Top Behavioral Marketing Experts 2025

Kristopher Michael Wood Behavior Design Strategist. Founder of iLLOGICAL iNFLUENCE. Director of Brand Storytelling at Lotos Nile. Kristopher Michael Wood works at the intersection of behavioral science, brand strategy, and storytelling, helping organizations move people to act. He is the Founder of iLLOGICAL iNFLUENCE, a behavior design consultancy that uses ethical influence and human-centered design to shape decisions, build trust, and change outcomes for clients ranging from professionals and nonprofits to Fortune 500 teams. He also serves as Director of Brand Storytelling at Lotos Nile, a Nashville-based marketing and communications firm where he builds brand systems and campaigns rooted in behavioral evidence rather than guesswork. Kristopher is one of a small handful of practitioners trained directly by the three figures often referred to as the grandmasters of human behavior: Dr. Robert Cialdini, Dr. BJ Fogg, and Rory Sutherland. He is a founding member of the Cialdini Institute and a Certified Cialdini Coach and Consultant, applying Cialdini's seven principles of influence to marketing, UX, and brand systems. He completed Behavior Design Expert Training with Dr. BJ Fogg of Stanford University, and he earned the Mark of Distinction in Rory Sutherland's MAD//Masters program. He is also a Certified Member of the Global Association of Applied Behavioral Scientists (GAABS) and holds a certification in Online Influence Fundamentals from the Online Influence Institute. His professional certifications further span Apple Search Ads, Google's Generative AI Learning Path, Google Digital Marketing and E-Commerce, Google Data Analytics, Google UX Design, Google Project Management, LinkedIn Decision Intelligence, and Management Consulting Foundations through Skillfully. Before moving into strategy, Kristopher spent more than two decades working at the highest levels of live production. He served over a decade as an Automated Lighting Programmer for The Late Show with David Letterman and toured worldwide as a programmer and technician for Radiohead, Elton John, Cher, Sheryl Crow, and Roxy Music, every one of whom is now in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His credits include the Grammy Awards, the Olympics, the Democratic National Convention, and the NBA Finals, along with technical work for Vari-Lite. That career taught him about timing, spectacle, and human response in real time, lessons that now inform how he designs behavior change for brands. He is the author of two books. New York Birds Don't Climb: Ernest Hemingway and the City (2023) is a literary study of Chicago, Paris, and New York as forces that shaped Ernest Hemingway, drawing primarily on Hemingway's preserved correspondence. Business Lessons from Taylor Swift: What Every Business Can Learn from a Global Icon is the first business book to analyze Taylor Swift's career as a case study in storytelling, personal branding, and strategic positioning, and it became a best-seller in its category. His shorter writing appears regularly in McSweeney's Internet Tendency, The American Bystander, Points in Case, Weekly Humorist, Humor Times, and Sorbet Magazine, where he serves as Political Correspondent. His political commentary has run in The Portland Press Herald, the Sun Journal (Lewiston, ME), and the Kennebec Journal. He has completed formal Satire Writing I and II training at The Second City. Kristopher holds a Master of Arts in History and Literature from Columbia University, where he was part of the Hemingway, Italy, and the Literary Imagination program, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from New York University. He completed additional academic work in Literature at École Normale Supérieure and in History at Université Paris-Sorbonne, and earned an Associate degree from Full Sail University. During his undergraduate years at NYU, he was recognized with the Founder's Day Award (2014), the Harvey J. Stedman Award (2014), the McGhee Scholars Scholarship (2011 and 2012), and the Bernard Osher Scholarship (2010 and 2013). He also served as an Editorial Intern at George Mason University's History News Network and earlier worked as an Education Consultant at ENREACH Education in Chengdu, China. His proprietary frameworks include BRAVO for Brand Storytelling, a structured method for applying behavioral science to brand narrative, and his consulting practice covers behavior design, Cialdini-grounded persuasion, UX strategy, brand psychology, decision intelligence, and persuasive copywriting. Kristopher lives and works in Hailey, Idaho.

Meet Georgi Petrov, the driving force behind AIG MARKETER, a dynamic digital marketing agency. A multifaceted entrepreneur, he not only owns thriving multi-7-figure online stores but also curates insightful content on his blog at georgiadvice.com. On his YouTube channel, he generously shares his vast experience. Holding an MBA and boasting 13+ years in digital marketing, Georgi has helped countless startups, coaches, and Fortune 500 giants across 13+ markets. A Google and Meta certified pro, Georgi personifies digital success.

