--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In most agencies, account executives…" description: "\"In most agencies, account executives outnumber the copywriters two to one. If you were a dairy farmer, would you employ twice as many milkers as you ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/david-ogilvy-1326_accounts_in-most-agencies-account-executives-outn_14199.png" --- # In most agencies, account executives outnumber the… ![“In most agencies, account executives outnumber the copywriters two to one. If you were a dairy farmer, would you employ twice as many milkers as you had cows?” quote by David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/david-ogilvy-1326_accounts_in-most-agencies-account-executives-outn_14199.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/david-ogilvy-1326_accounts_in-most-agencies-account-executives-outn_14199.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/david-ogilvy-1326_accounts_in-most-agencies-account-executives-outn_14199.png) > “In most agencies, account executives outnumber the copywriters two to one. If you were a dairy farmer, would you employ twice as many milkers as you had cows?” [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. The quote highlights the inefficiency of having too many salespeople relative to creative staff, comparing it to a farmer hiring more milkers than cows, implying misallocation of resources. **In simple terms:** Misaligned staffing hurts productivity. Key Takeaway Balance roles for efficiency. Themes resource allocation organizational structure marketing efficiency role balance business analogy Mood critical analytical pragmatic Type observation analogy business critique When to use this quote - advertising agency planning - budget allocation meetings - team restructuring - project staffing decisions Key Concepts agency staffing creative output sales focus operational waste Practical Applications - optimize staff ratios - reallocate budget to creative work Questions to Reflect On - How can we assess the optimal ratio of sales to creative staff? - What metrics reveal overstaffing in a department? A Different Perspective null ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Executives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executives/) [Farmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farmers/) ## Related quotes > [The trouble with many copywriters in general agencies are that they don't really think in terms of selling. They have never written direct-response; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/the-trouble-with-many-copywriters-in-general-agencies-are-that-they/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [No agency is better than its account executives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/no-agency-is-better-than-its-account-executives/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [I have learned to respect ideas, wherever they come from. Often they come from clients. Account executives often have big creative ideas, regardless of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/i-have-learned-to-respect-ideas-wherever-they-come-from-often-they/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [“Copywriters are salespeople whose job is to convince people to buy products.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/copywriters-are-salespeople-whose-job-is-to-convince-people-to-buy/) [Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/) > [Bob Bly is among the most accomplished self-employed copywriters in recent years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-slaunwhite/bob-bly-is-among-the-most-accomplished-self-employed-copywriters-in/) Steve Slaunwhite > [Copywriters, journalists, mainstream authors, ghostwriters, bloggers and advertising creatives have as much right to think of themselves as good writers as academics, poets, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/copywriters-journalists-mainstream-authors-ghostwriters-bloggers-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Copywriters on Madison Avenue constantly grapple with the question of where their work sits on the totem pole of 'real' writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-droga/copywriters-on-madison-avenue-constantly-grapple-with-the-question-of/) [David Droga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-droga/) > [Most copywriters are like engines. They take a while to warm up to get to the point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drayton-bird/most-copywriters-are-like-engines-they-take-a-while-to-warm-up-to-get/) [Drayton Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drayton-bird/) > [This is the copywriters task: not to create mass desire — but to channel and direct it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-schwartz/this-is-the-copywriters-task-not-to-create-mass-desire-but-to-channel/) [Eugene Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-schwartz/) > [“almost all copywriters these days write in a conversational manner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-goldberg/almost-all-copywriters-these-days-write-in-a-conversational-manner/) Jason Goldberg > [In fact, studies show that vegans tend to get more iron than meat eaters. Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables increases iron absorption. 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I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/both-the-five-year-olds-looked-at-me-with-bewilderment-and-a-bit-of/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“It's going to be legen...wait for it...and I hope you're not lactose-intolerant cause the second half of that word is...dairy!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-stinson/it-s-going-to-be-legen-wait-for-it-and-i-hope-you-re-not-lactose/) [Barney Stinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-stinson/) > [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. 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/) ## 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/) > [“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/) > [Consumers don't think how they feel. 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