With the ability to include a complete presentation of a business’s activities and designed with corporate colours and logos, no wonder the USB stick is one of today’s top marketing and promotional gifts.
As with most things computer related, technology soon overtakes what was once considered state of the art. Of the many peripherals produced over the years, the ubiquitous mouse mat was once the obvious choice for a business looking to offer existing and prospective customers a promotional gift.
Large enough to contain important contact information and always at the right hand of a PC user, it did act as a useful reminder but unfortunately on many occasions as a drinks coaster as well.
Step forward the USB memory stick, the rightful successor to the throne of relatively inexpensive corporate promotional items. Whether handed out at sales pitches or given away at trade fairs, these new kids on the block have elbowed the mouse mat and pen out of the picture.
Inexpensive they may be but, from a marketing point of view, the gift of a memory stick can put a volume of information in front of a customer that a mouse mat could only dream of. Furthermore, a USB stick represents a gift that can be used repeatedly and therefore likely to be seen as useful rather than merely a gimmick.
For any business looking to use a bespoke USB stick as part of a marketing campaign, the scope and content options are numerous. As well as a choice of available designs, the sticks can include a company logo along with any relevant PMS matched corporate colours. Memory sizes range from 128MB up to 4GB.
Getting the message across couldn’t be easier either as USB sticks can be preloaded with a variety of data including sales literature, power-point presentations, and even pop-up websites. What’s more, this data can be programmed to run automatically as soon as the USB stick is plugged in and can also be protected from deletion ensuring that the marketing message is constantly in the face of the user.
Overall, the use of a USB stick as a marketing tool has many advantages. Not only can it give constant exposure to a brand by constant visibility of its design and badging but can also convey as much or as little by way of a marketing message as is considered necessary.
When ordering anything to be used for a marketing or promotional campaign, it is important that the end product has an accurate and familiar look to it that is easily identifiable to the average person. After all, it’s unlikely that the Harrods gold logo would ever appear in anything other than its traditional shade of green or that a batch of Coca Cola cans could leave a warehouse painted in a soft pink shade with black writing on.
The consistent use of accurate corporate colours helps build brand awareness just as much as a well thought out and creative logo. The look and colour of office signage should therefore be matched on all company stationery, business forms, and calling cards.
The very same rule applies when buying USB memory sticks for either company use or marketing activity. The colour of the logo is vitally important but so too is the background colour it’s printed on and to ensure accuracy, the Pantone Matching System (PMS) provides the answer.
Developed in the early 1960s by Lawrence Herbert, PMS is a standardised system of colour matching using detailed measurements and ink mixing. With each shade of colour allocated a unique number, manufacturers in several different locations can obtain the same colour match without needing to physically compare shades. In addition, there are many shades in existence. The classic edition of the Pantone matching system guide lists over 500 solid colours.
Businesses looking to invest in bespoke USB memory sticks would do well to ensure that the supplier can not only produce the correct shade for the company logo but also can print the log onto a plastic USB cover that accurately matches the dominant corporate colour. An example would be for BP to have the plastic cover in the traditional green with the initials emblazoned in yellow, or perhaps the white and gold of the Guinness logo set against a jet-black background. These are two corporate identities known the world over. As well as PMS, there are other aspects to a USB stick such as:
Pre load/Auto run: Flash drives can be preloaded with your choice of content. I.e. Software program, catalogues, power point presentation, flash presentation and pop-up websites.
They can also have your preloaded presentation/marketing material auto run immediately when your clients plug in their flash drives.
Non-Erasable content: To ensure the effectiveness of your campaign usb sticks can protect your preloaded content from being deleted.
As with all things attached to a marketing or promotional campaign, being persistent and consistent eventually builds brands and market recognition. Even something as small as a memory stick, produced to accurately reflect a company’s image, can help promote a name and strengthen corporate identity. The use of Pantone Matching, as well as the other bonuses involved with marketing with a usb stick as stated above, for both logo and background colours should therefore be a serious consideration for businesses keen to get a positive message across.
Author Resource:-
Simon is part of the Bespoke USB team. Bespoke USB is the only place you need to visit for branded USB sticks. Make a statement for your business with your own promotional USB design. Visit us today for a custom USB quotation.
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