May is International Business Image Improvement Month, and one business that has had to very publicly confront its business image is SeaWorld. With one of its three American locations located in San Diego, the conversation and controversy of the last year is close to home. The documentary Blackfish, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and released by Magnolia Pictures, premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in January of last year. The film centers on the death of Orca trainer Dawn Brancheau and the harmful psychological effects killer whales experience while in captivity. The film includes emotional interviews with numerous former SeaWorld trainers as well as interviews with other marine life experts, and overall presented SeaWorld in a negative light. Most companies remain silent when faced with negative publicity or a controversial situation and choose to let attention die down naturally. SeaWorld has taken a very different path throughout the time since the film’s release. Before the premiere, SeaWorld send out critiques of the film to about 50 critics who would potentially be reviewing Blackfish. Cowperthwaite and Magnolia returned with a point-by-point rebuttal refuting the critique.
Though no current SeaWorld employees or executives were featured in the film SeaWorld’s discretion, shortly after the film’s release the company provided interviews to opposing the film. 
“Due to the popularity of the movie Blackfish, Seaworld had no choice but to address the mounting criticism it has received in the public,” said Tina Wilmott founder of PR Agency The Wilmott Group. “The breadth of its aggressive PR and marketing campaign is impressive; however it may be years before the backlash dies down and earnings return to what they used to me.” Amid the war of words, Magnolia Pictures, and president Eamonn Bowles in particular, felt that SeaWorld’s direct contact with the film only helped create more publicity. Bowles went as far as saying that SeaWorld’s contact was “the gift that keeps on giving.” After its initial release at Sundance, Blackfish was critically applauded but hadn’t reached a large audience. But in October of 2013 CNN aired the film with more than 21 million viewers. Netflix later picked it up as well, making Blackfish available to more than 40 million global subscribers. Increased viewership meant public outcry against Orcas in captivity.
Musical acts, including Willie Nelson, Barenaked Ladies, and Trace Adkins scheduled to perform at SeaWorld’s concert series backed out of appearances. This made headlines, forcing SeaWorld to again address the film. SeaWorld took out full-page ads in numerous newspapers to combat the growing negativity. The company purchased domain names related to the film’s title and have included a 1700 word response to the film on their website. The letter details “why “Blackfish” is propaganda, not a documentary,” and denounces the expertise of the interviewees and the way in which footage was used to depict situations involving SeaWorld. Almost a year after the film premiered, The Orlando Business Journal conducted an online poll asking whether Blackfish had changed readers’ perceptions of SeaWorld. Orlando is home to another of the three SeaWorld parks. The poll concluded that 99% of readers said the film had not changed their perceptions. When this percentage was reported many questioned the numbers, and investigation into the poll showed that about half of the votes came from SeaWorld’s IP address. SeaWorld responded by saying that their employees were deeply loyal to the company, and that they were still only half of the poll’s 328 votes. This left many to believe that SeaWorld was in some ways being dishonest.
The controversy has definitely been a headache for SeaWorld’s brand management, but the other half of the story is financial. In 2013 SeaWorld experienced a drop in attendance, though higher ticket and other prices meant increased earnings overall. CEO Jim Atchison reported “no noticeable impact on out business,” amid the Blackfish publicity. Only time will show how the brand has fared both financially and in the minds of the public.
