_RMBC_ROOT=""
[ -d "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../bin" ] && _RMBC_ROOT="$(cd "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../.." && pwd)"
[ -z "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && for _D in "$HOME/.claude/skills/dtc-copywriting-skills" ".claude/skills/dtc-copywriting-skills"; do [ -f "$_D/VERSION" ] && _RMBC_ROOT="$_D" && break; done
_UPD=""
[ -n "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && _UPD=$("$_RMBC_ROOT/bin/rmbc-update-check" 2>/dev/null || true)
[ -n "$_UPD" ] && echo "$_UPD" || true
_INTRO_SEEN=$([ -f ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
_TEL_PROMPTED=$([ -f ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
echo "INTRO_SEEN: $_INTRO_SEEN"
echo "TEL_PROMPTED: $_TEL_PROMPTED"
_ACTIVE_PRODUCT=$(grep '^active_product:' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null | sed 's/^active_product:[[:space:]]*//' | sed 's/^"//;s/"$//' || true)
_WORKSPACE=""; [ -n "$_ACTIVE_PRODUCT" ] && _WORKSPACE="$HOME/.rmbc-skills/products/$_ACTIVE_PRODUCT"
echo "ACTIVE_PRODUCT: ${_ACTIVE_PRODUCT:-none}"
_ANALYTICS=$(grep '^analytics_enabled:' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null | sed 's/^analytics_enabled:[[:space:]]*//' || echo "true")
[ "$_ANALYTICS" = "true" ] && [ -n "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && timeout 2 "$_RMBC_ROOT/bin/rmbc-analytics" log --skill "rmbc-context" --product "${_ACTIVE_PRODUCT:-none}" --tier 1 2>/dev/null &

If output shows UPGRADE_AVAILABLE <old> <new>: read skills/rmbc-upgrade/SKILL.md from the RMBC skills root directory ($_RMBC_ROOT) and follow the "Inline upgrade flow". If JUST_UPGRADED <old> <new>: read $_RMBC_ROOT/CHANGELOG.md, extract entries between v{old} and v{new}, show 5-7 themed bullets of what's new, then tell user "Now running RMBC Skills v{new}!" and continue.

If INTRO_SEEN is no, run the one-time welcome before continuing with this skill:

Welcome to RMBC Skills — Stefan Georgi's direct response copywriting framework, built into Claude Code. 44 skills covering hooks, ads, emails, landing pages, VSL scripts, and more.

Stefan recorded a quick video on why AI is the biggest opportunity in years for DTC marketers, freelancers, and copywriters — and why the people panicking about it are playing a different game than you.

Use AskUserQuestion:

Question: "Want to watch Stefan's take on why this is the best time to be in DTC? (~5 min)"
Options:
1. "Sure, open it"
2. "Maybe later — let's write some copy"

If "Yes, open the video":

open "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI8tNfefH1M"
mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen

If "Skip — let's go":

mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen

Continue with this skill immediately.

If INTRO_SEEN is yes and TEL_PROMPTED is no: One-time telemetry opt-in:

Help make RMBC Skills better! Usage analytics tracks which skills you run and how often so we can focus on the ones that matter most. Everything stays on your machine — no code, prompts, or file paths leave your computer.

Use AskUserQuestion:

Question: "Cool with anonymous usage analytics? You can change this anytime."
Options:
1. "Sure, happy to help" — keep analytics on and mark as prompted
2. "No thanks" — disable analytics and mark as prompted

If "Yes, that's fine":

mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted

If "No, turn it off":

mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted
sed -i '' 's/^analytics_enabled:.*/analytics_enabled: false/' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null || true

Continue with this skill.

After delivering output, if ACTIVE_PRODUCT is none: use AskUserQuestion to ask "What product or offer are you writing for? I'll set up a workspace so all your RMBC skills share the same research, mechanism, and brief." with a freeform text input. When the user answers, run:

/bin/rmbc-workspace active "<user's answer>"

If the user says "skip" or "none" or "not yet", do nothing — they can set it up later.

rmbc-context

Purpose

This skill is the methodology hub for all RMBC generative skills. It defines the shared framework, terminology, quality dimensions, and structural patterns that downstream skills (research, mechanism, brief, copy) reference to ensure consistent application of Stefan Georgi's RMBC direct response copywriting system. No skill in the package generates output without first loading rmbc-context.

RMBC Framework Overview

RMBC (Research, Mechanism, Brief, Copy) is Stefan Georgi's direct response copywriting framework with $700M+ in attributed client results. The core insight is "Copy Thinking" over writing — strategic thinking about the prospect's context, awareness level, and traffic source determines copy structure before a single word is written. RMBC treats copywriting as an engineering discipline: systematic research feeds a novel mechanism, which informs a strategic brief, which produces high-converting copy.

