How Harvey Weinstein Can Ruin Your Online Reputation in Unexpected Ways

Don’t Be Drawn into the Weinstein Vortex

Really, can disgraced film producer and ex-Oscar winner Harvey Weinstein impact or even hurt your online reputation? Well perhaps surprisingly, the answer is possibly yes.

Here’s how.

We’ll turn mostly to recent developments in the news. Is this applicable to you? Well, maybe, but it’s a reminder that people or a news event could impact your online reputation in unintended ways.

Is Your Name “Weinstein”?

What if your name happens to be “Harvey Weinstein”? Or just “Weinstein”? Or a variation of it? Have you heard of Weinstein’s, the clothing store in New Orleans, or Weinstein, the bath and kitchen showroom in New Jersey? Well, probably not, and now you maybe never will. That’s because their websites have been pushed way down in Google searches, or they could appear to be associated with the sex scandal. Before October 2017, both businesses showed up on the top of Google; afterward, they were not found in the first ten pages. This brings up two issues that could damage a person’s or business’s online reputation.  

1. Website Pushed Down

The first is when conducting a search for “Harvey Weinstein” (post sex scandal) in Google reveals, as expected, massive negative articles filling the first ten pages or more. As a result, a business, consultant, lawyer, real estate agent, store, student, bakery, etc. named “Harvey Weinstein” or with the name “Weinstein” in it will not be found online. This can be extremely damaging leading to a devastating loss in sales. It also effectively makes them invisible online resulting in a loss of trust.

2. Negative Association

Second, and more importantly, the business could inadvertently be negatively associated with the Weinstein name. Through no fault of their own, these businesses could have their online reputation ruined for weeks, months, years or irrevocably due to the associated taint of the sex scandal.

3. Working With “Weinstein”

A third way your online reputation can be ruined is by working directly with or for Harvey Weinstein or someone named “Weinstein”. What if you were a web designer for WeinsteinCo.com, or a landscaper for a Weinstein? Again, through no fault of your own, you could be negatively associated with the scandal, and might need to remove references to the Weinstein name from your promotional materials, sites, or social media platforms.

4. Ancillary Mentions and the Vortex Of Twitter

Forth, what if someone mentions “Harvey Weinstein”, seemingly in passing, or an event is held in a venue where Weinstein is mentioned? This could impact your reputation. For example, late-night host James Corden hosted a gala by amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. 

According to CNN, Corden’s comments were greeted with laughs and groans after he delivered a series of quips that alluded to accusations against Weinstein. Corden then apologized on Twitter. His speech could have inadvertently drawn a completely unassociated group into the Weinstein scandal. This is another way an online reputation could be hurt. Or, a business or a client of a business could tweet a comment on Weinstein that was ill-advised or in poor taste, thus impacting their reputation.

Bottom Line

The main point is that Harvey Weinstein, and other famous people and news events can inadvertently impact your online reputation. The best way to combat being associated with negative articles is to constantly publish unique, excellent content such as blog posts; share it online, and be active on industry-specific social media platforms.