Struggling SeaWorld is looking to reconnect with a disillusioned audience by launching a new advertising campaign, emphasising a lasting connection between animals and people.
The company’s new campaign comes on the back of a one million person attendance drop in the wake of negative publicity regarding the anti-SeaWorld documentary
Blackfish. Revenue for SeaWorld in Q4 was US$264.5m (€235.6m, £171.4m) – a drop of around US$7.4m (3 per cent) on the previous year’s results in the same period. Total revenue for 2014 was down 6 per cent on 2013. To add to the loss of revenue, SeaWorld’s stock value has plummeted around 50 per cent over the past year and footfall has dropped from 23.4 million to 22.4 million.
SeaWorld’s new ‘Meet the Animals’ campaign is designed to showcase individual animals and highlight their characters and personalities. The personalised ads will air on cable networks in the US and in print format at local markets in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego, and with a heavy online presence.
“The new campaign emphasises the power of a visit to make a lasting connection between animals and people," said Peter Frey, senior marketing officer at SeaWorld in a statement. “The first ad in the series will invite visitors to meet Leon, a 9-year-old sea lion at SeaWorld San Antonio.”
The new campaign will be separate from a brand-reputation campaign – featuring initiatives such as its US$10m donation to study endangered Orcas in the wild – the company is also planning to launch in the coming weeks.
