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Posts Tagged ‘usb sticks’

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It’s Hard Hat Time For Anyone Selling USB Promotional USB Sticks

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

It’s time to hunker down and put on the hard hats. Every year we think it can’t be as bad as last year but every year (and we’re in our tenth year) it seems to get more manic!

We’re referring of course to the havoc that the Chinese New Year Holidays causes within the promotions industry and in particular the panic that ensues because companies can’t get promotional USB sticks printed and delivered in time for their key events and shows.

USB Sticks in a Hurry

USB Sticks in a Hurry

The primary problem is that during Chinese New Year normal lead times get stretched from a reasonable 7-10 days to around 4-6 weeks and if customers have not anticipated this then they tend to turn to the web in an endeavour to find a company that can meet their requirements. Consequently for the few weeks that Chinese New Year is on our phones run red hot and our on-line lead enquiry system “chatters away” all day.

Fortunately, having been here before we now order plenty of blank stock to see us through Chinese NY so we are in the enviable position of being able to respond to the enquiries we get and we are turning around requests for printed USB memory sticks in as little as 24hrs.

We’re working flat out and our print schedules are filling up fast which is great but it does mean that if you want us to supply you with promotional USB sticks during this tough period then you need to get your order in quickly.

So, if you need USB sticks in a hurry, or perhaps you’ve been let down by another supplier who over promised during this period then give us a call or fill our on-line enquiry form and one of our team will get back to you.

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It’s Hard Hat Time For Anyone Selling USB Promotional USB Sticks

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Personalise Every USB Memory Stick You Give out

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Printing a logo on USB flash drives is relatively straightforward these days and there are lots of different USB flash drives to choose from. In fact, there is so much choice these days that one of the biggest challenges people face when buying USB memory sticks is deciding which particular model or style is right for their business, school or university.

The benefits of handing out promotional USB sticks to help drive brand awareness, to increase sales or simply to give the recipients’ a means of storing and carrying data are well documented.  To a large extent USB sticks have now replaced CD’s and DVD’s as the de facto storage option of choice.

Their popularity has been underpinned by dramatic price falls over the past few years coupled with the availability of much larger memory sizes. A few years ago the typical memory size of a giveaway or promotional USB flash drive was around 128MB, today the most popular size is 2GB and by the end of this year it’s expected to be 4GB.

Personalised USB Flash Drives

Personalised USB Flash Drives

Most USB memory sticks that are given out are printed with a single design or brand on them (or in the case of schools and universities it tends to be the school crest or logo). This is fine in most circumstances but sometimes it would be beneficial for every USB stick to be personalised; perhaps with a name or serial number for example.

It makes sense if you’re buying USB flash drives for a school class or perhaps an entire school to add the students name to the logo that is printed – perhaps on the reverse of the USB stick or if there is room adjacent to the logo. This way it’s much easier to identify who owns the sticks should any of them get lost or misplaced (and inevitability with school students)

The challenge if you want a different name or image printed on every USB stick you order is find a supplier that is able to do it and do it for a reasonable price. Most suppliers charge a set-up and print fee for every design they print which could potentially mean 30 different set-up and print charges for a class of 30 students (assuming you had each student’s name printed on every stick)!!

The reason for the charge is because  USB sticks are typically screen printed and a new “screen” would have to be made for every name change but, if you can find a supplier that uses the latest digital printing techniques it should be possible to change the graphics on every USB stick for little or no extra cost.

USB2U is one of the few suppliers of promotional USB memory sticks that can only offer a truly personalised printing option for some of their core products and if you get your order in early enough (and they have the stock to hand) then they can turn around orders in just 24hrs!

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Personalise Every USB Memory Stick You Give out

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Where Can You Get Printed USB Memory Sticks In 24hrs?

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

The usual lead-time for USB memory sticks printed with your company logo or brand on is typically around 10 days from confirmation of your order. During certain times of the year (January and February) when the market is badly impacted by Chinese New Year it can be as much as 4 weeks.

So, if you need to get hold of branded USB memory sticks in a hurry you’ll have to find a local supplier that can offer a “rush” service but even this normally means a wait of around 3 days (typically a little longer if you need data pre-loading onto the USB sticks as well).

