30 lessons for marketing italian brands
TRANSCRIPT
30 Lessons in
Wine Communication
for
Italian* Brands
A presentation at Vinitaly 2015 by Reka Haros,
Rebecca Hopkins, Cathy Huyghe,
Robert Joseph and Damien Wilson
* and not just Italian
Robert JosephEditor at Large, Meininger’s Wine Business Intl,
Director, Robert Joseph Consulting
Partner, Hugh Kevin & Robert Wines.
.
.
Social media
The 2014 US Wine Market
Volume: 341m cases
Value: $35-38bn
Imports: 78m cases
Italian Imports 27m cases
Prosecco up ≥32%
GalloThe Wine
Group Constellation
3 Companies produce and/or sell
over half the wine in the US
GalloThe Wine
Group Constellation
70% of growth
Came from top 4 companies
Trinchero
Seven brands
Barefoot, Sutter Home, Franzia,
Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi,
Yellow Tail, Kendall Jackson,
Beringer
represent
25% of all the wine in the US
The US Tobacco and Alcohol Tax &
Trade Bureau processes 130,000
applications for new wine label
approval every year.
Your wine is one in 130,000
The 10 biggest distributors
Southern, Republic, Charmer
Sunbelt, Glazers, Young’s, Wine
Beverage Group, Martignetti,
Johnson Bros, Allied, Fedway
represent 64% of the US wine market
The 3 biggest distributors
Southern, Republic, Charmer
Sunbelt,
represent over HALF the US
wine market
THE US DOES NOT NEED YOUR WINE
NO ONE NEEDS YOUR WINE
IF YOUR WINE DID NOT EXIST
THE PEOPLE DRINKING IT TODAY
WOULD HAPPILY DRINK SOMETHING ELSE
Space is Finite: Be Remarkable
Lesson 1
If you want to live with your married
lover,
do you propose to move in – and to
create a menage a trois - with them
and their current partner?
Or do you insist that your lover
chooses who they want to be with?
No retailer, or restaurant has infinite
space in their cellar and on their
shelves and/or list.
To take on your wine, they will have to
get rid of one they already have
and that their staff and customers are
used to and quite possibly enjoy
As Robert Haas of California Winery
Tablas Creek says:
Know what makes you distinctive
And focus on it.
There are thousands of wineries that
are competing in the US market.
“If you can't reduce what makes you distinctive down to a few sentences, the
game of telephone -- in which you need to educate your wholesaler's management, they need to educate their sales team, those salespeople need to sell to their
restaurant and retail customers, and those restaurant and retail buyers need to speak
to the end consumer -- breaks down”
So, what makes your wine so special
– and so much better than the one it
is going to replace?
The Journey of the Bottle
Lesson 2
Even if you have communicated all
of the precious information about
your wine to the wine shop
manager… What happens then?
Tell your customers that my wine is named
after my horse
January 1
The Loser
The manager isn’t here, but I think it’s something
to do with a horse
June 1
The Loser
Good to drink with horsemeat? I’ll give it
to George. He’s adventurous with
foodJune 2
The Loser
June 2- August 5
I wonder where I got this
strange wine
The Loser
August- 5
Don’t just think about the person
who is going to buy your wine. Think
about the person who is going to
drink it.
Even if you got the correct
information into the ultimate
consumer’s brain, how sure are you
that she’s going to remember it?.
Target
Most normal people have a limited interest in wine
And plenty of other thingson their mind
Capturing their attention isn’t easy.
Appropriate Costume
Lesson 3
Would you be happy to receive this?
Or this?
And how about this?
Words change their impact, depending
on how they are expressed
Different markets like different
packaging. Wine drinkers in Boston
may react differently from ones in
Bologna.
It may even be worth creating a
brand/label for the US
Would Italian
consumers buy this
wine?
Food is simpler than wine
We know that sandwiches are
cheap and eaten with our hands
– unlike soufflé
Two similar looking IGT
Sangioveses. One costs
over 80 times as much as
the other
In a logical world, $5 wine would come in cardboard
If you have a range of wines, reflect
the price and quality in the
packaging.
