How do you PR the funeral sector without becoming morbid?
I had been on furlough for a few weeks during the Covid pandemic when the call came to return to work, because Empica had signed a new client and I was in line to manage the account.
I experienced a range of emotions, a combination of relief, anticipation and perhaps, even, a bit of excitement, after the previous depressing weeks of uncertainty, wondering if – assuming the pandemic itself is addressed – I would still have a job to go back to.
And then I was told that this new client was in the funeral sector, running a network of crematoria and cemeteries all over the country, and my initial relief and excitement somewhat vanished.
My over-riding thoughts were: “This is going to be fun, then, isn’t it? How do you PR the funeral sector without becoming morbidly depressed?”
Granted, I’ve been told in the past that I have something of a ‘graveyard’ sense of humour – and I am a firm believer that, while sadly not a cure-all, laughter is the best medicine - but somehow, I didn’t think that was going to help me with my new client and would not influence any content I would create.
That was five or so years ago. I am still the Account Manager for that client today. I am not on any anti-depressants.
During my time with this client, we ran a campaign which was shortlisted for a PR Award (Covid memorials being installed at each of the group’s crematoria, which saw communities get involved by running a competition for people to create designs to be incorporated onto the tributes), saw another initiative attract world-wide coverage – and be adopted by other organisations (white memorial post boxes), and I’ve provided PR support for a ‘world first’ in which state-of-the-art technology has been used to enable funerals to become more uniquely personal to the individual being remembered than ever before.
So yes, the overall ‘business’ is the funeral sector, but there are lots of strong stories and initiatives all aimed at making a positive difference to the lives of people at a time of great difficulty and distress.
And THAT is how you PR the funeral sector without becoming morbidly depressed: because you remember that, at its core, PR is about people.
A core aim of my client is to provide ‘exceptional’ care and service to the families they support – and they mean it.
When I started to get to know the people within the company – whether it was the in-house marketing team, the senior managers, various site managers all over the country, or crematorium assistants – one thing leapt out at me; they were all genuinely passionate about their work, and about truly wanting to deliver that ‘exceptional’ care to the bereaved.
That passion and genuine enthusiasm for their work was infectious, and that’s what has made it so easy for me to PR what they do. Yes, they are working with the bereaved, the grieving, people living through some of the most distressing and emotional times any of us can experience – but, of course, we all WILL, there’s no escaping it.
Over the years, there has been a general societal shift, from traditional funerals where everyone is dressed in black and the service is sombre and sobering, to personalised ‘celebrations of life’.
There are so many ways to remember a loved one, so many different ‘memorialisation’ options, all of which can bring comfort to the bereaved – and therefore make a positive difference to their lives. It’s been really interesting learning about all the different ways a loved one can be remembered.
Each of the crematoria supports local charities, schools, youth groups and other local organisations which improve the quality of community life, through fundraising events and making donations, helping to ensure that those crematoria are not places of doom and gloom, but actually have a positive presence in their local communities.
When I saw for myself the ‘world first’ technology, and how the interior of a crematorium chapel was totally transformed, through projected theming, complementary lighting and synchronised soundscapes, into an innovative, immersive, experience, it took my breath away and very quickly totally transformed my own opinion of what a funeral was.
But it all comes down to the people, and their desire to want to do far, far, more than the funeral formalities, but to create truly memorable experiences, and fitting, individually tailored, tributes to loved ones who have passed on.
Their infectious commitment and dedication to making a positive difference to the lives of others and to deliver exceptional quality of service is inspiring and is what makes it possible for me to PR the funeral sector without becoming morbidly depressed.
I’ve seen the feedback from some of the families they have supported and if, in any small way, my PR work has contributed to those families feeling the way they do, then that is where I get my job satisfaction from.
And that’s why I don’t feel ‘down’ at all about representing this client, I feel proud.
