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The is a powerpoint I created for a group project highlighting SeaWorld's crisis management after the death of Dawn Brancheau.
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SeaWorld CrisisThe Death of Dawn
Brancheau Christine McFaul, Maddie Lamb, Tate Monroe, Meagan
Jackson, Joseph Vaughn, Dan Grzyboski
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1. DetectionResearch
History
Expanded from San Diego to Orlando
Opened in the early 1970s.
Anheuser Busch entered the theme park market in 1959 to promote beer to young people and their families.
Busch spent millions of dollars investing in the company to add thrill rides and an all-new Shamu stadium to the Orlando theme park.
Buleen, 2013
Current Situation that Caused the Crisis
The whales capture and treatment after lead to mental health issues resulting in psychosis.
SeaWorld corporate culture is also to blame based on hidden documented attacks and appeals made toward allowing the trainers to get back in the water with the whales.
Cowperthwaite, 2013
Prodromes
Colin Baird an ex-trainer from Sealand who worked with Tilikum, explains one of Tilikums past attacks, “One of the trainers had fallen into the enclosure and the whales got excited and pulled her under not allowing her to reach the side of the pool where she eventually drown.”
This is a main prodrome that Tilikum and other orcas should not be in contact with the trainers if they have been involved in passed attacks.
Tilikum has been responsible for three deaths occurring over the past three decades causing Baird to change his mind about orcas in captivity.
Kuo, 2013
Prodromes
Repetitive violent behaviors by whales in captivity and reoccurring deaths are clear indicators that this will continue to happen to trainers.
Since 1991, orcas in captivity have killed four individuals and many others have come close to death. In the history of mankind there is no documented orca killing a human in the wild.
Ventre, 2013
Tilikum was previously involved in two other deaths that some trainers were never told about.
Cowperthwaite, 2013
Uneducated Trainers
Target Audiences
Key Publics?
Employees of SeaWorld Orlando,
Fla.
Consumers /Florida Tourists
Families
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration
Individuals attending the show
during
the crisis
Cowperthwaite, 2013
Publics Enabling Publics SeaWorld Parks and
Entertainment president- Jim Atchison Posted announcement
online following the death of Dawn Brancheau
SeaWorld Orlando President- Dan Brown The single voice during the
first post-attack press conference
LA Times, 2010
Functional Publics Employees Consumers Management
Publics
Normative Publics Other theme park attractions in
the Orlando, Fla. area Theme parks with similar values
Marine mammal attractions
Diffused Publics Media Communities and businesses
in the Orlando, Fla. area Hotel and motels in the
Orlando, Fla. area
Corporate Culture
SeaWorld corporate culture is also to blame based on hidden documented attacks and appeals made toward allowing the trainers to get back in the water with the whales.
Cowperthwaite, 2013
A SeaWorld spokesperson down played the event an indicator of SeaWorld’s corporate culture hiding previous information from the public.
“Dan Brown, spokesperson for SeaWorld, was using much softer language, calling it an “incident” or “drowning” instead of a death or killing.” Wolverton
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2. Preparation
Objectives
Did the company try to overcome the crisis? SeaWorld tried to place blame on the trainer, Dawn
Brancheau by stating that her ponytail was the reason for Tilikum’s attack.
SeaWorld also tried to cover up crises. There are more than 80 documented accidents that have been covered up to save SeaWorld’s reputation.
SeaWorld overlooked the fact that Tilikum was involved with two previous murders.
The Telegraph, 2010
Objectives
Did the company use effective crisis management? SeaWorld should have been more transparent with the
crisis. Placing the blame on Brancheau makes SeaWorld look
insensitive and guilty. SeaWorld chose to keep Tilikum for his valuable
reproductive abilities. (More than 50 percent of SeaWorld’s orca whales that have Tilikum’s genes.)
