Mara Einstein > Quotes

“The parallel to cults is striking. Draw people in when they are vulnerable. Check. Love bombing. Check. Withhold information about the company’s true mission. Check. Make it difficult for people to leave. Check. Charismatic leaders. Check.”
― Mara Einstein, Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults

“We must never forget that whenever we are online, we are part of a marketing research project, we are immersed in a shopping model, and we are being programmed—all for capital gain.”
― Mara Einstein, Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults

“I note this because it helps to dispel a prevailing myth: that people pulled into cults are crazy or stupid. This could not be further from the truth. Yes, young people are an important target group because of their vulnerability and because they will do a lot of work, which is necessary to keep the organization going. However, cults want smart, successful, and preferably wealthy people, because such individuals tend to be good managers and the best form of marketing.”
― Mara Einstein, Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults

“Creating an us-versus-them mentality is just one of the psychological methods used by cults and co-opted by marketers that we examine throughout this book.”
― Mara Einstein, Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults