Preneed: A Pandora's Box of Problems
Search the internet for “cemetery” and “friends of” and you will find a number of independent maintenance associations. We’re not referring to Facebook groups that organize volunteer events for an abandoned cemetery, but rather we want to highlight those formal organizations established to provide continuing financial assistance to an active cemetery.
As a cemetery nears…
In continuing with our last post about a cemetery preneed pivot, the cemetery operator seeking to improve its burial revenues can initiate a preneed program that first focuses on its existing lot owners. To efficiently market to existing lot owners, the cemetery should use a questionnaire to reach out and learn the owners’ current…
Almost thirty years ago, associations representing funeral homes, casket suppliers, vault makers, monument builders and life insurers joined together to form the Funeral and Memorialization Information Council (FAMIC). These industries were concerned about the future impact of cremation on the traditional funeral and burial. FAMIC used Wirthlin Worldwide to conduct research studies every…
For revenues, most cemeteries are dependent upon grave sales, opening/closing services, and care fund distributions. These revenue sources have been on the decline for a decade. As cremation trends up, fewer families are purchasing burial lots. Those families that already own burial lots frequently don’t use them. COVID induced financial difficulties will only accelerate the…
Fall is the time when many cemeteries host their most effective marketing program: voices from the past.
In conjunction with a local community theater, the cemetery will research their “residents” for interesting characters to portray. The community theater actors will then bring those characters to life during a tour of the cemetery. These tours generate…
The cemetery is not dying, it is evolving.
Since its creation in the 1830’s, America’s public cemetery has gone through three major evolutions. When American was an agrarian society, we buried our dead in a small section of the family farm. As towns grew into cities, the public cemetery was created out of necessity. Located…
For several years, the media have been making these dire predictions…
In an unusual move for a death care regulator, the Federal Trade Commission weighed in on the preneed turf war that has erupted between Pennsylvania funeral directors and StoneMor Partners. At the request of the chairman for a Pennsylvania legislative committee, the FTC responded with a detailed letter warning against various bill proposals aimed at…
The age of the internet has taken its toll on the industry’s trade associations. Instead of attending the state association convention, operators can now surf the net for what’s new in the industry. Providing new and unique content is difficult. Another challenge is that the 3 day convention. It is asking alot to have smaller…