Jonah Berger
Jonah Berger is a premier marketing professor, researcher and author. He is a renowned expert on the mechanisms underlying word-of-mouth, social influence and how products, ideas, and behaviors become popular. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces That Shape Behavior, and the recently released book The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind.
Berger is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His research has been published in top-tier academic journals such as Science, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research and Management Science. He has been recognized with awards such as the American Marketing Association’s Paul D. Converse Award, which honors the most influential contributions to the field of marketing in the last five years. Berger’s research has also been covered by media such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review.
Berger’s work centers around social influence and psychology. His key interests include understanding how products and ideas become contagious and understanding which factors influence why people change their minds. In Contagious, Berger identified the six key elements of contagious content, including social currency, trigger, emotion, public, practical value and stories. This research has helped marketers understand how to craft messages for maximum impact.
In invisible influence, Berger drew on the latest research to provide a comprehensive understanding on the psychological and scientific basis of why ideas and products catch on. This includes looking at the power of defaults, word of mouth communication and the psychology of group behavior. He covers the most important factors that shape our decisions, even when we don’t see them or we’re not aware of them. This research has created a new field of study called ‘invisible influence’ which is now used by marketers to give an edge when understanding how to influence people.
Berger’s latest book, The Catalyst, dives into the science and process of change. Berger explains how, by understanding the science of change, one can be more persuasive, creative and effective when trying to influence others. Berger also covers the Six Elements of Change, a framework developed to understand why and how people can be influenced. These components include Attention, Intrigue, Clarity, Reason, Emotion and Urgency; mastering the science of change involves tapping into the power of all six elements.
Jonah Berger is a prolific and well-respected author and has been featured in numerous publications and media outlets. He’s been featured on NPR, Forbes, Fast Company, Time Magazine, CNN and USA Today. In addition to media appearances, Berger has also presented his research to audiences around the world, providing clever insights and inspiring a new generation of marketers. His key insights have been embraced by leading companies such as Facebook, Microsoft and Google, who value his research on social influence and consumer behavior.
Ultimately, Jonah Berger is a premier authority on the science of understanding why things catch on, how to influence behavior and change minds. His books provide marketers and readers alike with practical advice and deep insights into the science of catching-on and behavior change. With a career spanning more than ten years, Jonah Berger is sure to remain important in the marketing world for many years to come.