Sarah Vasquez is the founder of The Ad Alchemist, a strategic consultancy focused on marketing effectiveness, consumer psychology, brand strategy, and strategic communication. With nearly two decades of experience across marketing, advertising, public relations, creative direction, content strategy, audience research, and executive marketing leadership, Sarah has helped organizations navigate everything from brand positioning and campaign development to reputation management, audience growth, and market expansion. She has worked across nearly every major marketing discipline—from copywriting and content creation to public relations, brand strategy, creative leadership, audience development, and executive marketing roles—giving her a uniquely holistic perspective on how marketing, advertising, and communication work together to influence business outcomes. Her experience spans consumer brands, technology, cybersecurity, healthcare, hospitality, government, and professional services. Throughout her career, Sarah has been driven by a simple question: why do some messages resonate while others fall flat? That question led her to specialize in the intersection of marketing performance, consumer behavior, persuasion science, and decision-making. Her work focuses on helping organizations understand the gap between what they believe they are communicating and what audiences actually hear, see, and act upon. Sarah regularly provides insight on marketing and advertising trends, consumer psychology, brand strategy, strategic communications, AI in marketing, leadership, reputation management, audience behavior, and the evolving relationship between technology and human decision-making.

Senior Marketing Technologist and Fractional MarTech Consultant with 18+ years of experience in digital marketing, including over a decade specializing in marketing automation and analytics. Worked with leading companies such as AutoScout24, ALSO International, Lucanet, PlusDental, and DCMN, helping them streamline workflows, improve customer journeys, and drive measurable growth. My expertise spans GA4, Google Tag Manager, HubSpot, Marketo, ActiveCampaign, Zapier, Make, OpenAI and BigQuery—bridging marketing, data, and technology to solve complex challenges. I have founded and scaled multiple ventures, and delivered growth through CRM strategies, advanced tracking, and automation frameworks. A frequent speaker on data-driven marketing, I also share insights through my blog, YouTube channel, and LinkedIn community. Known for blending strategic vision with hands-on execution, I help B2B and B2C businesses unlock efficiency, scalability, and growth in today’s fast-changing MarTech landscape.

Dr Leanne Elich is an unshakeable optimist. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Leanne has devoted her professional life to helping advance a vision of the world. She is fascinated by the people and organisations that make the greatest and longest-lasting impact. Her work has uncovered remarkable patterns in how people think, behave, and communicate in the environments in which they operate at their best. Dr Leanne Elich is an award-winning Neuroscientist and Behavioural Economist, and a sought-after expert in psychology and neuroscience applied to business and high-performance teams. She is the CEO of Leanne Elich Consulting, an advisory firm that works with individuals, teams, and organisations, specialising in teaching tools, tactics, and strategies to ethically influence consumer behaviour. With a PhD in Cognitive Neuropsychology and an extensive publication record, Leanne was awarded the 2023 Top 20 Women in Business and the 2024 Women in Impact Award, and was inducted into Forbes Women Australia. She is a graduate of the University of Sydney, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Medical School. Leanne’s unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention. She regularly contributes to national and international media outlets, including ABC Radio, Sydney Morning Herald and Psychology Today. Her mission: Changing business, one brain at a time.

Hello fellow human, robot, or occasionally sentient algorithm. A few mantras I keep coming back to: in all cases, it depends. All things are possible, with budget. Nothing is as complex, or as simple, as it seems. And if you start with a different definition of success, you've already failed. I'm the founder of Golden Consulting, a digital marketing strategy and fractional CMO practice built around GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): helping brands get cited by AI answer engines, not just ranked on Google. Fifteen years in sales and marketing, ten-plus of that in digital specifically. I've been the buyer, the agency, and the AE, so I know what a CMO is actually asking when they push back on your proposal. The GEO focus took shape at Rankings.io, where I built the strategy and methodology from scratch for a legal marketing team: the framework, the narrative, the sales enablement, then handed it off and watched the team close at a level they hadn't hit before. Building something other people could run with turned out to be a different kind of win than carrying my own number, and I found it more rewarding. The methodology's expanding well beyond legal now, which is most of what I do at Golden Consulting today. Some of that thinking has ended up on AZ TechCast, Phoenix Business Radio, and Slator, talking through what GEO actually means for a marketing strategy in practice. Born in the US, raised in Australia, calling Colorado home now (ish). Came into marketing sideways, through psychology and market research at Monash University in Melbourne. For an interesting conversation, ask me about the eerie, non-coincidental similarities between how LLMs work and how the human mind does.