Don’t expect your customers to
remember the names and price
hierarchy of your vineyards – or the
daughters after whom you have
named your wines.
And, maybe be
adventurous
This Paperboy brand was crteated
by my business partner Kevin Shaw
of Stranger & Stranger. It’s doing
really well in the US.
This transgressive packaging
attracted interest to Piper Heidsieck.
And think of wine as
a gift
Those bottles were
on sale in
Frankfurt Duty Free
Which would
you buy?
This Penfolds
wine costs
$300 at Sydney
Airport Duty
Free
Make Yourself Clear
Lesson 4
These bottles
were on sale in
Selfridges in
London
But how much
easier is this?
Will a US consumer
know where it
comes from?
Or how it is likely to
taste like? Sweet?
Dry? Rich?
Steely?
Most Americans have probably
never heard of your region
The Back Label
Lesson 5
The
useless
back label
What is it made from?
Where was it produced?
Is this
much
better
?
Where is this?
What do these words mean?
What does it taste like?
Your URL/QR Code
Lesson 6
Have you been into the private
rooms here?
Nor have I. Because I haven’t been
invited.
Do you invite people to visit your
website?
Some people forget to print their
URL? Others print it in very small
type.
The Wine Thinker © 2013
Wine producers complain that no
one scans their QR Code. What
reason do they give consumers to
do that?
The Wine Thinker © 2013
The Wine Thinker © 2013
Where’s the call to action?
This label by Reka Haros, one of my
fellow speakers today, is much
better.
Your bottle and your label offer
free/cheap way to communicate with
consumers.
Use them
Dr. Damien Wilson BAg.Bus
BWMktg (Hons) MBus PhDAssociate Professor – Dijon School of Wine and
Spirits Business and Programme Head – MSc Wine
Business
.
.
Social media
EFFECTIVE WINERY WEB PAGE DESIGN –BY DAMIEN WILSON
Rectifying the Wine Sector's fascination with its own press…
Monday, 23 March 2015 Presented at VinItaly, Verona, Italy
OBJECTIVES OF GOOD WEB SITE DESIGN
Hardly anyone has managed to put together a good website in the wine sector…
"…It's been 15 years since wineries have started usingthe Internet as a means to communicate withcustomers, we still can't get that right"
- Mike Paul, For the argument against using Social Media in the wine sector, WineIntelligence debate, Prowein 2012
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GOOD DESIGN ≠ GOOD VISUAL DESIGN
Unfortunately, winery sites strongly focus on the visual design, while best usability practices are often ignored.
Your website is a tool to connect your business with the world
1. It has to represent your image 24 hours a day, across the globe
So, you also must understand
2. How it is found, and
3. How it is used
Only number 1. is done with any kind of success in the wine sector
But good webpage design attracts viewers, and encourages interaction so you can measure what your viewers do, and improve the service of your web-site over time.
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WINE CAN DO BOTH
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Here's proof. An example that conveys a clear image of the producer, and is user-friendly
1. Clear branding
2. Well linked from related sites
3. Designed for usage
From 2009!
TODAY’S VERSION
SC
HO
OL
OF
WIN
E &
SP
IRIT
S B
US
INE
SS
78
Recognisable style; Linked to related sites; More efficient for use
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YET MOST OF THE WINE SECTOR ARE DOING
THIS
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79
TAKEN FROM: MOVIESAYINGS
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LESSON 7 – DESIGN FOR YOUR AUDIENCE
Almost nobody has ever heard of you or your wine…
The Cruel fact is that almost all wine businesses have poor awareness in consumer's minds
You, have been making your network in the image of Spacey’s ‘Devil’ And you don't believe that because you are surrounded by people who know
you…
And they tell you how good, and how successful your wines are, or will be…
Just remind yourself how much of your wine they all actually buy…
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LESSON 7 – DESIGN FOR YOUR AUDIENCE
And these 'colleagues' are familiar to you
And they don't buy enough, often enough, for enough for you to sell all you need to sell, at a margin that's profitable in which to sell.
