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August 21, 2010

What is the most Popular Type of Branded USB Memory Stick

Filed under: Print USB — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 10:26 am

With hundreds of thousands of USB Memory sticks being purchased every year by Companies in all different business sectors its interesting to consider which type of memory stick most of them buy and why.

Branded and Promotional USB Memory Sticks come in all different shapes and sizes, some small, some large, some with caps, some that retract and some with a “twisting” cover. Most accommodate lanyards or key rings, some are manufactured from plastic, and some from metal and increasingly some are made from recycled materials like wood or bamboo.

Its also possible to have a bespoke branded USB Memory stick that is say made in the shape of one of your companies products, e.g. a wine bottle, a car, pretty much anything you can think of.

But, despite this the most popular promotional USB memory sticks used by companies, organisations, schools and universities to promote their brand, to use as “giveaways” to hand out to their staff or students remains the USB “Twister” model (also referred to as the Swivel model).

Like most great designs it’s the simplicity that makes this particular memory stick a winner. It carries the printed brand well, its relatively small, it works with a lanyard and/or key ring but most importantly there is no cap to lose!  It seems that these simple elements and the ability to offer companies a different colour body shell (optionally pantone matched to a companies brand) make it a real favourite.

The launch of the “retractable” USB Memory stick looked as though it might threaten the crown of the “twister” but this has not proven to be the case and its dominance prevails.

So, if you’re considering USB Memory sticks as a promotional item and you want to know what’s working for most companies then, based on what’s happening in the market, it’s the Twister!

Phil is part of the team at USBNow and USB2U. These companies are specialist suppliers of USB Products including Branded USB Flash Drives

and Promotional USB Memory Sticks

August 20, 2010

Branded Usb Memory Sticks ? When Is A Chip Not A Chip?

Filed under: Print USB — Tags: , , , — admin @ 4:02 pm

With the growing popularity of Branded USB Memory sticks, there are a number of providers springing up to support this. However, there is a hidden issue that any potential buyer needs to be aware of, that not all providers are that transparent with.

In essence there are 3 components to any Branded USB Memory sticks, the flash chip (the brains), the circuit board and the body of the USB Memory stick itself.

Whilst the circuit board and body are pretty standard across the industry, there is a wide variation of USB Flash chips. In summary these can be classified as follows:

Grade A: Original ‘branded’ USB flash chips

These flash chips are made by leading global brands such as Samsung, Hynix, Intel, Micro. They will print their name and unique series number on each chip.

These are tested to a high QA tolerance and come with a full warranty. They are the most reliable, but come at a premium price and are the most expensive USB Flash chips in the market.

Grade B: OEM flash chips

These USB flash chips are made from the main chip providers, but do not carry any branding or warranties. They are as reliable as the branded flash chips, but come at a discounted rate.

Grade C: Downgraded flash chips

There is a wastage of chips from the main manufactures, from a combination of the chip cutting process and QA failures. These are sold in bulk to third parties, who aim to recycle and sell on. There is a high failure rate on these USB Memory sticks, up to 40% in some instances. However the low price also reflects this.

Grade D: Masked chips

Finally we have fake / counterfeits USB Memory chips. This is when port quality chips are programmed to mask the real size of the memory. For example, a memory stick may show that it is 1Gb, but could actually be a 128Mb chip. The only way that a user would find out the problem exists is if they try to load data that is over the actual chip capacity. The prices offered are extremely low and reflect the cost of the actual chip set used.

So in summary, ensure the supplier informs you in writing what type of chip they are providing. If it is a mission critical or high profile project, it’s worth paying for Grade A branded chip. However, Grade B would suffice for most promotional campaigns.

One final point if the price for the Branded USB Memory sticks sound too good to be true or out of sync with other quotes then there is a high probability of them being Grade C or D chips.

