February 26, 2026
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on February 26, 2026
Nicole Vullo on February 26, 2026We recently had an internal conversation at Foresight about social media in the funeral and cemetery profession. Not about hashtags. Not about algorithms. Not about chasing engagement. About management. Because the issue isn’t whether a funeral home is “good at social media.” The issue is whether its digital presence reflects how the business is actually run. That distinction matters. Digital Presence Is Now Operational Families research before they call. Adult children compare options online before speaking to a director. Buyers review digital presence during diligence. Lenders look at executive visibility and market positioning. Recruits assess culture and professionalism through social channels long before submitting an application. Digital presence has moved out of the marketing department. It now sits squarely in the realm of operational perception. And perception influences value. A dormant Facebook page doesn’t just suggest “we’re busy.” It suggests […]
October 30, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on October 30, 2025
Nicole Vullo on October 30, 2025Written By Jen Graziano, Attorney, Licensed Funeral Director NY/CT Coxe & Graziano Funeral Home By now anyone who’s had a read of my articles will detect the (not so) subtle theme that labor shortages are crippling our industry. The result is mounting owner frustration, excess burnout and even premature exits from the business. But maintaining good labor, if you’re blessed to already have it, is key to remaining in this game. If you are lucky enough to have strong players on your team, dedicated to supporting and advancing your funeral home and brand, cherish them….and make sure they are happy and hoping to remain on board. A simple, “check in” to “check up” on your employees will go a long way. Weekly “roundup” meetings to address any issues or concerns are a good way to take the temperature of your […]
September 25, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on September 25, 2025
Nicole Vullo on September 25, 2025Written By Jen Graziano, Attorney, Licensed Funeral Director NY/CT Coxe & Graziano Funeral Home Independent funeral home owners are facing unprecedented challenges which can force their hands into a premature exit. Labor shortages coupled with declining service revenue margins and increasing overhead costs cause many owners to ponder whether it’s time to hang their hat. Another contributing factor is the decline of generational continuity in the family business. After all, our children have watched us leave the dinner table far too many times to take a death call. The decision to not enter the funeral business has subconsciously been made for them. There is a collective frustration that has permeated the headspace of so many funeral home owners. Repeat families that call upon us often fail to repeat their prior service and merchandise selections. The rising generation of funeral planners […]
September 25, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on September 25, 2025
Nicole Vullo on September 25, 2025When most people hear the word “branding,” they picture a logo, a website, or maybe a color scheme. But in the funeral and cemetery profession, branding runs much deeper. A strong brand isn’t just what you look like, it’s how you make people feel. It’s the trust you inspire in families, the reputation you carry in your community, and the reason generations return to you in their times of need. Recently, I had the opportunity to lead a training session on Branding Fundamentals in Funeral and Cemetery Services, and the conversation highlighted just how critical branding is for long-term success in our profession. Branding vs. Marketing: Knowing the Difference One of the biggest misconceptions is that branding and marketing are the same thing. They’re not. Branding is your foundation: the “what” and “why” behind your business. Marketing is the “how.” […]
August 28, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on August 28, 2025
Nicole Vullo on August 28, 2025And no, you don’t need to panic. But you do need a plan. Let’s set the scene. A future family is sitting on their couch—probably in sweats, possibly with a pet in their lap—Googling funeral homes. Not driving around town. Not flipping through the Yellow Pages (RIP). Just tapping, scrolling, and reading reviews. And in those few moments, they’ve already decided whether you feel approachable, trustworthy, and worth calling—or if they’re moving on to the next name in the search results. According to our 2025 Consumer Behavior Study, 78% of future families plan to do online research before choosing a provider. That’s up from 71% last year. The shift we’ve been warning about? It’s no longer “on the horizon”—it’s already at your front door. And if your website is still rocking a PDF price list and a grainy photo from […]
August 28, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on August 28, 2025
Nicole Vullo on August 28, 2025Written By Jen Graziano, Attorney, Licensed Funeral Director NY/CT Coxe & Graziano Funeral Home Recent headlines were made in the State of Indiana regarding a “death doula” and a question of her infringement on the stringent rules and regulations that govern the death care industry. As funeral directors are aware that we are bound by both federal and state regulatory guidelines that affect our ability to discuss funeral arrangements with families. The mere mention of “cost” or “price” trigger a cold and callous passage of price menu into the client’s hands. (That’s a conversation for another day). Despite the federal and state confines we’ve long been placed under, which dictate how we charge, what we can charge for and how we can present said charges, in comes the “doula” with free-flowing discussions on these same topics. It’s a quandary, but […]
