Italy: successful Facebook campaign against the relocation of Omsa (Golden Lady Group) to Serbia

Launched by blogger Massimo Malerba (expert in web political campaigns, who initiated, among others, the ‘No Berlusconi Day’) after the layoff, on December 27, of the 329 workers of Omsa’s Faenza plant, the virtual “offensive” was divided in two phases.  Following a very effective ‘viral’ procedure (which helped the current Mayor of Milan get elected), the 1st drove internet users to ‘verbal bombing’ on Omsa’s Facebook page, with indignation messages, and thousands of comments piling up in just a few hours.  The 2nd was the creation of the Facebook ‘event’ called “Mai più Omsa.”  Translated in French and English as well, the call says that the relocation of production to Serbia is “unjustifiable” since “Omsa isn’t in crisis” and encouraged a boycott of all of the group’s brands (Omsa, Golden Lady, Philippe Matignon, Sisi, Hue Donna,  Hue Uomo, Saltallegro, Saltallegro Bebè et Serenella, Filodoro, NY Legs and Arwa).  By joining the event, internet users are joining the cause and commit to invite friends and relatives as well.  The aim is to make managers change their mind and to send a warning to all businesses which, after receiving benefits and subsidies for dozens of years, leave the country during a crisis to increase their profits by exploiting cheap foreign workers.”  Facebook mobilization is still going up; on January 11, 94,000 joined and 654,000 were invited, in addition to thousands of participants on other Facebook pages asking to boycott Omsa.  There is also a Twitter campaign.  On January 6, Rai 3 already announced a drastic drop in the brand’s sales (50 percent of the market is in Italy).