holidays (see list below) and if this is not possible look for a provider that holds UK stock of USB Memory Sticks, such as USB2U.
Chinese New Year has passed and the price of USB flash has rocketed. They are starting to stabilise now, but the pattern will continue, so be mindful if you are looking to order branded USB memory stick or frankly any Chinese manufactured products.
Tags: branded, branded flash drives, Branded Memory, Branded USB, Branded USB Memory Sticks, custom memory sticks, custom usb drive, Flash drives, USB Flash Drives
Posted in Promotional USB | Comments Off
Wednesday, March 20th, 2013
One of the big success stories during the last 12 months at USB2U has been our customised black gift boxes. It’s pretty clear that for some sectors and in particular professional photographers and wedding photographers that a top quality gift box for their USB sticks is a must.
Of course there are lots of options to choose from but what makes the black gift box unique amongst the range of boxes currently on offer from USB2U is that it can be engraved rather than printed. In fact engraving is the best option for this box because it gives a consistent, high quality finish that simply can’t be matched by silk screen or digital printing. It helps that we use the latest state of the art laser engravers because these can achieve a level of detail that is difficult to achieve with even the best printers.
Interestingly some of the feedback we’ve had from our customers on these black engraved boxes is that the quality is so good they “can’t believe the boxes have been engraved” because the finish is more akin to a very high quality print. But, engraved (or laser etched to be precise) is what they are and as you can see from the images shown here the results are fantastic.
Our black gift boxes are manufactured from re-cycled cardboard and each one is supplied with a custom black foam insert that is specifically tailored for the model of USB stick that they are going to be used with. Being manufactured from recycled cardboard they overcome most concerns people have about using unnecessary packaging or offending customers and clients who might have a strong “anti-packaging” agenda.
Engraved Black USB Gift Boxes
A good, strong image or design works best on these black boxes and arguably the more complex the better albeit you will need to supply your artwork in a high quality vector format for us to work with. The final finish on the boxes is achieved by “etching” off a very thin layer of the black paper coating on the box and revealing the lighter colour of the cardboard below. Don’t think engraved as in a deep gouge that you see on trophies or wood engravings think more about a very fine etching.
We recommend engraving on these boxes rather than printing simply because the surface of these boxes when examined under a magnifying glass is not perfectly flat so any print can appear slight dappled and uneven whereas etching cuts through the surface leaving a precise and high quality image.
Tags: engraved gift boxes, engraved usb, usb black boxes, usb boxes, USB Flash Drives, usb gift boxes, USB Memory Sticks
Posted in USB Boxes, USB2U News | Comments Off
Monday, February 25th, 2013
Sterling has been on the slide for the last couple of weeks and reached a 31-month low against the dollar on Friday. This was before the announcement by Moody’s of it downgrade of the UK from the much coveted AAA rating. Today sterling has continued its slide and it’s a brave man that would predict where things are likely to end up by the end this week.
Whilst a weakened sterling is good news for exports its really bad news for imports. Given all USB flash drives are manufactured in China and traded (paid for) in US dollars it’s particularly bad news for any business or educational body looking to buy printed or engraved USB memory sticks right now.
What makes things worse is that the factories in China that manufacture USB flash drives are just returning from a 2 week Chinese New Year Holiday. This long break creates a build-up in demand which in turn drives up prices. This annual “spike” in demand always drives up prices until things settle down again but this year there is the spectre of a “double whammy” of rising prices and falling currency values – combined the net effect is broadly a 15% increase in USB flash drive prices.
The Chinese New Year effect usually lasts around 4 -6 weeks before prices begin to come down again but an 8% fall in the value of the £ against the $ is unlikely to mean prices will return to where they were just a couple of weeks ago.
If you need to buy your promotional USB flash drives now or in at any time during the next few weeks then brace yourself for higher prices. If you can delay your purchase for even a couple of weeks it’s probably worth doing so.
USB Flash Drive Prices Rise on Back of AAA Rating Downgrade
Tags: AAA, increases, prices, promotional usb flash drives, rises, sterling, usb, USB Flash Drives
Posted in promotional flash drives, Promotional Memory stick, Promotional USB, Promotional USB Flash, promotional usb flash drives, USB2U News | Comments Off
Thursday, January 31st, 2013
It’s the perennial question – to box or not to box. We’re talking promotional USB sticks of course and for many the answer is always going to be “no” simply because they don’t like the idea of paying for a box or tin that will typically end up discarded in the bin.
Equally many more say “no” because for them all forms of packaging are just “land fill” and they if this is their perspective then they refuse to add to it by buying boxes for their USB sticks. It’s the same for companies who are pushing a strong environmental message – for them the avoidance of any packaging is understandable.