So, think about how hard it is to sell to those who don't know you
And most of you are trying to get into new markets
With different culture, and language, and time, and geography…
Good luck with that!
The way to succeed is to learn what your customers (B and C) and web-site viewers say and do that can help you appeal to them.
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LESSON 8 – METRICS
There are innumerable tools for learning about how well your web-site is working for your business.
Don’t get distracted by fancy, expensive ‘all solution’ tools
If you’re starting out, you need to identify two key benchmarks
1. What are our base-line values
2. How do we compare to others
Make it something you understand, and will monitor
The right metrics will depend on your market salience
Start by generating a set of useful metrics to help you figure out what works for you
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LESSON 9 – MONITORING
Most wine business lack any sort of market awareness
Start with your benchmark figures on your level of awareness (eg…)
# of mentions over time (google trends)
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LESSON 9 – MONITORING
Remember that these mentions are for a well-known region…
What if you come from one that's not well known?
Then there's your town,
Your brand, and/or sub-brand
And the plots of land that some of you like to add to your labels…
Each adding an extra layer of obscurity to your wine's awareness….
So, measure, and compare at all levels
The goal is to start by measuring how well this is all known, and then build from that point
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LESSON 10 – ADAPTATION
Then look at who/where/when your peer references did well
Overlay your trend with theirs
Identify the events that create spikes in mention, and assimilate into your strategy
# Chianti v Barolo mentions over time (google trends)
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LESSON 11 – CREATING AWARENESS
Without you actively creating awareness for your wines, consumers won't discover them
Learn to utilise the ‘Gravity principle’
The closer your market is to your business, the greater the effect you have on it
Gravity is increased by having a larger presence or greater influence (influence options shown)
86TAKEN FROM: CHAD BARR’S BLOG
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LESSON 12: WEBPAGES AND EMAIL ARE
COMPLEMENTS
Email, like social media, can be used to drive traffic to your webpage.
A webpage is part of a search. So you need to know how, and for what your viewers are searching.
Make it easy for your customers to find, and interact with you (in the way they want to)
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WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
Any good marketer knows these terms, and
Your business should be recording and measuring these values over time
If you don't know what works for you, how do you know what to do to improve your business?
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TO ACTION
To conclude, let’s review the 3 key points that these lessons help youachieve
1. Despite the protests of your friends and business partners, yourbrand's awareness and reputation are substantially smaller than yourealise
2. Find out what, by who, and how frequently your brand is beingmentioned
3. Use these details as benchmarks, and monitor change over time
Implement your finding into a coherent, and consistent brand image, message, and communications strategy through your website.
This is not that easy to do, and can be time-consuming if you don't know what you're doing….
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I TWEET @WINEBUSPROF
I can be contacted via email or my LinkedIn profile in this QR code. Twitter users are welcome to contact me at the above address
Now you need to pay some attention to Réka Haros to help you with your Communication Strategy
Reka HarosEx Danone Brand Manager, ex Leo Burnett Account
Executive, now doing
wine marketing, communications and business
development at Sfriso Winery.
.
Social media
Wine Communications
&
Advertising
@RekaHaros
8 years ago “The break up” - Consumer divorces Advertising -
• This video was published by Geert Desager on May 2007, just few months after Facebook became available for the general public
• It perfectly shows the disconnect between consumers and advertising brands.
• Unfortunately the situation in the wine sector isn’t different at all.
@RekaHaros
Why do you think the consumer wanted to divorce?
@RekaHaros
My next 6 lessons will hopefully help you focus better on the
what, when, where, how and why of your wine communication.
@RekaHaros
Lesson 13: Make your communication
a conversation
@RekaHaros
A conversation is NOT the same as product broadcasting.
@RekaHaros
Glorification of the product
I wonder why wineries are still advertising and communicating as we were in the last century.
@RekaHaros
Broadcasting your product is
old fashion advertising
@RekaHaros
Now we are in the age of empowered consumers who choose the time and place of their interactions with brands!
