How to Maximise Video Marketing with Mind Systems
Imagine this, you are watching one of your favourite shows and suddenly an amazing marketing video ad pops up.
It looks so cool, everyone in the ad are smiling and the product feels like a perfect fit. Your heart races, your excitement grows, and without a second thought, you hit the buy it now button. Later, you find yourself wondering, “Why did I buy that?”
Welcome to the intriguing world of Systems
In a digital era flooded with information and choices, video marketing has become a guiding light for brands seeking to stand out and make an impact.
It’s not just about selling, it’s about weaving stories that resonate, evoke emotions, and spark action. But how can a single video achieve all this?
The answer lies in understanding the dance between our cognitive processes, the swift and intuitive System 1 thinking and the deliberate and analytical System 2 thinking.
However, not all videos are equal. Some are forgotten as soon as watched, while others have a lasting impact and are shared across the web.
On this journey, we’ll explore how to maximise video marketing using Systems 1 and System 2 thinking. As well as discovering how it can be effectively used ct for both for long-term brand growth and short-term sales.
Google’s 2022 ‘Year in Search’ ad. This an inspiring and uplifting Ad that appeals to our System 1 thinking by using uplifting emotions to help positively associate with the Google brand.
What is System 1 & System 2 Thinking?
Aristotle’s exploration of pathos and logos in rhetoric over 2000 years ago still holds relevance today. Pathos refers to the emotional appeal used to connect with the audience, while logos focuses on logical reasoning and evidence.
More recently Daniel Kahnemann in his book ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’, brilliantly explains how our minds work and why we often make irrational choices. Using frameworks he divides our thinking into two separate systems.
The first is System 1 thinking which is fast, automatic, and unconscious. It is one of the oldest parts of our brain, evolving in the limbic system to help us make quick decisions to avoid danger. It helps process basic emotional responses without any conscious effort.
The other system is System 2 thinking which is slow, deliberate, and conscious. It’s evolved in the part of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex that deals with rational thinking, logic and learning. When decisions or behaviours require more information or greater concentration they are promoted from System 1 to System 2.
Understanding these two modes of thinking is essential to effectively using video marketing to capture your audience’s attention and inspire them to take action.
If Ed Sheeran loves Heinz Ketchup then so do I. Building an emotional connection through ‘persuasive advertising’. Celebrities are often used in campaigns to encourage consumers to feel positive about the brand.
System 1 Thinking
System 1 thinking is adaptive and efficient, allowing us to quickly process information and make snap judgments.
Some call it lazy decision-making because unlike System 2 thinking it’s much less energy intensive. Yet with an estimated 35,000 decisions to be made daily, shortcuts are essential. In the world of video, where the sheer volume of competing content makes it vital to hook your audience quickly and get them to take impulsive action.
The more rational System 2 will want more information and have questions that need longer to reach conclusions. If poorly planned System 2-type videos can be dialogue and information-heavy, making them long and difficult to watch.
Additionally, to persuade people to act quickly in the way we want them to it is best to make the viewer ‘feel’ rather than to ‘think’.
Here are some ways you can tap into System 1 thinking by creating visuals that immediately capture the viewer’s attention. This can be achieved in a variety of ways.
Creating Empathy through Emotional Storytelling
Imagine a video that tells a heartfelt story of someone’s life-changing journey using your product or service to make the transformation. By tapping into viewers’ emotions, such videos are more likely to capture attention quickly and forge a genuine connection.
Creating Visual and Auditory Stimuli
Incorporating vivid imagery, vibrant colours, and emotionally charged music can create an immediate emotional response in viewers. These elements trigger System 1 thinking, engaging the audience on an emotional level.
Even the use of movement in shots is believed to arouse our attention due to Snake Detection Theory.
Utilising the Power of Associations
Using familiar symbols or connecting your product with positive emotions can trigger automatic associations in viewers’ minds. This approach can strengthen the emotional appeal of your video marketing, making it more memorable and persuasive.
Google Search Reunion: A hugely popular feel-good video advert that skilfully uses emotional storytelling to raise brand awareness and makes Google search the hero.
System 2 Thinking
System 2 thinking, on the other hand, is the slow, analytical mode of thinking that requires conscious effort and deliberation. This mode of thinking is ideal for complex decision-making and problem-solving.
Videos that solely appeal to System 2 thinking can be effective in certain contexts. For example, when the subject matter requires in-depth information, analytical evaluation, or complex decision-making.
How-to, explainer, expert and testimonial videos can all be used to appeal to the rational System 2 mind.
Hence these videos cater to viewers who prefer a logical and data-driven approach to inform their choices.
They can also be great for short-term sales activation targets. Promotions, offers and sales fit excellently into this strategy. If a product is on sale or reduced in price then logically this is a compelling reason to buy.
