Guru Viking Podcast

Ep306: Marketing Tactics of Religions & Cults - Prof. Mara Einstein

May 16, 2025

Join Professor Mara Einstein, a digital marketing critic and author specializing in cult brands, as she delves into the shocking parallels between marketing tactics and cult recruitment. She discusses her book 'Hoodwinked', revealing how manipulative strategies infiltrate both media and religion. Mara analyzes cult-like marketing in televangelism, stealth Buddhism, and the prosperity gospel, while sharing her own disillusionment with a spiritual leader. Prepare to rethink how faith is marketed and the ethical implications behind these strategies!

01:18:38

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Episode guests

Mara Einstein

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Marketers employ tactics similar to cult leaders, leveraging emotional connections and vulnerabilities to influence consumer behavior effectively.

Cults and brands alike foster a sense of community to enhance loyalty, making it difficult for individuals to disengage once integrated.

Einstein advocates for ethical marketing in religious contexts, emphasizing transparency and genuine community-building over manipulative practices.

Deep dives

The Intersection of Marketing and Cults

Marketers use tactics that closely resemble those employed by cults to influence consumer behavior. This includes manipulative strategies designed to create emotional connections and a sense of urgency. Professor Mara Einstein discusses her insights from her book 'Hoodwinked', explaining how both marketers and cult leaders aim to establish strong bonds with their targets, often preying on their vulnerabilities. By analyzing these similarities, she sheds light on the ethical implications of such practices in the marketing industry.

Intro

2min

Marketing Faith: The Intersection of Religion and Branding

13min

Navigating the Anxiety Economy: The Impact of Social Media Marketing

4min

Marketing and Spirituality: The Interplay of Faith and Identity

17min

The Intersection of Faith and Marketing

27min

Stealth Buddhism in Corporate Wellness

10min

Freedom and Inquiry in Religious Groups

2min

Redefining Cults in Modern Society

4min

In this episode I am joined by Professor Mara Einstein, digital marketing critic; author and public speaker on cult brands and influencer scams; and tenured professor of media studies at Queens College (CUNY). Mara discusses her latest book “Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults”, warns about manipulative marketing techniques used in media and religions, details the 9 steps of cult recruitment, and shares case studies of religious marketing models. Mara recalls her own life journey from an early interest in religions and cults, her path through academia studying religion and marketing, and her own discipleship under and subsequent disillusionment with spiritual teacher and political activist Marianne Williamson. Mara also considers religion as a product, analyses stealth Buddhism and prosperity gospel preachers, and offers her own thoughts on how religious groups can market themselves more ethically. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep306-marketing-tactics-of-religions-cults-prof-mara-einstein Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:08 - Hoodwinked, 01:21 - Religion as a product 02:17 - Early interest in religion and cults 03:36 - PhD about religion and policy 05:35 - Televangelists and the Passion of the Christ 06:52 - The Purpose Driven Church marketing 07:34 - The secularisation theory and why the US bucks the trend 08:13 - Joel Osteen vs Oprah Winfrey 09:34 - Why do secular organisations use religious themes? 11:41 - Cults and Multi-level marketing 13:14 - Brand cults such as Apple 14:46 - Marketing Hoodwinked 1536 - Social media vs television advertising 16:37 - Rage farming, increased anxiety, and becoming susceptible to messaging 20:20 - Brand purchases as expressions of individual identity 21:42 - Selling the sacred, how religion and marketing intersects 25:03 - Mara’s own religious journey through Judaism and the New Age 26:31 - Becoming a follower of Marianne Williamson 27:01 - Disillusioned by religion 27:13 - Studying evangelicals 27:58 - Interviewing Ralph White 28:29 - Mara analyses her own journey to becoming a follower of Marianne Williamson 32:00 - World Nutella Day 34:18 - Going deeper with Marianne Williamson 36:10 - 9 steps of cult recruitment 36:47 - Targeting the vulnerable 40:26 - Upselling and the Kabbalah Centre 42:02 - Love-bombing 43:14 - Tough love 44:34 - Creation of in and out groups 46:30 - Severe repercussions for leaving 47:22 - American Evangelism 49:33 - How should religions market themselves with integrity? 49:52 - “He Gets Us” and the Alpha Course 52:07 -2 year mission trips don’t work 52:41 - The best marketing is to live the message 54:49 - Shady marketing tactics to avoid 56:22 - Beware of panacea answers 57:02 - Beware the charismatic leader 57:56 - How would Mara advice a religious group to use marketing ethically? 59:33 - Know your target audience 01:01:13 - The brilliance of Rick Warren’s consumer research driven marketing 01:02:47 - Is stealth Buddhism shady marketing? 01:04:44 - Bait and switch of secular mindfulness 01:06:34 - Capitalist meditation 01:07:42 - Is MBSR a bait and switch? 01:09:09 - Mara’s advice for those selling corporate mindfulness 01:10:15 - Transparency vs deception 01:12:23 - Make it ok to question and ok to leave 01:13:31 - Hoodwinked 01:14:15 - Pervasiveness of cults 01:15:13 - Influencers and a spectrum of cults 01:16:29 - Teal Swan and lifestyle marketing 01:17:21 - Anyone can be pulled into a cult … To find our more about Professor Mara Einstein, visit: - https://www.drmaraeinstein.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James