This is a famous quote attributed to American author Henry Ford. The quote suggests that stopping advertising in order to save money is a counterproductive strategy because advertising is a critical component of a successful business strategy.

Advertising helps businesses to build brand awareness, reach new customers, and communicate the benefits of their products or services. By stopping advertising, a business could potentially lose out on valuable opportunities to reach its target audience, which could lead to decreased sales and revenue in the long run.

The comparison to stopping your watch to save time is a metaphorical way of emphasizing the point that stopping advertising would not actually save money in the long run, just as stopping your watch would not actually make time go slower. Both actions would be futile and counterproductive.

Only one product can maintain value as everything else is devalued refers to the idea that in a market economy where goods and services are constantly being produced and consumed, the value of most products tends to decrease over time. However, advertising is the one product that can maintain its value because it has the ability to shape consumer behavior and create demand for products.

In other words, while physical products may lose value as they become outdated or are replaced by newer models, advertising has the power to influence consumer perception and convince them that a product is still valuable and relevant.

For example, consider a smartphone that is released today. Over time, as newer and more advanced models are released, the value of this phone will decrease as it becomes outdated. However, if the company invests in advertising that highlights the phone’s unique features and benefits, it may be able to maintain or even increase its value in the eyes of consumers.

Similarly, think of a fast-food chain that introduces a new menu item. Initially, the item may be popular and in demand, but over time, as customers try it and move on to other options, the value of the item may decrease. However, through effective advertising campaigns that emphasize the item’s taste, quality, and affordability, the chain can maintain interest and demand for the product.

In essence, advertising has the power to create perceived value in the eyes of consumers, even when the intrinsic value of the product itself may be decreasing. As a result, advertising can be a valuable and effective tool for businesses looking to maintain or increase the value of their products over time.