USB Sticks in 24Hrs

USB Sticks in 24Hrs

The problem is that most suppliers of branded USB memory sticks don’t hold any stocks of USB sticks in-house preferring instead to place the orders on their factory as their customers confirm them. This de-risks holding stock that might not get purchased or simply might devalue based on fluctuations in the price of flash memory and currency exchange rates (all USB flash memory and memory sticks are traded in US Dollars).  Those suppliers that do hold stock typically only hold very small quantities of a very limited range of model and styles and even then they can’t print them on-site.

One supplier that is different is USB2U. Established in 2002, USB2U been supplying branded USB memory sticks longer than any other promotional supplier in the UK, they hold large quantities of stock in the UK, they have invested in professional data-loading equipment and they have the latest printing technology in-house.

The combination of their experience, their large stock levels and their investment in the latest state of the art technology enables them to provide a lightening fast delivery service. Customer who take advantage of their rush service and who place their orders by 10am can opt to get them delivered the following business day. That’s fast!

So, if you do find yourself up against a tight deadline and you need USB memory sticks, USB credit cards or USB business cards with your company or school name/logo printed on (full colour) then get in touch with the team at USB2U.

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Where Can You Get Printed USB Memory Sticks In 24hrs?

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Just Like Christmas Presents USB Sticks Are Best Given Wrapped Up

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Suggesting that promotional USB sticks are given out in gift boxes is always contentious because everyone these days is very aware of the need to protect the environment and to avoid unnecessary packaging where at all possible.

Custom USB Boxes

Custom USB Boxes

But, if you are giving away your USB flash drives as a gift then there is a judgment to be made about whether the small additional cost of a gift box is a price worth paying – both in cost terms and also in terms of environmental impact.

There is no getting away from the fact that USB sticks make a bigger, better impact when handed out in a printed gift box. It just looks like more thought has gone into the gift and anyone given the gift is going to be more impressed with the gift and they are therefore more likely to remember who gave it to them and think positively about any brand associated with it.

Custom Flash Drive Boxes

Custom Flash Drive Boxes

Very few people would consider handing out their Christmas or Birthday gifts without first wrapping them up so it is surprising how many businesses give out promotional gifts without considering the packaging options.

There are a wide range of standard gift boxes and tins available for custom USB sticks. They can call be overprinted with a brand or message and typically they will come with a custom foam insert to hold the USB sticks firmly in place.

The incremental cost to get your flash drives supplied in a printed gift box is relatively small and it’s a price well worth paying for greater impact you’ll make.

Understandably for some businesses who have an strong environmental message to push, packaging and gift boxes is a going to be a non-starter, but for everyone else they ought to be considered.

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Just Like Christmas Presents USB Sticks Are Best Given Wrapped Up

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The Risks of Putting an Auto-Run File on Your USB Sticks

Friday, October 14th, 2011

If you’re planning to hand out USB memory sticks branded with your logo printed on them then one of the things you might need to consider is whether to pre-load any files onto the USB sticks before you hand them out. If you do decide to pre-load files then should you make these run (start-up) automatically as soon as the USB stick is connected to a PC?

Loading files (sales brochures, photos, prices lists, press releases, presentation slides etc.) is growing in popularity, which is hardly surprising given the money that can be saved, compared to printing the brochures etc. but should you “auto-run” this content:

The advantages of setting up your files to auto-run are:

  • The recipient will see your content as soon as they plug in the USB stick – typically the first item they are
    USB Data Load

    USB Data Load

    presented with is a “landing” page which then directs them to other content of the USB stick – a bit like a web page.

  • Using a USB stick with an autorun file on is easy and very intuitive (providing you spend some time on the file formats(s), the structure and you develop a navigation page)
  • You can be sure that the information you pre-load on the USB stick is seen (even if it is only the initial landing page)

But, there are some things that need careful consideration before you decide you want to install auto-run files on your USB sticks:

  • Nuisance factor. If one of your objectives is to ensure that your USB Memory Sticks are kept and used on a regular basis then bear in mind that every time the user wants to access or save a document they will have to wait for your auto-run to run. This is typically fine the first few times they use the stick, but pretty soon it’s going to get irritating and they’ll relegate the memory stick to a draw – bang goes any on-going brand exposure!
  • They don’t work on old Operating Systems - Autoruns will not work on Win 98 or Win 2000 operating systems and you need to adapt any autorun if you want it to work on Macs.
  • Corporate Firewalls – Some corporate firewalls and IT policies restrict autoruns because of worries about viruses. So, if you are targeting companies with your files lots of them might not be able to use the sticks if they have an auto-run on them.

There are alternatives to autoruns that are less intrusive but achieve the same sort of result without being a nuisance and these are:

  • Click Here to Start – load your data onto the USB 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.
  • Print a QR Code (Quick Response) on the USB stick that takes the user directly to your web page (or landing page) when scanned – all new Smart phones, iPhones and iPads can scan QR codes and then dynamically open up a web page.

Our advice based on many years of selling millions of promotional USB sticks is to avoid autoruns if you can because people don’t like them, they get in the way of how they want to use the USB stick(s) and if you put them on the sticks will have a short life and you’re brand won’t get the exposure you’re paying for.

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The Risks of Putting an Auto-Run File on Your USB Sticks

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Which Way Is Up When You Turn Over Your USB Sticks

Friday, September 30th, 2011

Promotional USB memory sticks are incredibly popular at the moment with millions being given away every year. Their popularity is being fuelled by falling prices, larger memory sizes, ease of use and the demise of the CD.

Companies that give them away are also catching on to the benefit of pre-loading them with their sales brochures, presentation slides and media files. By doing this they not only save significant print, transportation and storage costs but they give their customers something that is inherently useful and something that has a high perceived value.

Which way is up - USB Cards

Which way is up - USB Cards

There are lots of different models, shapes and styles of USB memory sticks available today and most of them look stunning when printed with a company logo but it does pay to take the time to choose a colour/style that compliment the brand being printed on the USB stick.

Most companies that buy printed USB sticks will get both sides of the USB stick printed but not everyone gives a great deal of thought to which way up the logo will appear when the stick is turned over. You’d think there would only be one right way of doing it but, depending on how you turn the stick over in your hand, it will either end up the correct way up or upside down.

The standard way USB sticks are printed is the opposite way to which credit cards are printed – if you take a credit or bank card and roll it over in your hand from top to bottom the text is upside down but, if you rotate it from left to right it is the correct way up. USB credit cards and USB memory sticks work the opposite way.

Orientation of Logo back and front

Orientation of Logo back and front

The images here illustrate how USB credit cards (and sticks) are printed as standard. You can get them printed so they work just like a credit card but you’d need to specify this when you place any order.

It’s a small point but it’s something that does vex some people so it’s worth appreciating the subtlety of it and making sure you if you order USB sticks printed on both sides that you get the text printed how you want it.

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Which Way Is Up When You Turn Over Your USB Sticks

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Don’t Print Brochures – Give Them Out On A USB Stick

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

We were recently approached by a UK distributor and asked to stock their products and promote them via our website. During the meeting with the sales representative he handed over, with no small amount of pride, a copy of their latest glossy product brochure. To say it hit the desk with a resounding “thud” would be an understatement!

The brochure contained 379 pages of full colour print and weighed in at 1080 grams. Granted it was a nice looking brochure but it must have cost a small fortune to print them. But the print costs paled into insignificance when the sale representative went on to explain he’d spent the previous day with his manager stuffing these brochures into envelopes to post out across Europe!!

A conservative estimate would suggest that it must have cost an average of about £20 to print, pack and send each brochure out via Airmail!

Is this crazy or do customers still expect to receive high quality brochures to browse through and to encourage them to trade with your business?

These same brochures were also to be handed out at Trade Shows and Fairs but given their weight I’m not sure how many of the attendees would have been willing to take one and lug it around with them all day – walking around trade shows can be tiring enough without being lumbered with hefty brochures. It must be interesting to check the bins around the exhibition halls to see how many brochures are dumped.

Twister USB Flash Drives

Twister USB Flash Drives

Ironically, the same brochure could have been loaded onto a USB memory stick and sent out across Europe for a fraction of the cost.  In fact, not only could the brochure have been pre-loaded onto the USB sticks but they could also contain video clips, price lists, press releases, links to web sites and so on.

OK, you can’t “browse” a USB memory stick in the same way you might flick through a printed catalogue but the content is there for someone who is genuinely interested and there is a much stronger likelihood that they keep the USB Stick (branded with your company logo and contact details) rather than consign it to the bin.