Phil is part of the team at USB2U. USB2U is a specialist supplier of Branded and Promotional USB Memory Sticks. We offer fast turnaround times, excellent advice and support and free design and mock-ups. If you are considering Branded Memory Sticks or want custom USB memory sticks then please contact us – we ‘d be delighted to hear from you “

August 10, 2010

Custom Shape USB Sticks ? How to Make Your Branded USB Flash Drive Stand Out From The Crowd

Filed under: Print USB — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 4:16 pm

USB flash drives (also known as USB thumbdrives, USB keys, USB sticks etc.) have become a highly effective marketing tool, and promotional USB gifts are starting to replace discs as a high impact delivery medium. Creating a custom shape can help your product stand head and shoulders above the mass of printed off-the-shelf designs, and give your product a unique edge. A bespoke shape for your USB stick can prevent your marketing give-away becoming a throw-away.

USB flash memory has become an established marketing tool over the last few years, with ever increasing data storage capacity and literally hundreds of off-the-shelf designs. Against this backdrop of ever increasing popularity it was only a matter of time before the industry made it more cost effective and easier to facilitate the production of bespoke or custom shaped flash drives.

Small scale custom moulding of the quality previously only possible on mass market goods is now available to create a genuinely unique USB product even on low volume orders of 250. These bespoke shapes can be made from a variety of recycled and recyclable materials such as PVC, ABS, Silicon and PET. These materials offer not only a cheaper way of producing USB flash drives in custom shapes, but in addition lighter, more malleable materials offers phenomenal detail when it comes to text and logos. This is because moulds for these materials are made from low density metal alloys that can be cut with finer tooling.

PVC especially offers a great feel as well as fantastic detail and makes production of 2D and 3D custom shaped USB sticks on small and medium sized quantities cost effective. It’s ideally suited for the production of these highly desirable marketing tools on a budget.

The process is fairly straightforward, first the object (such as a bottle or shoe) is sent to the manufacturer and from this a 3D or 2D wireframe CAD rendition is created. If however the object is too large to send to the facility then 2 or more photographs from different angles can be used instead. Once this CAD representation has been approved a mould is made from soft metal by using a computer controlled lathe.

Once the mould is ready the molten PVC is applied, for small orders this is usually with a hand held pneumatic tool. The material solidifies within a few seconds on contact with the metal and is then ejected.

This first production sample is sent to the client for approval or can be photographed if lead times are tight. Once approved the full quantity can be manufactured, usually in about 5 days for lower volume orders. Larger orders will require multiple moulds to speed up the process.

The housing is then usually sent to a specialist USB assembly plant where the memory and controller chip assembly is combined with the outer casing to create the final product. Any data required would be uploaded at this stage.

The overall lead time from conception to delivery can take as little as 15 business days, while the same mould can be used to create a large number of branded USB sticks. A mould can also create flash drives in a range of colours by the colouring applied to the molten PVC and hand painted into the moulds prior to being filled with the material.

Despite marketing budgets being continuously squeezed it seems that clients still demand ground breaking ideas. Promotional gift and marketing companies are under pressure to provide more for less. Custom shaped USB sticks in quantities of 250 cost no more than some of the ‘off the shelf’ models. The lighter PVC and ABS custom moulded USB flash drives offer a cost effective solution to finding that unique, useful marketing ‘give away’ to put your brand ahead of the competition.

Jonathan Moore is a consultant to the USB, CD and DVD industry.
More information about DVD Duplication at 10th Planet Digital Media and promotional USB flash drives at flash-duplication.com.

August 2, 2010

Top 10 Tips For Buying Branded USB Memory Sticks

Filed under: Print USB — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 5:33 am

If you’re considering buying some Promotional USB Memory sticks then make sure you check out these “top tips” before you make any decisions. Some excellent, common sense advice that will ensure you make the right choice.

Choose the right stick – There is nothing better than a product that looks like it has been designed for purpose and nothing worse than one than one that is not fit for purpose. Material, shape and colour options are the fundamentals to consider

Choose the right capacity – There is a delicate balance between choosing the correct capacity and the budget available for your Branded USB Memory Sticks. The cheapest sticks are normally the lowest capacities and these are often used as promotional giveaways. If you want to add company data to your branded USB, it is important to make sure that there is sufficient space, not only for this data, but also enough space remaining to make the stick functional for the user. Its all about balance – there’s no point paying for memory that you don’t necessarily need to promote your product or company effectively.

