--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Consumers don't think how they feel. They…" description: "\"Consumers don't think how they feel. They don't say what they think and they don't do what they say.\" — David Ogilvy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/639/david-ogilvy-1326_advertising_consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they_91521.png" --- # Consumers don't think how they feel. They don't say what… ![“Consumers don't think how they feel. They don't say what they think and they don't do what they say.” quote by David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/639/david-ogilvy-1326_advertising_consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they_91521.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/639/david-ogilvy-1326_advertising_consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they_91521.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/639/david-ogilvy-1326_advertising_consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they_91521.png) > “Consumers don't think how they feel. They don't say what they think and they don't do what they say.” [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often act inconsistently with their internal states, leading to a gap between feeling, speech, and behavior. **In simple terms:** Inconsistent inner and outer actions. Key Takeaway Self-awareness reveals hidden motives. Themes psychology behavioral economics communication self-deception cognition Mood reflective candid analytical Type observational advice When to use this quote - marketing research - customer interviews - team feedback sessions - personal reflection Key Concepts cognitive dissonance emotional intelligence social perception Practical Applications - designing authentic brand messages - improving interpersonal trust Questions to Reflect On - How can we bridge the feeling‑action gap? - What tools help people align speech with inner states? A Different Perspective Some argue that people can accurately articulate their feelings when prompted, reducing the gap. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers/) [Consumers Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers-don-541017/) [Don Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-think-234607/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Say Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-think-284360/) [Think Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-feel-257042/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Consumers don’t want to know about the process of how something came into existence. What they want to know is: How will this product…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/consumers-don-t-want-to-know-about-the-process-of-how-something-came/) [Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/) > [It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-takes-a-big-idea-to-attract-the-attention-of-consumers-and-get/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Once upon a time I was riding on the top of a First Avenue bus, when I heard a mythical housewife say to another,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/once-upon-a-time-i-was-riding-on-the-top-of-a-first-avenue-bus-when-i/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Before you say something, think how you'd feel if someone said it to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-you-say-something-think-how-you-d-feel-if-someone-said-it-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do u know, what I say, what I think, what I feel, what I wish, U want to know? I MISS U SO MUCH.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/do-u-know-what-i-say-what-i-think-what-i-feel-what-i-wish-u-want-to/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [The companies aren't hiring, because consumers don't have enough money to buy the goods and services.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/the-companies-aren-t-hiring-because-consumers-don-t-have-enough-money/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [Many companies are disappointing the citizens of this world by manipulating labor rates, putting horse meat instead of beef out there, or thinking it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/many-companies-are-disappointing-the-citizens-of-this-world-by/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [Increasingly, consumers don't search for products and services. Rather, services come to their attention via social media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-qualman/increasingly-consumers-don-t-search-for-products-and-services-rather/) [Erik Qualman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-qualman/) > [Older consumers don't want to be treated like teenagers; what's more, they don't want to believe they fall into any niche at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/older-consumers-don-t-want-to-be-treated-like-teenagers-what-s-more/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“With voice, consumers don’t know the price or see the packaging and are less likely to include the brand in their request. Fewer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-galloway/with-voice-consumers-don-t-know-the-price-or-see-the-packaging-and/) [Scott Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-galloway/) > [“And I’ll tell you another thing: if consumers don’t want to pay the farmer to do it right, they shouldn’t eat meat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/and-i-ll-tell-you-another-thing-if-consumers-don-t-want-to-pay-the/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [Don't think. Believe. Trust your heart, not your brain. Don't think. Feel. Believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/don-t-think-believe-trust-your-heart-not-your-brain-don-t-think-feel/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“Don't think about it; FEEL about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehya-sky/don-t-think-about-it-feel-about-it/) [Tehya Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tehya-sky/) > [I don't think the advertisers have any real idea of their power not only to reflect but to mold society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-mannes/i-don-t-think-the-advertisers-have-any-real-idea-of-their-power-not/) [Marya Mannes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-mannes/) > [If you tell lies about a product, you will be found out - either by the Government, which will prosecute you, or by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/if-you-tell-lies-about-a-product-you-will-be-found-out-either-by-the/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) ## More by David Ogilvy > [I figure that my staff will be less reluctant to work overtime if I work longer hours than they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/i-figure-that-my-staff-will-be-less-reluctant-to-work-overtime-if-i/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [In most agencies, account executives outnumber the copywriters two to one. If you were a dairy farmer, would you employ twice as many milkers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/in-most-agencies-account-executives-outnumber-the-copywriters-two-to/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [“Your