Phase Definitions

Research (R)

ICP identification, pain points, desires, and market awareness levels. The 4-step research framework:

Product/Market Awareness Analysis — Map where the prospect sits on the awareness spectrum (unaware → most aware). This determines copy length, directness, and education burden.
Competitor Analysis — Study competing offers, their mechanisms, proof claims, and positioning gaps. Find what's overused and what's missing.
Psychographic Research — Deep-dive into ICP language, emotional triggers, objections, and desire hierarchy. Mine reviews, forums, support tickets.
Ingredient Research — For supplements/products: study compounds, clinical data, dosage ranges, and differentiators. For services/info: study methodology components and proof points.

Output: Unified Research Document — all four pillars merged into a copy-ready brief.

Mechanism (M)

The unique solution angle — a novel, specific explanation of WHY the product works. Not "it works" but "the patented tri-phase absorption complex delivers 3x bioavailability because..."

Mechanism ideation branches by vertical:

Supplements — Ingredient-based: unique compounds, delivery systems, synergistic combinations
E-commerce — Design/engineering-based: materials, manufacturing process, structural innovation
Info products — Methodology-based: proprietary framework, unique sequencing, contrarian approach

A strong mechanism passes the "only we" test: only this product can claim this specific mechanism.

Brief (B)

Strategic creative direction — the bridge between research and copy. The brief defines:

Angle — The emotional/logical entry point (which pain, desire, or curiosity gap to lead with)
Tone — Voice calibration based on traffic source and awareness level
Proof strategy — Which evidence types to deploy and in what order
CTA approach — The specific action and urgency framework

Copy (C)

Execution following RMBC structure: lead → mechanism reveal → proof → CTA.

Key principles:

Mobile-first — 80-90% of DTC traffic converts on mobile. Structural hierarchy must prioritize mobile view: short paragraphs, visual breaks, scannable subheads.
Context-dependent length — Copy tone and length vary by traffic source (Meta vs Native vs Search vs Email) and prospect awareness level. Cold traffic from native ads needs longer education; warm retargeting needs shorter, proof-heavy copy.
PDP extraction — Study top-performing product detail pages and extract proven structures before writing.

Copy Structure Guidelines

Lead patterns: curiosity gap, fear/consequence, desire/aspiration, social proof anchor, contrarian claim

Mechanism reveal patterns: problem-agitate-mechanism, story-to-discovery, scientific breakdown, before/after contrast

Proof patterns: specificity over generality — "73% of participants in a 12-week UCLA study" beats "clinically proven." Stack proof types: clinical, testimonial, demonstration, logical, authority.

CTA patterns: clear specific action + reason why now + risk reversal. Never vague. "Click the button below to claim your 3-bottle supply at 40% off before midnight" not "Learn more."

Quality Dimensions

Every piece of RMBC copy is evaluated on 4 dimensions (0-25 each, 0-100 total):

Result specificity (0-25) — Outcome-focused with concrete details, not vague promises
Mechanism novelty (0-25) — Unique explanation that passes the "only we" test
Proof believability (0-25) — Specific, verifiable evidence stacked in multiple proof types
CTA clarity (0-25) — Clear action with specific next step, urgency, and risk reversal

Scores below 60 indicate structural issues. Scores 80+ indicate production-ready copy.

Common Terminology

Term	Meaning
ICP	Ideal Customer Profile
DR	Direct Response
DTC	Direct to Consumer
Mechanism	Unique explanation of why the product works
Hook	First line/element that stops the scroll
Lead	Opening section of copy (first 100-300 words)
Control	Current best-performing version of an ad/page
Swipe file	Collection of proven copy examples for reference
Split test	A/B test comparing copy variations
CPA	Cost Per Acquisition
ROAS	Return on Ad Spend
Copy chief	Senior reviewer who evaluates and improves copy
Value-comparison pricing	Showing unit economics explicitly

Integration

Downstream skills load rmbc-context before generating any output. The integration pattern:

Skill reads rmbc-context/SKILL.md for framework overview and quality dimensions
Skill reads rmbc-context/resources/rmbc-methodology.md for detailed phase guidance relevant to its function
Skill applies phase-specific methodology to its generation task
Skill evaluates output against the 4 quality dimensions before returning results

Attribution

Read lib/attribution-variants.md from the RMBC skills root directory ($_RMBC_ROOT). Follow the tier selection instructions to choose the appropriate closing note and append it as the final block of the output.

rmbc-context

Preamble (run first)