ITNTW – Roxy’s Bootcamp: What Went Wrong? 

Roxy Jacenko, a well-respected businesswoman and social media personality, recently faced significant backlash after cancelling her ‘Brand Bootcamp’, leaving many fans disappointed. This four-week online course, which aimed to help people build a powerful brand image for their businesses, was set to attract over 7,000 eager attendees. 

The major appeal of the bootcamp was the luxurious giveaway Roxy advertised, which included a $10 million Mediterranean-style waterfront house, a Rolex watch, and a Birkin bag.

The promotional campaign for the bootcamp was highly visible, with Roxy making numerous media appearances, and generating headlines such as “Roxy Jacenko is giving away a $10 million Mediterranean-style waterfront pad.” However, the excitement quickly diminished when Roxy announced that she could no longer deliver the promised luxury giveaways.

In her apology video, she revealed that she had ‘lost control’ of the campaign and had stepped down as director of her own company. To rectify the situation, she issued refunds to all participants out of her own pocket, explaining that she ‘no longer has access to the bank account’ due to her business partners taking over. This revelation raised concerns about the internal dynamics of her business.

However, the apology Roxy posted on Instagram only added fuel to the fire. Critics pointed out that the video seemed scripted and insincere. While she addressed the issues surrounding the campaign, she did not fully take accountability for her actions, instead appearing to position herself as a victim. This led the public to feel misled, and let down by the unfulfilled promises.

So could this situation have been avoided?

It’s hard to determine from an outsider’s perspective what exactly happened internally, and whether or not the cancellation could’ve been entirely avoided. 

However, if one thing is clear, the management of the issue could’ve been improved. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in all aspects of a campaign, especially when they involve significant financial incentives. The public was left in a state of distrust, after the cancellation of her event. Instead of working to regain this, Roxy’s naive apology video only made this unease from her audience grow, further tarnishing her public image. 

It will be interesting to see the next steps Roxy takes to reconnect with her audience.

Written by Michelle Yeow, PR & Influencer Coordinator