This is the most important copywriting framework on the planet.
Plus a free offer for you.
Welcome to Voicemail — a newsletter about copywriting for B2B product marketers who want to bring their messaging to life.
In 2025 I’m reading some of the greatest advertising books ever written, analyzing the shit out of them, and reporting all the insights back to you. If that sounds like your jam, keep reading (it’s free!) or sign up to get these letters delivered right to your inbox.
Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz, originally published in 1966
Long considered THE most influential copywriting book ever published, Breakthrough Advertising is a collection of lessons from one of the greatest copywriters of the 20th century. It’s been called, “the most important book ever written for anyone who markets any product or service in any medium,” by Brian Kurtz (a living copywriting legend).
Reading dates: January-February 2025.
The value of a headline.
I’ve studied copywriting for the better part of a decade. Every single writer who knows what they’re doing agrees: your headline is often the most important thing you write.
Frankly, it’s talked about enough in copywriting circles that it’s hard to isolate. Bob Bly has something to say about headlines. Ogilvy and Sugarman, too.
But, these guys ^ need to sit down and wait their turn. Today we’re digging into what Schwartz has to say. He’s arguably the most important voice to listen to on the topic because he pioneered an idea called The Five Stages of Awareness.
The Five Stages of Awareness
My goal for this newsletter is not to provide basic 100-level copywriting tips. Sure, there will be some of that. But this is a space for nuance.
The Five Stages of Awareness model is a perfect example of a 201-level concept that we’re going to work with. This is probably one of the most important messaging principles you can master — and it’ll change the way you market.
At its core, the idea behind this model is pretty simple: Every purchaser goes through five different stages of “awareness” when making a buying decision:
Unaware: They have no idea they have a desire, nor are they willing to spend money to achieve it.
Problem aware: The reader has a need for what the product does, but doesn’t know there’s a product that can give him what he wants.
Solution aware: The reader has a desire for what your product does, but doesn’t know there’s a product that can give him what he wants.
Product aware: The prospect knows about your product but doesn’t want it yet.
Most aware: The prospect knows about your product and wants it, but just hasn’t gotten around to buying it yet.
However, just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. In fact, I’ve spent the last two weeks wrapping my head around this concept because it’s turned out to be so much more nuanced than I expected.
What I got wrong about this framework before reading Breakthrough Advertising.
For a long time, I assumed that this model followed a traditional narrative flow. First you had to make an audience aware they have a problem, then you have to present your product category as a solution, then you introduce your product… you get the idea.
And that’s true to a point. But I was looking at it too macro. I thought it looked something like this:
Unaware: Don’t know the temperature outside.
Problem aware: Discovering it’s really hot, and looking for a way to cool down.
Solution aware: Narrowing down between going to the pool or getting ice cream.
Product aware: Ice cream comes in multiple flavors. The pool comes in chlorine flavor.
Most aware: Ice cream costs $2.99 per cone.
It’s kind of easy to think that this ☝️ is the way it works, especially based on the names of these categories.
In reality though, this framework isn’t about helping your audience discover a problem — it’s about the helping them name their desire and recognize your product as a way of fulfilling it.
That would look something more like this:
Unaware: I only eat healthy food.
Problem aware: My picnic is missing pièce de résistance, but I don’t know what that is or where to get it.
Solution aware: I love ice cream. I’m craving something sweet, but I don’t want to go overboard.
Product aware: A new ice cream place opened up last summer. It’s 10 minutes away. I haven’t had the chance to go yet. It has “healthy” branding. Doesn’t really seem special.
Most aware: There’s an ice cream place in our neighborhood is interesting. I followed them on Instagram and it turns out it’s all whole-fruit sorbets without any added sugars. It’s basically like eating a basket of berries. There’s not a lot of calories and it’s really healthy, but you still get the indulgent feel of ice cream.
See what I mean here? This isn’t necessarily linear messaging around an arbitrary problem. It’s messaging around an audience’s underlying desire (in this case to eat a balanced diet without feeling restricted).
What does this have to do with headlines?
Good question. The answer is, “everything.”
Your headline is the most important part of any ad you write because it’s the thing that grabs a reader’s attention. Every single copywriter we read this year is going to say something to the effect of “Your headline’s only job is to convince people to read the next line of your copy.”
But saying it’s important is one thing. Actually knowing how to write a headline that captures attention is another.
Sure, there are writing tips and tricks. You have to know how to write a hook. We’ll cover more of that later this year.
But before any of the writing happens, you have to know what to say. And that’s why Schwartz’ framework is so god damn powerful.
