--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It follows that unless your headline…" description: "\"It follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money...\" — David Ogilvy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/david-ogilvy-1326_copywriting_it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sel_2227995.png" --- # It follows that unless your headline sells your product… ![“It follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money...” quote by David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/david-ogilvy-1326_copywriting_it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sel_2227995.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/david-ogilvy-1326_copywriting_it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sel_2227995.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/david-ogilvy-1326_copywriting_it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sel_2227995.png) > “It follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money...” [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. If a headline fails to sell, most of the marketing budget is wasted; headline effectiveness is crucial. **In simple terms:** Bad headlines waste money. Key Takeaway Craft compelling headlines. Themes marketing advertising copywriting ROI Mood business analytical Type practical motivational When to use this quote - product launches - advertising campaigns - digital marketing - sales funnels Key Concepts branding psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you test headline impact? - What elements make a headline persuasive? A Different Perspective A strong headline alone may not guarantee sales. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [90 Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/90-percent/) [Copywriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copywriting/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Headline Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headline-sells-5000729/) [Headlines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headlines/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Product Wasted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/product-wasted-2914129/) [Products](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/products/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) [Unless Headline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unless-headline-5000731/) [Wasted 90](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasted-90-5000730/) ## Related quotes > [“A life without product is a wasted life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/a-life-without-product-is-a-wasted-life/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The consumer isn't a moron; she is your wife. You insult her intelligence if you assume that a mere slogan and a few vapid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/the-consumer-isn-t-a-moron-she-is-your-wife-you-insult-her/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/on-the-average-five-times-as-many-people-read-the-headlines-as-read/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Consumers do not buy products. They buy product benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/consumers-do-not-buy-products-they-buy-product-benefits/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [“Good first impressions…are good for business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cs-edit/good-first-impressions-are-good-for-business/) [CS-Edit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cs-edit/) > [Don't confuse visibility with credibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/don-t-confuse-visibility-with-credibility/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [Cindy is a terrific writer and has both a studied - and an intuitive - understanding of the best practices of no-hype, high results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-slaunwhite/cindy-is-a-terrific-writer-and-has-both-a-studied-and-an-intuitive/) [Steve Slaunwhite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-slaunwhite/) > [Sometimes the most important job advertising can do, is to clarify the obvious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chiat/sometimes-the-most-important-job-advertising-can-do-is-to-clarify-the/) [Jay Chiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chiat/) > [Before you put pen to paper, before you ring for your stenographer, decide in your own mind what effect you want to produce on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-collier/before-you-put-pen-to-paper-before-you-ring-for-your-stenographer/) [Robert Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-collier/) > [The copywriter uses words as tools to persuade and motivate an audience. You persuade your readers that you have something valuable to offer; you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bayan/the-copywriter-uses-words-as-tools-to-persuade-and-motivate-an/) [Richard Bayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bayan/) > [“Effective content marketing is about mastering the art of storytelling. Facts tell, but stories sell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-eisenberg/effective-content-marketing-is-about-mastering-the-art-of/) [Bryan Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-eisenberg/) > [Creativity can solve almost any problem,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lois/creativity-can-solve-almost-any-problem/) [George Lois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lois/) > [People aren't interested in you. They're interested in themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/people-aren-t-interested-in-you-they-re-interested-in-themselves/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [You must make the product interesting, not just make the ad different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosser-reeves/you-must-make-the-product-interesting-not-just-make-the-ad-different/) [Rosser Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosser-reeves/) > [Advertising is like learning - a little is a dangerous thing. If a man has not the pluck to keep on advertising, all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/advertising-is-like-learning-a-little-is-a-dangerous-thing-if-a-man/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) ## 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/) > [Consumers don't think how they feel. They don't say what they think and they don't do what they say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/consumers-don-t-think-how-they-feel-they-don-t-say-what-they-think/) [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/) [Explore all 255 David Ogilvy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) ## More Copywriting quotes > [“Good first impressions…are good for business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cs-edit/good-first-impressions-are-good-for-business/) [CS-Edit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cs-edit/) > [You must make the product interesting, not just make the ad different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosser-reeves/you-must-make-the-product-interesting-not-just-make-the-ad-different/) [Rosser Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosser-reeves/) > [On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/on-the-average-five-times-as-many-people-read-the-headlines-as-read/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [People aren't interested in you. They're interested in themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/people-aren-t-interested-in-you-they-re-interested-in-themselves/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Creativity can solve almost any problem,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lois/creativity-can-solve-almost-any-problem/) [George Lois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lois/) > [“Effective content marketing is about mastering the art of storytelling. Facts tell, but stories sell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-eisenberg/effective-content-marketing-is-about-mastering-the-art-of/) [Bryan Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-eisenberg/) > [The copywriter uses words as tools to persuade and motivate an audience. You persuade your readers that you have something valuable to offer; you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bayan/the-copywriter-uses-words-as-tools-to-persuade-and-motivate-an/) [Richard Bayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bayan/) > [Before you put pen to paper, before you ring for your stenographer, decide in your own mind what effect you want to produce on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-collier/before-you-put-pen-to-paper-before-you-ring-for-your-stenographer/) [Robert Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-collier/) > [Sometimes the most important job advertising can do, is to clarify the obvious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chiat/sometimes-the-most-important-job-advertising-can-do-is-to-clarify-the/) [Jay Chiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chiat/) > [Cindy is a terrific writer and has both a studied - and an intuitive - understanding of the best practices of no-hype, high results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-slaunwhite/cindy-is-a-terrific-writer-and-has-both-a-studied-and-an-intuitive/) [Steve Slaunwhite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-slaunwhite/) > [Don't confuse visibility with credibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/don-t-confuse-visibility-with-credibility/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [Consumers do not buy products. They buy product benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/consumers-do-not-buy-products-they-buy-product-benefits/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [The consumer isn't a moron; she is your wife. You insult her intelligence if you assume that a mere slogan and a few vapid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/the-consumer-isn-t-a-moron-she-is-your-wife-you-insult-her/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Advertising is like learning - a little is a dangerous thing. If a man has not the pluck to keep on advertising, all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/advertising-is-like-learning-a-little-is-a-dangerous-thing-if-a-man/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [“For a lie to add piquancy to a story the story would be factual. Fantasy needs no lie to stimulate or excite. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kemp/for-a-lie-to-add-piquancy-to-a-story-the-story-would-be-factual/) [Daniel Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kemp/) [Browse all 21 Copywriting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copywriting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money...", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Ogilvy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sells-your-product-you-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Copywriting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sells-your-product-you-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/david-ogilvy-1326_copywriting_it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sel_2227995.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/david-ogilvy-1326_copywriting_it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sel_2227995.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/david-ogilvy-1326_copywriting_it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sel_2227995.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money...” — 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": "It follows that unless your headline...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sells-your-product-you-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-follows-that-unless-your-headline-sells-your-product-you-have/#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 } } ] } ```