01primary family
Problem / Pain Recognition
Names a frustration, risk, cost, or unwanted state the audience already recognizes.
Observable signals
A specific pain, consequence, or “you are doing this wrong” moment.
It is not
A vague negative statement with no audience-relevant tension.
Specificityfrustrationfear
Illustrative example · analyst interpretation
“If your product photos look flat, check the light before you buy a new camera.”
Adaptation notes
Typical delivery: Talking head, text overlay, reaction
Adapt it: Anchor the pain in a real product truth; keep the problem recognizable, not exaggerated.
02primary family
Curiosity / Open Loop
Signals a relevant answer, reveal, explanation, or next step while withholding it briefly.
Observable signals
A missing piece, preview, tease, or unresolved “why/how.”
It is not
Confusion for its own sake or an answer that never arrives.
Revealpredictioninformation gap
Illustrative example · analyst interpretation
“There is one checkout setting I check before I change the headline.”
Adaptation notes
Typical delivery: Spoken line, text-only, montage, caption-led
Adapt it: Make the payoff specific enough to be credible. Resolve the loop early enough to earn trust.
03primary family
Outcome / Transformation
Presents a desired result, before/after state, or concrete improvement as the viewing promise.
Observable signals
A visible contrast, target state, or result-oriented preview.
It is not
A guarantee that the viewer will get the same outcome.
Desiretimeframebefore/after
Illustrative example · analyst interpretation
“From a blank product page to a five-minute creative brief.”
Adaptation notes
Typical delivery: Montage, talking head, product demo
Adapt it: Show a believable product-specific outcome and label it as an example, not a promise.
04primary family
Demonstration / Proof-in-Action
Begins by showing an action, test, product behavior, process, or visible evidence.
Observable signals
Hands moving, a live test, a screen changing, or a process already underway.
It is not
A still product shot with no behavior to observe.
Testevidencespecificity
Illustrative example · analyst interpretation
A creator drags three messy notes into a storyboard and shows the structure appear.
Adaptation notes
Typical delivery: Product demo, screen recording, montage
Adapt it: Use the smallest visual that proves the idea; let the product behavior carry the opening.
05primary family
Contrarian Reframe
Challenges a common assumption or reframes a familiar tactic, problem, or recommendation.
Observable signals
“Stop doing…” · a reversal · an unexpected explanation for a familiar result.
It is not
A hot take with no useful reframe or support.
Disagreementexplanationrisk
Illustrative example · analyst interpretation
“Your first line does not need to sound clever. It needs to make the next beat obvious.”
Adaptation notes
Typical delivery: Talking head, text overlay, reaction
Adapt it: Challenge a tactic, not a person. Support the reframe with an observable reason.
06primary family
Question / Self-Identification
Asks a question that lets the viewer recognize themselves, their situation, or a choice they face.
Observable signals
Direct “do you…” language, a fork in the road, or a relatable diagnostic.
It is not
A rhetorical question that does not invite recognition or resolution.
Audience identityfrustrationchoice
Illustrative example · analyst interpretation
“Are you planning content, or just collecting Reels you never brief?”
Adaptation notes
Typical delivery: Question, talking head, reaction
Adapt it: Use the audience’s actual words and make the answer useful to their stage of awareness.
07primary family
Comparison / Choice
Sets up two options, approaches, products, or outcomes to create decision tension.
Observable signals
A versus frame, side-by-side, ranking, trade-off, or choice to make.
It is not
A list of alternatives with no meaningful decision.
Contrastdisagreementrisk
Illustrative example · analyst interpretation
“A reference folder tells you what you liked. An annotation tells you what to remake.”
Adaptation notes
Typical delivery: Product demo, screen recording, text-only
Adapt it: Compare on a decision-relevant dimension your product can honestly own.
08primary family
Story / Situation Entry
Opens inside a personal moment, conflict, confession, anecdote, or narrative setup.
Observable signals
A scene already in progress, first-person context, or a problem unfolding.
It is not
A generic introduction before the story begins.
Confessiontensiontimeframe
Illustrative example · analyst interpretation
“I was about to send the brief when the creator asked one question I could not answer.”
Adaptation notes
Typical delivery: Talking head, reaction, montage
Adapt it: Borrow the situation shape, then write a new lived-in moment for the creator and product.
09primary family
Social Proof / Authority
Leads with a credible person, customer signal, count, testimonial, result claim, or community behavior.
Observable signals
Who says it, who used it, a verifiable signal, or a clearly sourced result.
It is not
An unsupported “everyone is doing this” claim.
Evidenceidentityspecificity
Illustrative example · analyst interpretation
“A creator on our team uses this three-question check before every reshoot.”
Adaptation notes
Typical delivery: Testimonial, talking head, montage, reaction
Adapt it: Label the source and provenance. Never turn an illustrative signal into a performance claim.
10primary family
Pattern Interrupt / Surprise
Uses an unexpected visual, sound, edit, juxtaposition, or statement to break an expected scroll pattern.
Observable signals
A sudden change, unusual object, reversal, or surprising first frame.
It is not
Surprise that is unrelated to the body or leaves the viewer without context.
Surpriseriskinformation gap
Illustrative example · analyst interpretation
The first frame is a close-up of a rejected storyboard being stamped “too vague.”
Adaptation notes
Typical delivery: Montage, reaction, text-only, product demo
Adapt it: Keep the interruption legible and connected to the product truth; novelty is not the mechanism by itself.
