
Jonah Berger
- World-renowned expert in natural language processing, change, word of mouth, influence, and consumer behavior.
- Published over 80 articles in top-tier academic journals and featured in outlets like The New York Times and Harvard Business Review.
- Teaches one of the world’s most popular online courses and has keynoted major conferences like SXSW and Cannes Lions.
- Consults for leading companies such as Apple, Google, Nike, Amazon, GE, and advises early-stage startups.
Jonah Berger's videos
What Jonah Berger's clients say
"Jonah was perfect for our program! He really digested the information that we sent over to him in advance and pulled relevant items and topics to form some of his presentation slides. This really resonated well with our audience and drew them into his speech in a very meaningful way. People really took his message to heart about learning how to make wind energy a contagious topic for consumers…I mean to the point where you would be speaking with someone later that day and they were referencing some of the lessons from Jonah’s speech! It was fantastic! The meet and greet that we had with Jonah and a handful of our Board members was a real treat as well. These very high level and intelligent folks were hanging on his every word and getting some great advice from him. Even though he challenged their traditional views on marketing strategy and so forth they really understood what he was saying and why…it was great!"
"Out of the last 12 events we had, Jonah was probably the best speaker we had ever had. He was just phenomenal and the content was fascinating. No one left early and the audience raved about him afterwards (he was the closing speaker for the day)."
"Jonah was great. He had the toughest slot of the day...the last one when people start leaving or getting distracted. He helped us finish with a bang. He is a gifted speaker with a smart and interesting message. We could have/should have given him more time because he had the audience fully engaged. I spent some time with him in the green room and he was a delight. We talked about you and your firm in the highest of regard. I would highly recommend Jonah to other clients. Thank you. "
Available for
Languages:
- English
Jonah Berger's 2025 biography
Dr. Jonah Berger: Unlocking the Science of Influence Through Language, Behavior and Ideas
How can we use language to communicate more effectively and increase our influence? Why do some products, ideas, and behaviors catch on? And how can we be more effective at changing minds and organizations? Professor Jonah Berger examines the behavioral science behind these and other questions.
Millions of copies of his books are in print in over 35 countries around the world.
- Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way. Almost everything we do involves words. From emails and power points to phone calls and pitch meetings, words are how we persuade, communicate, and connect. But certain words are more impactful than others. They’re better at changing minds, engaging listeners, and driving action. What are these magic words, and how can we take advantage of their power? Learn the words that convince clients, captivate audiences, and deepen social connection. How to ask the right questions, hold attention, speak with confidence, and design presentations, pitches, and other types of content for maximum impact. And how the words others use reveal hidden information about their interests, actions, and intent. Whether you’re trying to persuade a customer, motivate a team, or get a whole organization to see things differently, this course will show you how to leverage the power of magic words.
- The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind. Everyone has something they want to change. Marketers want to change customers’ minds and leaders want to change organizations. Startups want to change industries and non-profits want to change the world. But change is hard. We push and push, but often nothing happens. Could there be a better way? This book introduces a revolutionary approach to change. Successful change isn’t about pushing harder or exerting more energy. It’s about removing barriers. Overcoming resistance by reducing friction and lowering the hurdles to action. Discover the five hidden factors that impede change, and how by mitigating them, you can become a catalyst.
- Contagious: Why Things Catch On reveals the secret science behind why products, services, and ideas become popular. Discover how six basic principles drive all sorts of things to catch on. If you’ve ever wondered why certain stories get shared, brands get more word of mouth, or videos go viral, this book will explain why, and show you how to leverage these ideas to craft contagious content. Contagious was New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post bestseller and has been translated into over 35 languages. Amazon named it one of the best books of the year and it received the Berry Book Prize from the American Marketing Association as the year’s best marketing book.
- Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior. Ever wish you could be more influential? Be better at motivating yourself and others? Make smarter decisions and shape group opinion? This book will show you how. Invisible Influence spent more than three months on the New York Times bestseller list. It was also a Wall Street Journal and Washington Post bestseller and has been translated into over 25 languages.
Berger has been recognized with a number of awards for both scholarship and teaching, including various early career awards. He was named one of the top 30 leaders in business by the American Management Association and one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company magazine. His research has been featured multiple times in the New York Times Magazine’s “Year in Ideas” and Wharton gave him the Iron Professor award for awesome faculty research.
Dr. Berger has helped hundreds of companies like Apple, Google, Nike, and GE get their products, services, and ideas to catch on. He’s helped Facebook launch new hardware, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sharpen messaging, and small start-ups, political campaigns, and nonprofit organizations change minds and drive action. He’s also keynoted hundreds of major conferences and events like SXSW and Cannes Lions, and spoken to audiences from 10 to 10,000 people around the world.
He received a BA from Stanford University in Human Judgment and Decision Making, and a PhD from Stanford in Marketing.
Jonah Berger's 2025 talks & topics
Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way
From emails and power points to phone calls and pitch meetings, almost everything we do involves words. Words are how we persuade, communicate, and connect. But certain words are more impactful than others. They’re better at changing minds, engaging listeners, and driving action. What are these magic words, and how can we take advantage of their power?
This talk provides an inside look at the new science of language and how you can use it. Learn the words that convince clients, captivate audiences, and deepen social connection. How to ask the right questions, hold attention, speak with confidence, and design presentations, pitches, and other types of content for maximum impact. And how the words others use reveal hidden information about their interests, actions, and intent. Whether you’re trying to persuade a customer, motivate a team, or get a whole organization to see things differently, this course will show you how to leverage the power of magic words.
How to Change Anyone’s Mind
Everyone has something they want to change. Salespeople want to change the customer’s mind. Managers want to change employee behavior. Leaders want to change the way an entire organization does business. But change is hard. We persuade and cajole and push and push, but even after all that work, often nothing happens. Things change at a glacial pace, if at all. Could there be a better way?
This talk outlines a revolutionary approach to change. Successful change isn’t about pushing harder or exerting more energy. It’s about removing barriers. Overcoming resistance by reducing friction and lowering the hurdles to action. Discover the hidden factors that impede change, why your biggest competitor is inertia, and why big changes require asking for less, not pushing for more. Whether you’re trying to change how consumers think, motivate people to act, or shift the way an entire industry does business, this talk will teach you how to become a catalyst.
How to Make Things Catch On
Why do some things catch on and become popular while others falter? And how can we generate more word of mouth for a product or initiative we’re working on? This talk reveals the secret science behind word-of-mouth and social transmission. Discover how six basic principles drive all sorts of things to become popular. If you’ve ever wondered why certain brands get more word of mouth, stories get shared, or content goes viral, this talk will explain why, and illustrate how to leverage these ideas to craft contagious content.
Returning to Growth in the New World
Our world has recently undergone unprecedented change at a rapid pace. From remote work and online retail to shifting customer needs and employee mindsets, many things are different than they were before. But as we return to a new normal, smart companies and industries are recognizing the opportunity to also return to growth. How can you get your people on the right track and focused to take advantage of these emerging opportunities?
This talk reveals how organizations can act now to succeed in the new world. It outlines the changes in consumer and customer behavior that have occurred, which new trends are here to stay, and how to thrive in the new reality we all find ourselves in. How organizations and industries can adapt and motivate their leaders and employees to get on board, and how to pivot strategy, thinking beyond crisis, and change minds to drive success.