Yahoo Finance SeaWorld ad campaign seeks to silence haters
It’s been close to two years since the popular documentary Blackfish was released. The film claims that SeaWorld (SEAS) mistreats the large aquatic mammals that are central to its popularity.
SeaWorld and their new interim CEO, David D'Allesandro, are finally hitting back with a new ad campaign refuting the claims it mistreats animals. But is it too little too late?
“On their own website you can read all about where they thought [the movie] went wrong but they didn’t come out publicly and really say it” until now notes Yahoo Finance’s Aaron Task.
SeaWorld is going after both the film and People for the for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) claiming bad data and misconceptions.
PETA has asked supporters to boycott the parks on the website “SeaWorldofHurt.com” and posted this timeline of what they say are all the orca whale deaths at the park.
SeaWorld’s statement on the new ad campaign says, in part:
The print advertisements will feature SeaWorld veterinarians, researchers and other members of the company's team of 1,500 animal care experts. In their words and reflecting on their experiences, they will explain how the company cares for its killer whales, while also refuting the claims of animal rights activists.
They also announced a plan to match funds up to $10 million for killer whale research in the wild.
“They should have responded sooner given what that stock has done in the past year,” Task notes.
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Yahoo Finance Senior Columnist Michael Santoli notes that while some consumers are “squeamish” about visiting SeaWorld after all the bad press. “You might actually have to have some kind of third party to come in and say maybe ‘this is OK;’ put some kind of stamp of approval on it,” he says.
Regardless, Santoli does not believe SeaWorld’s troubles are any kind of death knell for a company that also owns the Busch Garden amusement parks and Sesame Place in Pennsylvania.
Still, it is hard to refute that attitudes towards animal-based entertainment are shifting. Earlier this month Ringling Brothers announced they would be phasing out the popular elephant act in their show amid criticism about the way the animals are cared for.
“It’s the opposite of ecotourism,” says Task. “Seeing an animal in any kind of cage, you could make the argument, it’s inhumane? I don’t know what the word is because I like to go to the zoo but maybe my kids won’t. Maybe they’ll think it’s a terrible thing to do and that’s just a generational shift.”
And that could prove to be the long-term challenge for the likes of SeaWorld, unless this new ad campaign strikes the chord they hope and starts to reverse the attitudes of the next generation.
