Last Updated on October 21, 2024 by Steven W. Giovinco
Introduction
MrBeast is a digital phenomenon–you might have heard of him or seen some of his videos. With 320 million subscribers, his influence is massive, going beyond the online realm into restaurants, philanthropy, branding, and merchandise, etc.
But the massive rise has recently come with cracks in his overwhelmingly wholesome persona that has lead to online (and offline) reputation damage.
Recent controversies surrounding a Netflix special, his newly launched kids’ meal, and legal disputes highlight reputation vulnerabilities faced by high-profile figures—especially when their brand is inextricably tied to their personal identity.
In this article, I want to show how developing an online reputation management strategy is critical for brands mitigating crises and point out lessons businesses can learn from a seemingly unlikely example–MrBeast.
By the way, disclaimer: this is not to single out any creator. It’s to show, in my opinion, how reputation damage can happen to anyone, at almost any time.
Sources
- Smith, A. (2024). Legal Issues Facing MrBeast and the Impact on Business Reputation. Business Insider.
- Williams, J. (2024). MrBeast Burger Lawsuit: A New Challenge for the YouTube Star. New York Times.
- Digital Marketing Institute. (2022). The Role of Reputation Management in Business Success.
- Sherman, R. (2023). Why Influencer-Backed Product Launches Often Face Criticism. Forbes.
- Weber Shandwick. (2022). The CEO Reputation Premium: Why Reputation
Who is MrBeast?
Let’s start with Jimmy Donaldson. Better known as MrBeast, he is an American YouTuber who started back in 2012, when he was 13. First videos were about gaming and challenges.
In 2017, he spent over 40 hours counting to 100,000 nonstop. This video went viral.
Since then, MrBeast’s focus has been on high-budget challenges, elaborate competitions, and generous giveaways with prizes that can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars with views of twenty million (for example, he gave away a private island for winning a survival challenge). MrBeast also participated in a bunch of high profile charities, including organizing Team Trees, which raised more than $24 million to plant trees, and Team Seas, a campaign that collected millions to remove plastic waste from oceans.
Entertainment, spectacle, and philanthropy videos generate billions of views. But with such massive influence also comes increased scrutiny, and his reputation has recently faced challenges.
What is Online Reputation Management?
To understand the issues at play, I want to briefly go over online reputation management and why it’s important.
Everything appears in search results and on web platforms makes up your online reputation. The best approach to rank high in Google is to show authenticity, build trust and maintain a solid public image to have strong relationships with customers, stakeholders, and the public—whoever you are trying to reach. The way to do this is showcase expertise through well-crafted articles, blog posts, and videos that highlight real achievements. ORM is crucial because when people search for you (or your business), if something negative appears, they move on to someone else like a competitor. Basically, a damaged reputation leads to lost clients and business (and more).
How does this relate to MrBeast (and Why Should I Care)?
There are lessons to be learned in this case study. Responding correctly to problems can migrate online damage. There are several examples to choose from but I’ll highlight three below.
The Netflix Special: Big Visibility
MrBeast moved beyond YouTube to Netflix. Heading to a mainstream platform seemed like the next logical step. Some fans loved the stunts and challenges. But a few were critical that the show seemed to exploit vulnerable participants for entertainment and focused more on promoting a personal brand than creating meaningful change.
As a result, some reviewers questioned his well-known philanthropy was genuine or more of a strategy to generate more clicks and subscriptions (after all, this is the whole point of most content. But still…). As this spread on social media, concerns seemed to gain traction, generating a rare backlash against a previous stellar reputation.
For a figure like MrBeast—whose public persona is built on authenticity and altruism—this kind of criticism might have serious consequences. When negative narratives appear online, trust from fans, business partners, and collaborators can erode.
Lessons in Online Reputation Management
MrBeast’s experience highlights a problem faced by public figures, leaders, CEOs and businesses. While you will likely never ever reach the fame of having a Netflix special or millions of YouTube views, even the most well-intentioned projects can be misinterpreted or go off the rails. When the messaging goes awry, trust can fade.
This is a reminder that a successful online presence requires not just good intentions but also extremely careful strategic reputation management planning. Staying ahead of the narrative is key, as reputational damage—no matter how small for no matter who big—can grow unexpectedly. See some detailed solutions below.
The Kids’ Meal Controversy: Brand Under Fire
Around the same time, Lunchables-style kids’ meal, called Lunchly, was launched with other huge and controversial YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI. The product, aimed at kids, ran into criticism by some. Reports emerged that nutrition advocates and parents raised questions, leading to reputational damage for both the influencers and possibly the retailers. The result led to social media backlash. Negative headlines soon followed, forcing MrBeast to release statements addressing the issue and clarifying the purpose.
