Building Authentic Influencer Relationships

Welcome to Episode 2145, where we present a session recording from the wine2wine Business Forum 2023. Today’s episode is entitled “The influencer marketing playbook: how to successfully navigate the Ins and Outs of influencer marketing” and is led by Amanda McCrossin and Kristen Reitzell.

Italian Wine Podcast is proud to be a media partner of wine2wine Business Forum and is pleased to present this series of market-focus sessions, recorded in Verona in November 2023.

wine2wine Business Forum is an international wine business event held annually in Verona, Italy since 2014. The event is a key reference point for wine producers and wine professionals from around the world, providing an opportunity to network, develop and expand their wine business worldwide.

About the session:

The influencer marketing industry is booming, and the global sector is expected to grow from $6.0 billion in 2020 to $24.1 billion by 2025. The wine industry is finally seeing influencers as viable business partners to help tap new audiences, improve brand visibility, boost engagement, create content, and even drive sales. Yet, there is still no established playbook for how wineries can master their influencer strategy.

This session will break down the key ways wineries can use to discover, entice, and partner with influencers as part of their marketing and PR strategy. Learn the best practices for working with influencers, what influencers are looking for in a partner, ways you can work with influencers to capture compelling content, and how wineries can measure success with proven ROI.

About the hosts:

Kristen Reitzell is a communications executive with nearly 20 years of experience. As Senior Vice President of Communications & Digital Marketing at Jackson Family Wines, Kristen manages all aspects of the company’s communications strategy, overseeing corporate and family communications, as well as PR and digital marketing across the company’s global portfolio of wineries in California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, England, France, Italy, Australia, Chile, and South Africa. In her 10 years with the company, Kristen has overseen strategic communications for numerous product launches and estate openings. She has spearheaded brand partnerships and led international PR campaigns that have helped expand the global footprint of the company’s wineries. 

Amanda McCrossin is a certified sommelier, wine personality, and TikTok / Instagram / YouTube creator. As the former Sommelier & Wine Director at PRESS Restaurant in Napa Valley, Amanda worked with the world’s largest, deepest restaurant collection of all Napa Valley wines in the world. During her time the wine program thrived, garnering nominations, accolades, and awards from nearly every major publication and outlet in food, wine, and hospitality. She has been featured by Food & Wine Magazine, Food Network, San Francisco Chronicle, on the cover of SOMM Journal and most recently by Wine Enthusiast who named her a Wine Star nominee for ‘Sommelier of the Year.’ 

Find more about wine2wine Business Forum at: https://www.vinitaly.com/forum/wine2wine-business-forum/  

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