Are you looking for some of the best marketing psychology books on the market today? The team at Augurian has put together some of our favorites that we are reading right now and want to tell you all about.
In the ever-changing marketing world, you can always expect one constant. Change. However, some insightful reads provide key content to grow a marketer’s foundation of knowledge and skills across many different industries. Our team has highlighted some of their favorite marketing and psychology books in this article. We hope this helps you grow your foundation of marketing and psychology knowledge and helps you become a better marketer.
Learn more about Augurian’s favorite marketing psychology books that help us stay ahead of the game.
Five Best Marketing Psychology Books to Add to Your Shelf
The digital marketing team at Augurian is always looking for ways to expand our knowledge and hone our craft; one way we do this is through reading. Besides being overall great reads, the following books provide great insight into the minds of marketers and marketees.
Follow along as we dive deeper into these books and how they can help you broaden your marketing knowledge while looking at the psychology behind the marketing business.
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
- Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
- Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
His peers have long praised Nobel-prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman’s work. Culminating in Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman summarizes his work on cognitive bias and prospect theory, showing the reader how human decision-making is made up of two distinct systems of thinking. Kahneman details how the systems work in tandem to make decisions and how sometimes they contradict each other.
Why you should read it: Learn how decision-making influences marketing
A quintessential foundation book for all marketers, Kahneman brings to light some of the most critical aspects of how we humans make decisions. Whether it’s how we make decisions that are risk-averse or risk-seeking, simply because of how a question has been said, or how framing questions that show the consumer how much risk needs to be taken on their end will improve the desired outcome.
Kahneman provides many breakthroughs and more, culminating in what we could say is the basis for modern-day behavioral marketing. A book that indeed should be on every marketer’s shelf.
Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
In this easy-to-read marketing psychology book, Jonah Berger discusses six main topics and how they relate to making products and ideas go viral.
- Social Currency
- Triggers
- Emotional Resonance
- Observability
- Usefulness
- Stories
Why you should read it: Learn how six social triggers can lead to virality
Being a marketing professor, Berger has a knack for bringing to life how his six main topics can lead to virality; he takes a deeper dive into said subjects to discover what leads to the cultural phenomenon of viral word-of-mouth marketing and why certain things become so popular. He explores a range of case studies, including consumer products, government policy, B2B services, and more.
As Berger states it in the book:
“Whether you’re a manager at a big company, a small business owner trying to boost awareness, or a health official trying to get the word out, this book will show you how to make anything more contagious.”
Made to Stick by Dan Heath and Chip Heath
This book has nearly been made a classic for all copywriters and advertisers to get their hands on. As one pages through, the thoughtful case studies presented by the Heath brothers touch on numerous topics that show the readers why some ideas capture the imagination of those who see them and why some ideas leave as fast as they come.
Why you should read it: See how ideas, big and small, take off right before your very eyes
Dan and Chip Heath bring to life the idea of why things “stick”, whether that be ideas, products, or theories. They break down the anatomy of “sticky” ideas into six basic principles that bring the reader along seeing them in action and exploring different theories as to why these ideas and products stick in the first place, looking at the Velcro Theory of Memory, curiosity gaps, and more.
Similar to that of the book Contagion, as we just explored, Made to Stick is a fantastic read for all marketers. Showing the array of ideas and case studies presented across industries, products, and classrooms, Chip and Dan Heath have provided an instant classic to add to the bookshelf of all marketers.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
In one of the most classic marketing psychology books that have graced the halls of many college campuses and office buildings, Robert Cialdini brings to life how people can influence behavioral compliance. He dives into six main principles of persuasion and how they can be applied in day-to-day life.
- Reciprocity
- Social Proof
- Commitment
- Liking
- Authority
- Scarcity
Why you should read it: Want to be more persuasive? Yes? Read this.
Another former college professor, Cialdini, has the unique ability to communicate the six principles in an easy-to-understand, effective way. Cialdini discusses the emotional and behavioral science behind them and how you can use them to get people to say “Yes” while being ethical.
By reading this book, you’ll be able to see how you can utilize these principles and apply them to your everyday work and become a more skilled persuader. You’ll know when and how to use these principles ethically and when you should say no.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The Tipping Point marks Malcolm Gladwell‘s debut in business, marketing, psychology, and decision-making writing. Gladwell explores the everyday phenomenon that occurs and catches on like wildfire. He details how each of these events crosses a “tipping point,” which effectively causes them to disseminate into the community at a rapid pace. Whether it’s how a single person can cause a pandemic or how a good cleaning crew can stop crime, this Gladwell classic will leave the reader with insights that can be applied to selling products and getting their ideas traction in the broader community.
Why you should read it: Learn key ways in which ideas and products disseminate around the world
Throughout the book, Gladwell introduced readers to types of people who naturally are great spreaders of information and ideas, sometimes without even knowing it. Gladwell analyzes various avenues such as smoking trends, direct mail, and children’s television. Bringing the reader along an ever-winding journey shows how small things can make a big difference. Numerous principles can be applied from this book to the world of marketing for marketing professionals and non-professionals alike; the Tipping Point is a surefire read that will keep you engaged till the last page.
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