Lessons in Online Reputation Management
Partnerships of nearly any kind have inherent online reputation pitfalls. Businesses working with influencers or managing their own reputation are required. Plan for potential criticisms to avoid negative reputations and protect brand integrity. The best solution is to constantly build a positive online presence on multiple platforms to better buffer problems when they appear in search results.
Ongoing Legal Challenges: A Growing Threat to Credibility
In addition, MrBeast has faced public disputes with former business partners and lawsuits related to his food venture, MrBeast Burger. create headlines that can damage the brand’s credibility and make it harder to focus public attention on positive initiatives.
For example, a lawsuit filed by MrBeast against his own restaurant partner alleged poor quality control and mismanagement of operations. The public nature of the dispute attracted negative media coverage, and even though MrBeast aimed to distance himself from the problems, the legal proceedings added another layer of complexity to his public image.
Lessons in Online Reputation Management
Legal disputes, no matter how justified, can create significant reputational risk. Businesses and influencers must balance protecting their legal interests with the potential fallout from litigation (the “Streisand Effect” comes to mind). Crisis communication/reputation plans should be in place to address legal issues swiftly and transparently to prevent further damage to public trust.
How Reputation Damage Can Affect Business Success
MrBeast’s challenges demonstrate the fragility of how public sentiment can swiftly swing, and how it can affect anyone. Businesses and high-profile individuals experiencing reputation crises can face tangible impacts on financial performance, partnerships, and customer trust. Here are a few things that can happen.
Impact on Partnerships
Brand partners may hesitate to collaborate if an influencer’s reputation is at risk, fearing negative association. Legal disputes serve as a warning about the potential fallout from fractured relationships.
Loss of Consumer Trust
Backlash around misaligned products can alienate loyal followers. Customer trust, once lost, is difficult to regain, especially for brands built on personal connection.
Damage to Personal and Professional Brand
Blurring of personal and professional identity means that reputational issues affect not only their businesses but also their personal image. For business leaders, maintaining a strong and consistent personal brand is essential to long-term success.
Strategies for Managing a Positive Reputation
If you have reputational challenges, there are several key strategies to mitigate damage and rebuild trust. There are a multitude of steps to the solutions and implementing them takes many months, but here is the high level process:
- Constantly Build Content:
Always be producing excellent work. This includes blogs, articles, whitepapers, videos, photos and presentations (and anything else you can think of–so long as it’s good). Focus on quality, and what users genuinely want. - Make a Personal Website:
If you don’t already have a personal website, make one immediately. It can be a repository for some of the blogs written above, and should be professional, with a Home, About, Contact Page at a minimum. - Be Active on Many Platforms:
Post consistently on major social media platforms daily. These include:
- X/Twitter
- Medium
- YouTube
- Quora
- Google Business Profile and more.
Find followers you like and leave pertinent comments. Also, find sites central to your niche, which could include Behance, Flickr, Patch/NextDoor, SlideShare, TikTok, Crunchbase, and many more. These, and the above, act as a “reputation firewall” that makes it harder for negative links to appear in search results.
- Update Existing Websites:
Be sure current websites and platforms are tweaked or revamped and are updated frequently. This ensures that the site appears in search results. Search terms, headings, text, photos, URL, metadata, articles, and more should be scrutinized carefully. - Engage Authentically:
Focus on authentic connections across platforms to maintain credibility. MrBeast’s success on YouTube was built on direct interaction with his audience, a principle that should extend to crisis situations as well. It’s tempting to turn off comments on channels, but doing so could lead to further problems. - Monitor Online Sentiment:
Tools such as Google Alerts and social media monitoring provide near-immediate warnings about issues as they happen. For influencers with massive followings, tracking public sentiment helps them react quickly to potential crises. - Own the Issue:
Acknowledging mistakes openly and promptly to help regain public trust. Timely action is helpful to prevent things from escalating. - Partner Carefully:
Collaborations can enhance or damage reputation. Businesses must ensure that partners align with their values to avoid backlash, as seen with MrBeast’s experience with MrBeast Burger and the kids’ meal.
Conclusion: A Cautionary Tale for Business Leaders
The controversies surrounding MrBeast I think serve as a case study in how online reputation issues can escalate quickly. Even if you don’t have a Netflix special, backlash over an online comment, legal disputes with an ex-partners, or a negative news article underscores the importance of proactive reputation management.
For businesses, the key takeaway is that no brand—whether personal or corporate—is immune to online risks. Perception can shift rapidly, so maintaining online trust requires vigilance, authenticity, and strategic thinking. Leaders (and influencers) must proactively manage their personal image and business operations to safeguard long-term success and make the difference between temporary setbacks and lasting reputational damage.
Questions?
Feel free to reach out to Recover Reputation for any questions or free and honest assessment.
