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Top 10 Tips on purchasing USB Memory Sticks

Posted in Editors Column on Mon 23 Nov 2009

USB flash drives (memory sticks) are versatile; they allow you to pre-load information, giving the user quick and easy access to your latest catalogue or marketing campaign. But, what should you be looking for when buying promotional USB flash drive.

Here Johan Ellingsen, of USB Company gives his Top 10 tips on buying USBs.

1. Quality

Make sure you choose a supplier who specialises in sticks and not a company offering everything. You’re looking to raise your profile, which will not be achieved by branding sub quality goods with your logo.

A good quality stick should work perfectly for approximately 10,000 write/erase cycles, which is the equivalent of filling and emptying the stick once a day for 25 years. Fake or white chips, as they are often referred to, can start to suffer from the very first cycle and are more prone to error messages and very slow data transfer speeds.

2. Marketing Message

A branded stick with your brochure or catalogue pre-loaded is a great way of getting your message across. In most cases we discourage the use of auto-run. It does not work on Mac’s and many administrators have blocked it.

3. Sales Vehicle

Using a stick as an incentive is a great way to get clients to buy a premium product. Alternatively it can be used as a bargaining tool for your sales staff. People love free gifts.

4. Speed

A good quality stick will have a minimum of 3MBS writing speed and 15MBS reading speed. Based on this a low quality 1GB stick would require approximately four minutes to fill up. A good quality one would take just under two minutes.

5. Packaging

A stylish gift box branded with your logo adds value to the stick. If you don’t have any specific packaging requirements we recommend using trays, which are more environmentally friendly.

6. Model

A professional supplier will be able to suggest a model to suit your requirements. Customising the shape or colour of the stick is a good way of making sure that you stand out from the crowd. A premium model may cost a little extra but will ultimately pay dividends.

7. Accessories

Adding a keyring or lanyard to the stick will allow the user to safely attach it to their person. Incorporating password protection is smart practice if sensitive information has been pre-loaded.

8. Branding

There are four types of branding which are commonly used, here are their pros and cons:

Silk Screen

Pros: cheap, quick lead times

Cons: can easily wear off on a keychain

Resin Dome

Pros: photographic quality, long lasting, short lead times

Cons: a bit more pricey

Engraving

Pros: long lasting, subtle and stylish 

Cons: no colours

Tampo

Pros: can print on rounded surfaces

Cons: high volume required

9. Express Service

If you are regularly buying sticks it might be useful to consider a supplier who retains stock in the UK. They should offer an express service and delivery can be as fast as 24 hours nationwide.

10. Price

When you purchase sticks you’ll want to get value for money but a very cheap price often means poor quality. If you have any lingering doubts insist on seeing a sample. Memory prices can vary on a daily basis so make sure you get an updated quote before you place your order.

 

Johan Ellingsen

USB Company

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