How a factory sit-in turned viral

With no media or PR advice, Vita Cortex built up an 9,000-strong support base in 20 countries — because people believed in their cause, writes Eoin English

TWO social media experts, one of whom has a direct family connection to Vita Cortex, played a key role in making the 160-day sit-in global news.

Darren O’Keeffe, who is pursuing a master’s in political marketing at UCC, and his friend, Veronica Marshall, who works in social media in Dublin and whose father Greg was among the sit-in workers, were behind the Support the Vita Cortex Facebook page, the workers’ Twitter stream, and their blog.