The headline is the 'ticket on the meat.' Use it to flag down readers who are prospects for the kind of product you are advertising.
David OgilvyRead
Why should a manufacturer bet his money, perhaps the future of his company, on your instinct?
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of data and evidence over intuition in business decision-making.
David Ogilvy highlights the necessity for manufacturers and business leaders to rely on solid evidence and data rather than mere instinct when making critical financial decisions. The statement reflects a fundamental principle in the business world: reliance on instincts can be risky, especially when the future of a company is at stake, and thus, decisions should be backed by research and proven insights.
In practice
In a business presentation discussing the importance of analytics, you could quote this to stress the need for data-driven decisions.
The headline is the 'ticket on the meat.' Use it to flag down readers who are prospects for the kind of product you are advertising.
Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon.
Some manufacturers illustrate their advertisements with abstract paintings. I would only do this if I wished to conceal from the reader what I was advertising.
Much of the messy advertising you see on television today is the product of committees. Committees can criticize advertisements, but they should never be allowed to create them.
The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.
Experience has taught me that advertisers get the best results when they pay their agency a flat fee. It is unrealistic to expect your agency to be impartial when its vested interest lies wholly in the direction of increasing your commissionable advertising.
A business is not defined by its name, statutes, or articles of incorporation. It is defined by the business mission. Only a clear definition of the mission and purpose of the organization makes possible clear and realistic business objectives.
I love business. I love helping urban communities grow. I love putting people to work of color. I love making sure - like right now the whole mortgage crisis, I want to help people get back into their homes.
A good company delivers excellent products and services, and a great company does all that and strives to make the world a better place.
When an entrant competitor attacks the low end of any market, the rational reaction of the incumbent firms is to abandon rather than defend it - because the low end is the least profitable of their possible investments.
Be influenced by nothing but your clients' interests. Tell them the truth.
The intersection of psychology and business is typically seen as being as congested, stressful, and emotionally barren as a peak commute traffic day on the L.A. freeways. But, thankfully, we live in an era in which neuroscientists are teaching us about the malleability of our brain and the emotionally contagious nature of our workplaces.
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