A consumer is not a moron. She's your wife. Don't insult her intelligence, and don't shock her. David Ogilvy More Quotes by David Ogilvy More Quotes From David Ogilvy Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating. David Ogilvy fascinating telling-the-truth You now have to decide what 'image' you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place. David Ogilvy personality mean people If you ever find a man who is better than you are - hire him. If necessary, pay him more than you pay yourself. David Ogilvy better-than-you pay men Don't count the people that you reach, reach the people who count David Ogilvy people Study the methods of your competitors and do the exact opposite. David Ogilvy method study opposites Any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes genius, faith and perseverance to create a brand. David Ogilvy perseverance genius business If you want to be interesting, be interested. David Ogilvy ifs want interesting Encourage innovation. Change is our lifeblood, stagnation our death knell. David Ogilvy stagnation innovation Positioning should be decided before the advertising is created David Ogilvy decided advertising should Good products can be sold by honest advertising. If you don't think the product is good, you have no business to be advertising it. David Ogilvy honest business thinking I once used the word OBSOLETE in a headline, only to discover that 43 per cent of housewives had no idea what it meant. In another headline, I used the word INEFFABLE, only to discover that I didn't know what it meant myself. David Ogilvy ineffable used ideas Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your family to read. You wouldn't tell lies to your own wife. Don't tell them to mine. David Ogilvy business writing lying There isn’t any significant difference between the various brands of whiskey, or cigarettes or beer. They are all about the same. And so are the cake mixes and the detergents, and the margarines… The manufacturer who dedicates his advertising to building the most sharply defined personality for his brand will get the largest share of the market at the highest profit. David Ogilvy cake differences beer Every advertisement is part of the long term investment in the personality of the brand. David Ogilvy investment personality long We exist to build the business of our clients. The recommendations we make to them should be the recommendations we would make if we owned their companies, without regard to our own short-term interest. This earns their respect, which is the greatest asset we can have. David Ogilvy assets clients should If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants. David Ogilvy business inspirational people Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving. David Ogilvy testing-yourself advertising business Write the way you talk. Naturally. David Ogilvy writing way Play to win, but enjoy the fun. David Ogilvy winning play fun If you can’t advertise yourself, what hope do you have of advertising anything else? David Ogilvy advertising ifs