6 December, 2022
A History of Promotional USBs: Everything You Must Know
When you think of promotional USBs, what do you think of them? Pen drives, flash drives, and memory sticks, whatever you call them, promotional USBs have become incredibly useful tools for businesses looking to promote their brand or product. Here’s a look at the history of these handy little devices and how they’ve evolved to meet modern needs.
The beginning of USB (1995)
Early in 1995, Ajay Bhatt and his colleagues at Intel came up with an idea for a Universal Serial Bus. The vision was to create an interface enabling computers to connect a range of devices — keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, cameras, mobile phones -- by plugging them into a single port on their computer. When Intel first approached companies like Microsoft with its proposal for universal connectivity standards through a new bus system (later referred to as USB), it took months for them to warm up to it. But eventually, they did warm up to it, and work began earnestly on developing software and hardware solutions using these ports.
The rise in flash drives (2000-2010)
In 2000, 100 million flash drives were shipped, with a value of more than 300 million. In 2001, that number jumped to 180 million units at a higher value. By 2003, 1 billion drives were shipped.
Their growth has also helped boost sales and popularity of digital cameras and mp3 players (for use as storage devices), which have aided their rise in popularity since they began showing up in 1998.
Specialty shapes, colours, and use cases (2010-2015)
The years between 2010 and 2015 were marked by a rise in promotional flash drives with specialised shapes, colours, and uses. More than ever, companies that wanted to market their products with flash drives found unique ways to do so.
The future of promotional USBs (2015-present)
The proliferation of mobile phones (notepads, tablets, etc.) means more gadgets out there that need charging and can be used as promotional items. Because many people carry portable chargers these days, you don’t have to think about your promotional USB only for conferences or events: You can get away with giving it to people who need it in their everyday lives. Sure, you may get some questions from recipients — but you will also be known as a forward-thinking brand that thinks outside its typical promotional box. Plus, nothing is greener than reusing a piece of technology.
Why use USB in marketing?
Thumb drives, also known as flash drives, have been used in marketing for a long time. They are small and can hold a lot of data, making them an ideal solution for transportation and storage. As time passed, smaller thumb drives have been developed, making them even more viable for marketing use. The smaller versions mean that they will easily fit into bags and pockets with ease. However, there are still certain things to consider when you plan to start using flash drives as part of your overall marketing strategy.
References
https://officechai.com/stories/story-intels-ajay-bhatt-invented-usb-use-everyday/
https://htschool.hindustantimes.com/editorsdesk/knowledge-vine/ajay-bhatt-the-indian-who-invented-the-usb
The Custom USB Drives Team
