Jonah Berger
Wharton School professor who uses science to explain why things go viral, researching social influence and contagion
Jonah Berger is a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and one of the world's most influential researchers on word-of-mouth and social influence. His landmark book Contagious: Why Things Catch On (2013) revealed the six drivers of viral spread of content and products (STEPPS principles), becoming required reading for marketers globally. His research is published in top academic journals including the Journal of Consumer Research and Journal of Marketing Research, while his bestsellers and consulting translate academic insights into business practice. His 2020 book The Catalyst further explores how to overcome resistance and drive genuine behavior change.
Methodologies
- STEPPS Shareability Audit - Systematically evaluate and enhance the word-of-mouth potential of content or products using a six-dimensional framework
- REDUCE Resistance Elimination - Drive genuine behavior change by identifying and eliminating five types of resistance, rather than increasing persuasion intensity
Key decisions and timeline
- Completes Stanford doctoral research on social influence and consumer behavior
- Joins Wharton School, begins building word-of-mouth research system - Choosing an academic institution highly aligned with one's research direction can significantly accelerate research accumulation and influence.
- Publishes foundational paper on what makes online content go viral - Combining laboratory findings with large-scale real-world data can greatly enhance the credibility and impact of research conclusions.
Beliefs and mental models
- Belief 1 - The core motivation for word-of-mouth is self-presentation—people share content that makes them look smart, interesting, or knowledgeable. Understanding this motivation is key to designing shareable content.
- Belief 2 - Not all emotions equally promote sharing. High-arousal emotions like anger, awe, and anxiety motivate action (including sharing), while low-arousal emotions like satisfaction and sadness do not.
- Belief 3 - Traditional persuasion methods (providing more arguments, applying more pressure) often backfire. Real change comes from reducing friction—finding and removing the barriers that prevent people from changing, rather than adding push.
- Model 1
- Model 2
- Model 3