A USB flash drives For Business

Fifteen years or so ago, it seemed like the internet was fresh and new and companies were just learning how to utilize it as a means of marketing. This period really marked the first time that companies were taking advantage of computers as a platform of delivering marketing messages. This marriage of marketing and technology continues to grow. With the adoption of USB drives as the dominant form of portable memory storage, companies are now using these fun devices to deliver more effective and personal marketing than ever before.

A USB drive is a small (usually no bigger than a pack of gum) computer hard drive that utilizes flash memory. Flash is the same type of memory that is in your cellphone, or your iPod. It is also being utilized in gaming consoles, video cameras, photo cameras and even your car! Just about anything that is portable uses flash memory. USB Drives are the most common forms of flash memory. They work just like the hard drive in your computer, except they are small and mobile. USB flash drives, or UFDs by people in the know, are also referred to as thumb drives, zip drives, flash card, memory sticks, etc. However, all of these terms are incorrect or represent a brand of USB flash drives. UFDs come in many memory capacities from 128MB up to a whopping 64GB in the most common sizes.

Marketers are now using these devices as a media form to deliver branding and messaging to their target markets. For instance, say ABC Bank is opening a new branch in a university town. ABC is known for offering great services to students in the hopes of building long term relationships. Prior to opening the new branch, ABC hands out 5,000 USB flash drives to students at a university football game. Those students then use that flash drive daily for their studies, always seeing the ABC brand. ABC also preloaded an automated program that shows a thank you message from ABC and opens the companies new accounts information page on their website whenever the flash drive is plugged in and the student selects to open the program. Pretty cool, huh?

Government agencies are also taking advantage of this technology, using them as training tools (preloading the drives with educational material to be given to students in training programs), as well as promotional tools (city development agencies sending them to prospective new businesses). Non-profit agencies are using them as fund-raising devices (loading them with special offers from local businesses and selling them).

USB Flash Drives are becoming more and more prevelant in our world today. As they are such a useful tool, the cost per impression is extremely low for businesses to use them as an advertising tool. Unlike pens or keychains, they don’t feel cheap, nor do customers lose them. And with more and more, references to them in pop culture (saving the world with a UFD in “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” or in Ford television commercials) you’ll hear more about these clever and cool devices.

Want to find your own custom branded USB flash drives? Go to our products page and start your ordering process.