The best investment I almost didn't make ... [🐝U]

The most expensive book I ever bought is also the one that’s made me the most money.

& no, it’s not a rare, signed, or a collectible … it’s “just” a marketing book.

Books have a built-in assumed value, like everything else.

You see a $20 vs $175 price tag & your brain immediately makes a judgement:
“I’d never spend that much on a book”

I choked on my coffee when I saw the $175 (+ international shipping) price tag.
& I kept putting it off … for years!

Here’s the thing … I did end up spending about 10x that on books, programs, & stuff that’s still collecting dust. Sound familiar?

When I finally clicked buy, I half-expected “buyer’s remorse”. What I got instead was a rabbit hole that still paying me dividends, years later

I learned that value isn’t in the price. It’s in what you actually use, the ideas you apply, & the results you get.

You saw some of Breakthrough Advertising’s value with the Levels of Awareness breakdown.

Today, we’re going a step further with the other half of that conversation. We’re going from what your prospect’s thinking to what’s happening around them in the market.

That’s Market Sophistication

Think of it like this:
→ Levels of Awareness = how much your prospect understands THEIR problem & your solution
→ Market Sophistication = how much your competition’s promised them, shown them … & disappointed them.

Every competitor message your customer sees & hears shapes how they view yours.

If you speak as though you’re introducing a brand-new idea, but the industry’s got 100 more like it, you’ll sound out of touch.
(like introducing yourself & sharing hobbies to your best friend since kindergarten)

& if you talk like you’re late to the party but the market’s still new, you’ll confuse & overwhelm them.
(like asking someone to marry you right after you meet them in line at a coffee shop)

The greater the market sophistication, the harder your message has to work. It’s not by shouting louder, but by being smarter & more relevant.

Eugene Schwartz breaks this evolution into 5 stages in Breakthrough Advertising. He shows you how messaging shifts as a market moves from “brand-new” to “crowded” & even “over it”.

Understanding these stages helps you position your message & stand out from the competition.

Level 1: 1st to Market

What’s happening:
A brand-new solution enters the market. No one’s seen anything like it before. People didn’t even realize something like this could exist.

How marketers talk to prospects:
You make a simple claim introducing your product & what it does.
Your goal is to say, “this is possible”

Example (using AI):
When ChatGPT first launched, the messaging was simple:

“Talk to Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can answer your questions”

No need to convince people it was better because the novelty was the message

Once a category’s known & competitors start entering, being new isn’t enough. That’s where stage 2 comes in.

Level 2: 2nd to Market

What’s happening:
Competition starts entering the space. People know this type of product exists, so saying what it does isn’t enough. Now you’re showing how you’re different.

How marketers talk to prospects:
Here you emphasize superiority. You’re faster / cheaper / smarter / more accurate / etc.
The messaging moves from “what your product does” to “why ours does it best”

Example (using AI):
When alternatives to ChatGPT came out, the messaging changed:

“Our AI writes content 5x faster … with built-in fact-checking”

The promise went from existence → advantage

When everyone’s claiming the same thing, we start to tune out. Stage 3’s all about cutting through the noise.

Level 3: Market Saturation (Feature Wars)

What’s happening:
At this point, the market’s starting to get crowded.
& because everyone saying the same thing & making similar claims, consumers are tuning out. They’ve heard it all before.

How marketers talk to prospects:
Your solution here is to dramatize your promise. You focus your message on mechanisms & unique processes. Instead of saying “faster”, you explain how it’s faster.

This is where storytelling & proof become an essential part of your messaging.

Example (using AI):

“Powered by a hybrid GPT + custom dataset that’s trained on your brand voice … so your AI writes like you do”

See how the message shifts from “what” to “how”?

After repeated claims & over-promises that don’t deliver, we get skeptical. This is where most marketers I know start to burn out. They’ve got ideas & a valuable product, but the audience doesn’t seem to care anymore.

Stage 4’s about trust, experience, & identity.

Level 4: Market Maturity (Skepticism)

What’s happening:
At this stage, your audience has “seen it all”. They’ve even gotten burned or disappointed after trying some options. They’re now skeptical of the big promises.

How marketers talk to prospects:
Others flex features while you soften claims & focus on an experience, community, & results. Instead of promising more performance, you show how it fits into their lives & values. You talk about their deeper benefits.

Example (using AI):

“Finally, AI you can actually trust. Built for real writers, not spammers.”

Now you’re speaking to their frustration & identity, it’s NOT about the features.

When a category feels exhausted & overplayed, breathe new life into it That happens with either a fresh story or a new audience.

Level 5: Reviving a “Dead” Product

What’s happening:
By the time the market hits level 5, they’re exhausted. The offer feels overplayed & people assume they already know everything about it.

This is the hardest place to sell from because you’re trying to bring life back into a “dead” product.

How marketers talk to prospects:
At this point, it’s all about reframing the category. You have to find a new angle, audience, or cultural relevance. That means the product doesn’t change, your story does.

