Book SummaryBreakthrough Advertising, by Eugene M. Schwartz

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Breakthrough Advertising

In the best-selling classic Breakthrough Advertising (1966), renowned copywriter Eugene M. Schwartz offers timeless advice for crafting persuasive advertisements that convince customers to buy your products.

Schwartz (1927-1995) authored 10 books and specialized in direct-response advertising, creating phenomenally successful campaigns and writing some of the most memorable advertising lines of his time. His copywriting principles and work routine [continue to be...

Breakthrough Advertising Summary Why You Need a Captivating Headline

According to Schwartz, the headline is the first and most important component of the advertisement that you should work on. This is because a headline serves three purposes:

1) It captures attention by making a dramatic statement or inspiring curiosity. For example, “If you don’t read this, you’ll lose $1,000 this year,” or, “The money-saving secret fuel companies don’t want you to know.”

(Shortform note: Research backs up the necessity of provoking interest or stimulating curiosity with your headline: The average attention span is just 8.25 seconds. If you don’t engage people’s attention within this time, they’ll automatically switch their attention to something else and you’ll lose your chance of appealing to them.)

2) It resonates with what customers want and promises to fulfill a specific need. Customers rely on headlines to judge whether the advertisement’s copy is relevant to them and, therefore, worth reading. For example, the headline “Fill your gas tank for half the price,” is highly relevant to...

Breakthrough Advertising Summary Research Area #1: What Customers Want

To create a compelling headline, you must first understand what customers want. Schwartz argues that it’s not possible to convince customers to want something. Instead, you must understand what they already want and figure out a way to frame your product as the only solution to fulfill their needs.

(Shortform note: Psychologists offer a contrasting opinion: You can convince customers to want something. This is due to the mere exposure effect—the premise that the more often you’re exposed to something, the more you like it. Research suggests that regular exposure makes a product easier to interpret and reduces the uncertainty you feel about it—thus increasing your confidence in it. Your increased confidence influences you to want this item. However, the mere exposure effect doesn’t work for things you initially dislike—it tends to only work if your initial reaction to something is neutral or positive. For example, if you dislike comic books, regular exposure to advertisements is unlikely to make you want to read them.)

Schwartz claims that you can effectively frame your product by following a two-step...

Breakthrough Advertising Summary Research Area #2: Customer Awareness of Your Product

Once you’ve chosen the specific customer need your headline will target, find out how much they already know about and feel like they need your product. This will help you determine what type of information you should put in your headline to capture attention.

According to Schwartz, customers move through five different levels of awareness as they learn more about your product. Each level of awareness determines how much information you must provide in the headline to get customers to consider your sales pitch.

(Shortform note: Seth Godin (Purple Cow) expands on why you should pay attention to customer awareness levels. Knowing exactly what customers already know about your product makes it easier to understand their perspective—how they judge your product. This understanding helps you frame your content in a way that engages and educates customers. For example, customers unaware of a product’s purpose don’t understand its value—so, when you show them the price up front, they might judge it as overpriced. However, when you know that customers...

Breakthrough Advertising Summary Research Area #3: Customer Awareness of Your Competitors’ Products

Once you’ve figured out what your customers want and how aware they are of your product, find out how aware customers are of competitive products. This will help you determine how much emphasis to place on distinguishing your product from similar versions in the market.

Let’s explore Schwartz’s advice for distinguishing your product for two different types of customers:

1. Customers who are unaware of competitive products
2. Customers who are aware of competitive products

Customer Group #1: Unaware of Competitive Products

According to Schwartz, if customers aren’t aware of similar versions of your product, your headline should be as simple and direct as possible. For example, “Finally, an effortless way to find love!”

(Shortform note: Schwartz implies that having no competition makes it easier to attract customers. While there’s some truth to the claim, William M. Luther (The Marketing Plan) warns that there are higher costs involved in marketing a product that faces no competition. He explains that...

Breakthrough Advertising Summary Write Persuasive Copy

We’ve just discussed three areas of customer research that will help you craft a compelling headline. The next part of creating an effective advertisement involves writing copy that builds on and reinforces the message in your headline. Schwartz offers four strategies for achieving this.

Copy Strategy #1: Evoke Customers’ Aspirations

Schwartz suggests that you consider the type of person your customers aspire to be or the lifestyle they want to have. Then, convince them that they’re very unlike this aspirational self because they’re missing something. Finally, show them how your product will help them feel, become, or appear more like the person they dream of becoming. This is effective because when you provoke a feeling of dissatisfaction, you prime customers to actively seek a solution. This makes it easier for you to convince them that your product is the “missing” thing that can “fix” them or enable them to truly become the person they aspire to be.

For example, include statements such as, “Aren’t you sick of always being the single one at parties?” and, “With this app, you’ll easily find someone that makes your friends jealous!”

(Shortform note: Kaufman...

Shortform Exercise: Conduct Customer Research and Create a Headline

Schwartz argues that the key to creating a captivating headline lies in researching what customers want, how aware they are of your product, and how aware they are of competitors’ products. Conduct your own customer research and create a headline as a first step toward creating a successful advertisement.

Describe your product. List the materials used to create the product, any technical specifications, the aesthetic details, and different ways customers might choose to use it.