Ogilvy’s message to fundraisers

Some time toward the end of his long career, ad-man David Ogilvy recorded this message to direct marketers:

(Or view it here on YouTube.)

He’s talking to us, fellow fundraisers.

Because we use direct response to pursue our goals, we are almost immeasurably smarter than those glamorous, over-paid advertising people:

You Direct Response people know what kind of advertising works, and what doesn’t work. You know to a dollar. The General Advertising people don’t know…. The chasm between Direct Response advertising and General Advertising is wide. On your side of the chasm, I see knowledge and reality. On the other side of the chasm, I see ignorance.

The smart ad people are sitting at the feet of direct marketers learning how to actually influence behavior and make money. The dumb ones are trying to persuade you that you need an expensive new brand.

Show them this video. Tell them to come back after they’ve figured it out.

Thanks to Copyblogger for the tip.