Bespoke USB sticks are extremely popular these days. Not to be confused with standard shaped USB flash drives, Bespoke USB memory sticks can be made into any shape imaginable, from your logo to a replica of your product.

Any shape is possible, including 2-D and 3-D drives, in any colour imaginable. The only restriction is that the drive has to be big enough to hold the flash memory module and the standard USB connector that allows it to be connected to your computer. Fortunately, the custom drive company you hire can help you with the design to ensure that these constraints are taken into account.

While there are plenty of companies out there these days that will print your logo on a standard flash drive or memory stick, there are far fewer who will do custom design and production. That’s because custom drives require a larger skill set, including the ability to work with suppliers to integrate the electronics and the custom casing into a dependable yet affordable product.

If you want your company to really stand out in a market that is often flooded with generic flash drives, you might want to consider going with a custom flash drive product. While it will take some extra effort on your part to articulate your idea and review designs, the results can be well worth it, even with the higher unit cost of a custom memory stick.

So how do you find a dependable supplier for your Bespoke USB drives?

First, it’s important to find a company that actively promotes custom drive designs on their website or in their catalogue. This will be the first sign that they have the experience and expertise to create a custom drive design for you. It’s not important that they actually manufacture these drives on-site. Most companies farm this process out to factories in the Far East these days. What is important is that they understand the design process and how to integrate the electronics into the design you have in mind. Offering your target audience a drive that will fall apart or fail isn’t smart marketing and going for the cheapest product out there is an invitation to these kinds of promotional item disasters.

As you work with your design team they’re bound to make some recommendations or changes to your design. Consider each of them, as they may either be necessary or add features you may not have thought of initially. This may include a loop for a lanyard or a locking top to protect the USB connector from becoming damaged. A great promotional item company will have this kind of working knowledge of the products and how to best execute your idea.

Before you get too far into the process, you will want to request some samples of their past custom drive work. This is the best indicator of the kind of quality they demand and their capabilities. If a company is cagey about showing you samples, you may want to look elsewhere because you just may be their first custom USB drive customer. Given the importance of promotional campaigns, you never want to be someone’s guinea pig.

Finally, you want to discuss the electronics that are used in the drives. The memory chips are graded A through D and you want to know what grade of chips are in your drive. It’s not to say that a B grade is bad, just that it didn’t live up to the quality assurance process of a Grade A chip. Usually, the lower the grade, the more likely a chip can fail, have slow read/write speeds or not be able to fully access the level of memory advertised. Get the best grade you can afford and if at all possible, get products with Grade A chips. You won’t regret it.

The best advice of all is to do your homework before you order a large batch of custom USB drives that may not meet your expectations. And if you have the luxury of a few extra dollars in your budget along with time, you may want to order up a small batch first before ordering thousands. A lot of custom memory stick and USB flash drive companies offer production rates as low as 100 units.

The built-in digital amplifier has mega bass and there is a power on/off switch and volume up/down control so you can manage the speaker sound levels in addition to those on your computer.
The construction is superb. The housings are brushed black aluminium. Your logo can be imprinted on the top of each speaker, giving your brand a lot of visibility. Each set of speakers comes boxed with a clear window that displays your logo, another strong branding opportunity.

The USB mini speakers are USB powered if you want to use these speakers on your computer system. Just plug them into an available USB port and viola! – booming stereo. If you want to connect it to a Zune, iPod or similar mp3 or mp4 device, you’ll need an external power supply.

The minimum order is usually 200 sets of speakers. Not bad, since you can use these as special premium giveaways with solid prospects or your best customers.

Believe us, you’ll want to get more than 200. These speakers will become extremely popular with your target audience and they will be clamouring to get them from you.

Digital photo frames have been around for several years now, but it wasn’t until recently that they became more affordable and had quality equal to that of a traditional photo.
Of course, not all digital photo frames are created equally. While many look great on the surface, they can be impossibly difficult to use. Or worse, the colours are flat or the contrast is so lacklustre, it looks like you’re looking at pictures of a total eclipse.

This is particularly true of the many digital photo frames that are making their way into the branding arena these days. Many of them look good on a website or in a catalogue, but they fail to deliver where it really matters: making a brand memorable once the item is in the hands of a prospect or a valued customer.
Let’s face it. Quality counts. Even the most innovative or valued promotional item will end up in a drawer somewhere if it doesn’t deliver. Digital photo frames are no different. And a poor quality item speaks ill of your organization, so why even risk going with an inferior item.

Fortunately, there are some great products out there, and this 2.4 inch digital photo frame is a real charmer. Perfect for the desk at the office or at home, this frame has the quality of some of the latest large screen digital photo frames in a very personal size.
The 2.4-inch TFT colour display is very pleasing to the eye. Mounted in a beautiful metal frame, the screen can display up to 60 different 320×240 pixel images in its built-in memory. These images can be in BMP or JPG formats, which are the most common image formats out there today. If you want, you can even set the photos to change as a slideshow automatically.

But don’t think the great features end there. This branded digital photo frame has a few more tricks up its sleeves. In addition to displaying photos, the frame also has a clock and calendar feature built into it.
A rechargeable lithium battery provides power, so those lucky enough to receive one of your digital photo frames can enjoy the item for a long time. Recharging is simple and easy, as is the process for loading images into the frame.

The frame itself comes in four designer colours: silver, black, blue and pink. In addition to a printed logo, it’s also possible to get a three-dimensional metallic logo embossed on the frame, if you’d like.
The minimum order is just 100 frames, which is a welcomed feature in itself. For something so unique, it is a very reasonable minimum quantity and quite frankly, you’ll probably want to order more because they will go fast.

One thing’s for sure. Digital photo frames will never end up in the forgotten pile of premium gifts clients and prospects receive. They are a terrific investment and this digital photo frame in particular is at the head of the pack in terms of value and quality.

Arguably one of the most convenient ways to transport and transfer information around campus, USB flash drives have become a staple of K-12 schools, colleges and universities around the world.

With good reason, too. Lightweight and inexpensive yet extremely powerful, these flash drives allow students and educators to move vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently.

But a USB flash drive can also be used by the institution to recruit prospects, since they show that the school, college or university is technologically savvy and forward thinking. The drive can be preloaded with the school’s course catalog, video tours, applications and links to financial aid, housing and other important resources a student may need.

Faculty can use the drives to download lesson materials and upload homework, without the need to waste paper. As any school teacher knows, supplies are always in short supply and USB flash drives can actually save teachers money since they can be reused year after year. Try to do that with regular paper!

Finally, USB flash drives are a terrific way for institutions to brand themselves. A logo or message printed on the drive’s surface can improve school spirit, extend marketing efforts and support fundraising efforts. They can also be an added revenue stream, if you sell them in the school store branded with, say, “Class of 2009” or “Class of 2010” printed or engraved on it. You can even sell different models and sizes of drives to broaden your offerings of USB flash drives to those who want to show their sense of style or fashion.

Whether you’re a student, faculty member or administrator, USB flash drives are a great way to share information and data quickly, efficiently and securely

The new university year is starting soon and the Freshers are slowly filtering in to your city. However, as soon as they are settled in, the task to fill next year’s places will begin, to attract the brightest, hardest working students. It’s not too long before we’ll be seeing open days, information packs and talks at 6th Forms across the country.

Why not add an extra little gift into your presentations though? Don’t send them a 50 page catalogue that they will browse through on the bus before leaving on the seat, send them a USB stick instead, pre-loaded with all of your information. Your logo will always be in front of them, your catalogue always in their pocket.

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