Hoodwinked: How Cult Marketing Took Over Your Feed with Dr. Mara Einstein

What do MLMs, cults, and online coaches have in common? More than you think.

In this episode of Duped, we’re joined by marketing critic and author Dr. Mara Einstein, whose new book Hoodwinked pulls back the curtain on how cult tactics are being repackaged and sold as modern marketing—especially in the online business space.

During our discussion, we dive deep into the blurred line between cult recruitment and the marketing funnel, why parasocial relationships and influencer culture fuel the anxiety economy, the red flags of toxic coaching ecosystems and MLM-style coaching “businesses” and so much more.

Whether you’ve ever felt “not good enough” while scrolling or bought into a program that promised the world, this episode will help you see those tactics for what they are—and give you the language to name them.

Topics covered in this episode:

Why did Mara write Hookwinked?
In the book, she draws a direct line between cult tactics and modern marketing—especially in online spaces. Where do she think that line becomes most dangerous or unethical?
She writes that influencers are “cult lite,” using storytelling and charisma to build parasocial relationships. How has this changed the way we evaluate who we trust online?
What is the “anxiety economy,” and how do influencers capitalize on it? What are we really “paying” when we follow someone closely online?
How does the fact that “the funnel is collapsed” affect consumer behavior and our ability to evaluate what we’re buying critically?
Does Mara think algorithms (and the illusion of choice they provide) are the new cult leader? How much control do we have in online spaces?
Truth bias and the illusory truth effect appear in scammy marketing and cults. What are these, and how can the average consumer spot these psychological traps?
What makes coaches—especially those targeting women—more insidious than typical influencers or product peddlers?
As social media becomes more toxic and less trustworthy, what does Mara think the future looks like for people trying to build a business without falling into culty tactics?
What advice would Mara give someone who suspects they’ve been caught up in one of these digital cults or coaching ecosystems?

About Dr. Mara Einstein:

Dr. Mara Einstein is an internationally recognized expert on deceptive marketing tactics and the intersection of marketing and religion. She is the author of eight books, including “Hoodwinked: How marketers use the same tactics as cults.” Dr. Einstein is a professor of media studies at the City University of New York. Prior to becoming an academic, she worked as a marketing executive at numerous advertising agencies as well as MTV and NBC. She is featured in the Netflix documentary, “Buy Now: The Shopping Conpiracy,” which is about overconsumption and its impact on people and the planet and the Discovery+ docuseries “Cult of Fear.”