Market Research
May 27, 2020
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on May 27, 2020
Nicole Vullo on May 27, 2020New survey measures transformations to a historically unchanged industry with lasting implications on buying, celebrations, practices, and physical infrastructure The pandemic has significantly altered consumer attitudes and behaviors in three key areas of the funeral and cemetery business – the buying and shopping process, the necessity of physical presence to support loved ones in their time of need, and the influence of technology on both. This according to The Foresight Companies 2020 Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study. The pandemic has necessitated consumer use of technology to adapt their behaviors to a business steeped in tradition, and the survey makes clear that these behavior changes are here to stay. For example, 75% of consumers now want pricing online – a practice virtually unheard of today, and many consumers will not do business with providers who do not deliver transparency. In […]
February 10, 2020
Published by 
Dan Isard on February 10, 2020
Dan Isard on February 10, 2020A funeral home is as much about serving families as it is service to the dead. How aftercare and outreach programs can bring you the best results. I have seen many efforts put forth in this profession to influence patronage within a market. Nothing is perfect; there is no magic bullet to marketing. It’s when you try hard not to market and instead adopt a true sense of altruism that you get the best results. That’s what aftercare and outreach do. First, let me establish a universal definition: Aftercare and outreach are the efforts a funeral home makes to help surviving family and community members adjust to the loss of a loved one. While this is a fairly broad definition, different people need different tools to help them continue without that person in their lives. Various programs deal with all […]
May 29, 2019
Published by Dan Isard on May 29, 2019
Dan Isard on May 29, 2019It’s a must-do in today’s world, but it also must be done right so it becomes an asset to your business. The use of social media by funeral homes isn’t a matter of choice anymore, it’s a necessity. Digital media has radically changed our lives: – how we communicate, shop, work and get our news. In the not-too-distant past, funeral homes with websites were a big deal. Social media was just emerging but was not widely adopted by most funeral providers. Fast-forward to today: In most industries, not having an updated website and avoiding social media is considered unusual. In fact, most funeral firms use both mediums to some extent. Yet social media is still widely underutilized in the funeral profession and is, to some degree, misunderstood. This is especially true when considering the effective deployment of this medium for […]
March 20, 2019
Published by Dan Isard on March 20, 2019
Dan Isard on March 20, 2019To market your message for the future, capitalize on the tools and techniques of communication that exist today. As we prepare to reinvent your business with foresight (ahem, it’s just a common word, folks) and vision for 2020, there is nothing more critical than marketing. Because you cannot assume families will simply come to your funeral home, you must address the methods and design of marketing today – not in anticipation for the turn of the 21st century and not stuck in the 20th century. The key elements of marketing have changed. Everything you thought was marketing 20 years ago has been eviscerated, blown up or has died. The one thing that has not changed is your message. Advertising and marketing attempt to transmit your message to those seeking that message. I contend that the message of funeral directors over […]
March 5, 2019
Published by Dan Isard on March 5, 2019
Dan Isard on March 5, 2019We are living through the most amazing of times as we watch our country go from being a burial-oriented society to being a cremation-oriented society. I say “amazing” because we are dealing with a sociological change that has been taking place for more than 5,000 years but has seen its popularity significantly increase in the last 25 years. Cremation is not a new phenomenon. In my book on cremation, I identified that there is clear archaeological proof that Greek and Macedonian cultures, 3,000 years before the birth of Christ, used cremation as a routine choice for helping a body transform to the next life. These people used cremation because their societal leaders told them to use it. We know with the rise of Judaism, which forbade the use of cremation, the dominant societies used burial. The leaders of the early […]