Everything PR News
Crisis Communications

SeaWorld Still Struggling to Move Beyond Blackfish

EPR Editorial TeamEPR Editorial Team2 min read
Share
SeaWorld Still Struggling to Move Beyond Blackfish
Ever since the documentary Blackfish was released to the masses, SeaWorld has been faced with a major international Public Relations crisis. Despite an aggressive PR campaign of their own, recent attendance numbers illustrate this problem is far from over. The company experienced yet another decline in attendance in the most recent quarter. Smelling blood in the water, animal rights activists have redoubled their efforts to further pressure the theme park brand. Seaworld Documentary Stats Seaworld Revenue Stats Worse, the results of the recent quarter fell well beneath revenue and profit projections SeaWorld expected. Either the company underestimated the impact the continued anti-SeaWorld PR efforts would have, or they overestimated the impact of their response. Either way, fewer people are coming through the turnstiles at the parks … and SeaWorld needs to figure out what went wrong.

Seaworld's Blackfish Crisis

Critics say the Public Relations response by the parks bears part of the blame. Like the GOP in the 2012 election, the parks command structure drastically underestimated the reach and impact of social media. While their PR people pushed out canned promotional spots and cut entrance prices, their target market was inundated by a constant stream of negative reviews and diatribes by “friends of friends” on Facebook and Twitter. Those third and fourth hand negative testimonials had far more impact than 30-second spots of SeaWorld employees talking about how much they love the animals (and their jobs). Whoever greenlit that idea missed the point. Of course the employees say the park is awesome. Most people who like their jobs will tell people they like their jobs … and that they are good at them. Contrasted against a constant barrage of pissed off “regular folks,” the cronies never had a chance to make a difference. And SeaWorld should have known this from the very beginning. Instead of spots showing grinning animal trainers, the parks would be much better served to show regular folks having a blast at SeaWorld. Kids and Grandparents getting soaked in the splash zone and high-fiving Flipper. That’s the kind of thing that drew people to the parks in the first place – the fun of it all. But, instead of fun, SeaWorld served up a handful of people who looked awkward in front of the camera, reading from prepared remarks. They’re not actors, but they were being asked to perform like actors, to deliver emotion and conversation that was not their own. And the public is just not buying it.
TagsCrisis CommunicationsFeaturedInsights & Strategy
EPR Editorial Team
Written by
EPR Editorial Team

The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.

Other news

See all
Chapman University Dodge College: PR, Advertising and Media Arts in Southern California
EPR Editorial Team · 06/06/2026

Chapman University Dodge College: PR, Advertising and Media Arts in Southern California

Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts teaches PR and advertising inside a top-10 U.S. film school, 40 miles from Los Angeles — competition-winning teams, a student-run firm, a working production studio, and direct entertainment-industry access.

Hofstra University Lawrence Herbert School of Communication: PR and Media Training Near New York City
EPR Editorial Team · 06/06/2026

Hofstra University Lawrence Herbert School of Communication: PR and Media Training Near New York City

Hofstra University's Lawrence Herbert School of Communication trains public relations and media students 25 miles from New York City — ACEJMC-accredited, eleven degree programs, an 80%+ internship rate, and a Los Angeles study-away semester.

Analyst Relations in the AI Era: Gartner, Forrester, IDC vs. the Answer Engine
EPR Editorial Team · 06/06/2026

Analyst Relations in the AI Era: Gartner, Forrester, IDC vs. the Answer Engine

The analyst report still moves the deal — but the deal increasingly starts inside ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. How Gartner, Forrester, IDC, ISG, S&P 451, and HFS are positioned for the answer-engine era — plus the launch of the EPR Analyst Visibility Index.

Never Miss a Headline

Daily PR headlines, weekly long-form analysis, and our proprietary research drops — straight to your inbox.