GreekReporter.com Featured Stroumboulis' Official Response to the Greek Media's Criticism
02/27/2013 | By Anastasios Papapostolou | GreekReporter.com

Georgios Stroumboulis was featured in the international media portal dedicated to Greece, GreekReporter.com, for his official response to the negative media criticism surrounding his new television show and how his company is focused on helping promote Greece worldwide.
Interviewed by journalist and founder of GreekReporter.com, Anastasios Papapostolou, the response by Stroumboulis addresses how the recent criticism received by the Greek media was out of context and not in line with the truth behind why he launched the new television program for the international community and who participated in the programs.
-----
Dear Greece – Why Do You Discourage Good Intentions and Attack Positive Initiatives?
There is a saying in Greek that goes like this: kane to kalo, na vris to kako. This translates into something along the lines of this - do good, to find the bad. This pretty much sums up what I am experiencing right now.
With the recent launch of my international TV show, Hellenic Home Hunting, I received a very positive response from the international media community, including the world-renowned newspaper, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The television show was an idea for the last couple years after I launched my company GreekPropertyExchange.com. The intent of the show was to feature potential investors of Greek real estate from around the world looking to invest in second-home properties in the beautiful country of Greece, while educating the viewer about the buying process. In addition to this, it was my goal to create a tourism piece that would highlight all that is wonderful about Greece, its culture, its people, its regions and of course, to promote its real estate.
After investing my own money, finding six potential buyers with Greek roots willing to participate, filming six episodes throughout Greece, negotiating an international television deal with Greece’s leading network and successfully launching the show for the world to see on Antenna Satellite, we attracted the attention from the Wall Street Journal and ended up getting a once-in-a-lifetime feature on their front page on February 21, 2013. Yes, the front page (read the article here).
The feature in the WSJ was quite positive in my opinion - highlighting the current state of the economy, housing market trends, quotes from various people in the real estate industry and the goals of the innovative show, Hellenic Home Hunting.
With a positive feature on what we are doing to help attract and stimulate new investment into the economically-battered nation we all love, this is where the switch got flipped.
Enter Greek media.
In an effort to twist the story, put words in my mouth and spin this positive initiative into something negative to fill their newspapers and morning talk shows, a few journalists from reputable Greek newspapers and websites deliberately crossed the “lie” chasm.
Overnight, I became the evil Greek-Canadian looking to exploit Greece, its people and promote taking advantage of those Greeks looking to sell homes to foreigners. Not true at all.
I was referenced by more than a few dozen Greek media outlets as being the mastermind behind a new movement to exploit Greek people, take advantage of their personal economic situations and promote wealthy foreigners to come in and steal properties away from innocent Greeks for next to nothing. Not true at all.
In all this twisting and blatant efforts to fill their newspapers with negativity to cause a media frenzy, only one journalist, I repeat, one journalist showed the courtesy to contact me directly to ask me questions about this initiative and to get all the facts before publishing his story. Thank you!
Dear friends in Greece – when I said that this show is not targeted to the Greeks within Greece – I was stating that Greeks in Greece would generally not be interested in my program at this time because the housing market as it currently stands needs foreign investment to be effectively stimulated. What some journalists spinned this into was me saying that Greeks in Greece are pathetic and can’t afford property and are desperate to find foreigners to come in and save them. WOW! The Greek diaspora, including me, does everything in our power to promote our motherland and where we come from. Why must you paint a negative picture of me, my efforts and my company?
To see viscous comments from their readers posted on the biased articles is very discouraging and cowardly. I have been called a traitor, karagiozi, villain and many other words that can be left off this post for now. I even had “keyboard heroes” telling me to back off and let them fix their own problems in “their” country. Seriously? I didn’t know that Greece is no longer my country.
I have thick skin. I respect opinions. I encourage debate. When I am thrown into a Greek-media frenzy and not given the opportunity to provide the truth or to defend myself, that is where I draw the line.
To all the Greek journalists that published those negative articles and to those who posted negative comments without knowing me or the facts, bravo. Bravo for staying in line with the Greek stereotypes. Bravo for discouraging your fellow Greeks living outside of Greece. Bravo for not appreciating the efforts we are doing to help strengthen the image and brand of Greece abroad. And finally, bravo for not giving me the opportunity to defend myself and my efforts. Bravo!
Discouraged, annoyed… but not defeated,
Georgios Stroumboulis | Founder + President, BouliBrand Media

BouliBran is a boutique marketing + entrepreneurship + communications + branding movement focused on creating vibrant, purposeful and revenue-generating media experiences on a partner-by-partner basis. With strategic partnerships in New York, Toronto, Athens, Los Angeles, New Delhi and Shanghai, we work directly with savvy, driven and optimistic clients wanting to produce fresh platforms of communication and target nouveau markets internationally with their startup businesses and services. BouliBrand is propelled by Georgios (George) Stroumboulis (Γιώργος Στρουμπούλης) - an internationally seasoned marketing professional with tangible business experiences across multiple industries and diverse cultures. To learn more about BouliBrand, Georgios and the stimulating team spearheading the BouliBrand movement forward, get in contact at www.BouliBrand.com, www.Facebook.com/BouliBrand, www.Twitter.com/Stroumboulis (@stroumboulis), www.Instagram.com/Stroumboulis (@stroumboulis), www.LinkedIn.com/in/Stroumboulis, www.YouTube.com/Stroumboulis or www.Pinterest.com/BouliBrand. Georgios Stroumboulis has been featured in several forms of international and domestic media, including: newspapers, magazines, websites, blogs, television, radio and as a public speaker. His and his company's efforts have been published and broadcasted in many languages in popular news outlets, including: The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Barron's, Ethnos, Ta Nea, El Mundo, India Today, G1 Brasil, Kathimerini, Naftemboriki, Athens News, Greek Reporter, Antenna TV, ERT World, SKAI News, MEGA News, The Electrical Distributor, Lighting Design + Application, Athens Radio, Imerisia, Neos Kosmos, Kerdos, Axia, GR Reporter, Isotimia, OPA! Magazine and several others. Stroumboulis was also recognized in 2014 by Greek America Foundation (GAF) with the 40-Under-40 Award as one of the most influential Greek business leaders in North America. Stroumboulis works with political leaders in Canada, the USA, Greece and Australia to push Greek interests forward through various charities and Hellenic-inspired initiatives.
Subscribe / occasional emails!
Press / some of our features!
The Pappas Post Features Stroumboulis' Hilarious Selfie Announcing Wife's Pregnancy
BouliBrand Signs TV Licensing Deal with New Greek TV to Broadcast Hellenic Home...
Greek America Foundation's Weekend in Toronto Honors Forty Under 40 Award Recipients
Opinions / some of our blogs!
When Colleagues Become Friends, They Become Business Partners. Then They Start...
Will The Real 'George Stroumboulis' Please Stand Up?!
Lady Accidentally Falls on Subway Tracks During Rush Hour a New Yorker Would Laugh,...
Articles / selection from industry!
What To Do With That New Venture Of Yours? Spin-In Or Spin-Out?