Nathalie Nahai

Author and researcher
 

Bestselling author Nathalie Nahai is a researcher and thought leader in web psychology and online behaviour. Her book, Webs of Influence: The Psychology of Online Persuasion explores the psychological intersection between brand and consumer, persuasive technology and the ethical implications of data mining.

Having previously worked with Fortune 500 companies, including Google, as well as the likes of PwC, Unilever and the Harvard Business Review, Nathalie advises corporations on web design, content strategy and marketing, revealing both how to sell and the importance of selling with integrity. She brings the importance of psychology, neuroscience and behavioural economics to the fore; showing companies how to use scientific insights to build a persuasive, and more importantly ethical digital platform.

Nathalie examines the ethics of data sharing and society’s trust deficit. As awareness of, and resistance to online manipulation grows, Nathalie guides companies on how to reach larger audiences using persuasive technology and branding, while maintaining an ethical framework. She tackles the growing tension between the demand for personalised ads and privacy. She considers different ways for companies to communicate effectively through social media to a generation that is increasingly resistant to overt promotion and advertising. She also applies her research on user behaviour to commercial matters, revealing what businesses can learn from patterns of digital consumption and personality traits.

Nathalie co-hosted The Guardian weekly tech podcast and has contibuted to BBC Radio 4’s Thought Cages. She is a former member of the Social Media Week advisory board and founded Humanise The Web, a conference on user behaviour and persuasive technology. Nathalie has presented in a number of podcasts such as The Hive, which takes a look at the social and psychological impact of the digital, including everything from psychometrics, to identity, to surveillance. Her most recent podcast, Seeking the Self investigates the search for identity in the 21^st century, exploring how connection is intertwined with myth, story, technology and religion.