Touring Universal Orlando’s offices and learning the ins and outs of its PR team’s operation? This is exactly what Quotes, the PR Club did on Friday, September 27. This highly anticipated tour brought 20 Quotes members to the offices of the Universal PR team and gave them valuable industry insight into one of the largest theme parks in the United States.
Several team members, including Ali Beemer, Ashlynn Webb, and Alyson Lundell, APR, CPRC, spoke to the students about the structure of the team and each individual’s roles. Each brought a unique aspect to the team that helped them collaborate on large-scale projects, such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This sense of community and teamwork exemplifies the values that a student should inherit in order to be successful in the workforce.
As a sophomore studying advertising and public relations, I gained incredible insight as to what the field of public relations entails and how it can benefit society. I also learned important skills such as having to think on your feet, brainstorming creative ideas for campaigns and working with the media.
A large component of the work done by Universal’s PR team is media relations. Essentially, this involves “selling” your ideas or products to the media. By doing this well, as the Universal team has, they have been able to inspire influencers to visit the destination for media tours, take some media groups into the destination for unique coverage opportunities, and develop campaigns for attractions like Volcano Bay.
Speaking of which, Volcano Bay quickly grew to prominence as a destination water park that guests could enjoy whether they visited the other two parks or not. They introduced the park with a soft open, meaning that it was open for select guests before the official opening. This taught me the importance of not only having a plan but also making the experience authentic and exciting for guests to ensure they feel “part of the process.”
Lastly, the team stressed the importance of professionalism in the industry, while also keeping a harmonious balance between work and life. These are crucial for any individual, whether they choose to pursue public relations or not.
The lessons learned from the Universal PR team were incredibly valuable and will be taken with me as I move through life and the workforce. I want to thank the team for hosting the tour and giving students the knowledge needed to become successful.
Article originally published here.
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