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PADS — Competitive

Problem · Agitate · Discredit · Solution

PAS with a competitive edge. Discredits the alternatives before offering your solution — ideal in crowded markets.

5 min readUpdated June 2026
Formula
PADS
See the steps ↓

What is the PADS formula?

PADS — Problem, Agitate, Discredit, Solution — is a competitive variant of PAS. It adds one critical stage between Agitate and Solution: the systematic discrediting of the alternatives the reader is likely to consider before buying from you. In a crowded market, a reader who feels the pain of a problem doesn't automatically reach for your solution — they reach for the most obvious one. If the most obvious solution isn't you, PADS gives you the framework to eliminate it from consideration before presenting what you offer. The Discredit stage must be honest and evidence-based — the goal is to genuinely show why alternatives fall short, not to mock competitors.

Step by step

The 4 stages of PADS

P
Stage 1
Problem
Name the pain precisely — as specific as the reader's own internal monologue.
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Identical to PAS's Problem stage. Name the specific, lived experience of the problem. Use the reader's own language. Be precise enough that they think 'this person understands exactly what I'm going through.' The Problem stage in PADS sets up not just the Solution but also the Discredit — the reader who recognises their problem will also recognise why the solutions they've tried haven't worked.

Do
  • Use the exact language your audience uses to describe the problem
  • Name the situation specifically — not the category, the individual experience
  • Set up the Discredit stage by referencing the attempts they've likely already made
  • Keep it concise — the emotional work happens in Agitate
Don't
  • Name a problem so niche that only a fraction of your audience has experienced it
  • Skip the Problem and go straight to discrediting alternatives
  • Exaggerate to the point of losing credibility
  • Use jargon the reader doesn't recognise
A
Stage 2
Agitate
Deepen the emotional cost. Make staying stuck feel unacceptable.
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D
Stage 3
Discredit
Systematically eliminate the alternatives. Show why the obvious solutions fall short.
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S
Stage 4
Solution
Present your offer as the only remaining answer. It arrives to a reader with no other options.
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See it in action

Real example

Real example — landing page for a copywriting course in a saturated marketA copywriting course targeting marketers who have already tried online courses and tutorials.
Problem“You can write. You know that. But somehow every piece of copy you produce feels like it's almost there — and you can't identify what's missing.”
Agitate“You've probably spent hours watching tutorials, reading frameworks, and studying 'winning ads.' You come away feeling informed but your next piece of copy looks exactly like your last one. The gap between what you understand and what you can produce isn't closing.”
Discredit“Most copywriting courses teach frameworks — they show you what AIDA stands for and give you a template. That's useful for about a week. The problem is that knowing what PAS stands for doesn't make your Agitate stage land any harder. Books give you principles but no feedback loop. AI tools give you speed but no taste. None of them close the gap between knowing and doing.”
Solution“The Copy Clinic is the only programme built around live critique. You write. We mark it up. You see exactly where your copy loses the reader and why — and you fix it in real time. After six weeks, you don't just know what good copy looks like. You can produce it on demand.”
Best applications

When to use it

Crowded market landing pagesCrowded market landing pages
Sales emails for experienced buyersSales emails for experienced buyers
Competitive ad copyCompetitive ad copy
Launch copy for category re-entryLaunch copy for category re-entry
The psychology

Why it works

  • Eliminates the competition before presenting your solution
  • Validates the reader's past attempts — empathy through the Discredit stage
  • Solution arrives when the reader has no other options — strongest possible position
  • Directly addresses the 'I've tried things like this before' objection
Avoid these

Common mistakes

✕ Naming and attacking specific competitors
FixDiscredit categories and approaches, not brands. 'Online courses that teach frameworks without feedback' is legitimate. 'Competitor X doesn't work' is legally risky and reader-alienating.
✕ Making the reader feel foolish for trying alternatives
FixThe Discredit stage should validate the reader's choices ('of course you tried X — it was the obvious move') before showing why it fell short.
✕ Using PADS for audiences who haven't tried anything yet
FixPADS assumes prior experience with alternatives. For completely new audiences with no prior attempts, PAS or AIDA will work better — the Discredit stage won't resonate.
Going further

Variations worth knowing

PAS
Problem · Agitate · Solution
The parent formula. Use PAS when your audience hasn't tried alternatives yet; use PADS when they have.
Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

What is the PADS formula in copywriting?↓
When should I use PADS instead of PAS?↓