1. Background
Universal Orlando Resort, commonly known as Universal Orlando, is a theme park resort wholly
owned by NBCUniversal and its affiliates. It features two separate parks (Universal Studios
Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure), three on-site hotels and CityWalk, an
entertainment and shopping district.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade is a themed area located at Universal’s
Islands of Adventure. It opened to the public on June 18, 2010, and features attractions such as
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Dragon Challenge, and Flight of the Hippogriff, as well
as many gift shops and restaurants from the original Harry Potter books.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade is a highly immersive themed area that has
attracted throngs of people from across the world, and is one of the most successful theme park
expansions to date. According to NBCUniversal, Universal Orlando’s revenue increased more
than 30 percent in 2010, thanks primarily to the Wizarding World's opening that year1
. Fueled by
sales of Harry Potter souvenirs, Universal Orlando’s merchandise revenue more than doubled
to $48.7 million in 2010. Food-and-beverage sales increased 59% to $43.4 million on the
popularity of Harry Potter’s butterbeer2
.
However, with the increase in visitors came additional problems, including complaints regarding
long waits for attractions and the area’s very limited guest capacity, and executives also
1
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/23/travel/wizarding-world-harry-potter-diagon/
2
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/wizarding-world-of-harry-potter/os-universal-harry-
potter-20101215,0,1982334.story

2. grappled with trying to keep attendance balanced between Islands of Adventure (the theme park
containing The Wizarding World of Harry Potter) and Universal Studios Florida.
In December 2011, Universal Parks & Resorts announced the expansion of The Wizarding
World of Harry Potter, and on May 8, 2013, Universal Orlando released the details of the
expansion. The new Harry Potter attraction, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter -- Diagon
Alley, will be located predominantly in Universal Studios Florida theme park and will open to
visitors in summer 2014.
This publicity campaign is designed to garner attention and drum up excitement of the grand
opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, which would ultimately attract
the target audience to visit Universal Orlando Resort.
Business Goal
The business goal of the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Expansion Publicity Campaign
is to increase revenue of Universal Orlando Resort and lift profit growth of NBCUniversal by
achieving the following objectives:
● Increase ticket sales overall (both one-day and annual passes) for Universal Studios
Orlando by 25 percent, and increase ticket sales during the summer season by 35
percent.
● Increase average guest spending on food, beverage and merchandise goods by 25
percent.
● Increase on-site hotel sales 15% by encouraging guests to extend their length of stay
at Universal Orlando Resort.
Communication Goals
The communication goal of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Expansion Publicity
Campaign is to communicate Universal Orlando Resort as the preeminent choice for family
entertainment through the use of the following:
● Targeted, strategic outreach that would generate wide, positive media attention and
coverage of this campaign;
● Campaign-related events and activities that would create buzz, grab consumer
attention and generate momentum into the summer season’s climax.

3. Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
● Universal Resort Orlando and its theme parks have built reputation capital. It has a
strong brand image as one of the top family vacation destinations in the world and is
socially appropriate for people of all ages.
● Universal Resort Orlando and its theme parks have passionate, devoted fans.
● Universal Resort Orlando has an influential online social presence. Sites include the
official website, a Facebook page (991K likes), a Twitter profile (129K followers) and an
Instagram account (57K followers).
● Universal Resort Orlando has strong existing relationships with various local and
widespread media outlets.
● The expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one of the most talked about
expansions in the theme park industry, will easily attract media attention.
● The Harry Potter franchise has a massive and loyal fan base, which continuously seeks
out anything new that relates to the franchise.
● Universal Resort Orlando is a popular vacation destination for the over 20 million
families residing in Florida, Georgia and Alabama that are within driving distance from
the resort.
Weakness
● The resort’s price for admission is high. A one-day Park-to-Park admission ticket, which
will allow visitors to experience both parks (and thus, both Hogsmeade and Diagon
Alley), is $136. The resort recently increased ticket prices by $4 per ticket.
● The Wizarding World of Harry Potter lacks appeal for young adults who seek more
thrilling attractions.
● Because The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is one of the most popular areas at
Universal Resort Orlando, visitors must endure long lines and extended waiting periods
creating issues with guest management.
● Loyal Harry Potter fans and enthusiasts may critique and question the authenticity of the
new attractions.