alcoholics may include some of your brightest stars. The problem is to identify them, protected as they always are by their secretaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/your-alcoholics-may-include-some-of-your-brightest-stars-the-problem/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-takes-a-big-idea-to-attract-the-attention-of-consumers-and-get/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Many manufacturers secretly question whether advertising really sells their product, but are vaguely afraid that their competitors might steal a march on them if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/many-manufacturers-secretly-question-whether-advertising-really-sells/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Once upon a time I was riding on the top of a First Avenue bus, when I heard a mythical housewife say to another,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/once-upon-a-time-i-was-riding-on-the-top-of-a-first-avenue-bus-when-i/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [You can't save souls in an empty church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-can-t-save-souls-in-an-empty-church/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/in-the-modern-world-of-business-it-is-useless-to-be-a-creative/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Compete with the immortals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/compete-with-the-immortals/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-will-never-win-fame-and-fortune-unless-you-invent-big-ideas/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [The worst fault a salesman can commit is to be a bore. Foster any attempt to talk about other things; the longer you stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/the-worst-fault-a-salesman-can-commit-is-to-be-a-bore-foster-any/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [I don't believe in tricky advertising, I don't believe in cute advertising, I don't believe in comic advertising. The people who perpetrate that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/i-don-t-believe-in-tricky-advertising-i-don-t-believe-in-cute/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [I never assign a product to a writer unless I know that he is personally interested in it. Every time I have written a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/i-never-assign-a-product-to-a-writer-unless-i-know-that-he-is/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Talent, I believe, is most likely to be found among nonconformists, dissenters, and rebels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/talent-i-believe-is-most-likely-to-be-found-among-nonconformists/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [If you tell lies about a product, you will be found out - either by the Government, which will prosecute you, or by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/if-you-tell-lies-about-a-product-you-will-be-found-out-either-by-the/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) [Explore all 255 David Ogilvy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) ## More Advertising quotes > [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest-it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gossage/advertising-justifies-its-existence-when-used-in-the-public-interest/) [Howard Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gossage/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [We have the capital, the resources, and the technology that we need to build a mobile advertising platform across the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-tewari/we-have-the-capital-the-resources-and-the-technology-that-we-need-to/) [Naveen Tewari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-tewari/) > [“Never run advertising until the major publicity possibilities have been exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ries/never-run-advertising-until-the-major-publicity-possibilities-have/) [Al Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ries/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I like Valentine's Day. The trouble is the florists and the candy-makers and the card people are all advertising so much, you don't dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-like-valentine-s-day-the-trouble-is-the-florists-and-the-candy/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [I happened to be spotted by a modeling agent who offered me a part-time job at 16. Everything happened very quickly after that -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-happened-to-be-spotted-by-a-modeling-agent-who-offered-me-a-part/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [They say that Madison Avenue will only pay high dollars in advertising if they get the 18-35 age range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gless/they-say-that-madison-avenue-will-only-pay-high-dollars-in/) [Sharon Gless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gless/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I've driven people mad on films that I've made - I want more takes; I want to try new lines. Then I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-ve-driven-people-mad-on-films-that-i-ve-made-i-want-more-takes-i/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/) [Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/) > [I'm supposed to be taking time off. But I'm still writing and I have this Gap advert lined up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-stone/i-m-supposed-to-be-taking-time-off-but-i-m-still-writing-and-i-have/) [Joss Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-stone/) > [Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/any-seeming-deception-in-a-statement-is-costly-not-only-in-the/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) [Browse all 1,942 Advertising quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Consumers don't think how they feel. They don't say what they think and they don't do what they say.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Ogilvy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they-don-t-say-what-they-think/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advertising" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they-don-t-say-what-they-think/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/639/david-ogilvy-1326_advertising_consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they_91521.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/639/david-ogilvy-1326_advertising_consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they_91521.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/639/david-ogilvy-1326_advertising_consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they_91521.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Consumers don't think how they feel. They don't say what they think and they don't do what they say.” — David Ogilvy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Ogilvy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Consumers don't think how they feel....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they-don-t-say-what-they-think/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they-don-t-say-what-they-think/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```