Here are some example headlines you could write at every stage in the audience’s journey:
Unaware: I only eat healthy food. —> “How Gym Bros Satisfy Their Sweet Tooth While Still Sticking To Their Daily Macros”
Problem aware: My picnic is missing pièce de résistance, but I don’t know what that is or where to get it. —> “Like Berries, But Better”
Solution aware: I love ice cream. I’m craving something sweet. —> “Sweet, Without Any Of The Sin”
Product aware: A new ice cream place opened up around the corner last summer. It’s 10 minutes away. I haven’t had the chance to go yet. It has “healthy” branding. —> “Whole-Fruit Ice Cream Made By Your Neighbors”
Most aware: There’s an ice cream place in our neighborhood that always a line outside. I followed them on Instagram and it turns out it’s all whole-fruit sorbets without any added sugars. It’s basically like eating a basket of berries. There’s not a lot of calories and it’s really healthy, but you still get the indulgent feel of ice cream. —> “Buy One Get One Free — This Weekend Only!”
The key takeaway from the Five Stages is this: It’s a tool for helping you understand how aware someone is of their desire and your product’s ability to fulfill it, not necessarily the product itself.
Is your head spinning?
This is complex stuff, I know. It’s tricky and nuanced. And while you’ve signed up for this newsletter specifically to learn the deeper ins and outs of messaging, this concept requires some practice to fully get it.
So, my suggestion is to carve some time out for yourself to actually play around with it. Take an hour and answer these questions:
What is my audience’s mass desire? What are the forces of nature shaping their current desires? (Read this blog to learn more about that)
How aware are they of that desire? Is it something they’re actively trying to fix? Or something that’s simmering under the surface?
Hit reply and let me know what roadblocks come up. I’d love to help.
Interested in a live workshop on messaging?
As I was writing this newsletter, it dawned on me that some of you might appreciate a dedicated 90-minute time period to sit down and work through your messaging in a guided manner.
I’m a BIG fan of structured workshops (so much so that I rarely have unstructured meetings with clients anymore). And I love facilitating them.
So I thought I’d propose an idea: I’m happy to host a small roundtable where we work through your company’s messaging together using Schwartz’ framework.
You’ll get time to sit down and think about your messaging without a Slack message pulling you away — and you’ll come out of it with a couple of messaging concepts to present to your CEO.
If this ^ sounds like something you’re interested in, hit reply and let me know. This first workshop would be free and would likely take place at the end of Q1.
Up next: Market sophistication
So far we’ve covered the core concepts of Schwartz’ first two chapters:
The goal of advertising isn’t to create desire, it’s to take pre-existing desires and show how your product satisfies it.
How to find the main concept behind your message (aka the thing you want people to remember about your product).
How to determine your audience’s stage of awareness around the desire (this post).
My next letter will dig into Schwartz’ third chapter, which is all about market sophistication. It’s the idea that your message needs to change as your market becomes more aware of your product category.
Personally, I think this concept gets overlooked a bit in the world of B2B — but it’s something that’s changing a lot right now as buyers understand what goes into buying enterprise tech.
Keep your eyes open for the next edition.
Stuff I’m digging from other people this week.
I’m a huge fan of Jon Itken, and massively respect his take that strategy isn’t strategy until it’s out in the market.
Collin Mayjack had a great post about why most B2B comparison pages suck from a user’s perspective.
Stuff I’ve been writing this week.
Brand voice doesn’t have to punch you in the face — here’s how my US tax advisor uses it and why it matters.
If you like any of these, I’d massively appreciate a thumb’s up and/or a comment. It’s the easiest way to help more people see what I’m doing. 🙏
Thank you for being here. ✨
I know your inbox is crowded, and I take your subscription seriously. It’s truly an honor to be part of your world.
I hope this new content format — analyzing the shit out of the greats and talking about marketing first principles — resonates. As a subscriber you’ll get deeper dives than I can put on LinkedIn, plus you’ll get the insights first (all of the lessons from today’s letter are going out on LinkedIn in a few weeks!).
If you have any feedback, ideas, questions, or suggestions, hit reply and let me know. I want this to be the best damn marketing newsletter you read every week, and 2025 is the year of leveling it up.
Appreciate you. Have a great weekend.
Hi Grace! Thank you for digging into this. I’m looking forward to more. I think breakdowns like this of complex material makes a huge difference in someone’s ability to apply it. I’ll be tuning in from here and if you decide to do a structured workshop, I’d be interested in joining. Thank you 🙏