However for many handing out a USB memory stick printed with their brand on without a gift box is akin to handing out gifts at Christmas or on birthdays without wrapping them first. It smacks of laziness, it cries “lack of thought” and it like penny pinching on something that is supposed to impress.
Printed TIns for USB Flash Drives
Between these extreme views plenty of people just aren’t that bothered but, if it’s your company’s logo that’s on the USB stick it is worth giving some thought to where you stand on boxes and whether the people you are giving them to would prefer a box or not. Perhaps more importantly you need to think about whether it will help build your brand and develop a greater level of loyalty and affinity to the brand.
It’s easy to dismiss the option of boxes but ask yourself why hugely successful companies like Apple, Sony, IWC and Samsung put some much effort into their packaging – they’re not doing it for fun, they’re doing it because it makes sound commercial sense.
If you buy printed or engraved boxes or tins when you buy your USB sticks the incremental cost is relatively small. So, even if you’re a small company you can “play with the big boys” and have your USB sticks supplied in fully customised boxes.
USB Gift Boxes
For some sectors and businesses (professional photographers are a good example) a branded box to hand out the customers USB sticks is pretty much a must.
Fortunately there are lots of gift boxes available for printed USB sticks some of which are made from recycled cardboard so there is an option to appease the environmental lobby whilst still boxing up your sticks.
Check out the complete range of packaging and gift box options on the USB2U website or just speak to our account manager for details.
Gift Boxes for USB Flash Drives
Tags: boxes, flash drive boxes, gift boxes, printed usb boxes, usb boses, USB Flash Drives
Posted in branded flash drives, Printed USB Flash Drives, USB Flash Drives, USB2U News | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013
2013 is the Year of the Snake and anyone buying promotional USB flash drives in the period around Chinese New Year needs to be on their metal because every year we always end up proving an emergency service to companies that fail to understand the consequences of this important national holiday in China.
The Chinese New Year holidays have a direct impact on the availability of promotional USB memory sticks in the UK and Europe because unsurprisingly that’s where 99% of them are manufactured.
The reason for the delay is simply because China takes its New Year celebrations very, very seriously. Factories, offices, schools and many public services close for an extended break to allow their staff to travel what is often many thousands of miles to be with their families for the duration of the holiday. These collective celebrations mean that pretty much everything stops for around 2 weeks.
Chinese New Year 2013 - USB Memory Sticks
The “normal” lead times of around 7-10 days that we normally enjoy for the rest of the year can reach up to 6 weeks during the Chinese New Year. Partly this is because the factories anticipate a rush of orders in the run up to the New Year so they stop accepting orders early, then they close for 2 weeks and then when they’re back it takes days to get back up to full production. Even then it can take a week or two to clear the back-logs that have built up during the break!
In 2013 the New Year’s Day is the 10th February with many factories and businesses closing for a week either side of this which in practice means that the end of January is likely to be the last date for new orders for branded USB memory sticks.
So, if you need to order promotional flash drives for delivery in February then you need to get your orders placed the 2nd or 3rd week of January. Order any later than this and you run the risk that they will get caught up in the mayhem that Chinese New Year leaves in its wake!
There are very few companies in the UK or Europe that carry blank stock of USB memory sticks that can be printed or engraved locally and when they do the stock tends to be limited to a couple of basic models in one or two colours.
One notable exception to this is USB2U who carry a wide range of different styles, colours and memory sizes all of which can be printed, engraved and data-loaded and delivered in as little as 24hrs! If do need USB flash drives printed with your logo on from a UK supplier during Chinese New Year (or any other time for that matter) then give the team at USB2U a call.
Tags: 2013, chinese new year, rush, USB Flash Drives, USB Memory Sticks
Posted in promotional usb flash drives, promotional usb memory, Promotional USB Sticks, USB2U News | Comments Off
Friday, September 7th, 2012
Just as the UK starts to return to normal after the long summer holidays China is preparing for an extended break. The reason for the holiday is National Day and whilst you might have little interest in public holidays in China this particular holiday is long enough to have a serious impact on the supply of USB memory sticks into the UK.
If you’re thinking of ordering any branded USB memory sticks in the near future it’s worth understanding the implications of the forthcoming National Day holiday in China.
The National Day of the People’s Republic of China is a public holiday that celebrates the formation of the People’s Republic of China on the 1st October 1949. It’s celebrated across mainland China and Hong Kong and is traditionally kick-started with massive firework displays and a range of other government organised festivities that include parades, concerts, flower and water festivals.
