 |
| David Ogilvy |
Ogilvy was not shy about opining on what he believed to be the foundational principles and thoughts of strong business practices.
I've parsed out a few of my favorites which are posted in my office and continue to shape my traditional and emerging efforts in Mar/Comm across my decade in the business:
On staffing:
- "If you hire people who are bigger than you are, we shall become a company of giants."
On mindset:
- "The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible."
On excellence:
- "The pursuit of excellence is less profitable then the pursuit of bigness, but it can be more satisfying."
On brand persona:
- "You know you have to decide what 'image' you want for your brand. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the marketplace."
On content:
- "What really decides consumers to buy or not buy is the content of your advertising, not its form."
On advertising:
- "It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night."
- "Every advertisement is part of the long-term investment in the personality of the brand."
- "Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving."
On the consumer:
- "On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar."
- "The consumer isn't a moron. She is your wife."
I don't believe Mr. Ogilvy's thoughts require much explanation from me, as they're tried, true and timeless. They stand on their own merits. They are worth your time and application.
I challenge you to build a running list or active journal of thoughts/quotes that motivate and inspire you. Maybe they're not the thoughts of David Ogilvy, but somewhere someone is saying and/or sharing quotables that are food for your thought.
