The quote is the hook. The idea is the point.
A note on quotes
We paraphrase on purpose. Misquoted marketing wisdom is everywhere, and a quote with the wrong name on it does nobody any good. If you want the exact words, go to the source.
David Ogilvy
Advertising exists to sell, so be specific, do your research before you write, and put the most effort into the headline, because most people read the headline and not much more.
Do this: rewrite your headline ten ways before you touch the body.
Seth Godin
Marketing is the story you tell and the people you tell it to. In a crowded market, being ordinary is the real risk, so build something worth talking about.
Do this: ask what a customer would say about you to a friend. Make that sentence easier to say.
Philip Kotler
Marketing starts with a need, not with a product. Understand what people want, then build the offer around it.
Do this: write down the need your best customer had the day they found you.
Bill Bernbach
Persuasion is closer to art than to science. Data tells you what happened. Craft is why anyone cares.
Do this: pair every number in your next report with one idea people can remember.
Peter Drucker
Know your customer so well that the offer fits and almost sells itself.
Do this: talk to five customers this month. Ask what nearly stopped them from buying.
Al Ries and Jack Trout
Positioning: win one clear idea in the customer's mind instead of being a little of everything.
Do this: finish the sentence "we're the place for ___" in under ten words.
In our Marketing Legends series every idea comes with an animal. You can find it on Instagram.