--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Advertising is utterly unprofitable, and…" description: "\"Advertising is utterly unprofitable, and I could prove it to you in one week. End an ad with an offer to pay five dollars to anyone who writes you that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/claude-c-hopkins-11799_ads_advertising-is-utterly-unprofitable-and_2303151.jpg" --- # Advertising is utterly unprofitable, and I could prove it… ![“Advertising is utterly unprofitable, and I could prove it to you in one week. End an ad with an offer to pay five dollars to anyone who writes you that he read the ad through. The scarcity of replies will amaze you.” quote by Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/claude-c-hopkins-11799_ads_advertising-is-utterly-unprofitable-and_2303151.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/claude-c-hopkins-11799_ads_advertising-is-utterly-unprofitable-and_2303151.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/claude-c-hopkins-11799_ads_advertising-is-utterly-unprofitable-and_2303151.jpg) > “Advertising is utterly unprofitable, and I could prove it to you in one week. End an ad with an offer to pay five dollars to anyone who writes you that he read the ad through. The scarcity of replies will amaze you.” [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advertising often fails to be profitable without a compelling call to action; a simple monetary incentive reveals how few people truly engage. **In simple terms:** Ads need strong incentives to get responses. Key Takeaway Add a clear, valuable offer to any ad. Themes marketing incentives behavior psychology consumer behavior advertising null Mood curious analytical Type practical strategic When to use this quote - business promotions - market research - direct response campaigns Questions to Reflect On - How could you design an offer that aligns with your brand values? - What non‑financial incentives might motivate your target audience? A Different Perspective Not all audiences respond to money; some value non‑monetary rewards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Scarcity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scarcity/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) [Week end](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week-end/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The headline is the most important element of an ad. It must offer a promise to the reader of a believable benefit. And it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-hite/the-headline-is-the-most-important-element-of-an-ad-it-must-offer-a/) [Morris Hite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-hite/) > [The real fact of the matter is that nobody reads ads. People read what interest them, and sometimes it's an ad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-nobody-reads-ads-people-read-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And it hurts as a player, that you put a lot of hard work in during the week, and at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-moss/and-it-hurts-as-a-player-that-you-put-a-lot-of-hard-work-in-during/) [Randy Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-moss/) > [Let the day Start, let the hours Go let the week End so that the Year will End.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-ntuli/let-the-day-start-let-the-hours-go-let-the-week-end-so-that-the-year/) [Simphiwe Ntuli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-ntuli/) > [I decided at school that the only sensible way to make a living by arranging words in a pleasing order was by working on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-decided-at-school-that-the-only-sensible-way-to-make-a-living-by/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Get Lost! It doesn't sound insulting only on week-end! If you really get lost and go exploring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biman-gandhi/get-lost-it-doesn-t-sound-insulting-only-on-week-end-if-you-really/) [Biman Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biman-gandhi/) > [Politics pretty quiet over the week-end. Democrats are attacking and the Republicans are defending. All the Democrats have to do is promise "what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/politics-pretty-quiet-over-the-week-end-democrats-are-attacking-and/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The successful truck gardener can never go out to dinner in the summer or spend a week end away, because his conscience tells him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-mcginley/the-successful-truck-gardener-can-never-go-out-to-dinner-in-the/) [Phyllis McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-mcginley/) > [Nothing is more dangerous in wartime than to live in the temperamental atmosphere of a Gallup Poll, always feeling ones pulse and taking ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-is-more-dangerous-in-wartime-than-to-live-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This week-end, I am going to do what I like the most. (Your Heart and Soul likes your status!)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biman-gandhi/this-week-end-i-am-going-to-do-what-i-like-the-most-your-heart-and/) [Biman Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biman-gandhi/) > [Perhaps the ideal life is that of the week-end artist, who preserves the integrity of his own aesthetic ideals because of his economic independence...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-phillips/perhaps-the-ideal-life-is-that-of-the-week-end-artist-who-preserves/) [Walter J. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-j-phillips/) > [When Fashion Week ends, I miss the shows and the shot of adrenaline that comes with them. Each day is a new show, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-frackowiak/when-fashion-week-ends-i-miss-the-shows-and-the-shot-of-adrenaline/) Magdalena Frackowiak > [“Rachel found herself wishing that the week would never end-that her father could stay here forever-but knew he couldn't. If there was one thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-brennert-moloka-i/rachel-found-herself-wishing-that-the-week-would-never-end-that-her/) Alan Brennert, Moloka'i > [“And I am going to have another opportunity. I am going to have a week-end with him at his home in Easton, a week-end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/and-i-am-going-to-have-another-opportunity-i-am-going-to-have-a-week/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [“May the week end But the weekend never end”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hrishikesh-agnihotri/may-the-week-end-but-the-weekend-never-end/) [Hrishikesh Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hrishikesh-agnihotri/) ## More by Claude C. Hopkins > [Never be led in new paths by the blind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/never-be-led-in-new-paths-by-the-blind/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [Curiosity is one of the strongest human incentives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/curiosity-is-one-of-the-strongest-human-incentives/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [In the old days, advertisers ventured on their own opinions. The few guess right, the many wrong. Those were the time of advertising disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/in-the-old-days-advertisers-ventured-on-their-own-opinions-the-few/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [Don't, to gain general and useless attention, sacrifice the attention that you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/don-t-to-gain-general-and-useless-attention-sacrifice-the-attention/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [Scientific advertising has altered many old plans and conceptions. It has proved many long established methods to be folly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/scientific-advertising-has-altered-many-old-plans-and-conceptions-it/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [Whatever claim you use to gain attention, the advertisement should tell a story reasonably complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/whatever-claim-you-use-to-gain-attention-the-advertisement-should/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [Remember the people you address are selfish, as we all are. They care nothing about your interests or profit. They seek service for themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/remember-the-people-you-address-are-selfish-as-we-all-are-they-care/) [Claude C. 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Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [The right name is an advertisement in itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/the-right-name-is-an-advertisement-in-itself/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [People will not be bored. They may listen politely at a dinner table to boasts and personalities, life history, etc. But in print they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/people-will-not-be-bored-they-may-listen-politely-at-a-dinner-table/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [The only purpose of advertising is to make sales. It is profitable or unprofitable according to its actual sales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/the-only-purpose-of-advertising-is-to-make-sales-it-is-profitable-or/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [Impressive claims are made far more impressive by making them exact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/impressive-claims-are-made-far-more-impressive-by-making-them-exact/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [Advertising is much like war, minus the venom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/advertising-is-much-like-war-minus-the-venom/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) [Explore all 58 Claude C. Hopkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) ## More Ads quotes > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. 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Animal protein is bad for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/what-every-human-being-should-do-is-eat-a-vegetarian-diet-based-on/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [There is nothing personal about a personal ad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-smith/there-is-nothing-personal-about-a-personal-ad/) [Wes Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-smith/) > [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. 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