--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It doesn't matter how many people you…" description: "\"It doesn't matter how many people you offend, as long as you're getting your message to your consumers. I say to those people who do not want to offend..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/phil-knight-3238_advertising_it-doesn-t-matter-how-many-people-you-of_3202540.jpg" --- # It doesn't matter how many people you offend, as long as… ![“It doesn't matter how many people you offend, as long as you're getting your message to your consumers. I say to those people who do not want to offend anybody: You are going to have a very, very difficult time having meaningful advertising.” quote by Phil Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/phil-knight-3238_advertising_it-doesn-t-matter-how-many-people-you-of_3202540.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/phil-knight-3238_advertising_it-doesn-t-matter-how-many-people-you-of_3202540.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bff/phil-knight-3238_advertising_it-doesn-t-matter-how-many-people-you-of_3202540.jpg) > “It doesn't matter how many people you offend, as long as you're getting your message to your consumers. I say to those people who do not want to offend anybody: You are going to have a very, very difficult time having meaningful advertising.” [Phil Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-knight/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective advertising may offend, but impact matters more than politeness. **In simple terms:** Message impact outweighs avoiding offense. Key Takeaway Focus on clear, compelling messaging. Themes marketing ethics communication Mood strategic pragmatic Type business ethical When to use this quote - advertising campaigns - media planning - public relations Key Concepts brand strategy consumer psychology Questions to Reflect On - How far should brands go to avoid offense? - What are the risks of provocative messaging? A Different Perspective Offending audiences can damage brand reputation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers/) [Difficult time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-time/) [Difficult times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-times/) [Entrepreneur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneur/) [Knights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knights/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [We want to get people laughing; we don't want to offend anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/we-want-to-get-people-laughing-we-don-t-want-to-offend-anybody/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [We take a lot of care with lyrics because we don't want to offend anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-haley/we-take-a-lot-of-care-with-lyrics-because-we-don-t-want-to-offend/) [Bill Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-haley/) > [“People offend you, irritate you, breathe contempt and malice against you; do not repay them in the same way, but be gentle, meek, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-john-of-kronstadt/people-offend-you-irritate-you-breathe-contempt-and-malice-against/) [St. John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-john-of-kronstadt/) > [I'd rather entertain people than offend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kinison/i-d-rather-entertain-people-than-offend-them/) [Sam Kinison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kinison/) > [ \[M\]ost people offend God by passing judgment on the things others do, especially important people, not knowing the reasons why they are doing what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/m-ost-people-offend-god-by-passing-judgment-on-the-things-others-do/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [I didn't mean to offend anybody. It's my filter. I constantly work on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-shriver/i-didn-t-mean-to-offend-anybody-it-s-my-filter-i-constantly-work-on-it/) [Pam Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-shriver/) > [I'm not trying to offend anybody. There's enough of that. If you want that, you can get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-bargatze/i-m-not-trying-to-offend-anybody-there-s-enough-of-that-if-you-want/) [Nate Bargatze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-bargatze/) > [My secret to comedy is don't offend anybody. Don't offend anybody ever. That's my secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-roiland/my-secret-to-comedy-is-don-t-offend-anybody-don-t-offend-anybody-ever/) [Justin Roiland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-roiland/) > [I'm not going to be a rebel and offend anybody, but I'm not going to live in somebody else's image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-m-not-going-to-be-a-rebel-and-offend-anybody-but-i-m-not-going-to/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I really don't want to offend anybody, but I find all forms of religious fundamentalism frightening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-fern/i-really-don-t-want-to-offend-anybody-but-i-find-all-forms-of/) [Cody Fern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-fern/) > [I don’t care what people think…I learned a long time ago…I was 19 and had a very traumatic experience….and I learned that I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-don-t-care-what-people-think-i-learned-a-long-time-ago-i-was-19-and/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I don't want to offend people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-mizrahi/i-don-t-want-to-offend-people/) [Isaac Mizrahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-mizrahi/) > [I want to offend people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/i-want-to-offend-people/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [If I wouldn't offend my religion or God, why would I want to offend an audience because in effect those people are being watched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-conway/if-i-wouldn-t-offend-my-religion-or-god-why-would-i-want-to-offend-an/) [Tim Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-conway/) > [I don't want to offend or upset people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-madeley/i-don-t-want-to-offend-or-upset-people/) [Chloe Madeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-madeley/) ## More by Phil Knight > [A shoe dog is somebody that really loves shoes, and that was me. 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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. 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