Travel, Tourism Experience – Theme Parks

Universal Studios Florida / Universal Orlando Resort

Barbara Swab and her colleagues played key roles in the growth and evolution of Universal Studios theme park into Universal Orlando Resort, one of the world’s premier entertainment complexes.  The communications mission was to build attendance at the original park focusing on its “Ride the Movies” theme and build awareness for the new expanded multi-park, full service resort.

As a partner in a New York metropolitan public relations agency, Barbara Swab headed her firm’s external support team utilized by Universal during this dramatic expansion period.

The combined efforts of the Universal PR team and its agencies generated hundreds of millions of consumer media impressions around the globe resulting in broad top of mind awareness of the new resort including dozens of unique new rides, one-of-a-kind attractions, multiple hotel openings and a vast array of entertainment venues at City Walk.  The publicity campaign garnered many local and national awards and several Guinness World records were set in the process.

Most importantly, attendance records were broken and continue to be broken and Universal Orlando Resort is acknowledged today as a well-known and respected competitor to Walt Disney World Resort.

Campaign Elements

Campaign elements included program creation and implementation, “big idea” generation, press kit development, news and feature stories, video news releases (vnrs), satellite media tours, consumer and trade placement activities, trade show support, wire service stories and photography, press conferences (some via satellite) in key market cities and international activities.

Also, media list maintenance and updating, special events, grand openings, media familiarization trips, key market media blitzes, promotions and contests with national and print broadcast media outlets, and numerous support activities in conjunction with sales, marketing, advertising and promotion departments.

Campaign specifics also included developing a multitude of story lines surrounding the expansion, training Universal personnel to be spokespersons and/or media escorts, identifying and building relationships with thousands of national international journalists and managing their travel, lodging and entertainment while at the grand opening of the new park.  And, at the same time, managing all logistics for their visits.

This also included creating media centers providing computer and telephone access for journalists attending opening events, and maintaining an ever-changing schedule of interviews for each journalist based on their individual story angles.

Moment in time events included a grand opening for the new theme park’s Island’s of Adventure bringing together dozens of internationally known film stars including Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg, hundreds of media representatives and a spectacular visual featuring Spider-Man dangling hundreds of feet above the park from a fast-moving, bright green helicopter.  Please go to “Special Events” section for additional events and details pertaining to the opening of Universal Orlando Resort venues.

Other Highlights:

  • Identified and arranged contract with renowned clinical psychologist, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, and Universal Studios Florida in conjunction with “Jaws” ride opening.  Developed entire “Theme Park Therapy” concept – how theme parks are good for us physically and emotionally – and press materials which resulted in more than 70 print and broadcast interviews in Florida and nationally and more than 50 print and broadcast placements in the United Kingdom.  Two satellite media tours resulted in more than 20 television segments in Universal’s key market cities.  Broadcast time for all television efforts resulted in more than 30 hours of airtime.  In addition, Dr. Judy broadcast her radio call-in show from Universal’s radio studio in Orlando numerous times mentioning the park and its offerings during each show.

  • Efforts to promote Universal’s now infamous Halloween Horror Nights demanded new creative ideas annually. Some examples follow: agency arranged familiarization trips for Northeast media and also identified and arranged contract with Universal and David Skal.  Skal, a renowned expert and author on the subject of horror served as a spokesperson for the Halloween special event throughout the State of Florida and nationally resulting in more than 50 print and broadcast placements.

    In addition, created a classified ad / casting call for “Rat Lady,” a woman entombed in a coffin with live rats which received hundreds of applications and media coverage state and nationwide.  Rat Lady also became one of the most popular attractions at the park during this annual event.

    Many more new Halloween themed events / media moments were created annually.

  • Traveled Jaws “Landshark” – a huge all-terrain vehicle built in the shape of a great white shark to Eastern Seaboard and Midwest cities as well as the UK to promote Universal’s “Jaws” attraction.  The Landshark was designed to include a mobile radio station from which a deejay and two guests could broadcast talk shows and provide uplinks to local radio and television stations.  Media parties were staged in each key market city to await the arrival of the Great White accompanied by the frightening theme music from the movie and a number of Jaws ride spokespersons.   The New York event alone attracted more than 200 members of media in attendance.

