http://www.funeralfuturisttips.com/
The Canadian funeral industry just received the findings from our 3rd Consumer Survey - Pollara Report. While some companies pore over the results once they are released, others take the attitude of "but my market is different" and unfortunately is like stating I don't want to make money like my grandparents did.
Robin Heppell uncovers some of the gold nuggets deposited in the survey results and will read between the lines and let you know what to focus on and what to steer away from. Attendees will leave with an Action Plan to help to put them in front of the public's wishes instead of just watching them pass by on the side of the road.
Are You a Born-Again Undertaker? IFDA Annual Convention - June 26, 2007 Robin Heppell, CFSP - www.funeralfuturist.com
While organizing a reception following a funeral is generally very prevalent (80%), this element is carried out somewhat more frequently among women than men (82% vs. 77%) Canadians in the Atlantic provinces have a much lower instance of holding a reception following the funeral (52%), whereas the Prairies and Alberta have slightly higher incidence of receptions (90% and 88% respectively). Q8. [ASK IF ANSWERED ‘Yes’ in Q2.] Did you arrange a reception following the funeral?
Church, family/friends’ home, and the funeral home are the most frequently used locations for holding a post-service reception, with over 70% choosing one of those three locations. Just under one in five receptions are held at a funeral home (19%). This share could be increased, e.g., through building awareness of such services. Q9. [ASK IF ANSWERED ‘Yes’ IN Q8.] Where was the reception?
Professional services, out-of-pocket expenses, and the specifics of the resting place are the more valuable aspects of the funeral service. On the other hand, items such as memorials, transportation, casket/urn, or vault have less value to respondents Q11-18. [ASK IF ANSWERED ‘Yes’ IN Q2] You mentioned you have arranged a funeral for another person. How would you rate the value received for the money you spent on each of the following aspects of a funeral services? Please rate the value on a scale of one to ten where one means not at all valuable and ten means very valuable.
There is a good level of interest in learning about ‘green’ funerals, likely inspired by a heightened interest in more environmentally sustainable lifestyles Ontarians show the highest interest in this type of funerals (59%) This concept has less appeal in the Prairies (46%) Q36. [ASK ALL] Would you like to learn more about ‘green’ funerals and burials and the associated costs?
A lack of knowledge/information on the subject results in a wide spread of perceptions of what ‘green’ funerals should cost relative to a traditional funeral. About 1-in-3 Canadians expect ‘green’ funerals to be more expensive (especially among the younger segment- 35%), about the same proportion expects such funerals to be less expensive, and another 25% think they should cost the same. Q37. [ASK ALL] Would you expect an environmentally friendly funeral to be more or less expensive than a traditional one?
Relatively high interest in green funerals does not translate into high degree of willingness to pay more for such an option 65% of Canadians are unlikely to pay more for an environmentally friendly funeral Q38. [ASK IF ANSWERED ‘a’ OR ‘b’ IN Q35.] Would you be willing to pay more for an environmentally friendly funeral?
The two main components that would be most often selected as a part of a ‘green’ funeral are cremation (79%), which is already a preferred option among many respondents, and the scattering of ashes (58%). While respondents generally have considerably less interest in other ‘green’ funeral elements, they appeal relatively more to the younger cohort. Q39. [ASK IF ANSWERED ‘a’ OR ‘b” IN Q35.] Which of the following ‘green’ funeral components would you choose for your funeral and burial service?
When looking for information on funeral services, funeral homes are by far the most often mentioned point of contact (66%), which is probably a reactionary effect – a function of the fact that most people do not pre-plan funerals, and turn to funeral homes only in response to a death or an impending death. After funeral homes, family and friends, the internet was the most often used non-personal search source (31%). The internet usage has doubled since the last study (16% of those who researched funerals used the internet in 2004) indicating that there is an opportunity for the industry to more effectively integrate this medium into the whole offering. Q65. When searching for information on funeral services and various aspects associated with arranging a funeral, which of the following sources did you, or would you rely on to provide you with needed information? Please select top 3 preferred sources.
Those who seek information on funeral services online (33%), use it to gather information (92%) and connect with the family/friends of the deceased (sending condolences, 72%, or signing online guest book, 64%) rather than making more tangible decisions (e.g., purchases, pre-planning (49%), or pre-paying a funeral (23%)) Q68-77. [ASK IF ANSWERED ‘a’ ‘ INTERNET’ IN Q65 OR Q66] In which of the following ways would you use the internet?