How Universal Orlando’s PR Inspired Me to Embrace my Inner Challenger Brand

By Angelina Rahaman, President of Quotes, the Ad/PR Club at UCF

Calling all theme park junkies! Quotes kicked off the fall semester by hosting Alyson Sologaistoa, Senior Director of Public Relations, and Kristen Smith, Senior Manager of Public Relations from Universal Orlando Resort. Members had the opportunity to learn what it truly means to be a challenger brand and how brands can learn how to be complementary rather than competitive.  

You may ask yourself, “What is a Challenger Brand?” And the simple answer is any brand that is not the leader in its market. In this case, Universal Orlando Resort is the challenger brand, compared to Walt Disney World Resort. Many challenger brands may find it difficult to stand out within their market because their brand tries to transform into its competitor.

Alyson and Kristen shared that Universal was undergoing a huge identity crisis due to its attempt to become magical and whimsical, like Disney. They both soon discovered that this is not who Universal is. Universal is not magical but instead thrill-seeking and adventurous. It’s not a place to have a tea party with your favorite princess, but instead, a place where you are transported into another world as you embark on the high-speed chase of a lifetime.

Both companies offer a balance in the marketplace and allow the consumer the ability to make choices. Instead of attempting to force the consumer to choose only one, it is better for everyone to allow them to get the best of both worlds. Now everyone can experience the magical world of Disney and the adventure of a lifetime at Universal.  

I want to thank both Alyson and Kristen for inspiring me to embrace my inner challenger brand.

The knowledge I gained about challenger brands will benefit not only my professional career but also my personal life. I think we can all relate to challenger brands because we all possess a special, and maybe even weird, quirk that we often try to hide from the world. Instead of focusing on being the best version of ourselves, we try to transform ourselves into what society deems as the “best,” but challenger brands demonstrate that we should celebrate our differences rather than try to hide them.