Example (using AI):

“AI doesn’t replace you … it collaborates with you.”

Your reframe flips a tired concept (“AI replaces humans”) into a new narrative that renews interest.

& in finding a new audience …
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda went from:
→ a baking ingredient to
→ a deodorizer (in your fridge, carpet, & shoes) to
→ toothpaste, & even
→ a cleaning agent!

… talk about reviving a “dead” product!

Understanding the Levels of Awareness & the Market Sophistication is the first step.

The tricky part is seeing how they interact in real markets, spotting the exceptions. You want to know where your business (& audience) sits so you can separate theory from results.

Putting this together isn’t as easy as it sounds.

On the surface, it looks pretty straightforward:
→ know your audience
→ see the market’s antics
→ position your message

In reality, each stage has nuances, exceptions, & traps. These insights become obvious when you dig deeper into the source material (at least a few times)

Once you see the patterns, you’ll get why some products soar while others do face plants … & how the right framing at the right time completely changes the game.

That’s exactly why reading this newsletter once isn’t enough.

Schwartz’s frameworks are deceptively simple on the page. In the real world, each stage comes with more twists, traps, & surprises like a long-running story you can’t miss.

You don’t truly understand until you learn to spot them & start applying them …

Imagine spotting patterns your competition’s missing. Or the power in knowing exactly how to frame a message that lands. Think of all the costly mistakes you avoid before they happen.

That’s what Breakthrough Advertising does … when you dig in, experiment, & connect the dots.

That $175 scared me. Now I wish I’d invested in it sooner.

I know promote “free first” but there’s too much value in the book that doesn’t fit in a newsletter, even if I triple the length.

Unfortunately, you’ll never see Breakthrough Advertising in libraries.
They stopped carrying it because copies kept getting stolen! ← true story!

The USED book sells on eBay for $3-400 … & new on Amazon for $750!

My recommendation … get a NEW copy for a LOT less from the only person with the rights to sell … with & a bunch of bonuses those eBay & Amazon folks are missing out on.

If you do have it, it’s time to start re-reading it.

But if you're like me, the real A-HA moments happen seeing frameworks in action live … applied to current campaigns … with guidance & exercises making everything click … faster & with fewer costly mistakes.

Funny thing … this “expensive” $175 book … turned out to be dirt cheap compared to what it’s still earning me from the attention, trust, & timing lessons

Now I realize the real cost was in the time (& money) lost chasing things that fit my bias on what I though value was.

Want to go deeper?

When I first read Breakthrough Advertising, I understood the words but not the weight of them. People usually use the word “dense” in describing the book. That’s not because it’s hard to read … it’s not a college dissertation.

It wasn’t until I saw how “reading between the lines” & the frameworks in action that things started to “click”

Funny thing … I thought I was buying information. Turned out I was buying perspective.

That’s where the Breakthrough Advertising Bootcamp comes in.

If you’ve ever read something brilliant but couldn’t quite figure out how to use it … you’ll love what happens inside this bootcamp.

Starting October 20th & over a handful of live sessions during 2 weeks, you get:
→ take a deep dive into the frameworks
→ see them in current real-world examples
→ apply fast & easy-to-do exercises immediately in your business
→ spot nuances your competition’s missing
→ avoid costly mistakes before they happen

It’s not just reviewing the book materials in live sessions only to leave you to figure it out for yourself.

It’s a lot more interactive & practical than any of those $1,000+ live sessions out there. You start spotting those nuances so you stand out while your competition blends in …because they’re in the choir & you’re the soloist.

Think of it as a shortcut to mastering the frameworks without learning the hard way at a fraction of the price.

Bootcamp’s the most approachable, practical way to learn about & use Eugene’s frameworks. Yes, I used an “absolute”. I don’t think it … I know it.

That’s why I’m sitting in again.
Every time I sit in there’s 1 specific client or product I focus on.
I leverage the collective skills & experience from the group

You can’t go to the gym once by yourself & lose those 25 pounds.
You can’t buy the guitar & expect to get on stage & play a solo like Eddie Van Halen.

This is no different.
& here’s the bonus you’re getting when you join me in the bootcamp … aside from the forever access to all the materials …

Making it all click without the imposter syndrome

The first 10 people to register (with this link) & tell me, join a small, private group-study.

You have more 1-on1 time to unpack the exercises, ask questions, & get clarity … without feeling intimidated by 100+ attendees … some already earning over 6-figures.

Think of it as your shortcut to understanding (& applying!) the material in real time, with a group of supportive people exactly where you are now.

If you haven’t read the book, that’s OK. You don’t need it for the Bootcamp.

But you DO need those frameworks to get a lock on what your audience is thinking & how to stand out from what your competition’s saying.

Make it a great “breakthrough“ week!
EG

PS:
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📈 Want to talk about Breakthrough Advertising for your business?
Find a time that fits your schedule.