Choose the right logo – This may seem strange considering that you would normally use your corporate branding but how you apply this logo to the memory stick is vitally important. The size, positioning and colour combination within the logo can improve the effectiveness of its visual impact.

Choose the right imprint option – Spot printing is not the only option.  Logos with colour blending can now be printed using digital print technology. Laser engraving on metal-cased sticks is a professional looking, long lasting option and embossing on leather USB’s are a couple of other ideas that more and more people are starting to use

Choose the right artwork – Providing the artwork in the correct format is essential to ensure that the quality of the branding on the finished article is of the highest quality. Vector shape logos are by far the best quality and never lose any sharpness irrespective of how big or small you make the logo. These logos are normally found in EPS or AI format

Choose the right packaging – If you USB Memory Stick is a “corporate gift” then it will look more impressive in a great looking box or tin. If its simply a promotional giveaway then as a general rule you don’t need to go to the additional expense of packaging.

Choose the right accessory – Key rings, karabiners and lanyards are always great ways of enhancing your branded product by making it more functional and easier to carry. In the case of the lanyard, this too can be branded to increase your marketing potential.

Choose the right timeframe – Please, please, please leave your self enough time when considering a purchase of Branded USB memory sticks. They are not produced overnight and in the majority of cases they are manufactured in the Far East. This means you need to allow at least 14 days from the approval of a graphic proof to the production and delivery of your final product. However in some cases, suppliers will hold blank stock, which can be printed but be prepared to pay more to have them branded locally

Choose the right price – Surely the cheapest price is always the right one. This is not the case and there are certain factors to be consider when investigating prices for your branded USB memory sticks. Firstly, is the chipset in the USB brand new, don’t be afraid to ask. Secondly, does the price include a warranty, if so how comprehensive is it? Finally, does the price include all of the costs, i.e. Artwork setup, production and delivery?

Choose the right company – Last but certainly not the least important is choosing the right company to supply you with your Branded USB memory sticks. It is of utmost importance 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.

Phil is part of the team at USBNow and USB2U. These companies are specialist suppliers of USB Products including Branded USB Flash Drives

and Promotional USB Memory Sticks

July 13, 2010

Cheap Branded Usb Flash Drives ? Myth Or Reality

Filed under: Print USB — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 6:25 am

Everyone loves a bargain but is there such a thing as a good quality, cheap printed USB memory stick. Considering that any item that is printed with your company’s brand effectively becomes an ambassador for you company its important when sourcing branded products that you don’t compromise on the core quality of the product by buying cheap.

This is particularly true of branded flash drives that bear your company logo. Anyone given a printed memory stick is going to want to trust it to store and carry data on. They will expect any promotional memory stick carrying a corporate brand to perform equally as well as, if not better, than memory sticks from regular brands such as Kingston, Sony or Transcend. If you’re printed memory sticks underperforms or worse fails and the user loses their treasured or important data this negative memory will be associated with your brand.

Equally if you want to pre-load the memory sticks you are buying with data before your distribute them then you don’t want to discover when you come to load them that they are slow or worse fail. Today its common for memory sticks to be loaded with Sales Sheets, Product Sheets, Web Links, Audio and Movie Files and other sales collateral. Implicitly you need this data to be accessible and readable otherwise why go to the trouble of preparing it and loading it. Trusting it to a cheap, sub standard memory stick that might have been manufactured using Grade B (recycled) flash memory chip sets would be false economy.

