SeaWorld Entertainment is in full response mode as the two-year-old documentary “Blackfish” continues to gain momentum.
The documentary alleges cruel treatment of the orca, or killer whales, that SeaWorld has in captivity and uses as part of its public entertainment program. The result has had a distinct impact on the publicly traded company’s bottom line, with its stock and attendance numbers in a continued free fall.
SeaWorld is finally on the offensive, backing a national “Facts About SeaWorld’s Killer Whales” campaign. It is a great example of a response campaign, featuring fact sheets, third-party sources, YouTube videos and national media buys.
Here is a good example of one of their videos, featuring regular SeaWorld employees offering honest responses to claims:
So far, the videos don’t have too many views on YouTube, but they are strong from a search engine optimization perspective. It makes you wonder how much more effective SeaWorld’s campaign would have been if they started it two years ago.