Wheras if you’re selling B2B or the cost of what you are selling is substantial, emotional appeal is unlikely to be enough. In this case, a video highlighting the features and merits of the service or product could prove very effective.
Let’s explore the advantages and best practices of creating videos that appeal primarily to System 2 thinking:
Informative and Educational
System 2 appeal videos are excellent for educating viewers about complex topics, products, or services. By providing detailed explanations and supporting evidence, these videos help viewers gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
Building Credibility
When a video presents facts, statistics, and expert opinions, it enhances the credibility of the content and the brand behind it. This can be especially valuable in industries where trust and expertise are critical factors in the decision-making process.
Testimonial videos also work by providing credibility and providing trust in what you are selling.
Informed Decision-Making
System 2 appeal videos equip viewers with the information they need to make rational and well-informed decisions. By addressing potential doubts and answering questions, these videos reduce uncertainty and support viewers in their evaluation process.
Google’s ‘BestPhonesForever’ ad campaign, uses System 1 & System 2 thinking to explain the new features of the pixel phone and compare itself favourably against the iPhone 14. Both emotion and logic are at play.
System 2 Best Practices
When creating System 2 appeal videos, there are several best practices to keep in mind. Here are a few key suggestions:-
Clear and Concise Presentation
In order to appeal to viewers’ analytical thinking, keep the content focused, concise, and well-structured. Use clear headings, visuals, and bullet points to facilitate understanding and easy absorption of information.
Data and Evidence
Similarly, base your arguments on reliable data, studies, and evidence. Use graphs, charts, and visual representations to make complex information more accessible and understandable.
Expert Testimonials
Incorporate testimonials or endorsements from industry experts or satisfied customers to strengthen the credibility of the content.
Demonstrate Problem-Solving
Show how your product or service solves specific problems or addresses challenges faced by the target audience. Use case studies or real-life examples to illustrate practical applications. How-to videos are great examples of this approach.
Call to Action
Even in System 2 appeal videos, it’s essential to include a clear and compelling call to action. Encourage viewers to take the next step, such as visiting a website, signing up for a free trial, or contacting your company for more information.
Shoe Brand Allbirds uses System 2 thinking to make a great social media ad. Only 9 seconds long and tells us all we need to know in a simple but effective way.
System 1 & 2 Videos
The power of using both System 1 and System 2 thinking in video marketing lies in creating a comprehensive and compelling approach that appeals to both the emotional and rational aspects of the audience.
By using the strengths of both systems, marketers can create videos that engage viewers on multiple levels, leading to more impactful and effective marketing campaigns.
Let’s explore how combining System 1 and System 2 thinking can enhance video marketing strategies:-
Encouraging Informed Decision-Making
By combining emotional appeal from System 1 with logical information from System 2, video marketing empowers viewers to make informed decisions.
Emotions may prompt interest and desire, but logical reasoning allows viewers to assess whether the product or service aligns with their needs and values.
This balanced approach enables viewers to feel emotionally connected to the brand while also having a clear understanding of the practical benefits.
Fostering Brand Loyalty and Advocacy
Videos that successfully engage both System 1 and System 2 thinking have the potential to create not only customers but also brand advocates.
Emotional connections inspire loyalty, while logical reasoning ensures that customers feel confident in their choice.
Brand advocates are more likely to share their positive experiences, leading to organic word-of-mouth marketing and expanded brand reach.
Simon Sinek’s ‘Start with Why’: Explaining the “why” behind your brand or product in your storytelling. This appeals to both the emotional aspect (System 1) and the rationale for your offering (System 2).
Understanding the principles of System 1 and System 2 thinking is essential for effective video marketing.
Video does a great job of appealing to our emotions and can be a very powerful way of helping to bypass the logical, System 2 brain. It can inspire impulsive action and increase sales, raise brand or product awareness and help share your values.
Moreover System 2 can help drive sales in the short term through promotions. If excellently thought out and well executed videos can be used to inform and educate potential customers of the benefits and features of what you have to offer.
When combined, these elements can lead to powerful video marketing that resonates deeply with the audience, propelling your brand towards success in the competitive digital landscape.
Above all by creating videos that tap into both modes of thinking, marketers can memorable and influential content that inspires viewers to take action.
Whether through attention-grabbing visuals, compelling stories, or a combination of emotional and logical appeals, video marketers have the power to connect with viewers and create a lasting impact.
At Visualante Creative, we embrace the timeless wisdom of Aristotle and the contemporary insight of Daniel Kahnemann to create videos that captivate, persuade, and leave a lasting impact.
Book a free discovery call to tell us about your next video project and see how we may be able to help you.
