The AIE (Italian Publishers Association) wanted to highlight a difference in taxation for books published in digital form: a paper book is taxed at 4%, while an ebook at 22%.

Through a PR campaign focused on social networks, we were able to increase awareness regarding the problem, but also to stimulate the participation of influencers and ultimately, the nation.

We started from insight: a book is a book, regardless of its form of publishing. That is why it is not right to pay more depending on the format. An insight so loud and clear that it became the campaign’s concept.

We then asked people to take a stand, not just by liking a page, but by showing their faces and their thumbs down (unlike), because the 22% VAT on ebooks is something we just don’t like.

Initially we involved Italian writers and used the client’s various social channels to get the message to all literature fans in Italy. We collected all contributions, famous or not, on a dedicated website. These contributions varied from personal contributions to retweets and reposts of those from celebrities. The campaign is a successful example for the PR category, because we have raised public awareness and engaged and pushed people to do something, and managed to get spontaneous visibility, not only on social networks, but also in print and TV.

Finally, and most important of all, we were able to change the law.

We have invited people to take a picture of themselves with their thumbs-down and to share it using the hashtag: #unlibroèunlibro.

We have involved Italian writers and used the client’s different social channels, that is social accounts of the main Italian publishers, to spread the message to all literature lovers.

On the website unlibroeunlibro.it we gathered all the contributions from the public, celebrities and not, that sent us their thoughts, posting and re-tweeting all interventions coming from celebrities. Furthermore we widened our target reach by communicating the campaign’s message through sponsored ads on Facebook and Twitter.

The most significant result: the amendment of article 17 of the Italian Stability Law which equated the VAT for eBooks to the one of paper books.

How was this possible? Thanks to 92 million impressions, over 46,000 conversations tied to the hashtag #unlibroèunlibro of which 8,200 on the first day, and over 4,000 advocates between writers, politicians, publishers and the general public that have all contributed in supporting the initiative.

This has allowed us to have a large coverage on the Italian press, as well as a special interview to Dario Franceschini, Italian Minister of goods and cultural activities, in one of the most viewed Italian TV shows: “Che tempo che fa” on Semptember 9th, 2014.