An Overview of Today's Funeral Consumers
August 07, 2023
Ready to learn who today’s families are? Watch this video with results from a groundbreaking study on funeral consumer behavior. 👇
What’s black, white, and read all over? We can tell you one thing - it’s not the newspaper anymore.
Why?
The creation of email, social media, and online blogs made consumers realize they enjoy a faster, easier way of getting the news. Why wait for a newspaper to hit your doorstep when you can read breaking headlines on Google for free?
Over time, newspaper companies realized their readers had changed, and many shifted from paper to online blogs and news subscriptions to stay competitive in the digital age.
Many industries have experienced similar changes over the last few decades, and the funeral profession is no exception.
Think about this:
In just the last ten years, there’s been a 44% increase in comfort in planning a funeral online. Even more considerable was a 121% increase in comfort in attending a funeral online.
Families are changing. And if you continue trying to meet goals families had decades ago, you’ll miss the opportunity to reach today’s families altogether.
So, how can you reach today’s more digital families?
Get to know them.
Learn what they want, what they need, and the goals they are trying to achieve.
Do this, and you can tailor your services to meet their needs and provide funeral care that’s unmatched by your competition.
Getting to know today's families
In 2011, a group of independent funeral homes, who pooled their resources together and wanted to learn more about funeral consumers and perceptions. So, we partnered with Funeral Directors Life and Mckee Wallwork and conducted a study that identified four forces of change – or trends – and six distinct consumer types.
Read results from 2011 here. ➡️
In 2021, we refreshed the data by conducting a second study that revealed that the six distinct consumer segments had changed, and a new segment of consumers emerged.
In the video, Sharaie Heizelman, Account Executive at Passare, presents some of the new findings and how funeral consumer preferences have changed in the last ten years. Here is a quick breakdown of the 7 new consumer types that have emerged:
Type 1: Resolute Rookies
This consumer segment tends to have the least exposure to funerals and is less likely to see the value of funerals.
Type 2: Great Expectations
They are sticklers for good service, whether at a hotel, restaurant, or funeral home.
Type 3: Distanced and Decided
They have a high preference for cremation and a low preference for funerals. They tend to keep people at a distance.
Type 4: Free Spirits
Most likely segment to have discussed his/her own funeral or at least thought about final wishes.
Type 5: Faith and Family
Likely to live near family and keep in touch with parents and siblings. According to the data, 84% of this group knows a funeral home or mortuary they trust.
Type 6: Hometowners
Buying behaviors indicate these consumers are more likely to buy local and support family-owned or independently owned businesses, including funeral homes.
Type 7: Future Funerals
Skews younger but has an openness to funerals, including religious elements and other traditions.
Read a more in-depth summary of the 7 types of consumers here. ➡️
Providing services that meet the needs of these consumers might look different than what you’ve done in the past. But it’s never too late to try something new.
Continue learning more about their preferences, buying habits, and personalities, and find ways to meet the needs of today’s families in a way that will set your funeral home apart from the rest.
Hopefully, this overview has been a helpful start to learning about today’s funeral consumers.
Want to learn more about today's families?
When you book a demo with one of our sales team (including Sharaie), you get an in-depth look into each type of consumer and receive strategies for connecting with them - free of charge! Plus, we show you how Passare works to serve each type uniquely. Get a demo below. 👇