--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know half the money I spend on…" description: "\"I know half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half.\" — John Wanamaker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/john-wanamaker-25174_advertising_i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-adverti_1741224.png" --- # I know half the money I spend on advertising is wasted… ![“I know half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half.” quote by John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/john-wanamaker-25174_advertising_i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-adverti_1741224.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/john-wanamaker-25174_advertising_i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-adverti_1741224.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/john-wanamaker-25174_advertising_i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-adverti_1741224.png) > “I know half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half.” [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advertising budgets often waste money, but pinpointing the exact waste is elusive. **In simple terms:** Advertising waste is hard to measure. Key Takeaway Focus on testing and tracking. Themes advertising budgeting efficiency Mood analytical pragmatic Type business marketing When to use this quote - campaign planning - media buying - budget reviews Key Concepts marketing analytics ROI uncertainty Questions to Reflect On - How can you improve measurement? - What metrics matter most? A Different Perspective Data limitations can mask true performance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Advertising Wasted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising-wasted-1521398/) [Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend/) [Spend Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-advertising-872415/) [Wasted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasted/) [Wasted Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasted-half-1521399/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) ## Related quotes > [Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hesketh-lever/half-the-money-i-spend-on-advertising-is-wasted-the-trouble-is-i-don-2/) [William Hesketh Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hesketh-lever/) > [Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half. Advertising is the most fun you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/half-the-money-i-spend-on-advertising-is-wasted-the-trouble-is-i-don/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [Why Should I Waste More Of My Time Wit You If I Already Wasted Half Of My Life With You When You Didnt Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/why-should-i-waste-more-of-my-time-wit-you-if-i-already-wasted-half/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myself/) > [I don't think she understands the sacrifices that I made. Maybe if this b\*tch had acted right I would've stayed but I've already wasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/i-don-t-think-she-understands-the-sacrifices-that-i-made-maybe-if/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [It breaks your heart when you throw something away, but it's what left that counts. It's like worrying about the bits of rock you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/it-breaks-your-heart-when-you-throw-something-away-but-it-s-what-left/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [We tell the for-profit sector, 'Spend, spend, spend on advertising until the last dollar no longer produces a penny of value,' but we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pallotta/we-tell-the-for-profit-sector-spend-spend-spend-on-advertising-until/) [Dan Pallotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pallotta/) > [“The most advertised commodity is not always intrinsically the best; but is sometimes merely the product of a company, with plenty of money to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-post/the-most-advertised-commodity-is-not-always-intrinsically-the-best/) [Emily Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-post/) > [If you use your money to create exceptional products and services, you won't need to spend it on advertising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-use-your-money-to-create-exceptional-products-and-services-you/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I have loved colours, and not flowers;Their motion, not the swallows wings;And wasted more than half my hoursWithout the comradeship of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-symons/i-have-loved-colours-and-not-flowers-their-motion-not-the-swallows/) [Arthur Symons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-symons/) > [I don't think she understands the sacrifices that I made Maybe if this b\*tch had acted right I would've stayed But I've already wasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asking-alexander/i-don-t-think-she-understands-the-sacrifices-that-i-made-maybe-if-2/) [Asking Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asking-alexander/) > [You know your getting older when you lay in bed til 10am and think to yourself god I just wasted half the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-engvall/you-know-your-getting-older-when-you-lay-in-bed-til-10am-and-think-to/) [Bill Engvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-engvall/) > [Why Should I waste More Of My Time WIth You , If I Already Wasted Half Of My Life With You , When You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/why-should-i-waste-more-of-my-time-with-you-if-i-already-wasted-half/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myself/) > [“Candidate: Well, this is really interesting. So far we’ve established that digital advertising is the spending category that’s growing, and the most recent information…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cheng/candidate-well-this-is-really-interesting-so-far-we-ve-established/) [Victor Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cheng/) > [Most people don't have the money to spend on advertising to create awareness among readers, nor do they have the contacts at newspapers or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/most-people-don-t-have-the-money-to-spend-on-advertising-to-create/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [For every $1 advertisers spend advertising something healthful like apples, they spend $500 advertising junk food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-patel/for-every-1-advertisers-spend-advertising-something-healthful-like/) [Raj Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-patel/) ## More by John Wanamaker > [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/) > [A man's not doing much until the cause he works for possesses all there is of him. Desire, when harnessed, is power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/a-man-s-not-doing-much-until-the-cause-he-works-for-possesses-all/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [When a customer enters my store, forget me. He is king.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/when-a-customer-enters-my-store-forget-me-he-is-king/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [Let those who follow me continue to build with the plumb of honor, the level of truth, and the square of integrity, education, courtesy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/let-those-who-follow-me-continue-to-build-with-the-plumb-of-honor-the/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [Nothing comes merely by thinking about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/nothing-comes-merely-by-thinking-about-it/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [Many persons have an idea that one cannot be in business and lead an upright life, whereas the truth is that no one succeeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/many-persons-have-an-idea-that-one-cannot-be-in-business-and-lead-an/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [I cannot too greatly emphasize the importance and value of Bible study - more important than ever before in these days of uncertainties, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/i-cannot-too-greatly-emphasize-the-importance-and-value-of-bible/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [Confidence! Confidence! Confidence! That is your capital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/confidence-confidence-confidence-that-is-your-capital/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [No mistake or failure is as bad as to stop and not try again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/no-mistake-or-failure-is-as-bad-as-to-stop-and-not-try-again/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [Courtesies cannot be borrowed like snow shovels; you must have some of your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/courtesies-cannot-be-borrowed-like-snow-shovels-you-must-have-some-of/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [I learned 30 years ago that it is foolish to scold. I have enough trouble overcoming my own limitations without fretting over the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/i-learned-30-years-ago-that-it-is-foolish-to-scold-i-have-enough/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [I know that half of my advertising dollars are wasted ... I just don't know which half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/i-know-that-half-of-my-advertising-dollars-are-wasted-i-just-don-t/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [“I learned thirty years ago that it is foolish to scold. I have enough trouble overcoming my own limitations without fretting over the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/i-learned-thirty-years-ago-that-it-is-foolish-to-scold-i-have-enough/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [Courtesy is the one coin you can never have too much of or be stingy with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/courtesy-is-the-one-coin-you-can-never-have-too-much-of-or-be-stingy/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [If we could only make our hands move as actively as our tongues, what wonders we could accomplish! Almost everyone loves to hear his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/if-we-could-only-make-our-hands-move-as-actively-as-our-tongues-what/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) [Explore all 22 John Wanamaker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) ## 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": "I know half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Wanamaker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-advertising-is-wasted-but-i-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advertising" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-advertising-is-wasted-but-i-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/john-wanamaker-25174_advertising_i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-adverti_1741224.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/john-wanamaker-25174_advertising_i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-adverti_1741224.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/john-wanamaker-25174_advertising_i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-adverti_1741224.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half.” — John Wanamaker", "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": "John Wanamaker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I know half the money I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-advertising-is-wasted-but-i-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/i-know-half-the-money-i-spend-on-advertising-is-wasted-but-i-can/#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 } } ] } ```