BLOOMINGTON - While many advisors stress the need for a strong business plan when starting a company, award-winning ad guru Dennis Creps said a marketing plan is much more important.

A strong marketing plan sparks product interest and generates revenue. It also develops name recognition and credibility, said Creps, speaking Friday in front of about 100 people attending a marketing seminar at the DoubleTree Hotel, Bloomington.

"Credibility is one of the most important things (businesses) have," he said.

In addition, poor marketing is among the three top business killers, along with poor management skills and under capitalization, he added.

Creps, a real-estate broker and professional speaker, has helped businesses in all 50 states, Canada and Australia become more successful.

He is one of two people to earn both the Certified Speaking Professional and Distinguished Instructor designations by the National Speakers Association.

Creps discussed ways to break through the advertising clutter and garner attention using the three rules of marketing:

- Familiarity breeds interest;

- Once a business has grabbed consumer interest, it's easier to grab more;

- People generally do business where they feel the most comfortable, meaning people pay a premium for good service, atmosphere and the overall quality of the buying experience.

To gain familiarity, ads must be easy to understand and visual.

"Your eye will remember what your ear will forget," Creps said.

Ads also should create associations between products and experience, he said, but be careful. Symbols mean different things to different people.

In an old automobile ad, for example, an astronaut is looking under the hood of a car. When Creps asked audience members about the ad, some thought the astronaut symbolized the cutting-edge technology in the car.

Others, however, thought the car was broken and that only a rocket scientist could fix it.

"I came back (from the seminar) and saw a flier and threw it out and made my staff redo it. It needed to be more visual," said Flatlanders/Business Builders president Dick Eikenberg, who attended the event. "Everything he said was true. I think it will get people to think more about advertising."

The seminar was sponsored by the Pantagraph, W.M. Putnam Co., Commerce Bank and Martin's Furniture.