The traditional press kit is long gone, a victim of both universal budget cuts and an increasingly digital world. In its place, for many, is a far more useful tool for everyone involved: USB thumb drives.
Although budget-conscious firms still sometimes pass out business cards with a a media site URL or, in some surprisingly archaic cases, a CD or DVD loaded with images, the most cutting edge groups have flocked to USB drives.
Capable of storing gobs of information – a minimum of two gigabytes for even the most basic drive – these devices can hold press releases, technical details, high resolution images, video interviews, B-roll, animations and much more. Easy to organize with folders or, in some cases, an on-screen menu, USB drives are absolutely the easiest way to transfer lots of information directly to a journalist. They are easy to pass out at a trade event and they are light enough that tossing them in the mail at a later date won’t burst your budgets.
Members of the media relish their ease of use; simply plug one into any laptop and, within mere seconds, the writer can be pouring over releases, while photo and video editors can be sorting through multimedia content.
More than just information
Yet a USB drive is more than just a way to transfer product information to your intended audience. A catchy design adds more cost, but it increases visibility – both in the short and long term.
Numerous outfits will customize USB drives to your needs, whether you want to make them look like a certain aspect of your product.
A car manufacturer, for example, can have a USB drive made in the shape of a car key, or even a rolling Matchbox-size version of its latest model. Or, a firm might want to emphasize a certain aspect of their industry or their demographic. An eco-conscious brand might choose to highlight their USB drive by making it out of a recyclable material, while a luxury brand could instead decide to make theirs from a mix of fine aluminum and leather.
Moreover, customized packaging might deliver exactly the message you want to convey. Again, recycled materials might make for a good box, or you might choose to include a USB drive hidden away in another media trinket. To mark its return to the North American market, Fiat gave journalists cappuccino cups with the brand’s logo. Tucked away in the box was a pint-size USB drive, which served as a reminder of the automaker’s new 500 minicar.
These USB drives aren’t just quick use takeaways. A unique-looking USB drive has long-lasting appeal, so it might make its way into daily use for a journalist. It serves as a continual and subtle reminder of your brand – and that’s undeniably a positive.
Tags: media, PR/Marketing Industry, public relations, publicity, USB