4. Key audiences & Key messages
a. Families and family decision-makers
Key Message: In honor of the unveiling of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley,
visitors of all ages can embark on fantastic new adventures, like taking a ride on the Hogwarts
Express to the brand new King’s Cross Station. At Universal Orlando Resort, you can turn
spending time with your family into spending time as a family.
b. Harry Potter loyal fans and enthusiasts
Key Message: Come join us at Universal Orlando Resort to celebrate the grand unveiling of the
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley. Now you can experience even more of The
Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Guests can take a stroll through Diagon Alley, catch a ride on
the Hogwarts Express, grab a meal at the Leaky Cauldron, and go for a thrilling ride into the
Gringotts Vaults. Summer 2014 will be more magical than ever!
c. Teens and college students
Key Messages: With the whole new Harry Potter rides and attractions in Universal Orlando
Resort, summer 2014 will be cooler than ever! Bring your friends and join us at Universal
Orlando Resort to celebrate the grand unveiling of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter -
Diagon Alley. Now you can win free tickets to the opening ceremony by participating in our
social media contests!
Budget
● Determine amount from marketing and sales and promotional team’s offsets from
marketing partners (U.S. Post office, Burger King, Arrowhead, etc.)
● Continually check on analytics to maintain that campaign is meeting business goals
and campaign is staying on budget
Strategy
The strategy of this campaign is to capitalize on the power of the events and media
outreach associated with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Expansion to communicate
Universal Orlando Resort’s role as the ultimate destination for happiness, joy and
entertainment.

5. Tactics
Phase #1 (One year prior to the opening date)
● Media Pitching and Publicity – Long Lead Stories for Print Publications
Target audience: Families and family decision-makers
○ Send out press releases to announce the projected opening date and details of
the expansion to all the major national weekly print and top market
newspaper publications, especially travel/leisure/book/film/entertainment
publications. Targeted media include but not limited to: Travel Magazine,
Leisure Magazine, NY times, LA Times, Washington Post, EW, US Weekly,
Variety, and major airline magazines.
● Launch of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley’s official website for
consumer education and to build awareness of various ticket and vacation options for
the upcoming year (1 day, multi-pass, summer pass, park hopper, hotels, restaurants,
etc).
Target audience: Families and family decision-makers; Harry Potter loyal fans and
enthusiasts.
Phase #2 (Six months prior to the opening date)
● Media Pitching and Publicity -- Local Media
Target audience: Families and family decision-makers in Orlando
○ Send out press releases to announce the projected opening date and details of
the expansion to all the local media outlets in Orlando, especially publications
that feature travel and leisure. Target media include but not limited to:
Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Weekly, Orlando Home & Leisure Magazine, etc.
● Media Pitching and Publicity – Digital Media
Target audience: Teens and college students; Families and family decision-makers;
Harry Potter fans and enthusiasts.
○ Release the official video that detailing what fans can expect when the Diagon
Alley Expansion on Universal Orlando Resort’s official
Facebook/Twitter/YouTube pages.
○ Pitch the official video and deliver digital press kits that outline the new
attractions and rides in the expansion to key digital media and influential
bloggers to create online buzz. Targeted Media include but not limited to:
IGN, LA Times, NY Times, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Yahoo!, Mashable,
USA Today and travel/lifestyle/leisure/game/film bloggers.
○ Create an EPK that features behind the scenes footage and exclusive clips for
inclusion on major national entertainment shows
○ Reach out to existing Harry Potter fan pages/websites/blogs to capitalize on the
popularity of these outlets.