@RekaHaros
So as a brand at a dinner party, would you prefer to be a guest speaker who walks away after their speech, or would you rather be an attendee whose interesting
conversations result in a new friendship?
@RekaHaros
This is the essence of the digital age advertising!
@RekaHaros
Advertising needs to be content that encourages interaction between brands and its consumers.
You need to join the conversation!
@RekaHaros
Lesson 14: Know your audience and go
after them
@RekaHaros
• Ask yourself what kind of customers you want to attract, and make sure your ads speak to them on a personal level
• Understand their true motivations and their “why-s” behind their actions
• Don’t create generic ads that do not speak the language or grab the attention of your potential customers
@RekaHaros
Know what forms of advertising work for them
@RekaHaros
It is useless to talk about scents and aftertastes if your consumers
are not wine experts.
@RekaHaros
Make it simple for them to understand your brand
@RekaHaros
Instead of saying why they should buy your product, you need to say why you have made your product for them.
@RekaHaros
Lesson 15: Be Authentic
@RekaHaros
To be an effective communicator, you must be believed.
To be believed, you must be credible.
To be credible, you must be authentic.
To be authentic, you must be genuine.
@RekaHaros
We live in a world where people can judge brands by
what they do. So being believed means far more than
being noticed.
@RekaHaros
Lesson 16: Engage through experiences and emotions
@RekaHaros
Consumers hate being interrupted by brands, they want to be engaged and entertained by them.
@RekaHaros
Make your ad a call for action and participation!
Like [yellow tail] asking people to tweet their toasts for their live billboard campaign (2011)
@RekaHaros
Another way to engage consumers is by telling a story to which they can relate. Push the emotional buttons of your audience,
make them have goose bumps!
@RekaHaros
Cathy Huyghe’s blog does that to me
@RekaHaros
The future of storytelling is story-making
Invite your customers to tell the story of how your
brand is part of their life story!
Enable their stories!
@RekaHaros
Barefoot Wines’ Beach Rescue Project is a perfect example
of engagement through shared values
- just imagine how many love stories, new
friendships and funny stories come out of these
events?
@RekaHaros
Lesson 17: Advertise in the right places
@RekaHaros
The right content in the right context
So you must be sick and tired of hearing “The right
content in the right context”. But if you care
about reaching your target audience you better hang-out where they hang-out.
@RekaHaros
Source: Nielsen
@RekaHaros
“Americans now own four digital devices on average, and the average U.S. consumer spends 60 hours a week consuming content across devices.”
And where you can make it work
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/connecting-with-the-cosmos-the-total-audience-media-universe.html
What Nielsen’s report says about how US citizens consume content across platforms:
• The average American adult spent• nearly a week (149 hours 14 minutes) on average
watching traditional television each month
• almost 30 hours using the Internet on a computer
• over 43 hours using any app/web on a smartphone!
• listening to radio was also a resounding 58 hours and 36 minutes.
@RekaHaros
Know where you can reach your target audience!
Some platforms may not suit your purpose
@RekaHaros
At the Venice Airport right at the security check point,people are preoccupied in getting their bags and shoes back on, they will never look at these ads!
Lesson 18: You can only succeed if you have a well defined communication strategy!
@RekaHaros
It will help you stay focused on the what, when, where,
how and why of your communication, but most
importantly will help you in keeping your consumers in
love with your brand!
@RekaHaros
Without it you are just doing business as usual!
@RekaHaros
Thank you!Reka Haros
@RekaHaros
Rebecca HopkinsRebecca Hopkins is Vice President Communications
& Partner FOLIO Fine Wine Partners.
Social media
FOCUS USA: 30 Lessons of Wine Communication
Public Relations
Presented by Rebecca Hopkins | @beckhopkinswine | www.foliowine.com
Source: 2013 Tom Wark Fermentation.com
Types of US Wine Press
• Complex market with varying levels of targets & experience
• Wine Critic or Wine Reviewer (eg: Bruce Sanderson)
• Wine Author (eg: Jancis Robinson)
• Wine Writer (eg: Ray Isle)
• Wine Blogger (eg: Alder Yarrow)
• Wine Expert or Wine Authority (eg: Alan Meadows)
• Wine Personality / Influencer (eg: Leslie Sbrocco)
Importer / Agency
Press Relations
Sample Submissions
Events & Sponsorships
Story Pitching
Supplier & Press 1:1
Estate Hospitality
Trade Shows
Industry Association
Participation
What PR Does YOUR Winery Need?
