Australia’s most high profile PR maven, Roxy Jacenko, has literally turned the old industry saying “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” on its head by giving a former client some very bad social media publicity indeed.
The publicity queen, who owns Sweaty Betty PR, shared a photo on social media of sign in a shop window that said the business – a beauty salon that cannot be named for legal reasons – was closed while it underwent renovations.
The sign was posted to the store’s inner-Sydney window and read: “We’re having a facelift, see you post COVID in July.”
However, the salon is a former client of Sweaty Betty’s and, according to Roxy, is yet to pay its arrears.
Roxy replying to the image: “Remarkable, can afford a facelift but can’t afford to pay what you owe.”
And, no, the business isn’t having financial worries due to CV-19, Roxy telling B&T that the undisclosed sum of money was due back in December.
And Roxy’s tactics appear to have worked.
“They are apparently going to pay today,” Roxy telling B&T this morning. “How ludicrous!”
Not that the 39-year-old wants to hurt clients when cashflows are obviously drying-up during lockdown.
“My clients have been all really good, and if they can’t pay we have worked with them to set up a plan which works for both parties,” she revealed this morning.
Roxy also telling News.com.au that she’d pursued the client for the money for many months and by February had become so exasperated that she’d even threatened legal action.
“Silly me didn’t ask for payment upfront,” Roxy said. “I liked her (the business owner) so I didn’t, should have known better.”
Roxy even revealing emails to News showing her attempts to recoup the money.
Not that Roxy and Sweaty Betty have been having a ball of a time during CV-19 lockdown. Roxy revealing at the end of March that the agency had lost 85 per cent of its clients due to the pandemic.
Roxy telling B&T at the time that it wasn’t not all doom and gloom with “brands who are ‘essential’ such a food and health categories retaining PR services, those who are ‘luxuries’ have fallen over”.
“It’s an interesting one, watching something you’ve built from the age of 24 tumble in just 72 hours is surreal; having worked in the business for so many years, in such a hands-on capacity, it is something I didn’t ever think I would face,” Roxy said at the time.
“That said, I feel a sense of relief as strange as it sounds, I have been chained to my desk through my husband’s jailing, my children’s first days at school, a battle with breast cancer and never been able to step back and take a breath – I feel like this is my time to do that, I have decided that I would rather have my sanity than another fast car or Hermes Bag,”
