Schwartz’s most famous contribution is the framework for identifying where a prospect stands in relation to your product. Your headline must match this stage to be effective.

They know solutions exist, but they haven't bought yet.

: Headlines must hook by speaking to dominant desire or state of awareness; leads should intensify that hook and transition to body copy.

: The customer doesn't even know they have a problem. Copy here focuses on symptoms or broad desires.

Schwartz introduced the concept of , which refers to how many similar products have been offered to the audience before. As a market matures, prospects become more skeptical, requiring advertisers to evolve their approach: