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[mikejkelley]

I recently had an article published in Business First, a WNY business (oxymoron) weekly newspaper. It became a reality because I knew someone who knew someone who was willing to put in a good word (lesson learned, network). It published yesterday and is something of a mixed bag, with every other sentence being a misquote or factual inaccuracy.


* claimed my business was 18 months old. I incorporated just last week.
* claimed my university students came up with the basis for the business. Never happened.
* said the classroom discussion resulted in product. Nope.
* strongly implied I invented Augmented Reality. "Implemented" was the word I used.
* said I was attempting to patent a way to change a cgi model's color (ie, texture swapping). Also nope.
* claimed I charge $75 per model. I said $75-$750, depending.

This could be the first ever example of bad press for the following reasons.

* if I approach investors who are under the mistaken impression that my business is already 18 months old w/ 0 revenue, they will not fund me.
* wrongly claiming students came up w/ the idea confuses ownership.
* thank God they got the patent bit wrong, otherwise it would've most likely invalidated any patents I did have in the works.


In Guerrilla P.R., Michael Levine suggests tape recording your own interview. I think I'll be sure to do this in the future.

[PsySal]

Interesting. Kind of weird the details they got wrong; but I wonder some things:

Even if you incorporated last week, did you maybe tell them you started working on what you're doing 18 months ago or so? If so, you could argue that this earlier date is the true start date of your business, even if you only incorporated recently.

I'm not trying to dissent with what you are saying, I'm just genuinely curious. In wonder if maybe they just like kind of took notes and the notes weren't that complete when they went to write the story.

[mikejkelley]

Even if you incorporated last week, did you maybe tell them you started working on what you're doing 18 months ago or so?

Yeah, pretty much. I told them I became a tenant at the tech incubator a year and a half ago. But being a business periodical, they rly should know how detrimental getting smthg like that twisted is.

But the other things... they'd explicitly asked me if my students had come up w/ the idea for the AR class project. I told them no, it had been my idea. And when they kept repeating the $75 figure I made sure to reiterate that it was anywhere from $75 to $750.

[PsySal]

Kind of sounds like they are fishing for a story, then. I.e., a story about a guy who stole an idea from his students or something... =( Sorry to hear, anyhow.

[mikejkelley]

Thanks, I don't think it's that sinister though. From what I've read these sorts of inaccuracies are pretty common. Just wish I'd anticipated it better by recording the interview if I needed to defend myself legally.

[mikejkelley]

Bit of an update; I've gotten some work leads as a result of the press. Nothing yet has resulted in money in the bank, but hopefully that will change soon. I've still had to deal with some of the fallout from the article's inaccuracies but the author has been advocating on my behalf, so in the end I'm grateful it.

[PsySal]

I'm glad to hear that. Sounds like they just got some details wrong! Maybe it's a good lesson in that you shoulds make a pamphlet that specifically clarifies those points, or something... Dunno, ignore my advice it's usually inept =)

[mikejkelley]

I think you're quite right. The pamphlet you speak of is traditional known as a "fact sheet." For bigger projects I usually have one ready to go, but from here on out I think I'll draft one for every and anything that might develop as PR just to be safe.