Hoodwinked! Cult Marketing Book Talk with Mara Einstein

The Institute for Communication and Religion is pleased to announce an upcoming book talk with guest speaker Mara Einstein, Ph.D. on her recently published book, Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults.

The event will be held on March 19 in the Arts & Sciences Hall, room 109, from 1 - 2:30 p.m., and will include both a lecture and a Q&A session. Learn more and register for the event.

Einstein will shed light on why cults seem to be everywhere, from branding to multilevel marketing to politics. Digital technologies fuel a powerful “vortex” by enabling the perfect scenario for cults to thrive. Fomenting in-and-out groups, valorizing charismatic leaders and teaching isolationism are all ways cultic communicators skew digital audiences away from reality.

Einstein is an internationally recognized expert on deceptive marketing tactics. She is the author or co-editor of eight books, including Brands of Faith: Marketing Religions in a Commercial Age (Routledge, 2007). She has been working in or writing about media industries for more than 30 years.

Einstein enjoyed stints as a marketing executive at NBC, MTV Networks and at major advertising agencies. You might recognize her from Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy, the hit documentary on Netflix about overconsumption, marketing and its impact on society and the planet.

Join us March 19 at 1 p.m. to hear Einstein discuss her book and to take part in the Q&A. Register here.

About the Institute for Communication and Religion 
The Institute for Communication and Religion (ICR) is an affiliated unit within Seton Hall University’s College of Human Development, Culture, and Media. Religious traditions are primary drivers for social action across humanity’s full moral range, from care through violence. Launched with THRUST funding in Fall 2017, the ICR is an interdisciplinary nexus for communication and media scholarship addressing the critical intersection between religion and society. Guided by Nostra Aetate’s spirit of ecumenical and interreligious cooperation, the Institute seeks to engage in public dialogue and debate, promote academic inquiry and support religious dimensions of creativity. Our values are Seton Hall’s values: servant leadership, curricular innovation and intellectual excellence. For more information, visit the Institute for Communication and Religion website.

Categories: Faith and Service