In Jin, Moon and his wife’s fourth child, seemed suited for the task. She had a modern American upbringing and a master’s degree from Harvard. In 2009, she took over the Unification Church of America and introduced a bold modernization program. Her aim, she said, was to transform the church into one that people—especially young people—were “dying to join.” She renamed the church Lovin’ Life Ministries, shelved the old hymn books, and launched a rock band, an offshoot of which played New York clubs under the moniker Sonic Cult. She also discarded the old Korean-inspired traditions: bows and chanting gave way to “Guitar Hero” parties, open mics, concerts, and ping-pong tournaments. What’s more, In Jin broke some long-standing taboos. Rather than adhering to the church line on arranged marriage, for example, she encouraged young people to play a role in choosing their own spouses. Her reforms were met with heated resistance. Across the country, Moon’s disciples took to the Internet to denounce In Jin’s “bling-bling” style and her “ridiculous accent.” One online critic dubbed her ministry the “mushroom church,” because “all you do is sit passively in the dark and are fed bovine excrement.” Within two years, nationwide monthly attendance plunged from roughly 26,000 to less than 7,500, according to internal church documents.
In other words, some popularizing reforms which reduced apparent coercion and cultishness cut membership by 75% - more strikingly, despite being one of the most famous, notorious, politically influential ‘cults’, they were down to just 25k total in the USA in 2009.
some popularizing reforms which reduced apparent coercion and cultishness cut membership by 75%
This seems like evidence against (a perhaps overstrong version of) the thesis of the OP, namely that cult “techniques” are ineffective. But note that
it’s perfectly consistent with them not being scarily effective; and
it’s also possible that these changes made no difference to (or even increased) the Moonies’ ability to acquire new members and keep them in the short term, and that it cut their membership because longstanding members who were used to the old way of doing things hated the reforms.
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115512/unification-church-profile-fall-house-moon
In other words, some popularizing reforms which reduced apparent coercion and cultishness cut membership by 75% - more strikingly, despite being one of the most famous, notorious, politically influential ‘cults’, they were down to just 25k total in the USA in 2009.
This seems like evidence against (a perhaps overstrong version of) the thesis of the OP, namely that cult “techniques” are ineffective. But note that
it’s perfectly consistent with them not being scarily effective; and
it’s also possible that these changes made no difference to (or even increased) the Moonies’ ability to acquire new members and keep them in the short term, and that it cut their membership because longstanding members who were used to the old way of doing things hated the reforms.