The No One Cares Framework
Judge your comms the way your audience does
The No One Cares Framework is four questions and 40 checks. It shows where your comms fall into the Value Trap, and how to get out.
- VValuable10 checks
- PPersuasive10 checks
- OOrganised10 checks
- CClear10 checks
Why your comms need it
Your comms were built for the wrong audience: your approval process.
They went through sign-off. They were shaped by the brief, by what ran last time, by what the key stakeholder likes, and by brand guidelines nobody has read in months. They got approved because they look right. Looking right and working hard aren't the same thing.
Your audience doesn't want to read them. They're on autopilot, filtering for what matters to them.
Think of your comms as a salesperson. Now picture one who only talks about themselves: their awards, their history, how good they are. How long would you listen?
The four questions
They run in the order your audience reads: first they decide whether to ignore it, then they scan it, then they act.
- 01Is it valuable?Does it talk about a problem your audience cares about?This is what stops them ignoring it.
- 02Is it persuasive?Does it give people reason to believe you, answer their doubts and make them act now?This is what they scan for.
- 03Is it organised?Does it make the reading easy, so nobody has to join the dots themselves?This is what gets it read.
- 04Is it clear?Can someone understand what you're selling in two seconds?This is what survives the glance.
Why it works
It's built on how people decide, not on taste or opinion.
People run on autopilot, scanning for what's relevant.
Leading with their problem is the only way in.
People copy others because it feels safe.
Proof gives them permission to act.
People hate missing out.
Genuine urgency moves "later" to "now".
People avoid effort.
When the value is obvious and the next step is easy, more people act.
None of this is new. Hopkins, Caples, Ogilvy, Schwartz and Drayton reached the same principles independently. The framework strips your comms back to them.
The 40 checks
Ten per question
Valuable
- V1It leads with the solution, not the problem.
- V2It piles up facts about the business.
- V3It talks about the brand's world: awards, heritage, "passionate about".
- V4It assumes people are already interested.
- V5It doesn't give enough reason to change what people already do.
- V6It speaks to more than one person.
- V7It tries to be everything to everyone.
- V8The value is in there, but buried.
- V9It doesn't show what life looks like after.
- V10It tries to sound impressive.
Persuasive
- P1There's no proof, or it's where people won't see it.
- P2The proof doesn't sound real, or doesn't fit the reader.
- P3There are no hard numbers or authority behind the claims.
- P4The language could have come from anyone.
- P5The offer is so big it makes people suspicious.
- P6There's no urgency, or the deadline is buried.
- P7It gives the reader nothing to compare against.
- P8Nothing takes away the fear of getting it wrong.
- P9It relies on the logo and the offer to do the selling.
- P10The obvious objection goes unanswered.
Organised
- O1There's no structure or story.
- O2The order is wrong: proof or brand talk arrives before the problem.
- O3The headline and the body don't connect.
- O4Everything has equal weight.
- O5It asks for more than one action.
- O6The next step is unclear, or an afterthought.
- O7It's a wall of text with nothing to skim.
- O8It names the problem but doesn't deepen it.
- O9The length doesn't match the job.
- O10It's a pile of claims, not one argument.
Clear
- C1The image fights the message.
- C2It uses jargon or marketing-speak.
- C3There's no obvious place for the eye to start.
- C4It isn't clear who sent it.
- C5Several offers compete for attention.
- C6Selling space is wasted.
- C7Reversed text, too much colour or type that's too small.
- C8A clever headline that has to be decoded.
- C9Sentences that carry more than one idea.
- C10It's abstract, not concrete.
The No One Cares Review
How the Review scores you
Upload one piece of print: a door drop, insert, direct mail pack or press ad. Answer three quick questions about who it's for. The Review puts it through all 40 checks, and reads your website and independent reviews for proof you already own but aren't using.
Each question scores out of 10. Every check you pass is a point. The total is out of 40, and higher is better.
- 0 to 27Real room to improve
- 28 to 31Optimised
- 32 to 40Highly effective
The score measures the 40 checks, not campaign response. The response comes when you fix what it finds.
You get your score, where your comms are leaking, and what to fix first. It's yours to download and keep.
Want to go through it? Book an hour and I'll walk you through it.