Dr. Michael Barbera is an award-winning consumer psychologist and business strategy consultant. He is a leading expert in consumer perceptions and the complex factors that drive the entire consumer decision-making process. Michael specializes in consumer behavior, emotions, and experiences, both online and in person. His practice areas include social psychology, brand management, marketing, behavioral economics, behavioral finance, and long-term business growth strategies.
Michael is the chief behavioral officer at Clicksuasion Labs. A combination of psychology and economics at its core, Clicksuasion Labs crunches the evidence-based science behind influence and persuasion. Michael knows what makes consumers tick. His team conducts research, interprets data, and applies real-world insights to help people understand what drives consumer decisions, what influences consumer behavior, and how to achieve measurable results. They don’t sit back and wonder why. They actively seek answers that help guide human behavior.
Michael advises Fortune 500 companies and other clients on how to apply behavioral science to build customer experiences that are more efficient, engaging, and effective. He also creates evidence-based solutions that affect both external marketing strategy and internal operations management. He designs comprehensive C-suite solutions for sales, human resources, product design, and marketing teams to achieve maximum efficiency.
Michael’s experience includes large organizations like Boeing, Microsoft, The Washington Post, John Deere, Harley Davidson, LendLease, the United States Department of Defense, and the United States Department of State. He has worked with noted academic institutions including Ithaca College, Purdue University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina. He has also worked with renowned recording artists including Warrant and Goo Goo Dolls.
Michael shares his evidence-based insights and experiences as a celebrated keynote speaker for public and private institutions. He leads discussions with other experts on applied social psychology as the host of the Clicksuasion podcast. He has also been a dynamic TEDx presenter, covering a range of interesting issues, including the human perception of gender-neutral restrooms. He shares his research on comfort levels, feelings, and perceptions about inclusivity regarding restroom placards. He also presented compelling research about how hurricane names may impact safety outcomes in catastrophic weather events. More than 100,000 people have heard Michael speak on four continents, and he has earned more than 250,000 views online.
Michael has been a successful entrepreneur since he was 13, and managed his first merger and acquisition at age 17. He’s been a 40 under 40, and continues to champion entrepreneurs and business leaders as a thought leader, moderator, mentor, and counselor. Michael is a board member of the Moore County Chamber of Commerce, as well as the co-founder and vice-president of the board of Revolutionary Coworking, a collaborative workspace that fosters an environment of education, innovation, collaboration, workspace liberty and sustainability. In 2015, the White House recognized Michael for his many contributions to entrepreneurship.
Michael earned a PhD in behavioral economics with a focus in time pressure and scarcity. He has two MBAs with concentrations in entrepreneurship and executive management, and has a BS in business administration.
Website: www.michaelbarbera.com
