Market Research
September 21, 2020
Published by 
Dan Isard on September 21, 2020
Dan Isard on September 21, 2020Before I comment on the top slides in the survey I think every funeral director should be focused on, allow me to say that I love the fact that this survey is intentionally trying to be more inclusive. One key point I must assert first is brought about by these changes in survey demographics. The 2020 survey takes into consideration people of wider race and age than ever before. It’s weighting younger this year, with 62.1% of respondents between ages 40 and 54 (compared to 36.1% in 2019 and 23.7% in 2018). The survey is also weighting more diverse. A higher percentage of respondents identified themselves as Hispanic (15.5%, compared to 11.1% in 2019), and fewer identified themselves as white (52.4%, compared to 57.9% in 2019). I also believe that leading to a shift in perceived results is the higher […]
August 13, 2020
Published by Dan Isard on August 13, 2020
Dan Isard on August 13, 2020Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a two-part series on the results of a survey The Foresight Companies commissioned on the effect COVID-19 has had on how consumers think of funeral service. Last month, I began to share my thoughts about the future of funeral service, based on facts collected from a nationwide survey of more than 2,500 consumers. In case you either don’t remember or did not read last month’s article, we surveyed people throughout the United States and asked them to tell us their thoughts on more than 80 points of interest dealing with consumers’ expectations of the funeral and cemetery professions. We asked them to tell us what their thoughts were before COVID-19, during their self-isolation period, and what they perceived would be their expectations post COVID-19. We asked them this on the weekend just […]
July 22, 2020
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on July 22, 2020
Nicole Vullo on July 22, 2020One of the hottest topics coming out of the Foresight Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study has been Pricing. Gabe Ngo, Director of Business Development, provides some insights on how to be more transparent with pricing. Question #1: How do we best address price transparency, given the complex design of the GPL? Question #2: How do I put my complicated FTC mandated pricing online in a way the consumer will understand and not drive the consumer away? Gabe Ngo: These are two great questions that I would like to attempt to tackle in answering them together. Yes, General Price List (GPL) requirements are complex and complicated—most notably for the lay person and consumer to follow and understand. On the surface, it is actually quite easy to just have your GPL scanned and posted on your website in the name of […]
July 17, 2020
Published by Dan Isard on July 17, 2020
Dan Isard on July 17, 2020Editor’s Note: This is the first article in a two-part series on the results of a survey The Foresight Companies commissioned on the effect COVID-19 has had on how consumers think of funeral service. On Jan. 1st, we all thought Corona was a beer. Now, it is the virus that has killed so many, sickened so many more and indelibly struck at all aspects of our lives and livelihoods. It is a moment in our history more impactful than the Battle of Concord, the attack on Pearl Harbor and the multiple attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, all rolled up together. Funeral service stood tall during the initial outbreak. Many went into the hot zones to help the living care for their dead. Many worked long days for numerous weeks under conditions that were a risk to their own safety. This […]
June 26, 2020
Published by Nicole Vullo on June 26, 2020
Nicole Vullo on June 26, 2020Pandemic drives funeral industry to speed up adoption of technology By Danny King, Houston Chronicle Contributor June 22, 2020 COVID-19 has forced Houston’s prominent funeral services industry to look to the future to better honor those who’ve passed. With coronavirus-related state mandates limiting gatherings to 10 people until late last month, funeral home operators continue to be obligated to reduce the number of an event’s attendees to 50 percent of capacity for indoor spaces. As a result, such businesses have rapidly turned to online tools such as Facebook Live and Zoom to allow more people to attend funerals virtually while more are regularly adopting the practice of selling their products online instead of in person. “Broadly, the industry has been 10 to 15 years behind the times from a technological perspective,” said Chris Cruger, chief operating officer of Phoenix-based funeral […]