Some time ago I served on a private company’s ad hoc board helping the owners navigate some upcoming issues.  The business happened to consist of family-owned turkey farms and a turkey brokerage business.  While it was a little bit out of my expertise I learned an immense amount, not only of the turkey business, such as where it stood among the choice of protein in the mix of beef, pork, chicken, etc, but about how “branding” is a very large denominator in the business.

 

For instance, in the turkey business there is little in the way of difference between a company’s good, better, and best brand?  And, almost all turkey companies don’t pick a niche “consumer choice” price to sell in — they sell in all three categories — good, better, and best.  However, each one of their good, better, and best brands have different monikers.  Just go to Hormel owned products and you will find a Hormel brand, a Jennie-O brand, and a Natural Choice brand among others . . . . .all owned by Hormel

 

I learned that in the turkey business, it’s all about selling the maximum amount of turkeys — regardless of the company brand.  They need to sell good, better, and best turkeys.  And, because the turkeys are all covered by plastic wrapping at the place of purchase in the grocery store freezer, the only differentiators are price and brand recognition.  Unlike funeral homes, you cannot see the facility, you don’t know the staff, etc. . .

 

On Monday, Funeral Director Daily featured this article on what I perceive is a growing use of what I term “niche” Death Care dispositions.  While earth burials and cremations are still the wide-spread choices among consumers, I see the “niche” categories of Natural Organic Reduction, Alkaline Hydrolysis, and Green Burials beginning to grow.

 

So, my question then becomes, do funeral homes have the ability to sell the “maximum amount” of future services with their current branding?  I don’t have answers, but I think it is a great question.  Branding as funeral homes and, in the last two decades many have included cremation services in their brand names is great, and probably adequate for now. . . but what about the future?

 

There is no doubt that “funeral homes and cremation services” give today’s consumers the message that you offer Death Care. Even today, however, are you getting your correct message across?  Does your funeral home want to compete in the “low-cost” cremation market?  If so, how do you do so? . . If not, how do you avoid it?

 

Have you thought about how you might brand as your service line extends into other services?

 

This recent article titled “Funeral Director rebrands three homes for new chapter” from The Business Desk of Great Britain gave me some of the impetus for this article.  It features the 118-year-old A.W. Lymn Funeral Homes of Great Britain.

 

In 2023, A.W. Lymn Funeral Homes acquired the M.A. Mills Funeral Directors.  The article deals with this recent announcement by A.W. Lymn funeral homes, “We are thrilled to announce our expansion across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire! Three A.W. Lymn branches in Allenton, Aspley and Cotmanhay have been rebranded as M.A. Mills Funeral Services.

 

The announcement goes on to say that (this) “reflects our commitment to diverse, streamlined services”.

 

When I look at the websites of the two companies, it appears that those firms branded A.W. Lymn offer the traditional full-service funeral home services while the M.A. Mills Funeral Directors offers more of a less than full priced services for those families that may prefer that.

 

• A.W. Lymn Funeral Directors website
• M.A. Mills Funeral Directors website

 

So, in my book, the parent company can market the two separate funeral establishments to consumers who may also have different mindsets about the type of funeral service that they prefer.

 

This article today, simply is for readers to ponder the question about how they will market differentiating services to what I see as a diverse and segregated Death Care market of the future.

 

Here are a couple of articles that I came across about funeral home branding:

• Branding your funeral home or cemetery.  Dataman Group Direct
• What dying brands should learn from the business of death.  McKee Wallwork

 

A White House visit —  Bringing up my experience with the ad hoc turkey group reminded me of a unique American experience that Angie and I had because of my affiliation with the group.  We were able to be part of the National Turkey Federation’s official group at the White House Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon in 2017.  It was an incredible experience that we will never forget.

 

It was three full days in Washington, DC, that culminated with a couple of hours as guests of the White House.  We had a great time and got to explore the White House and the area outside of the White House, including the Rose Garden where the ceremony took place.

 

More news from the world of Death Care:  

• Do-it-yourself approach to death keeps debt at bay.  SunLive  (New Zealand)
• The death of the funeral.  The Critic (United Kingdom)
• Utah’s human composting bill may not be dead yet.  Utah News Dispatch (UT)
• Indiana House approves cremation alternative despite controversy.  The Journal Gazette (IN)
• Ancient Egypt’s first fully preserved funeral home has been discovered in the City of the Dead.  All That’s Interesting (New York)
• Downtown Selbyville funeral home owner proposes crematory incinerator installation.  WBOC – CBS TV (Maryland)

 

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