  • Grand openings of “Terminator II, 3D,” “A Day in the Park With Barney,” “Men in Black,” “Twister,” among others, received considerable media attention as well based on highly intensive and creative PR plans.

 

Sea World’s Family of Marine Life / Entertainment Theme Parks

On-going programs and project work for:

Sea World of Florida, Sea World of Texas, Cypress Gardens, Sea World Corporate – ongoing corporate activities and projects for Sea Word of California and Sea World of Ohio as assigned.

Sea World of Florida – Orlando, FL

Implemented highly successful five-year, on-going marketing communications program for Sea World of Florida resulting in numerous national, regional and local public relations and marketing awards.  The program focused on all of the park’s facets – entertainment, education, conservation and research – as well as the city of Orlando as a destination – and provided strong support for creating record-breaking attendance figures.

Campaign covered all public relations disciplines – program creation and implementation, “big idea” generation, press kit development, news and feature stories consumer and trade placement activities, trade show support, wire service stories and photography, press conferences (some via satellite) in key market cities; international activities in Canada, the UK, France and Germany.

Also, all media list maintenance and updating, special events, grand openings, media familiarization trips, key market media blitzes, crisis management activities, promotions and contests with national print and broadcast media outlets, video news release programs and numerous support activities in conjunction with the park’s sales, marketing, advertising and promotional departments.

Program also required strong liaison with Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, Florida Division of Tourism, other local and state agencies, other area attractions, hotels and resorts and interface with the park’s advertising agency.

Highlights:

  • Developed and executed a major public relations campaign to promote the opening of the park’s $13 million Penguin Encounter/Science Center.  Media blitz of key market cities featuring Pete and Penny Penguin – two tuxedo-clad VIPs (Very Important Penguins) who live in the encounter with 200 other feathered friends – resulted in appearances on such national programs as “Good Morning America,” “Regis and Kathie Lee,” “David Letterman,” “Romper Room,” “Wall Street Journal Report,” several CNN programs, among others.  Print and radio coverage also were substantial.

    Florida penguin blitz of l0 cities resulted in coverage by every daily newspaper and television outlet contacted.

    Overall penguin encounter campaign resulted in National Travel Marketing Award presented by Travel Industry Association of America, and numerous Golden Image awards presented by the Florida Public Relations Association.  Total audience reach – television, radio and print – exceeded 400 million households.  Park attendance grew by 16 percent, a record high.

  • Another Florida media blitz featuring Dennis Connor and the crew of the “Stars and Stripes” was a beneficial to Sea World.  The America’s Cup winning entry was borrowed for a special weekend at Sea World and the tour encouraged Florida residents to visit the vessel in Orlando.

  • Campaign surrounding three killer whale births at Sea World of Florida resulted in national television, print and radio coverage throughout the world resulting in billions of impressions.  “20/20” alone devoted one-half hour to a segment featuring Hugh Downs visiting with the first Baby Shamu in Orlando.

    Similarly, programs developed to highlight research and rehabilitation efforts received national print and broadcast attention worldwide.  An annual campaign resulted in 748 articles with a potential audience reach of more than 177 million.

  • An average of 500 television crews and media representatives conduct interviews each year in the park.

  • Agency orchestrated satellite press conferences (emanating from Orlando) in New York, Chicago, Miami, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada.

  • International blitz of Canada, UK and Germany resulted in coverage by 50 outlets.

  • Annual video news release program using Sea World satellite capability produced 16 vnrs (many of which were conceived, scripted and edited by agency).  These resulted in 226 placements including 18 “hits” on CNN, and segments on “NBC Nightly News,” “NBC News Sunrise,” NBC’s “Today Show,” “Nation’s Business” (ESPN), to name a few.

  • Provided public relations support for various in-park events tied to sales department – amateur boxing events, national high school cheerleading competitions, law enforcement weekends, triathlons, concert series, Night Before Citrus, O’ Canada Days, Easter Sunday Sunrise Services, Christmas, New Year’s telethons, contests, promotions and other entertainment activities.

  • Created a program in which Sea World goodwill ambassadors (walk-around characters and live penguins) visited children’s wards in hospitals throughout Florida and Northeast markets.

    Florida p.r. efforts alone resulted in potential print and broadcast audience reach of more than 43 million for this project.