Cowperthwaite, 2013
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3. Containment
Crisis Communication Theory
Apologia Theory Redefine Disassociate Ignoring prodromes
Fearn-Banks, 2013
Communication Model
Communication Model
Press Agentry/Publicity Model News coverage Blackfish Court hearings
Fearn-Banks, 2013, cbsnews.com
Key Messages
Dealing with the MEDIA: 1st Response was to get people away from the scene. 2nd Alert Orange County Sheriff's Department about
the accident.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxT8yN3XEWg
3rd SeaWorld came out with a press conference.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBYIFSQTGAk
4th They had outside experts talk about the accident.
Key Messages
Types of media strategy that was used: Withholding information
Example: OCSD spokesperson, stalled press conferences.
The company did speak as one voice, including both the president of SeaWorld Orlando and the president of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment.
Expert testimony Jack Hanna, animal expert
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKMh6zCyhy8
Key Messages
How SeaWorld informed their publics of the situation: Used good medians for getting information out.
But the information was not very informative.
Used a lot of different media vehicles to reach their publics. Some examples include radio, TV newscasts, internal
memos, and press conferences.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/videos/2010/02/26/seaworld-ceo-speaks-about-trainers-death.html
Key Messages
The three C’s of crisis planning: Control, credibility and compassion They used both control and credibility, but not compassion.
Crisis communication strategies: SeaWorld used denial and excuse in the reaction to this
crisis. Although SeaWorld apologized, Brancheau was blamed for her
own death.
Global News
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4. Recovery and Learning
Following the crisis…
Suspended the @Shamu Twitter handle
Platform Magazine
SeaWorld remains strong
Tilikum still resides at the theme park
Trainers are not allowed in the water with whales
Orlando Sentinel
Was public confidence restored following the crisis?
There are many who are strongly against SeaWorld as a result of this event and events like it. There are also many people who were fans of SeaWorld and who still are even after this crisis.
Steve Farnsworth, the chief digital strategist for Jolt Social Media in California said, “What happened with this crisis was that a lot of people who have opinions about keeping animals in captivity have come out, and SeaWorld’s relationship with fans comes into play at this point. The fans came to SeaWorld’s defense; the majority of their comments are positive.”
Platform Magazine
One Ocean
On May 30, 2012 Judge Ken Welsch ruled that during shows, trainers must remain out of the water and separated from the orcas.
One Ocean is the new show with the Killer whales.
In this new show the trainers do not enter the water with the whales.
“One Ocean will feature highlights such as multiple orcas performing in unison and maneuvering amid giant fountains.”
Orlando Sentinel Black Fish
Company profits following the crisis…
Despite the crisis, in 2010, the company still saw an increase in sales over the next few years.
In 2011 SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment’s earnings were $19.1 million.
In 2012 their earnings increased by more than 300 percent to $77.4 million.
Orlando Sentinel
Evaluation
Overall, there was not much that SeaWorld changed after the crisis.
Incidents like this happened before and SeaWorld ignored them.
SeaWorld passed up multiple opportunities to do what was right for the whales and the trainers including after this incident.
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5. Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
1. SeaWorld’s reaction to crisis situation LA Times, 2010
2. Market presence
3. Keeping Tilikum’s previous violent behavior hidden from employees and consumers
Cowperthwaite, 2013
4. Financial stability
Weaknesses
1. Misconstrued views/ opinions of what happened during the first post-attack press conference
Was it just a drowning accident? SeaWorld reported again two hours after the initial incidentWaggener Edstrom, 2010
2. Lawsuit filed by Occupational Safety and Health Administration gave SeaWorld a bad image in the public realm.
3. The way the media spoke about SeaWorld carried a negative image.
Cynthia McFadden, Nightline ABC News
Weaknesses
4. Tilikum has demonstrated violent behavior in the past, which had resulted in two deaths before Brancheau.
Cowperthwaite, 2013
5. Inability to fully understand the orca’s brain after extensive research.
Cowperthwaite, 2013
6. Lack of compassion shown during post-attack interviews
LA Times, 2010
The End
As a side note…
