Secrets to developing a creative marketing program? Yes, the most enjoyable aspect of developing a marketing plan is the creativity involved. To develop a successful program, creativity itself is what people will remember and inspires sharing of what they learned or experienced. Today "word of mouth" advertising or "sharing" occurs with a "point and click." What used to take months can now occur in a few days if you manicure your message. Here are five tips to developing a creative message:

1) Drama: Find what is inherently dramatic about your offering. Share this with passion.

2) Grab Attention: People pay attention to what moves them. Make them think.

3) Motivate People to Take Action: Think of the power of a camera phone, everyone has one.

4) Translate Number 1: Translate the drama into an immediate benefit or experience.

5) Be Certain you are Clear: People are not thinking about YOUR business when they come across your advertisement. So when you have 25 to 50 percent of their attention, be clear, creative and have fun! What is Marketing?

The number one truth about all marketing is it must develop "trust."

Marketing essentially is trust building. The root of all trust is "trustworthiness." To be trustworthy, one must be consistent, clear, patient and honest. In my industry, people "try" a marketing campaign and after six weeks they can't see measured spikes or returns on investment and they give up. First and foremost, marketing is an investment in "time." If you send out a clear message and consistently perform on any promise made, people will trust you. Unless you are one of the top jazz musicians on the planet, you can't blow an uncertain trumpet while expecting everyone to sing the same song, play along or dance with you. Everything you do is a form of "Marketing:"

1) The people you hire sing your song. How you train and support them becomes who you are.

2) How you treat your facility is a form of marketing. In the restaurant industry, if back of house drains and garbage cans are dirty it says something about your values and concern for sanitation. Distributors, delivery drivers, salespeople and staff all see this conciously or not. You can say all of the right things, but attention to detail sets all standards for respect, value and success. 3) Quality: The quality and care for products offered is a form of marketing. For example, if you buy substandard meats with a goal of 25 percent food cost rather than quality products guests will no-doubt enjoy more and talk about is "marketing." Don't get trapped in the percentages. Set a high standard for excellence and share this with great passion. 4) Consistency: Whatever the message, never stop sharing it. Never stop singing the song. It must permeate every aspect of what you do. 5) Focus on experience: The experience and genuine hospitality any business provides is "marketing." Think about that person with trash all over their car. When you park next to them you don't think: "Man, I bet that person has it all together, is clean, organized, on-time and trustworthy." How you treat yourself, your belongings, your friends and family is all an extension of marketing. Think about this. Now look up at the Windex ad.. Whatever you do, make it clear as glass! Yours in success, Peter D. Bouloukos Management & Leadership Consultant Bozeman, Montana 59718