For many years I’ve been a big fan of David Ogilvy, the father of advertising, a “pioneering adman and one of the founding fathers of our modern consumer society.” I recently read Ogilvy’s book “Confessions of an Advertising Man” for the second time, and for the second time I was absolutely impressed with it. I can only recommend it.
It is indeed a little unusual for a PR person to be fascinated with a book on advertising (you know, the ‘constant war’ between PR and advertising…), but it is the understanding of consumers and businesses and the practical tips that Ogilvy shares in his book that I enjoyed so much.
As Sir Alan Parker said, the confessions is “a blueprint for good practice in business” because “it’s not just about advertising, it’s also about how people think and behave at the sharp end of business.”
Understanding how consumers, media, business owners and other stakeholders think and what they need is as essential in PR as it is in any other marketing discipline.
While reading the “Confessions” I noted down everything that intrigued me.
Below are my 25 favourite quotes from Ogilvy’s book: