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You don’t have to be a doomsday prepper to be prepared for the worst. Many strategic communication professionals are faced with a sudden communication crisis within their organizations. An unprepared crisis communication specialist could seriously harm the reputation of the very organization their job is designed to protect. Like life insurance and automobile insurance a good plan in the event of a crisis can be the insurance that gets you back to normal as quickly as possible.

There is crisis management going on every day on all level variations. Recently the theme park Sea World has been weighing heavily on my mind after the documentary “Blackfish” premiered on CNN in October of 2013. Myself and my family have been long-time supporters of Sea World parks and enjoy yearly visits to one of the parks (usually San Antonio, but more recently Orlando after our relocation). Even before I really got into the mindset of a strategic communicator I thought it very odd that Sea World remained silent on the issue. For several months there wasn’t a word in response to the documentary that could be downright murderous to their parks and their entire operation (which largely involves rescuing animals and rehabilitating them as well). I learned that Sea World

had an opportunity to be a part of the documentary, presenting their side and their defense. Sea World declined to participate. Even to my untrained eyes and ears this seemed incredibly odd to me and gave the impression of guilt on behalf of Sea World Parks and Entertainment. Now that I’m better equipped to recognize and deal with crises like these, I know that Sea Worlds period of silence was the equivalent of social suicide.

On October 18, 2013 the documentary Blackfish premiered on CNN. It didn’t take long before the documentary had gone viral (not since the “To Catch a Predator” series had I seen a program on a channel such as CNN garner so much attention). “"Blackfish," is a documentary film about the multiple incidents, including the three deaths, that prompted the ongoing court case between Sea World, and OSHA, the "Occupational Safety and Health Admissions". These 3 deaths, which included 2 Orca trainers, were caused by Sea World's infamous bull Orca "Tilikum." Through a series of interviews with former Orca trainers that worked with, or around Tilikum, and other problematic captive Orca, the film tries to find an explanation for what happened” (Plot Summary by JFlor on IMDb). In trying to find an explanation the documentary paints Sea World parks and their behind the scenes operations in an incredibly negative light that set animal rights activists on a frenzy in protest of Sea World. The documentary spoke of abuse and shortened life spans. It spoke of the conditions in which the Orca whales and other animals are kept and how they compare to what they truly need in the wild. The documentary addressed the diets of the animals and how it was insufficient in meeting the nutritional needs of these gorgeous wild animals. All in all the documentary painted Sea World in a very negative light. As soon as it was released all eyes turned to Sea World for a response but instead there were crickets.

More than two months went by with no response whatsoever from Sea World parks. “Blackfish” grew and gained an even bigger following. Everybody from celebrities to soccer moms were refusing to support Sea World parks any longer. Many musicians cancelled planned appearances at the park after watching “Blackfish”. Finally, on December 20, 2013 Sea World spoke on the issue in the form of an open letter that can be read here: http://seaworld.com/en/truth/truth-about-blackfish/ . Titled “The Truth About Blackfish” the letter slams back hard against the documentary, touting it as pure propaganda that is so unfounded it shouldn’t even be called a documentary. The response was thorough but did not get the reaction that Sea World parks had hoped for.

Why didn’t people jump back on the Sea World bandwagon? Why wasn’t their response good enough? In the world of crisis communication timing is everything. Sea World should not have waited so long to defend their practices and their parks. Sea World was aware of the documentary at its inception, being that they were offered a chance to take part in it with their own side. If they chose to opt out of participation (as they did), a statement should have been issued right then from the parks with an explanation. Something saying that they are aware of a documentary being made, why they chose not to participate in the documentary, and a summary of their practices like that given in their open letter could have gone a long way in saving face for the company before it had even been tainted in the first place. By the time Sea World responded to the allegations made in “Blackfish”, it was too late. “Blackfish” created a spark that had turned into a full blown wildfire by the time Sea World decided to respond. Many believed a letter wasn’t enough to prove innocence and that longtime fans were owed more.

Had Sea World been ready with a crisis management plan before tragedy struck things might have gone differently for them. It is imperative to prepare for the worst case scenario when your organizations reputation (and actual livelihood) depends on the ‘what ifs’. Now Sea World is still facing massive backlash. There are job postings popping up in places they never needed to be before because they can’t fill spots in some of their non-animal performance positions. The public uproar got too loud and Sea World only responded with a whisper. As a strategic communication and/or crisis communication professional it is imperative to act timely and thoroughly in the wake of controversy.