hello there!
I’m sending this issue from Largo, FL, quite a change of pace a radical ride Saturday with friends at the Bohemian Border Bash! I’m here visiting my son and daughter, Otto & Mira. We had an awesome summer together back home in Holland and I’m already here for the 2nd time since and 8th time ever to spend a week+ with them since they were taken away a year ago. While abroad, I work rather efficiently and remotely from a café across the street from their school.
Today, Twotone’s invoicing software was down, so before I plan a ride we’ll be doing with Komoot in The Netherlands next month, I thought to ship the newsletter!
On the flight over, I finally took some time to dig into a book that my friend and Sales Hacker Amsterdam speaker, Pascal Aandewiel, gave me some time ago: The System1 book.
I read Thinking, Fast and Slow, 2+ years ago and, in principle, System1’s book lays out a commercial application for Daniel Kahneman’s central thesis: a dichotomy between two modes of thought: “System 1” is fast, instinctive and emotional; “System 2” is slower, more deliberative, and more logical.
Here is a quick overview of how marketing can tap into System 1 thinking:
- 🧠To become the automatic, no-brainer purchase is the greatest success a brand can achieve—and it requires command of System 1 brain processing. You don’t want the consumer to really think about whether to buy your brand—you want it to become the obvious real deal decision, the gut-level best choice.
- 😞All emotional responses are based in System 1, but not all System 1 thinking is emotional. Any gut-level, rapid, effortless thought or behavior comes from System 1. While many advertisers are equating System 1 with emotion, this is a misconception that oversimplifies and distorts its true meaning and power.
- 🔑Emotional ads are not the key to nailing System 1 embedding. Moving, memorable ad are everywhere. Agencies pride themselves to creating “anthemic” campaigns that build a crescendo of emotional responses—first from their brand clients, who forget all the headaches of working for their company and embrace the elation such ads evoke. They then give an agency carte blanche to focus on generating excitement, inspiration, and unadulterated sentimentality. In an age where every brand wants to go viral, this trend is here to stay yet not universally viable.
- 🆕The key to embedding your brand in System 1 isn’t anything revolutionary. Many brands are trying to win consumers over with radically new campaigns, striving to engage on every digital platform, and hoping to build brand equity by being “bold” and “fresh.” In the process, they’re often ditching whatever foothold they may have had in consumers’ System 1 thinking. Smart advertisers and agencies might add a new and surprising twist to distinctive brand assets, but they maintain recognizable elements that have resonated successfully.
- 🤝System 2 can tag-team with System 1 to close the deal. While you want your brand to be a no-brainer choice, many purchases—particularly for larger ticket or considered purchase items—are based on System 1 beliefs overlaid with more rational information. . (They don’t call it rationalization for nothing.) The kicker is that rational information about a brand can work both ways. If you just don’t like the Crocs, and decided long ago that they weren’t your style, you’re not going to buy Crocs just because they’re durable and affordable. You’ve long ago eliminated them from your consideration set.
A lot of the work we do at Twotone is about finding real ways to appeal to System 1 & 2 thinking, whether we realize it or not. Digging into the nuts & bolts of this has been fun! Hopefully this got your wheels turning a bit too!
As always, thank you for reading!
with appreciation,
Jon
p.s.
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📷: Hagbard Celine ✨🤙🏻
Cycling
I R I S Favorite Ride
Riding plans but no inspiration? Check out I R I S' favorite loop from Rotterdam on Komoot! Don't expect a lot of altitude gain, but you might find some off-road sections...
You're always welcome to drop by their HQ in Rotterdam, next to Coppi Koffie!
p.s.
Use code "BESTFRIENDS" at checkout for 20% sitewide!
Our Bicycle Future - Reasons to be Cheerful
Concurrently, if we lean into cycling as a recreational activity, we normalize bikes as an alternative to cars. Lee continues:
“Let’s look at our work habits. We are obsessed with time optimization, flexible working hours, co-working spaces, re-localization of mom and pop shops, placemaking and urban planning geekdom. As individuals, we value health and fitness, new experiences, virtue signaling, self-branding, Instagrammable content and pop-up retail. When I examine these cultural trends, it all points to recreational riders becoming regular commuters.”
A case for e-bike racing by Chris DiStefano
Is e-bike racing a way to extend the careers of pro athletes, so we can continue to cheer for them and sponsors can continue to leverage the equity they've built?
Startups
Amsterdam Capital House 2019
Looking forward to supporting the 5th edition of Amsterdam Capital Week, launching @Amsterdam Capital House on 23-25 September.
Supporting the growth of entrepreneurs shaping our future by connecting them to human, financial, and social capital.
Hosted under one roof with 50+ sessions & workshops, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, community builders & corporate innovators.
Who's joining?
Only a few days left to get your key to the house (aka ticket). Here's 15% off for friends of Twotone.
Opinion | In Praise of Mediocrity
The pursuit of excellence has infiltrated and corrupted the world of leisure.
hat tip: Joachim!
Usability testing in Atlanta between October 14-18
Are you between 25-35 y/o, in the Atlanta area and have a spare hour to share your feedback?
You will receive a thank-you gift for participation.
Please fill out a short screener and Ieva or Mario will get back to you as soon as possible: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CJNVF9T
Please contact us at ieva [at] backbase.com or mario [at] backbase.com if you have any questions or if you know someone who’s a fit and would like to pass their details!
Sales & PR
Why Slow Mornings May Be the Secret to Tech-Life Balance
Kristin Hancock is a “slow morning” practitioner. She keeps her phone in a separate room overnight and doesn’t pick it up until she’s started her workday routine.
I'm not an advocate for more rules in your life but stretching is certainly better than scrolling for you. I'm gonna make moves in this direction!
Socialising as an Antidote to Consumerism
“Think about it. When we are physically together, our interactions relieve the emotional tensions advertisers play on. Our desires are reclaimed.”
Nice one from OUTSIDER!
Nicholas O'Brien on slowing down and nurturing your friendships
"Your work bridges many creative disciplines, from writing, to researching, to designing games, to making digital art. What’s drawn you to mixing all these different mediums?"
Radness
Atlas Mountain Race – An unsupported bikepacking race in the Atlas mountains of Morocco
Well, I slept on filling out paperwork for the Trans-Pyrenees race next month and missed the bus. To say I've been on the road a lot recently would be an understatement + with my kids coming over to Amsterdam to visit in October for a week: being home the whole month will be a great change of pace. I'll focus on racing cross, track and getting some other long mile rides in over the winter.
The Atlas Mountain Race is organised by Nelson Trees (of the Silk Road Mountain Race) and will occur in February of next year. Clearly, it will be amazing.
I learned a lot in Kyrgyzstan last year and have a better head on my shoulders for this go 'round! Entering a race like this with real podium aspirations is a big deal!
Lemme know if you're thinking of competing too!