Lesson 19:Relying on Scores
vs Telling Real Stories
@beckhopkinswine | www.foliowine.com
“Securing Great Scores CAN’T be that hard?!”
130,000 NEW wines in US market
2,000 – 15,000 + tasted per year
5 outlets = 90% trade voice
RELATIONSHIPS ARE KEY!
Source: 2013 Fermentation.com
• Score = One critic’s opinion | One vintage | One wine
• Scores are a tool but NOT a replacement
• Diminishing power of single critic
• Critic preferences & changing influence
• Know your magazines & submission requirements
• It takes time!
Lesson 19: Wine Scores vs. Brand Stories
Example: Scoring Magazine Submission Timeline
June ’13
July‘13
Aug.‘13
Sept.‘13
Oct.‘13
Nov.‘13
Dec.‘13
Jan.‘14
Feb.‘14
Mar.‘14
Shipment plan, COLA waiver* & air freight to US importer
Wines arrive to importer
Send request for approval to wine magazine
Attain, print & assemble vintage notes
Create SRP/contact stickers for bottles
Create freight shipping form
Make boxes, stickers, pack wines, vintage notes, & forms
Notify FedEx of pick-up needed, send shipping form. (
Wine is shipped to magazine
Score Published online & / or print 93 points
Lesson 20:Three points in 30 seconds
@beckhopkinswine | www.foliowine.com
• Press attention span is VERY limited
• Make them FALL in LOVE with you!
• Use of video & imagery
• Be concise, clear & consistent
• Be compelling, relevant & timely
Lesson 20: Three points in 30 seconds
Lesson 21:Ditch The “bcc” Pitch
@beckhopkinswine | www.foliowine.com
• 80% of PR releases are deleted without being read
• Research your targeted press
• Read their columns
• Understand their focus
• Target your communication
Lesson 21: Ditch the “bcc” Pitch
Source: http://www.1winedude.com/the-release-of-your-wine-is-not-news/ Joe Roberts 6/17/2014
Your wine isreleased
Your wine release is news! Bask in the public’s
fascination.
Your wine release is NOT news.
That press release makes you look like an idiot.
Is Your Name“Brad Pitt”
OR “Angelina Jolie?” YES
NO
“The Release of your Wine is NOT News”
Lesson 22:Sampling? Save your Money!
@beckhopkinswine | www.foliowine.com
Source: 2013 Fermentation.com
• NEVER send samples without asking
• Your agency MUST know state shipping laws
• KNOW What the writer is focused on
• Pre-screened writers = better ROI
• Price, release date & contact details MUST be on bottle
• It takes time!
Lesson 22: Sampling? Save your Money!
Case Study: Consumer Press Mailing Timeline
Apr. ‘14
May ‘14
June ‘14
July ‘14
Aug. ‘14
Sept. ‘14
Oct. ‘14
Schedule send as part of marketing activities
Agreement on final vintages, angle/theme of send
Drafts & edit pitch / letter & identify target press
Send pitch to select Trade Press list
Order wines & prepare collateral & shipping materials.
Responses collected & followed up with confirmation of shipment date.
Attain, print & assemble personal letter and vintage notes.
Create SRP/contact stickers for bottles & FedEx needs
Make boxes & sticker bottles. Pack wines, vintage notes, include copy of approval form.