6. Phase #3 (Three months prior to the opening date)
● Social Media Contests and Giveaways
Target audience: Teens and College students; Harry Potter fans and enthusiasts.
○ Set up social media contests through Universal Resort Orlando’s
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram accounts.
■ Repost and @ one of your followers/friends for a chance to win two free
tickets for the Opening ceremony of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
– Diagon Alley!
■ Tweet your #HPMagicMoment for a chance to win free tickets to The
Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley!
○ Weekly giveaways of Harry Potter merchandise on Universal Resort Orlando’s
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram accounts
○ Work with commercial partners (U.S. Postal, Burger King, Arrowhead, etc.) to set
up ticket giveaways (contests) for private preview of Diagon Alley with minor
characters from HP series (think Neville Longbottom, Jenny Weasly, Luna
Lovegood, etc.)
○ Foursquare Geo-targeting
■ People who check in at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter --
Hogsmeade on Foursquare will get promotional advertisements about the
expansion. If they share the advertisements on their social media
accounts (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/etc.), they will have the chance to
win free tickets to the opening ceremony.
Phase #4 (One month prior to the opening date)
● Media Pitching and Publicity – Talent Outreach
Target audience: Teens and College students; Harry Potter fans and enthusiasts.
○ Approach celebrities that are known to be Harry Potter enthusiasts and have a
high volume of social media followers to promote the park in addition to giving
away a special prize to one of their dedicated fans
○ Secure tweets and social media posts from cast members of the Harry Potter
movies (ex., Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, etc.) to
promote the expansion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
● PR events
Target audience: Families and family decision-makers; Teens and College students;
Harry Potter fans and enthusiasts.
○ Road Shows at major cities and counties in FL, GA and AL (Fl-Hillsborough,
Miami / Dade, and Orange County-GA-Atlanta, AL-Mobile, etc) - stunts and
giveaways - invite local media with minor actors from the Harry Potter movie -
coordinate with promotions
○ Attend the 2014 Comic-con in San Diego and hold a panel discussion with the
executives of Universal Park & Resort as well as the creative team of the new
rides and attractions of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter -- Diagon Alley.

7. o InstaMuggle (Traveling Pop-Up Photo Booths)
To get Orlando residents, many of whom are frequent visitors and annual
passholders, excited about the new Harry Potter rides and attractions,
InstaMuggle will pop-up in high traffic locations in Orlando. Magical props will
be provided in the photo booth.
Phase #5 (One week prior to the opening date)
● Media Pitching and Publicity – TV/Radio
Target audience: Families and family decision-makers; Teens and College students.
○ Set up interviews / guest appearances on national talk shows/radio stations to
discuss the benefits of taking the entire family to one resort where they can share
in the overall family experience of Universal Orlando Resort and the new
Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel, The Tonight Show,
The Today Show, Good Morning America, etc.)
Phase #6 -- Opening Day
Target audience: Families and family decision-makers; Teens and College students; Harry
Potter fans and enthusiasts.
Pre-Event
● Send out invitations to all appropriate media (major national and local outlets;
travel/leisure/entertainment/film/lifestyle outlets; influential bloggers) and secure their
attendance to the Opening Day Ceremonies
● Invite all the social media contest winners and influencers in Harry Potter fan
communities to the Opening Day Ceremony
● Work with talent’s publicists and managers to secure the attendance of main
characters from the HP series (Talent Wishlist: JK Rowling, Emma Watson, Daniel
Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton and key celebrities).
During the Event
● Special celebration show featuring characters from the Harry Potter Series (ex., flying
dragon, Lord Voldemort, Dobby the house-elf, etc.) to create “Wow” factor
● Provide experienced staff for all press and event aspects including, but not limited to,
press check-in, red carpet management and flow, arrivals and talent handling
● Manage all red carpet journalists, photographers and crews, as well as select media
invited to cover inside the event
● Create and execute a customized shot list and set up key celebrity and Universal Park
& Resort executive shots and interviews, with a strategic focus on sponsors and key
players (i.e., Emma Watson and other high-profile celebrities) for branding

8. ● Conduct a social media live stream for the event
● Plan and organize a press junket after the ceremony and invite all key media to the
junket
Post-Event
● Draft post-event release, outlining key attendees, performances, and overall event
highlights
● Use the photos and footage generated from house photographer and video crew to
distribute immediately following the event to secure press coverage
● Recommend and execute unique publicity angles to generate additional, out-of-the-
box buzz (i.e. fashion trends seen on the carpet, Emma Watson’s exclusive interview,
etc.)
● Conduct an ongoing social media contest (i.e. Tweet your #HPMagicMoment to win
free tickets to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley)
● Create a comprehensive wrap-report, reflecting all pre- and post-event media hits
and impressions
Evaluation
● Build analytics based on business goals
● Go to accounting and operations to retrieve information on total hotel, merchandise,
ticket sales, etc. after campaign completed
● Customer response - evaluated by total increase in sales
● Guest satisfaction surveys
● Social media impressions and sentiments
● Media coverage (Both online and traditional)