    Similarly, promoted visits to the park by organizations for terminally ill children – Starlight Foundation, Dreamflight, Give Kids the World, Make-A-Wish, the Leukemia Society and others.

  • Arranged for “Arthur Frommer’s Almanac of Travel” (The Travel Channel) to conduct its first on-location programming at Sea World of Florida.   A series of 20 l/2 hour programs were conducted on-site at the marine life park.

    Similarly, Jim Fowler, environmental correspondent and on-air personality for “Today” visited the park on numerous occasions as a result of the agency’s strong relationship with him.

  • Conducted three to four familiarization trips annually emanating from Northeast U.S. and Canadian markets.  Generally, trips consisted of 15 –20 media members representing a balance of trade and consumer print and broadcast outlets.  Agency is known for the excellence of its press trips as indicated by number and quality of placements achieved and thank you notes received from writers, producers and editors.

    Agency also served as liaison with UK agency for press trips emanating from Europe.

  • A highly successful promotional campaign –- joint ventured with another agency client, Stouffer Orlando Resort – resulted in more than 40 print and broadcast promotional/contests in one year valued at almost $2 million.  The agency developed turnkey scripts and made all travel arrangements for winners.

  • Because of strong agency/client relationship, agency representatives often attended trade shows/division of tourism events, etc., as sole representatives of client.

  • Agency served as strong writing/editing resource for SWF’s in-house public relations staff –updated, rewrote and distributed annual press kits; conceived and wrote news/feature stories highlighting new shows, park events, research, breeding and rehabilitation activities, advertising campaigns, personalities, etc.  Agency also reviewed all copy emanating from park’s p.r. department.

  • Agency prepared the “definitive” history of Sea World, which is being used as a media background piece to this day.

  • Agency also provided creative input and guidance for highly successful wire service/trade photography campaign.   Associated Press and United Press International picked up an average of 10 wire service photographs annually.

  • Agency also was responsible for compiling and reporting for marketing purposes all audience reach and attraction results vs. budgets annually.

 

Sea World of Texas –  San Antonio, TX

  • On-going creative input to promote the park and San Antonio as a destination.  Recommendations included in original proposal to Sea World of Florida and Cypress Gardens.

  • On-going media liaison, particularly in the broadcast area.  Resulted in on-location visits by “Good Morning America, “Regis and Kathie Lee.”

  • Series of seasonal press trips from New York and other Northeast markets; New York media blitzes utilizing Sea World of Texas spokespersons.

  • Northeast public relations support for opening of Sea World of Texas – the largest Sea World marine life park.  Press trips, story placements, and media liaison.  Overall p.r. effort resulted in the park winning the national Silver Anvil public relations award for grand opening.

 

Sea World Corporate

  • Prepared press kit and arranged New York press conference to launch the original Sea World airship.  Conducted a cross-country media tour for the airship resulting in print and broadcast media placements nationwide.  Updated press materials for the new Airship Shamu and supported all North and Southeast media efforts including hosting another New York press event.

  • Arranged and negotiated Sea World’s three-year relationship with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Created a New York media survival party for editors covering balloon inflations which was attended each year by 200+ members of media.  No other balloon sponsor had ever conducted an event of this type. 

    Agency still receives media queries about this party.  Also arranged for Sea World spokespersons to make New York media appearances in conjunction with the parade which resulted in millions of impressions annually.

  • Prepared white paper/Sea World brochure to address animals in captivity issue.

  • On-going idea-generation for entire Sea World family of marine life parks and spot assignments from Sea World of Ohio and Sea World of California.

 

Cypress Gardens – Winter Haven, FL

Two-year on-going program to promote Florida’s “Showplace” and oldest tourism attraction.  Program elements similar to those of Sea World of Florida, cross-marketing activities were pursued for both parks.  Attendance during this period was up 25 percent.

Because of budget constraints, this program reduced to a per –project basis with emphasis on familiarization trips, video news releases, Northeast market blitzes (some featuring exotic animals from the park), special event support, trade show representations and careful targeting of national broadcast outlets.

 

Other

Agency principal also serviced Weeki Wachi, Silver Springs and American Wilderness Experience – smaller parks – for various special event projects.  Also, Six Flags (Jackson NJ) for crisis management activities and Medieval Times (various locations) for familiarization trips and consumer projects.