| When you buy branded USB memory sticks to hand | | | | be ready early so that it can be loaded at the factory |
| out to prospective customers at a conference, press | | | | during manufacture. You can't load and "lock" data |
| event, show or exhibition then to make sure you get | | | | post production. |
| the best from your investment you should, where | | | | The need to have the data ready early means that |
| possible, pre-load the flash drives with your company | | | | the vast majority of flash drives are pre-loaded with |
| sales and marketing material. | | | | data that is not locked. This is no bad thing because if |
| You'll hear this process referred to as Duplication, | | | | the content is compelling it will be viewed and data that |
| Replication, Pre-loading, Data-loading or just copying. | | | | is not locked can be loaded at anytime meaning you |
| Whatever you refer to it as you should make sure | | | | have right up until the last minute before your event to |
| that all of the memory sticks you distribute have your | | | | load the data. |
| sales flyers, product brochures, company web site | | | | Of course if you're faced with the prospect of |
| links, promotional videos, installation guides, press | | | | unpacking and loading data onto hundreds or possibly |
| releases etc. loaded on them. | | | | thousands of memory sticks it can be pretty daunting. |
| Whilst a basic printed memory stick will do an excellent | | | | Ideally it's a job left to the professionals because |
| job of promoting your company's name if you fail to | | | | instead of having to load each memory stick one at a |
| load the stick with data you really will be missing a trick. | | | | time they will use professional USB data duplication kit. |
| Afterall, not only have you paid for the memory but | | | | This will get the job done quickly and easily and they |
| this is your opportunity to put in front of your customer | | | | will normally give you a report on the performance of |
| and prospects a fantastic array of information about | | | | each stick loaded with your data - think of it as |
| your business, your products and the services your | | | | another QA test on the memory sticks before they |
| offer. | | | | are distributed. |
| If you're worried that any data you load will simply be | | | | There are many dedicated data duplication companies |
| "deleted" then you could "lock" the data on the flash | | | | in the market with many of them extending from CD |
| drives but if you do this don't load too much data on | | | | and DVD duplication into USB duplication. These are |
| the stick and leave no room for the user. They are | | | | fine but it does introduce another company into the |
| unlikely to use the flash drive if all its does is carry your | | | | loop and potentially extend the overall timeframe. If you |
| "locked" data and then your brand won't get the | | | | can try and use a supplier of branded memory sticks |
| on-going use and exposure you have paid for. If you | | | | that is able to offer data duplication as well as supply |
| do decide to "lock" and protect any data on the | | | | the USB flash drives. |
| memory stick bear in mind that this data will have to | | | | |