Throughout the last two centuries, more and more emphasis has been placed on copywriting and marketing. There has been an array of pathfinders in these related fields, with many of the current crop continuing to forge new ways forward. Here are 20 quotes from renowned copywriters and marketers, both past and present…
Stuart H. Britt
“Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.” – Stuart H. Britt
Stuart H. Britt was long-term editor of the Journal of Marketing, and a forerunner in the field of consumer behaviour.
Claude C. Hopkins
“So the most effective thing I have ever found in advertising is the trend of the crowd. That is a factor not to be overlooked. People follow styles and preferences.” – Claude C. Hopkins
Claude C. Hopkins was one of the great advertising pioneers. He believed that advertising existed only to sell something and that it should be determined and justified by generated results.
Joseph Sugarman
“The more tools you have to work on a problem in the form of experiences or knowledge, the more new ways you can figure out how to solve it.” – Joseph Sugarman
Joseph Sugarman is a legendary copywriter who started a mail-order business, JS&A Group, writing everything by hand. He’s also the author of The Adweek Copywriting Handbook.
Joanna Wiebe
“Here’s the only thing you’re selling, no matter what business you’re in and what you ship: you’re selling your prospects a better version of themselves.” – Joanna Wiebe
Joanna Wiebe is the founder of Copyhackers, with a following of nearly 40,000 on Twitter.
Maurice Saatchi
“Simplicity is the outcome of technical subtlety. It is the goal, not the starting point.” – Maurice Saatchi
Maurice Saatchi, along with his brother Charles, founded the renowned advertising agencies, Saatchi and Saatchi and M&C Saatchi.
David Garfinkel
“The more your copy sounds like a real conversation, the more engaging it will be.” – David Garfinkel
David Garfinkel is a well-known coach to business owners and copywriters.
Brian Clark
“Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on having a blog that’s great for your readers.” – Brian Clark
Brian Clark is the founder of Copyblogger.com, Further.net and Unemployable.com. He is also CEO of Rainmaker Digital, and has over 170,000 followers on Twitter.
Zig Ziglar
“The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is integrity.” – Zig Ziglar
Hilary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar was an American author, salesman, and motivational speaker. He wrote seventeen books, including Success for Dummies.
Craig Davis
“Stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.” – Craig Davis
Craig Davis is a startup entrepreneur, advisor, mentor, board member, teacher and keynote speaker. He is the Co-founder of Sendle, a technology startup twice recognised by the AFR as one of Australia’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies.
George Gribbin
“A copywriter should have an understanding of people, an insight into them, a sympathy toward them.” – George Gribbin
George Gribbin was chairman of the marketing communications company, Young & Rubicam. He worked for the company for 46 years in total.
Ann Handley
“Make your customer the hero of your stories.” – Ann Handley
Ann Handley is a digital marketing pioneer, writer and speaker, inspiring marketers to create magic and get real-world results.
Aaron Orendorff
“I understand social proof is one of the most powerful levers to convince somebody to enter your funnel or start talking to you online.” – Aaron Orendorff
Aaron Orendorff is a Forbes Top 10 B2B Content Marketer, and Vice President of Marketing at Common Thread Collective.
Gary Vaynerchuck
“Market like the year you are in!” – Gary Vaynerchuck
Gary Vaynerchuk is the chairman of VaynerX, a modern-day media and communications holding company, and the active CEO of VaynerMedia.
Leo Burnett
“There’s no such thing as ‘hard sell’ and ‘soft sell.’ There’s only ‘smart sell’ and ‘stupid sell.’” – Leo Burnett
Leo Burnett was an American advertising executive and founder of Leo Burnett Company, Inc. He was responsible for the Marlboro Man campaign and, in 1999, was named as one of 100 most influential people of the 20th Century by Time Magazine.
Seth Godin
“Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.” – Seth Godin
Seth Godin is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has also written 19 best-selling books.
Brian Eisenberg
“Effective content marketing is about mastering the art of storytelling. Facts tell, but stories sell.” – Bryan Eisenberg
Brain Eisenberg is a New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized authority and pioneer in online marketing, improving conversion rates and helping organizations improve their customer experiences.
Rebecca Lieb
“Content is the atomic particle of all digital marketing.” – Rebecca Lieb
Rebecca Lieb is a strategic advisor, research analyst, keynote speaker, author, and columnist.
Andrew Davis
“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.” – Andrew Davis
Andrew Davis is a best-selling author & keynote speaker. Having built and sold a digital marketing agency, he now teaches business leaders how to grow their businesses.
Peter Drucker
“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” – Peter Drucker
Peter Drucker was an Austrian management consultant, educator and author, whose writings contributed to the philosophical and practical foundations of the modern business corporation.
“What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its form.” – David Ogilvy
David Ogilvy
David Ogilvy, known as the Father of Advertising, was a British advertising executive known for his emphasis on creative copy and campaign themes.
Our world is evolving at a rate never before experienced. The need for diversity in the marketing industry has never been as prevalent. Current philosophies remain closely knit with those from yesteryear, which is apparent in the quotes above, and many more. May we never stop learning and improving.
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