The same arguments apply at Trade Shows and Exhibitions – it makes far more sense to hand out the information about your company and its products on something that is not going to end up in the bin but will instead be kept and used and will act as a reminder of your company and what you have to offer.

Not convinced then we encourage you to run a test – use USB sticks printed with your logo and pre-loaded with your brochure(s) at your next event and see if you get any uplift in sales and enquires compared to previous events where you handed out printed brochures.

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Don’t Print Brochures – Give Them Out On A USB Stick

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Get USB Sticks Printed With Your Logo In 48Hrs

Monday, September 5th, 2011

If you find yourself up against a really tight deadline for some printed USB memory sticks then don’t panic because if you have your artwork ready to go then we can supply a range of different USB flash drives from stock and get them printed and delivered in only 48hrs!

You will pay a premium for this Rush Service simply because of the higher costs of printing in the UK. The core cost of USB sticks are the same whether you need them in a hurry or have a little more time for us to ship them in for you from our factory in China.

USB2U Rush-Service

USB2U Rush-Service

UK print is charged “per colour” and there is a set-up fee for each colour as well so it’s not really a service that makes sense for very small quantities simply because the fixed set-up costs have to be amortised over a small number of sticks.

In an ideal world you really need to allow around 10 working days for any order of customised USB memory sticks because this way you can take full advantage of the cheaper costs of getting the sticks printed at our factory in China and you’ll get a much wider choice of USB sticks to choose from.

The models of USB sticks that we tend to hold in the UK ready for “rush printing” are the Twister, the Chic and the Trident and we’ll normally hold these in a range of standard colours which typically include as a minimum black, blue and red.

The most popular size of flash drive requested by our customers is 1Gb or 2GB so these tend to be the sizes that we carry but if you want something different it’s always worth checking what we have available.

Chic, Tridet, Probe and Twister Flash Drives

Chic, Tridet, Probe and Twister Flash Drives (Price exclude Rush Service)

Most suppliers of USB flash drives won’t entertain pre-loading data on “rush jobs” but if you have your data ready and it’s less than say 100MB we’ll try and support any request to load this onto your USB sticks as well.

So, if you’ve been let down by another supplier, or perhaps you’ve just left things really late give us a call and we’ll do all we can to help you with a solution.

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Get USB Sticks Printed With Your Logo In 48Hrs

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House Builders Boost Sales With Promotional USB Flash Drives

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

The last few years have been pretty torrid for the house-building sector over the past few years. The number of new houses started in March 2011* was 29,140 which sounds like a reasonable number but its 41% down from the peak reached in March 2007.

Although there has been a slight uplift in starts (and completions) over the last couple of months it’s still much too soon to get overly optimistic about an early recover in the housing market.

USB Sticks

USB Sticks

One of the challenges for any housing developer is keep their stock moving and the cash flow as healthy as possible. Buying the right development plots and building houses in a style that people want is of course fundamental but much of the challenge of getting the houses sold and sold quickly depends on the strength of the sales and marketing activity around any given development.

Getting prospective house buyers across the threshold of the show homes is incredibly important particularly in areas where there is lots of competition.  Social networking now plays a big part (or should play a big part) in the overall marketing strategy of any house building company – its an ideal way to interact with prospective buyers get details of new development and offers in front of an engaged audience – but beware it needs managing so that it does not get taken over by any aggrieved customers!

But what about the use of USB flash drives? Is there a place for promotional USB flash drives in any sales and marketing mix? Well, some housing developers clearly think so because they are now buying them with their brand and contact details printed on and then giving them away at strategic points in an effort to encourage more visitors to the show homes.

Before being handed out the flash drives are pre-loaded with lots of information on the development(s) including video clips, floor plans, site plans, special offers and links to their websites.

The beauty of handing out flash drives (albeit you need to be targeted) is that people can’t resist plugging them into their PC or Mac to find out what’s on them. They also tend to hang onto them for their own personal data storage so you get on-going brand exposure.

Handing out promotional USB flash drives in this speculative manner is not cheap but only the house builders can judge from any uplift in vists/sales if it’s a cost effective strategy.

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House Builders Boost Sales With Promotional USB Flash Drives

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