July 25, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on July 25, 2025
Nicole Vullo on July 25, 2025Written by Wendy Russell Wiener, Esq., Managing Member, WRW Legal, PLLC While the “Big Beautiful Bill” is having an impact on many businesses, including some funeral homes and cemeteries, there is another major “event” that may be having an even bigger direct impact on deathcare: The Mortician. No television show has had a more significant impact on the business of cremation in recent memory than The Mortician, HBO Max’s most watched documentary in the last five years. In case you haven’t watched, The Mortician tells the 1980s story of David Sconce and the Lamb Funeral Home in Pasadena, California. His list of crimes is long and includes mutilating human remains, criminal activity related to cremations, collecting and selling organs and tissues, even arranging murder for hire against his competitors. The sharpest hook for viewers of the trust sordid tale, however, […]
July 25, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on July 25, 2025
Nicole Vullo on July 25, 2025It’s Not a Simple Cremation…Tips on educating client families for better results in the funeral home
Written By Jen Graziano, Attorney, Licensed Funeral Director NY/CT Coxe & Graziano Funeral Home If funeral directors were surveyed and asked how many times they’ve heard a family call say, “I’m just looking for a simple cremation” the numbers would be astounding. These calls seem to come with far more frequency these days. Funeral directors often find themselves in a tug of war, fighting to keep the family yet also fighting to protect their bottom line. To all those who have longed looked with envy upon our industry for its inherent “recession proof” nature, rest assured, we are fighting for our life every day in the battle against a new consumer, a consumer with no regard for the sacred nature of our work. While volume may rise each year for a funeral home, revenue margins per case are noticeably shrinking […]
July 25, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on July 25, 2025
Nicole Vullo on July 25, 2025How to Stop Fighting the Algorithm and Start Winning the Modern Funeral Consumer Let me paint a picture. It’s 2007. You’ve got your first smartphone, your ringtone is probably “Low” by Flo Rida, and your marketing strategy? A yellow pages ad, maybe a billboard, and—if you were really ahead of the curve—a website that looked like it was designed by your nephew in high school. Fast forward to today. AI is writing love poems, algorithms decide who sees what before they’ve even thought about needing it, and TikTok influencers are selling everything from shampoo to caskets (seriously). So, let me ask you this: has your marketing plan kept up with the times… or is it still buffering? If your strategy could use a reboot, don’t worry. It’s not too late to Ctrl + Alt + Del your old plan and […]
June 23, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on June 23, 2025
Nicole Vullo on June 23, 2025Written By Jennifer Graziano, Coxe & Graziano Funeral Home There are many seismic shifts that have rattled the foundation of funeral service in recent years. The funeral consumer has changed; it’s all about getting the most while paying the least. Couple this with industry challenges; a dire shortage of labor and a steady decline of qualified candidates seeking entry into the field, and the situation grows grimmer. The challenges we face on both the consumer and labor fronts are not readily solvable but there are steps we can take to mitigate the impact. Among them, employing a cooperative and combined approach amongst funeral homes and working together to rebrand the industry by setting new norms and standards. On the consumer front, we can attribute this latitudinal shift behavior to the post-Covid societal trends of the world we live in. Everything […]
June 6, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on June 6, 2025
Nicole Vullo on June 6, 20252025 Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study Insights Summary DOWNLOAD NOW Insights in Action: How Consumer Attitudes and Behaviors Shape the Future of Your Business Model For six years, Foresight has been surveying consumer attitudes and behaviors regarding funeral services and the cemetery profession. This research aims to deliver meaningful, fact-based insights that empower our profession to stay ahead of evolving trends. In the last three years, we’ve expanded our research to include funeral and cemetery professionals. This dual-perspective approach reveals an unsettling truth: a profession often out of sync with consumer expectations, and in some cases, actively resisting market changes. Many businesses lack a strategic long-term plan to engage with an increasingly non-traditional and evolving consumer base. We delve into the disconnect between the profession and the consumer, highlighting key findings from our research. You will gain actionable […]
May 22, 2025
Published by Nicole Vullo on May 22, 2025
Nicole Vullo on May 22, 2025Written by Alan D. Wolfelt PhD As you know, there are many families out there who are more difficult to satisfy than in the past. Some observers have noted that today’s consumers are “never satisfied customers.” Many of the families you serve are not familiar with the value of funerals. In addition, we now live in a culture that is convenience and efficiency oriented. These are only two of the many factors that have influenced why some families consider holding “parties” as opposed to meaningful funeral ceremonies. In the face of these challenges, it seems those of you committed to the future of funeral service confront an important choice. On the one hand, you can decide to give up and project that it is the difficult family’s problem. On the other hand, you could work to really listen to the […]