The encyclopedia
Copy

The Frame

The effect

"The same fact lands differently depending on how it's wrapped."

The method

'95% lean' and '5% fat' describe the same thing. The frame you choose tells the audience what to feel about the data before they read it.

White hat
2/10
Most common usage on the angel→devil scale
The ethics spectrum

Same hack. Three very different choices.

White hat

Frame highlights the truth most relevant to the customer's goal.

Grey hat

Frame technically true but misleadingly favorable.

Black hat

Frame hides material facts the customer would care about.

The template

A formula you can steal

List the facts → ask 'what does the customer care about?' → choose the frame that surfaces it.
Spotted in the wild

Where you've already seen this

  • '95% fat-free' yogurt outselling identical '5% fat' yogurt 3-to-1.
  • Tesla quoting 'estimated savings vs gas' on every Model 3 trim.
  • Airlines showing 'from $99' (one seat, Tuesday, 6am) instead of the median fare.
When to use it

Any time you describe a number, choice, or trade-off. The frame is the message — picking it deliberately is just doing your job.

When NOT to use it

When the frame conceals something material to the decision. Frames are how you tell the truth, not how you avoid it.

The 5-minute practice

Try the trick today

Take your three core stats. For each, write the gain frame and the loss frame. Pick the one that matches the emotional state of the buying moment.

Don't get hacked
Want to avoid this trick being run on you? Take the AI Marketing Course →

Free Marketing Hacked module included. See more cautionary tales and learn the playbook from the inside.

See it in action

3 teardowns use this trick