The core component of any memory stick is the flash memory module and the controller chip that goes with it. These have a price in the market just like any commodity and most factories that assemble memory sticks buy from the same small number of flash manufacturers at the prevailing rate. The price variance in the market of the finished memory stick (within a given memory size) is driven by the costs of the shell/case around this core component, the assembly costs, the manufacturers profit margin and the currency exchange rate to bring the memory sticks into the country. Given this the price for any printed flash drive should be broadly similar so if you are being offered prices below the general market price ask yourself why but more importantly ask your supplier why. Ensure you get some guarantees on the grade of chipset being used and check the credentials of the supplier.
In reality the only safe way to reduce the cost of branded memory sticks is to:

Buy memory sticks with a smaller capacity, e.g. 128MB instead of 1GB. The smaller the memory capacity the cheaper the stick but don’t go too small or you will give the user little incentive to carry and use it.
Plan ahead to ensure you allow sufficient time to get them printed at the point of manufacture e.g. in China. Last minute orders mean your supplier will have to print them locally and local printing is typically 3-4 times more expensive.
Avoid times of high demand and limited supply when the prices are driven upwards. Typically this is during Chinese New Year and in the run up to Christmas.

As with everything in life you get what you pay for and printed memory sticks are no exception!

Phil is part of the team at USB2U. USB2U are specialist suppliers of printed flash drives and custom USB memory sticks. If you’re looking for a reputable supplier of branded memory sticks get in touch with USB2U for a free, no obligation quote, free samples and free design support

July 1, 2010

Choosing the Right Supplier For Your Branded USB Memory Sticks

Filed under: Print USB — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 5:57 pm

There are currently a large number of suppliers providing Branded and Promotional USB Memory Sticks in the U.K. This makes the marketplace fiercely competitive and as a result the end user would naturally benefit from lower prices. In turn, this also puts a lot of pressure on suppliers to reduce their costs. Some suppliers take this too far so it is important to consider factors other than price when choosing your USB Memory Stick supplier. There are four very important considerations to be take into account:

1.Speed of Service

2.Quality of USB Memory Sticks

3.Financial Stability of Company Supplying Flash Drives

4.Reputation.

Speed of service will largely depend on the individual company’s business model. Many companies claim to have fast turnaround times, but when called to task on orders to supply large amounts of branded USB Memory Sticks, they fall short on initial promises and the turnaround times increase by 2 or 3 times. Other companies who have more control over their supply chain will live up to their promises and these are naturally the companies you’ll want to choose.

Quality control is vital for products that will end up representing your company. It is important to find a supplier that its aware of this and will not cut corners or send you defunct goods. For instance, some USB Flash Drive suppliers cut costs by using refurbished chipsets. This is generally less reliable than brand new chipsets. Initially it may save you money, but do you want the final product you’ve given to a client to fail? This creates a poor impression of your company, and once they have discarded the USB Stick, they will no longer be carrying your companies name around with them.

Financial Stability. As with any company you may be considering entering into a financial relationship with, it is always good practice to run a credit check to make sure the company is not going to go under within a month of taking an order to supply you with your goods. In the event that it does, you are unlikely to recover any of your money back. As mentioned earlier, this is a very competitive industry and with a large amount of people involved in the industry, insolvency is not that uncommon. Should your supplier face bankruptcy, not only will you lose the money you paid them, you will also miss your deadline.

Reputation speaks volumes. If a company has delivered similar sized orders of branded USB Memory Sticks within a specified time frame on several occasions, they can probably do it again and again. Don’t be afraid to ask for references and testimonials from their existing customer base. If they have provided excellent service levels, they will not be embarrassed to share their successes.

USB2U specialises in the supply of customised and printed USB products to many schools, universities, promotions companies, corporate Clients and local authorities.We sell a range of branded usb memory sticks and goods. Please visit our website at http://www.usb2u.co.uk

USB2U specialises in the supply of customised and printed USB products to many schools, universities, promotions companies, corporate Clients and local authorities.We sell a range of branded usb memory sticks and goods. Please visit our website at http://www.usb2u.co.uk

June 13, 2010

Branded USB Memory Sticks : The Manufacturing Process Explained

Filed under: Print USB — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 7:41 am

