We came, we built a ton of furniture, we conquered. Miranda traded heels for hiking boots. And some of us even broke a sweat – all in a day’s work for a tremendously worthwhile cause.

The first week of June 2011, the Burns Marketing crew rolled west to Roundup River Ranch, a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses located near Gypsum, Colorado. They needed a little help getting their facilities ready for their first campers later this summer, and we had the volunteer workability to get ‘er done.

What an amazing facility staffed by truly inspirational people, tucked into a postcard-perfect setting in the Colorado Rockies. We were glad to move awesomely heavy tables, carry cubbies, build a couple boating docks, and tackle furniture assembly… armed with little more than flathead screwdrivers. A few of us wielded power tools. But don’t worry, none of the creative types were harmed (although there was some gratuitous whining about the nausea-inspiring cruise ship conditions on the bus – and spotty cell phone coverage at the camp).

At the end of the day, the dining hall and cabins at Roundup River Ranch moved ever closer to reaching camper-ready status. We’re happy to report that when the first campers arrive in early July, there will be tables to sit at and beds to sleep in. Because many a camp memory is made over good eats in the cafeteria – and embellished from the bunks after lights out.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you think about the perfect wrapping for your product:

1. Research your competitors. You’ll want to see what they are doing – what’s working for them and what isn’t – so you can ensure your design stands out from other packages and competitors.
2. Know your audience. Who will be the primary buyer of this product? Knowing who the primary shopper is and what motivates him/her will help catch the eye of the buyer.
3. Know your placement of the package on the shelf, or in the store. Knowing if you’re on the top shelf, eye level, or bottom shelf is important because this can influence the design.
4. Make sure you grab the buyers’ attention RIGHT AWAY. And that you clearly explain the product quickly. You only have one chance to make a good first impression.
5. Understand how you want your product to be perceived. Having a good design can influence the way a shopper views your product’s quality.
6. Consider your final cost of goods on the shelf. Remember both package design and materials are part of your product. Staying within a price point is important.

Our design team has extensive experience developing product packaging that sells. Give us a call at 970.203.9656 to see how we can help your product jump off the shelf.

We’re guessing lots and lots of whining.

But bless their souls, our Burns Marketing crew is sucking it up this week for a day of grueling volunteer work at Roundup River Ranch – a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses. With our help – or despite it – the camp will be ready for its first summer campers in no time.

And another cool thing? We’re working for you. Just follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or on our blog, and it’ll be like you’re helping in our work. Need to know more? Check out this video:

While other companies sit around patiently waiting for people to follow them, we take action. We stand for a cause. One that’s rooted in hard work, a never-give-up attitude, and good old-fashioned manual labor.

We want you to follow us, to like us, and to listen to us. And we’re willing to throw our backs into making it happen. Our proposition to you: Become our follower on Twitter, Facebook, and here on our blog. (To subscribe to our blog by email, enter your address in the sidebar on the right.) We’ll put our entire team to work helping Roundup River Ranch – a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses – get ready for their first campers.

We’re prepared to shed our blood, sweat, and tears for you – and for our cause. Likely there will be blisters and broken nails. Probably some whining. And worst of all, no cell phone service. But working for followers is the only way to truly appreciate what we’ve got.

Put us to work by becoming our fan, follower, and subscriber. Our pain will be your glory.

Our heavy lifting begins at noon on Thursday, June 2. At 8 a.m. on Monday, June 6, we’ll thankfully return to the comfort of our desks.

Of course, that means mobile devices offer a valuable and important channel for delivering content. And they continue to grow more relevant. Within the next five years, more people are expected to connect to the Internet via mobile devices than desktops.

As you prepare your organization to venture into the mobile space, you’ll want to take these tips into consideration:

1. Understand the mobile medium and plan accordingly.
The experience of viewing a website through a mobile device is different than looking at that same site on a desktop computer. Yes, screens are smaller, and each mobile device is sized differently and supports various browsers. That means navigation should be clear, easy-to-use, and feature large buttons. Content must be optimized for fast downloads.

