When MMM was introduced in many countries I cannot argue that the numbers of bitcoin users has greatly increased. But the fall of MMM also lead those people to have a negative thoughts on bitcoin, they left after MMM can no longer pay the members. If there is one thing that MMM brought to bitcoin it is the awareness of cryptocurrency to the community.
I quite agree with you about the awareness MMM has brought which to me is a kind of mixed blessing in the sense that majority came into bitcoin simply because they needed to use it as a "currency" not because they are interested not because they believe in it but because of MMM and when MMM stops paying, then they leave because they were never interested in the first place and we are back at the point we were before MMM...