Notify FedEx of pick-up needed, send shipping form. Schedule pick up
Wine sent to Press contacts
Press coverage in magazines
Lesson 23:Follow-up, Don’t Frustrate
@beckhopkinswine | www.foliowine.com
• “Please don’t call unless I ask you to & don’t be aggressive “
• Press have obligation to their readers & editors (not you)
• Do not assume your interview will become a story
• Every journalist is beholden to someone else
Lesson 23: Follow-up Don’t Frustrate
Lesson 24:Research > Relationship
> Resource
@beckhopkinswine | www.foliowine.com
• Identify a core group & NURTURE that relationship
• GOOD relationships take time
• Make the time and effort to meet face to face
• Press Relationships are not friendships
• PR is not free!
• Become a resource beyond your own brand
Lesson 24: Research > Relationship > Resource
Cathy HuygheCathy Huyghe writes about the business and politics
of the wine industry for Forbes online.
She is also working on her first book, Hungry for Wine.
Social media
Lesson 25:WIIFY
Social media
WIIFY:
What’s In It For You
The YOU is not the Winery.
The YOU is the consumer.
Put yourselves in the shoes
of the consumer.
And ask, why would I be
interested in this?
Why would I care?
That’s where Social Media Starts.
The best part of social media?
It’s SOCIAL.
Meaning the conversation
is a two-way street.
It’s a dialogue.
Not a broadcast.
Lesson 26:YouTube
Social media
For younger people, it’s often
the FIRST search.
YouTube is the second biggest
search engine on the internet.
Three Goals of YouTube:
1. Instruct
2. Entertain
3. With content that clearly
communicates what’s in it for
the viewer.
Examples of Effective YouTube Videos:
• How to make a recipe that pairs great
with your wine
• How to drive to your winery and the
landmarks along the way
• Introducing a new social media
campaign, with a Call to Action as the
last frame.
An In-Effective YouTube Video is:
• Airbrushed
• Highly produced
• Perfect pan shots of your vineyards or
someone riding a tractor
Why This is In-Effective:
• It matters to you. But it does not matter
to the consumer. (Remember WIIFY.)
• Perfection isn’t realistic.
Lesson 27:Instagram Impact
Social media
Photo-heavy platforms like Instagram
and Pinterest are enormously popular.
Use visuals – video, photos, graphics –
to tell your story.
Visuals bring people to life!
Non-wine platforms used to document wine:
• etc.
Wine platforms used to document wine:
• Delectable
• Drync
• Hello Vino
• Vivino
• etc.
They are all:
• Community-focused
• Highly interactive
• Usable for research
Is Your Label Ready for That?
Social media
They permit you to be authentic.
As Reka Haros was when she shared
the challenges of a harvest with her
customers
Lesson 28:
Mobile Mobile MobileSocial media
The impact of mobile is only growing!
To document and share the wine
experience (as we’ve just seen).
And to influence online purchasing
behaviors.
Especially from phones.
Especially while the consumer is
standing in the wine store.
Mobile App Example: HelloVino
One of the most downloaded apps
One of the most frequent operations it’s
asked to do – often while the user is
standing in the wine store – is to
recommend a wine to go with a
particular food.
Mobile App Example: HelloVino
The most frequent food HelloVino is
asked to pair?
Pizza.
Does your wine show up in those
recommendations?
Is your website mobile-optimized?
Lesson 29:
ListeningSocial media
Use social media to LISTEN to what
people are saying about your brand.
Use social media to LISTEN to what
social communities, critics, and
bloggers are saying about your brand
and the topics that matter to your brand.
Different social media platforms are
best used for listening to different
things.
Examples:
Facebook: communities like #winelover
Twitter: individuals like Tim Atkin and
Eric Asimov
WeChat: Chinese consumers
Lesson 30:Online + Offline
Social media
Nothing Beats Face to Face
The Voice of the person who
shows up at an event has to
be the same voice of the
person online.
It’s about…
Authenticity
Consistency
Engagement + Dialogue
Thank YouReka Haros @rekaharos
Rebecca Hopkins @beckhopkinswine
Cathy Huyghe @cathyhuyghe
Robert Joseph @robertjoseph
Damien Wilson @winebusprof
Social media
Thank You
Reka Haros
Rebecca Hopkins
Cathy Huyghe
Robert Joseph
Damien Wilson
Social media