It seems that USB memory sticks have been with us forever and its hard to imagine life without these ubiquitous devices for home, work and educational use. They have also become a leading promotional tool for many organisations, which in turn drives their proliferation into the market.
Anyone considering buying branded USB Memory sticks will typically deal with a local specialist rather than deal with the manufacturers in the Far East and of course being a little biased we’d suggest you use USB2U. As a specialist supplier of branded USB Memory sticks over the last 7 years we have an excellent track record of delivery some great USB solutions to thousands of large and small companies and schools in the UK.
USB2U (and hopefully other local suppliers of Branded USB Memory Sticks) manage the entire end-to-end process, but more importantly we ensure that the manufacturing process is fully audited and of a high quality.
So what should you be looking for when selecting a supplier? Of course price is important, but this alone should not be the primary driver. A small saving may be a false economy if end users start to experience problems when using the Branded Memory Sticks. Think of the reputational risk and the inconvenience of getting these replaced.
Whilst there is no substitute to full due-diligence, there are some simply things you can do to sort the wheat from the chaff when selecting a supplier.
•First ensure there is a contact telephone number on the web site and speak to a representative.
•Check they have a proven track record by contacting previous clients.
•Ensure they only use new branded USB Flash Memory, e.g. Samsung.
•Ensure they are working from a business premises. There is a growing trend for individuals pertaining to be companies, but working from home without the infrastructure to support you if things go wrong. An easy way to check this is by using Google Earth.
•Finally do not pay for any part of the order until the goods are ready for despatch.

Once you have selected your supplier it’s worth understanding the manufacturing process. On the face of it you would assume that the manufacturing process for Branded USB Memory sticks would be simple. However, pulling back the veneer shows a complex and challenging process.The vast majority of Branded Memory Sticks are manufactured in China and Taiwan.
There are 3 hardware components that make up a Branded Memory Stick:
•The Flash Memory Chip, which comes in various memory sizes from 64Mb to 16Gb.
•The PCBA Board which houses the Chip, Electronics and USB Connector
•The casing that houses and protects the USB Memory Stick. These come in a myriad of shapes, materials and designs.

USB2U (or other local supplier) will be contracted to the factory that will purchase each of the above three components and then assemble them. A reputable and experienced factory will typically follow this process:
1.They will purchase the Flash Memory Chips from companies such as Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Intel or other OEM brands. Ensure they do not use B grade or recycled flash memory (its common and worth checking).
2.All flash memory chips are QA tested before attaching into the PCBA
3.Any data that needs to be pre-loaded (presentation file, sales PDF’s etc) onto the USB Branded Memory Stick is typically loaded at this stage.
4.The assembled units are then once again QA tested and a “screen grab” of the data and how its shown/structured on the memory stick will be sent to the client for sign-off.
5.The factory will purchase the housing from dedicated housing manufactures. Again whilst certain models look the same from an image there are often difference in the type of material is used so it may be worth getting a physical sample
6.The next step is for the factory to screen print, emboss or engrave logos onto the shell of the USB Memory Stick. This can be a long and drawn out process if completed by hard, however most of the larger factories have fully automated printing processes. A proof (often a photographic proof) will be sent to the client for signoff.
7.The factory’s production line is then responsible for inserting the PCBA into the housing.
8.Once the units have been assembled a full QA is again undertaken.
9.Any accessories are added to the USB Branded Memory sticks, e.g. key rings.
10.Finally they are packing into gift boxes or bubble bags.
11.A courier picks up the goods, which need to be cleared through the originator’s and destination customs controls

This entire process can take between 7-14days. Once the Branded USB Memory Sticks arrive with your supplier they will then undertake their own QA process before despatching these to you.Remember if you wish to purchase direct from the Far East, manufacturers are desperate to secure new business and will offer heavily discounted rates by cutting many of the quality corners mentioned above. They will expect money upfront before production commences and some of them will not be that forthcoming if things turn turtle…so buyers beware!

USB2U specialises in the supply of customised and printed USB products to many schools, universities, promotions companies, corporate Clients and local authorities.We sell a range of branded usb memory sticks and goods. Please visit our website at http://www.usb2u.co.uk

USB2U specialises in the supply of customised and printed USB products to many schools, universities, promotions companies, corporate Clients and local authorities.We sell a range of branded usb memory sticks and goods. Please visit our website at http://www.usb2u.co.uk

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