What Music Brands Can Learn from David Ogilvy’s Principles of Advertising

Timeless Advice That Will Elevate Your Ad Concepts.

David Ogilvy was one of the original “Madmen” creating brilliant ad campaigns for Rolls-Royce, American Express and IBM. Forty years later, his insights into the creative process can guide and direct any advertising for music brands.

1. Don’t trust a committee for approval.

Much of the messy advertising you see today is the product of committees. Committees can criticize, but they should never be allowed to create. –David Ogilvy

You will never get consensus from a committee. They will dilute your concept or even kill your great idea. Steve Wozniak’s idea for a “personal computer” was rejected by Hewlett-Packard five times—and then he connected with Steve Jobs. Trust your intuition and move forward boldly.

2. Use clear, easily understood language.

Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon. –David Ogilvy

Jargon and clichés clutter our language. We need to filter out the verbal garbage and speak clearly. Here are just a few samples.

Stop saying think outside the box, just—think. And what does value proposition really mean? Don’t move the needle; just make your campaign better. If you want to communicate effectively in the music industry, speak with meaningful phrases.

3. Use marketing to create unique brands.

There isn’t any significant difference between the various brands of whiskey, or cigarettes or beer. They are all about the same… The manufacturer who dedicates his advertising to building the most sharply defined personality for his brand will get the largest share of the market at the highest profit. –David Ogilvy

Consider the guitar universe: Wikipedia lists 171 different guitar brands. And if you factor in the variety of models from each company, there are thousands of guitars on the market—many with similar styles and sounds. The only way to stand out in an over-saturated music marketplace is to create a distinct and unique brand through your marketing.

4. Use web metrics to create more effective ads.

Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving. –David Ogilvy

Solid metrics will turn your music marketing efforts into science, rather than mystery. Here a few of the most basic considerations. Total visits to your website is a good measure to understand if your advertising is driving traffic. If the ad campaign is solid, traffic should increase. Channel-specific traffic will let you know if your desired audience is coming to your site. Metrics will give you valuable feedback to refine and improve your ad campaigns.

5. Hire talented people.

Hire people who are better than you are; then leave them to get on with it. Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine. –David Ogilvy

Being an expert in the music manufacturing business does not make you an expert in music marketing. Building guitars is a specific skill that takes decades to perfect—marketing your music product is just as nuanced and complex. Seek out the very best advertising professionals to create inspiring creative.