This Taffo ad for franchisees apparently says “Gravediggers Wanted”

As we head into this middle of October weekend I just want to leave you with some things to ponder.  Back in the 1980’s I had a friend who unfortunately got his name, and the name of his business, in the news for all the wrong reasons.

When the issue at hand was pretty much over, he told me that it was really odd, but his business picked up during the time his business had come under scrutiny.  He became a big believer of keeping your name in front of the consumer. . . regardless of whether the news about your business was good or bad.  In essence, he believed that his business name at the top of the mind of the consumer was what was important. . . not why it was at the top of mind.

I’ve tried to throw that thought concept at funeral service.  It just doesn’t seem to fit those of us in the death care business who have been concentrated on the good will associated with our brand names.

However, in today’s world of Twitter, Facebook, and the other likes of social media. . . I wonder what the maxim about good/bad news really is.  I thought about this the other day when I came across this article in Newsweek.  The article points out that the Italian funeral firm, Taffo Funeral Services, was handing out what many would call “tongue in cheek” flyers at a COVID-deniers rally in Rome.

The flyer read, “Flyer for the March of Liberation! Business is Business” and the people handing out the flyers wore shirts that said “Taffo Funeral Service.”

The article notes that Taffo’s Facebook mention of this stunt drew 23,000 likes with thousands more on Twitter.  It also notes that Taffo “has become infamous across Italy for its irreverent approach to discussing death. . . the dark humor of its social media campaigns has gained Taffo more than 254,000 followers on Facebook, more than 74,000 followers on Instagram, and more than 25,000 on Twitter.”

For years “guarding the brand” has been a staple of American enterprise. . . think of Disney and what they do to safeguard the integrity of their brand.  Have things changed?  This is the question I leave you with today. . . . “Have we became so shallow that our name in the news means more than what the name is in the news for?”

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Jobless marriage celebrant finds future with redundant embalmer.  Stuff – Australia.
• With Pennsylvania barring funeral homes from serving refreshments, Hellertown facility debuts unique workaround.  The Morning Call (PA)
• Grand View Cemetery expansion contract awarded.  Go Anacortes (WA)
• McNulty Funeral Home closure ends a Green Island era.  Times-Union (NY)
• McNulty Funeral Home website
• Evansville businesses prepare for restrictions ahead of new executive order.  TV 14 NBC (IN)