I've spent 20+ years helping organizations build and refine marketing programs, focusing on content strategy, growth marketing, product marketing, GTM, and thought leadership. I've had roles across SaaS, MarTech, ecommerce, and high-growth tech at every stage from startup to enterprise. That experience translates well beyond those industries, including biotech, legal, and emerging tech. I’m regularly quoted in the press and publish articles on topics including growth strategy, consumer behavior, ecommerce, retail, email marketing, and customer lifecycle strategy. A good chunk of my career has been about making complicated products and ideas feel approachable. That means working closely with Product, Sales, and Executive teams to solidify positioning and build content programs that increase revenue. I've managed and grown marketing teams, and ensured my teams were challenged and had the tools and resources they needed to do their jobs well and grow as professionals.

I am a marketing strategist and growth consultant with 18+ years of experience across digital marketing, brand positioning, performance systems, and AI-led business growth. I work with businesses to improve how they are discovered, understood, and chosen in increasingly competitive and AI-influenced markets. My work focuses on the practical side of growth, how strategy, content, performance marketing, customer behavior, and AI can work together to create measurable business outcomes. Over the years, I have contributed to campaigns and growth initiatives for brands such as DHL, Walmart, BMW, and Landmark Group, while also working across technology, finance, e-commerce, hospitality, healthcare, and real estate. I am especially interested in how AI is reshaping search, content, decision journeys, and marketing operations, and how businesses can use it in a commercially useful way rather than as a trend. I bring a perspective that combines business thinking with hands-on execution, with a strong focus on clarity, growth, and real-world results.

With over 15 years of hands-on experience in affiliate marketing, e-commerce, and digital growth strategy, I’ve helped brands scale profitable online partnerships and build high-performing affiliate ecosystems. As the founder of BestAIFor.com - a fast-growing AI tools directory, benchmark platform, and independent review hub - I now combine my performance marketing background with deep expertise in the AI landscape. I personally evaluate and benchmark hundreds of AI tools every month, tracking real-world metrics like speed, accuracy, pricing shifts, ROI, and usability across productivity, content, marketing, and creative workflows. My work focuses on cutting through the hype to deliver actionable, data-backed insights that help solopreneurs, marketers, and businesses choose the right AI stack for 2026 and beyond. Whether I'm setting up affiliate programs for AI tool makers, optimizing campaign performance with AI-powered automation, or identifying emerging trends through original benchmarks, I’m driven by one goal: turning complex technology into practical growth advantages. I’m passionate about sharing transparent, no-BS analysis and helping the industry move faster with better information. You’ll often find me publishing fresh benchmarks, “State of AI Tools” micro-reports, and strategic guides on BestAIFor.com.

Digital Solutions & E-commerce Expertise (20+ years) in Omnichannel Marketing & CX | Customer Insights & Market Intelligence. PhD candidate in Human-Computer Interaction. Independent consultant with 8+ years coaching micro, small and medium enterprises in digital transformation and online business development. Proven track record supporting 3.000+ SMEs across Latin America, Central Asia, and Africa through international development programs (UN-ITC), and national business accelerators. Expert in e-commerce platforms, digital marketing, SEO, and online business strategy with extensive workshop facilitation and mentoring experience.

I've spent the last few years working within the programmatic and behavioral targeting space. Being on the Digital Summit tour has led to many amazing opportunities to speak and educate others on the benefits of using behavioral strategy to gain faster ROI through specific ad targeting recommendations. If you ever have questions on programmatic advertising, digital video, behavioral strategy, or how to get started with programmatic advertising... Message me and I'll do my best to help you out!

Igor Ivitskiy is a PhD mathematician and the founder of Doctor Ads. Drawing on 200+ scientific publications in mathematical modelling, he developed the Profit Forensics methodology, a forensic diagnostic framework for finding hidden profit leaks in high-spend advertising accounts. He was ranked #6 in PPCsurvey.com's Top 50 Most Influential PPC Experts of 2026 and won Best PPC Case in Europe at AdWorld Experience 2024. His peer-reviewed work introduces the Heuristic Ceiling, Linear-Exponential Gap, and Critical Threshold, concepts that formalize the mathematical limits of intuition-based optimization in modern paid media. Over $770M in ad budgets have been managed under his methods. He writes on AI in marketing, marketing measurement, and ad-spend efficiency in his newsletter, The Ad Profit Lab.