Most factories and offices will close on the 30th September and won’t re-open again until Monday 8th October. Strictly speaking the “official holiday break” is only 3 days long but it’s become common for these 3 days to be extended into what is now known as the “Golden Week”.
This extended break allows millions of workers in the cities and industrial regions to return home to spend time with their families so it’s not a good time to visit China because the transport infrastructure gets maxed out. A situation not helped by the transport staffs who understandably also take time off during the Golden Week to be with their families!
In the lead up to the 30th September our factory in China will be working extended shifts to clear all orders they have on their schedule – anything not on the schedule or missed will not get produced and printed until week commencing 8th October and even then it’s a “bun fight” as customers fight to get priority for their orders.
Our advice is to plan ahead, buy or order your printed USB memory sticks in good time and certainly in advance of the National Holiday. If you do find yourself needing printed USB memory sticks in a hurry and your normal suppliers can’t deliver then give us a call at USB2U. We carry lots of UK stock all year round and we can print and delivery USB memory sticks in as little as 24hrs.
Check out what our customers are saying about us on TrustPilot
Tags: china, national holiday, rush, urgent, USB Flash Drives, USB Memory Sticks
Posted in USB Memory Sticks, USB2U News | Comments Off
Wednesday, August 15th, 2012
Lots of professional photographers are now looking to use printed or engraved USB memory sticks to promote their business or to use them as a convenient and attractive way of distributing their client portfolios. Even relatively small capacity USB sticks (4GB) allow photographers to make hundreds of photographs available to their clients without the hassle of printing them. This of course also gives the client the flexibility of printing their favourite shots and/or sharing them with their friends and family on social networking sites like Facebook and Google+
There are lots of “standard” USB memory sticks available from companies like Kingston and Lexar and whilst they’ll do the job they won’t exactly make anyone’s heart miss a beat when if they are given their wedding or family portfolios on one of them! Great photographs work on an emotional level so if you are going to use USB sticks it’s best to use one that looks as though some care and thought has gone into its choice, use one that reflects your own style and approach and works in harmony with your photographs and your typical clients.
Lots of wedding and “people” photographers seem to choose wooden USB sticks because they look great engraved or printed, they’re tactile and because they’re made from a natural material they just seem to work really well. Other popular choices include top end metal or leather USB sticks – the reality is if you’re handing out a portfolio that you’ve taken great care to shoot and edit then you want to hand it out on a classy looking USB stick that helps underpin what you stand for as a photographer – “bog standard” USB drives you pick up at Tesco’s or PC World just won’t cut it in a highly competitive market where reputations are hard fought for but easily lost.
USB Sticks for Photographers
When shopping for printed or engraved USB memory sticks here are some basic tips to help you:
- Buy a product that is fit for purpose – the vast majority of USB memory sticks suppliers are mainly selling them to companies that give will them away at trade shows and exhibitions or they might be handed out by their sales team.
The typical read/write speeds of these “promotional USB sticks” is usually little more than 2MB per second (write) and 4MB per second (read). This is fine if they are just being data loaded with a couple of PDF sales brochures but, if you’re a professional photographer you may need to get USB sticks with better (upgraded) flash memory and better controller chips. If you don’t then be prepared to spend several hours copying your photographs onto each USB stick.
- Find a supplier that is well established, understands the market and works with professional photographers already – any supplier you work with should not only be able to offer higher a range of photographer specific solutions but they should be able to talk you through the best way to package your USB sticks.
- Consider using USB 3.0 sticks. These have read write speed of around 50MB – 100MB per second so they are very, very fast! They will cost more than equivalent USB 2.0 sticks and to take advantage of the speeds they offer you’ll need a PC or Mac that is equipped with USB 3.0 USB ports. Even if your clients only have USB 2.0 PC’s or Macs the sticks will still work, they’ll just work at USB 2.0 speeds. The real benefit is the time you’ll save loading the images onto the sticks.
- Get Mock Ups – Get your supplier to work up various mock-ups and examples for you. Again, a good supplier will have an in-house design team and they should be able to suggest and illustrate a number of options that will work with your brand or logo. Don’t pay for this. Mock-ups should be free and will not (should not) bind you to placing an order.
- Don’t forget the packaging – the style and type of box you choose can help lift the overall impact your USB sticks make when you hand them over to your client. Printed or engraved boxes are relatively inexpensive providing they are purchased with your USB sticks so make sure to ask about the available options.
Tags: advice, help, photogrpahers, portrait, professional photographers, tios, usb, USB Flash Drives, USB Memory Sticks, usb sticks, wedding
Posted in USB Memory Stick, USB Memory Sticks, USB2U News | Comments Off
