Jonah Berger

Jonah Berger is an American marketing professor and author who studies why things catch on. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University and is a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where his research focuses on social influence, word of mouth, and the spread of ideas, products, and behaviors.

Berger is best known for his 2013 book Contagious: Why Things Catch On, which distills his research into the factors that make ideas and products spread. His framework, organized around principles such as social currency, triggers, emotion, public visibility, practical value, and stories, has become widely used in marketing and communication.

His later books, including Invisible Influence, which examines how others shape our behavior, and The Catalyst, which explores how to change people's minds by removing barriers rather than pushing harder, have extended his work on influence and persuasion to broad audiences.

A prolific researcher published in leading academic journals and a sought-after speaker and consultant, Berger has helped bring rigorous social science to the practice of marketing. His accessible writing has made complex findings about human behavior useful to business leaders, marketers, and general readers alike.