Peter has been working in the world of search marketing since 2008. What started with SEA and SEO grew with the profession: from Facebook marketing and YouTube strategy to a broader focus on discoverability beyond Google's beaten paths. What remained is the fascination with how platforms work, and how that keeps changing. That fascination has only grown now that AI is fundamentally changing the landscape: not just how people search, but how we as marketers do our work.

Rebecca Bertoldi helps coaching and wellness brands attract clients through aligned marketing experiences. Her unique blend of positive psychology, neuroscience and NLP allows coaches to start transforming clients from the first touch, in a way that feels true to their soul and vision. Rebecca's own personal development journey earned her a seat on Mary Morrissey's marketing team, where she learned how to scale multi six figure businesses to seven figures and beyond. Now, Rebecca helps coaches at all stages of business through her speaking, programs and workshops. Her clients proudly step into their authentic brand, build their email lists with warm leads and have thriving communities. Plus, they feel more confident with technology than ever before.

Over a decade’s experience in digital marketing, conversion optimization, lead generation, e-commerce, content marketing, UX design, strategy, email marketing, product management, social media marketing, SEM, SEO, customer success and data analysis. I strive to get people to click and understand why they click. I have worked both agency side and client side, start ups and large corporations, e-commerce and lead generation, B2B and B2C. Google Analytics Certified. Optimizely Certified. Hubspot Inbound Certified.

Expert in working across all levels of organizations, highly skilled at partnering with CEOs and founders to define brand strategy, analyze current positioning, and build comprehensive programmatic plans across platforms for start-ups and early-stage companies in B2B and B2B2C marketplaces. Proven track record building communities in various sectors, creating engagement and converting members to take pre-defined actions. I’ve honed my skills through extensive consulting & working with diverse groups of stakeholders including restaurant owners, CEOs, scholars, and entrepreneurs. I love to learn and strive to continuously add value.

Hi, I'm Marissa! I combine psychology, storytelling, and visual design to help your small business make a bigger impact. Did you know over 80% of our decisions are made unconsciously? Which means your dream clients are out there scrolling, searching, and deciding...without even realizing why they choose the things they do. Every word, visual, and vibe you put out into the world is working for or against you right now. And while pretty visuals and clever copy may seem great at first glance, they only go so far. Real impact happens when you connect with your audience on an emotional level. It’s not just about what you’re saying or showing, it’s about how it makes them feel. When you tap into that emotional connection, suddenly your brand isn’t just “another option.” It’s the option. That’s how you stop blending in and start building a brand that truly sticks. Interested in working together? Visit https://marissapane.com/apply or send me a DM to inquire!

"Marketing strategy without consumer psychology is like trying to start a fire by rubbing two wet noodles together."

Digital Marketing Consultant with over 12 years of experience specializing in performance marketing and international expansion across the US, UK, and DACH markets. Having managed over $100M in ad spend for global brands, Ian focuses on building data-driven growth infrastructure and localized go-to-market strategies that align technical tracking with bottom-line profitability.

With over two decades of experience shaping and scaling digital ecosystems for enterprise and franchise brands, I specialize in the intersection of SEO, AI-Search (AIO), GEO, and structured data strategy — transforming complex algorithms and emerging AI behaviors into actionable, measurable business growth. As a technical strategist and AI adoption leader, I bridge data, content, and automation to future-proof digital visibility. My work focuses on how AI-driven search, voice interfaces, and structured data are redefining discoverability, authority, and conversion — both for brands and the evolving user experience. I’ve led cross-disciplinary teams delivering top-tier results across hundreds of markets, aligning marketing operations, content systems, and analytics pipelines with modern AI-search readiness standards. My approach blends creative insight with analytical rigor, ensuring each initiative contributes to a unified performance architecture — from schema-first frameworks and entity optimization to AI-assisted content production and voice-search strategy. Recognized for thought leadership in SEO innovation, AI implementation, and structured data excellence, I actively contribute to advancing the dialogue around where organic search, automation, and generative models converge. Core Expertise: SEO & AI-Search (AIO) • Local & GEO Optimization • Structured Data & Schema Architecture • Voice Search & Conversational AI • Content Intelligence Systems • Technical SEO • Data-Driven Strategy & Analytics • AI Implementation & Automation Leadership