A SWOT analysis of social media marketing strategies for Universal Orlando Studios.

1. SWOT Social Media Analysis
Universal Orlando Resort
Daniela Ferris, Janine Frade, Christina Morton, & Michael Sanchez

2. BACKGROUND
Opened and founded on June 7, 1990
Location: Orlando, FL
Owned by NBCUniversal and its associates
Commonly known as simply Universal Orlando
Second-largest resort in Greater Orlando after Walt Disney World
Consists of:
Two theme parks (Universal Studios Florida & Islands of Adventure)
Universal CityWalk Orlando (a night-time entertainment complex)

3. COMPANY CULTURE
Vision
To be recognized as the number one entertainment destination in the world!
Mission Statement
To provide an environment where our Team Members are proud to work, deliver
unforgettable experiences to our guests, and generate superior financial returns.
Values
Respect - We believe in mutual respect and value the worth of every team member.
Teamwork - We will promote teamwork at all levels and across all divisions.
Open Communication - We encourage open, two-way communication at all levels of the company.

4. STRENGTHS
Special themed events throughout the year (shown on the next slide in
more detail)
Present on multiple social media platforms
Has their own hashtag #UniversalMoments
Includes two theme parks, four hotels, and a night-time entertainment
complex
Second-largest resort in Greater Orlando
Offers methods of transportation from the airport, all 30 Universal Partner
hotels, and other theme parks

5. Events
Halloween Horror Nights (HHN)
Halloween themed event that takes place at night in Universal Studios Florida during the month of October.
Rock the Universe
An annual two-day Christian rock music festival which typically occurs in early September.
Summer Concert Series
Occurs during normal park operating hours on select Saturday nights.
Grad Bash and Gradventure
Two separate events held in April and May designed for high school graduating seniors and middle school
graduating students.

6. WEAKNESSES
Timeliness
Universal Orlando has created apps that enhance the Social Media experience, however the
app that was created for the annual Mardi Gras event did not come to be until the final
night of this year’s event
Does not have history and nostalgia like Walt Disney World and their mouse
mascot, Mickey Mouse
35 attractions have closed down since the park opened in 1990
Lacks longevity and consistency due to its updateable and “hipper” nature

7. OPPORTUNITIES
Green is Universal Campaign
Green is Universal is a company-wide initiative to improve environmental efficiency
Company should put a greater emphasis on this initiative - improves goodwill among
community
YouTube
Company should utilize YouTube to enhance “behind the scenes” experiences
Would allow fans to feel like they have insider information about the parks

8. THREATS
Walt Disney World (Orlando, FL)
1.82 Million Twitter Followers, 14.9 Million Likes on Facebook
SeaWorld (Orlando, FL)
105K Twitter Followers, 1.5 Million Likes on Facebook
Busch Gardens (Tampa, FL)
39.2K Twitter Followers, 544K Likes on Facebook

9. SOCIAL MEDIA SITE - GOOGLE PLUS
https://plus.google.com/+UniversalOrlando/videos
1,928 followers
73+ million views

10. SOCIAL MEDIA SITE - TWITTER
https://twitter.com/UniversalORL
@universalORL
21.1k tweets
314k followers
15.7k favorites

11. SOCIAL MEDIA SITE - FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/UniversalOrlandoResort
1.4+ million likes
1.6+ million “people have been there”

12. SOCIAL MEDIA SITE - INSTAGRAM
https://instagram.com/universalorlando/
@universalorlando
634 posts
401k followers

13. SOCIAL MEDIA SITE - YOUTUBE
https://www.youtube.com/user/UniversalOrlando
50,483 subscribed followers

14. SOCIAL MEDIA SITE - LINKEDIN
https://www.linkedin.com/company/universal-orlando
3635 Users listed as Employees

15. #UniversalMoments
Discover what is being posted on different social media platforms using the hashtag
Essentially markets Universal through their followers constant and relatable posts using the
hashtag
Entices non-followers to follow
#AskUniversal
Guests can use this hashtag on social platforms to connect with the dedicated social media
team
Engages their followers and allows them to directly communicate any concerns, inquiries,
and even possible improvements with the team
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY ANALYSIS

16. ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
This link demonstrates an analysis of users @UniversalORL follows on
Twitter
https://moz.com/followerwonk/analyze/@universalorl
Segmented into demographics and psychographics including:
Gender
Location
Twitter Activity
Active Hours
This link depicts the total engagement, content, content details, total fans,

17. REFERENCES
Life in Our Universe. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2015, from http://www.universalorlandojobs.com/the-universal-
way/life-in-our-universe
Kubersky, S. (2015, April 19). Universal Orlando Tests Mardi Gras Guide App. Retrieved October 25, 2015, from
http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/04/19/universal-orlando-tests-mardi-gras-guide-app/
Dineen, C. (2015, July 28). Universal seeks to serve virtual social butterflies. Retrieved October 25, 2015, from
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-cfb-tourism-column-0727-20150726-story.html#
World Class Theme Parks | Universal Orlando Resort®. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2015, from
https://www.universalorlando.com/Theme-Parks/World-Class-Theme-Parks.aspx
Niles, R. (2013, August 18). Theme park history: A short history of Universal Studios Florida. Retrieved October 25,
2015, from http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201308/3609/
Theme Parks. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2015, from http://www.greenisuniversal.com/learn/about-us/theme-
parks/