Matt Johnson

Matt Johnson, PhD is a speaker, writer, and researcher, specializing in the application of psychology and neuroscience to branding. Following his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Princeton University, his work has probed the science of brand storytelling, experiential marketing, and consumer decision-making. He is the author of the top-selling consumer psychology book, Blindsight: The (mostly) hidden ways marketing reshapes our brains (BenBella, 2020), and most recently, Branding That Means Business (Economist Books, Fall 2022). In 2023, he was inducted into Thinkers50 Radar as one of 30 “business thinkers with ideas most likely to shape the future."

As a contributor to major news outlets including Psychology Today, Forbes, and BBC, he regularly provides expert opinion and thought leadership on a range of topics related to the human side of business. Matt is also passionate about helping brands harness insights from neuroscience to better understand, serve, and interact with their consumers. To this end, he consults with a wide array of organizations, including as an expert in residence for Nike. Matt currently resides in Boston, MA, where he is a Professor of Psychology and Marketing at Hult International Business School, and an instructor at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education.

Matt grew up in The Bay Area, California, and has lived and worked in San Diego, New Jersey, Berlin and Shanghai.