Jonah Berger - Faculty Research in Knowledge@Wharton

The Long-term Downside of Overnight Success

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:41:52 EST

Marketers may dream of coming up with a product that skyrockets in popularity as soon as it is introduced to the public. New Wharton research, however, indicates that products which catch on too quickly may end up being less successful overall. "We often see products, ideas and behaviors ... spread like wildfire," says marketing professor Jonah Berger, co-author of the research paper. "But we know less about why once-popular things become unpopular."

Advertising Yourself: Building a Personal Brand through Social Networks

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:21:37 EST

With the economy mired in a recession, even some full-time employees are joining independent consultants, writers and musicians in learning how to use online social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter to increase their contacts and tap into possible customers or clients. Indeed, according to Wharton experts and others, developing a personal brand can be as important for a financial advisor as for a rock musician.

Is This Madness? How Losing by Just a Little Can Help a Team -- or Company -- Win

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:34:51 EST

Pay attention to the first-half scores in the early rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament, which began yesterday with 64 college teams vying for the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship. According to recent research by a pair of Wharton professors, teams that trail by a little at the half actually have a better chance of winning the game than the squad in the lead. The findings, they say, apply to the business world, too.

Getting Engaged: Advertisers Search for Their Voices on YouTube

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:52:07 EST

The video-sharing site YouTube is currently running a comedy sketch contest sponsored by Toyota's 2009 Corolla. It's just one of the latest examples of companies using this advertising hot spot to target customers who spend a lot of their time watching online videos. But finding a home in the medium is not so easy, Wharton professors say. In a digital world of instant feedback and ruthless honesty, a company can either score major brand points or look as ridiculous as any adult trying to hang with the cool kids.

Pumas, Planets and Pens: How Cues in the Environment Influence Consumer Choice

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:03:40 EST

In a new research paper titled, "Dogs on the Street, Pumas on Your Feet: How Cues in the Environment Influence Product Evaluation and Choice," Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger suggests that what you see in your everyday world can influence what you buy. For example, participants in one study who were shown more images of dogs liked sneakers from the Puma brand more than those who had not seen the images -- because dogs are associated with cats, and cats with Puma. "Marketers ... think they have to come up with a catchy slogan or slick advertisement to create a buzz," Berger says. Instead, companies can get a payoff by creating a link between their product and a cue in the environment.

'Dead-tree Medium' No Longer: For Many Marketers, Print Outperforms Digital

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:57:40 EST

Paper costs are rising, mail rate hikes are looming and competition from new media continues to grow. Yet marketers' use of direct mail and other printed materials is stronger than it's been in years. Thanks to variable-data printing, companies can now tap purchase-history databases to design, create and print entirely personalized catalogs that cross-sell products and services to individual consumers. They can also combine print with other media in the evolving discipline known as cross-channel marketing. But whatever strategy a company adopts, experts note, the challenge is the same: Finding the right way to communicate with customers.

Marketing Presidential Candidates on the Web Goes Mainstream: But Does It Get Votes?

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:30:15 EST

The January 3 Iowa caucuses and the January 8 New Hampshire primary showcased the 2008 presidential campaign's ongoing political dogfight as candidates battled for their parties' nominations. Under the surface, however, the scrum represents a tipping point in the use of the Internet as a campaign tool, say experts at Wharton. In many respects, the 2008 race resembles any sophisticated Internet marketing campaign that lets consumers swap information, connect with friends and perhaps make a purchase -- or, in this case, a donation. Indeed, selling a candidate may not be much different than selling any other high-end item, although possibly less effective.

Social Marketing: How Companies Are Generating Value from Customer Input

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:42:27 EST

Fansumers, viral videos and social computing -- these are just some of the many buzzwords pinging around the marketing world today. While making sense of them isn't easy, the concept behind them is clear: Online technologies allow customers to communicate in new ways with one another, and companies must decide whether to ignore, co-opt or dive into these new waters of interactivity. "Consumers want to feel they are being heard, and they love having an impact on the future development of products," says one Wharton professor. "To the extent that they can air grievances, or understand the company's position, that can be beneficial for the company itself."

The Holiday Shopping Outlook: I Saw Mommy Dissing Santa Claus

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:20:43 EST

When Wal-Mart starts its holiday markdowns three weeks before Thanksgiving, you know it will be a tough Christmas season. The Arkansas-based discount chain, a bellwether for U.S. retailing, usually holds off on its "door buster" sales until the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally the year's busiest shopping day. This year, Wal-Mart decided that it couldn't afford to wait. No wonder, say scholars at the Wharton School and retail analysts. A host of economic worries -- plus concerns over toy recalls -- has this year shaping up to be a lump-of-coal shopping experience. Here is what retailers -- and shoppers -- can expect.

Move Over, Beanie Babies, Webkinz Are Coming to a Store -- and Virtual World -- Near You

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:42:32 EST

If you don't yet know about the Webkinz craze, you soon will, especially if you have children of your own or at least know one or two on your block. Webkinz are essentially stuffed animal "pets," but what makes them different from other hot toys of years gone by -- Cabbage Patch Kids, Beanie Babies, Tickle Me Elmo and even the century-old teddy bear -- is the business model behind them. By melding the old-fashioned bricks-and-mortar world of toy retailing with an opportunity to participate in an online community, Webkinz taps into the kiddie zeitgeist and shows a deep understanding of how to use the concept of virtual worlds to full advantage, according to marketing experts at Wharton and elsewhere.

From Cool to Passé: Identity Signaling and Product Domains

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:46:23 EST

The quest for cool is never-ending. Accountants rev up their Harleys to the dismay of hard-core bikers. Soccer moms trade in minivans for hipper Land Rovers. Yellow rubber wristbands appear instantly, then just as quickly disappear. There is a fine line between cool and not-so-cool -- a topic explored in a new paper, Where Consumers Diverge from Others: Identity Signaling and Product Domains, by Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger and co-author Chip Heath from Stanford. The researchers look at how consumers use products to signal membership in social groups, but swiftly abandon those same products when the original message is diluted as other groups co-opt the trend.

When a Black Tee Shirt Is More than a Black Tee Shirt: Why Brands Aren't Losing Their Luster

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:46:23 EST

As sales of Apple's iPod, Coca-Cola and North Face clothing show, despite serious challenges from private label manufacturers and low-price global production, branding remains an important way for consumers to choose among products in a crowded marketplace. Brands are a short-hand means of conveying quality and lower risk, according to Wharton faculty and marketing analysts, and they also play a growing role in building consumers' identities. But, these experts add, with little room to compete on cost, brands will need to be vigilant when it comes to differentiating themselves from increasingly sophisticated competitors.