Jonah Berger

Jonah Berger is an American author, marketing professor, and social scientist known for research on social influence, word-of-mouth, and viral marketing. He studies how products, ideas, and behaviors spread through social networks and has written several bestselling books and numerous academic articles. Berger combines empirical methods from social psychology and quantitative analysis to inform practice in advertising, media, and organizational change.

Early life and education

Berger was born in Philadelphia and raised in the United States. He earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of Pennsylvania where he studied in the Wharton School undergraduate program, followed by a Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Sloan School of Management. During graduate training he worked with scholars in behavioral economics, social psychology, and marketing science at institutions including Harvard University and research groups affiliated with the National Science Foundation.

Academic career and research

Berger joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School as a professor of marketing, where he directs research on social influence, diffusion, and consumer behavior. His academic publications appear in journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Management Science, and the Journal of Marketing Research, and he collaborates with scholars from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School, and the Kellogg School of Management. Berger’s research employs field experiments, naturalistic observation, and large-scale data analysis applied to contexts including consumer packaged goods, electoral politics, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and cultural markets such as the music industry and film industry. He has advanced theories related to social transmission mechanisms, persuasion, and the role of context in shaping preferences, building on foundational work by researchers at the University of Chicago and the London School of Economics.

Books and popular writing

Berger is the author of several trade books that synthesize academic insight for practitioners and general readers. "Contagious" explores why some products and ideas catch on, drawing on examples from companies such as Apple Inc., Procter & Gamble, and Coca-Cola; "Invisible Influence" examines subtle social forces seen in settings including fashion weeks and political campaigns; "The Catalyst" addresses change management with case studies from Amazon (company) and Netflix; and "Noise" (coauthored) investigates variability and decision errors with implications for institutions like the Supreme Court and World Health Organization. Beyond books, Berger has written articles and op-eds for outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review, and his academic and popular pieces reference empirical work from scholars at Columbia Business School and INSEAD.

Consulting, speaking, and media appearances

Berger consults for firms across sectors including Procter & Gamble, Google, Microsoft, and PepsiCo, advising on marketing strategy, product launches, and diffusion tactics. He has delivered keynote speeches at conferences hosted by organizations like the American Marketing Association, SXSW, and the World Economic Forum, and he frequently appears on television and radio programs such as NPR and CNBC. Berger’s expertise is sought by startups in technology hubs like Silicon Valley and by public-sector entities seeking to promote public health campaigns, often collaborating with practitioners linked to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiatives.

Awards and honors

Berger has received recognition for both scholarly and popular contributions, including best paper awards from venues such as the Association for Consumer Research and early career honors from the American Marketing Association. His books have been listed on bestseller lists compiled by The New York Times and named notable business books by outlets including Fortune and Forbes. He has held visiting appointments and fellowships at institutions like the Russell Sage Foundation and served on editorial boards for leading journals connected to marketing science communities.

Category:American writers Category:Marketing academics Category:Wharton School faculty