Media Week

Who would you target.... and what would the message be:

Crypts for the rich (i.e. smaller versions of Pyramids? Family Tombs?)

For the green activists - bio-degradable coffins, minimise your impact on the planet?

I suppose an intelligent respones (forgive me I struggle to engage the brain) would be to do some behavioural tragetting for individuals that show a pre-disposition to planning for their death. So user that have been on sites that offer offer legal advice on drafting your will, those that have enquired for life assurance and so on.

Or if you wanted a more tasteless option... some sort of Viral with the central theme/ idea focused around planning your last great party... that you'll never attend (well you will in spirt).

For me, I think that Yellow pages and search remain a firm favourite as lets be honest the real customers tend to be the upset relatives who find the nearest and most respectable funeral directors they can find.

Thanks for the post Mel. I run a web design and development agency but I'm also a director of my parents' family funeral directors so have some insight.

The funeral industry is in the majority made up of small, independent businesses that have been in the family for up to seven generations. They also operate in relatively small geographies.

Their approach to promotion is extremely conservative and they stick to building relationships with local coroners, hospitals and doctors. Local newspaper advertising and of course their high street presence. On the whole the industry is slow to change but things are changing. For example The Co-operative Funeral Care (who are the market leaders) have started advertising on TV and have seen a huge upturn in sales.

The pre-paid funeral plan market is likely to bring in the biggest change as it offers possibility for segmentation and targeting.

So I suspect things will change but but it will be a while before you start seeing your local funeral director advertising on TV.

The funerals are undesirable meetings (say in a marketing word services) for the people. You can never wish for to go to somebody's funeral because it reminds the end of the life.

Anyway it is ethical or not could be debated. I think to give an advertising for funeral directors are ethical, but unwanted service recalls are if not needed will not be successful.