We got played by a “PR professional”.
We fell for it, and it cost us big time.
He delivered nothing but empty promises.
Here is what happened:
We were at Toy Fair New York.
When a PR agent stopped by our booth.
→ The guy had a compelling narrative.
→ A list of TV shows to place our product.
→ A good pitch to do gift toys for Olympic medalists.
Despite our tight budget and our funds were running low, I thought we had found our big break.
I invested in the PR campaign.
I sent a hundred units of “Katies” (our US shaped plush toy).
But then, things went south.
A snowstorm canceled the Olympic event, and the agent handed out our toys to random spectators.
The cherry on top?
Our PR guy just vanished.
Instead of national exposure, we got a disaster. We never found him, and never got our money back.
We learned the lesson the hard way.
You don't have to.
What can you do to avoid these traps in an ideal world?
👉 Ask for references & success stories
👉 Have clear deliverables in writing
👉 Don’t commit to any money before the campaign
Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world.
And many times the second bullet won’t make a difference, and the third one won’t be an option, particularly for a startup.
We have to do the best with what we have.
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