2. Pare down your site map to provide only the content that’s most important to your customer.
By definition a mobile user is on the go. They don’t need everything your main website provides. Chances are they’re looking for important contact information or details on lead products and service offerings. You may also want to include breaking news, timed offers, or aggregated social media content. Also, include a link for the full website – just in case people want to view more information.

3. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
Take a look at your competitors and other companies that serve your customers. What services, content, and links are they providing? Identify ways to differentiate your company from others.

4. Safeguard your brand.
Your overall look and feel, as well as your language and brand identity should remain consistent with other materials and channels you use today.

5. Monitor your mobile website with analytics.
Doing so will help you understand how people are using the content you provided – and allow you to make adjustments.

If you’re ready to reach your customers with mobile marketing, give us a call at 970.203.9656. Our mobile experts will help you find a mobile strategy that works.

So with that being said, consider the Doculex example. We at Burns Marketing would strongly advise against naming your new company anything that sounds even remotely like a leading laxative. And we mean anything.

Read all about it here.

Fast forward to a multi-channel, socially interactive, and ever-changing competitive landscape. Logos are important, but they alone cannot do the job.

Your brand needs support. A personality. How does your brand speak? What does it believe in? Can it adapt and inspire relevant content?

Graphically speaking, rigid corporate identity systems have lost traction to more flexible structures. Providing familiarity, but allowing for some interpretation. Think Apple.

Yes, a timeless logo still represents the core essence of a brand. But, your logo is not your brand. Your brand is much more.

Check out this post from Mashable and see where brand identity is headed.

1. More isn’t always better: Yes, a picture can be worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you should put five thousand on a slide.

2. Compatibility issues: Mac PowerPoint and PC PowerPoint don’t play well in the sandbox.

3. Transition distraction: Moving graphic elements equal the bright shiny objects that detract from your actual message. And if you don’t actually know what your message is, the shiniest object around won’t save you.

4. Inspired to bore: Filling the slide with all of your ideas makes it all too tempting to read the slide, thereby inspiring your audience to drool and head-bob in their fight to stay vertical.

5. Good bullets gone bad: In our time-starved society — when shorter typically equates with better — we tend to favor summary statements over the unabridged version. Be careful though, sometimes the effect lessens the impact of the content. Check out the Gettysburg Address in PowerPoint.

Want to chime in? Air your PowerPoint grievances here (in bullet points, of course, through the end of “Just Say No to PowerPoint Week”). But come Monday we’ll be back to waving the Microsoft flag — well except for our Mac users!

Our absolute favorite: Volkswagen’s The Force.
Why? Even though the kid was wearing a mask, you felt his emotions. And how about how the helmet jiggled on his head as he staggered backward after the Passat started… But besides the memorable humor and exceptional execution, look at the power of nostalgia and the combined forces of two retro-hip brands. Using the lifelong love of Star Wars to appeal to the childhood memories of dads who are now the target market was pure genius.

A close second: Volkswagen’s Black Beetle. Way to go Volkswagen. This ad was chock-full of vision casting, anticipation building, and pure cleverness. Plus, it positioned the next generation of the iconic car with an “in your face” attitude.

Rounding out our top three: Chrysler’s Imported from Detroit. A two-minute serious commercial right in the heart of the Super Bowl, this one earned our respect. It stood out. Kudos for having the best one-liner: “Imported from Detroit.” It redefines a brand that had been forgotten. And thumps the chest for America and an industry our country created.

So it looks as though the auto industry scored big with Burns Marketing. Other favorites included:

Audi’s Release the Hounds: Old luxury versus new luxury really positions the automaker well against the less impressive, we’ve-seen-it-before Mercedes attempt.

Pepsi Max’s Love Hurts: An edgy ad with an unexpected outcome — and good for a laugh.

Bud Light’s Dog Sitter: What can we say? Sometimes you just want to be entertained, and this one delivered. Dogs playing poker — classic.