I often get ideas of what to write about for my blog, articles and guest blogging, based on something that triggers me.
Today, I was given more than enough fodder for what I consider to be a much-needed post.
Let me start by saying, next week is my birthday. I’m getting as close to Medicare age as one can without yet being able to qualify.
As a result, I’ve noticed a change in the type of marketing mailers I get. Everything from short term life insurance offers, reverse mortgages, hearing aids, walking aids, arthritis meds, dentures and today, cremation.
Demographic Marketing
Marketing specific products and services based on one’s age, geographic region, hobbies, and habits is a good idea, but what about products and services for vibrant seniors? Not all seniors are ready to give it up. There’s a whole slew of us who are more vibrant than we were in our thirties and still going strong.
But I digress. How a company markets can either make the experience pleasant or as occurred today, downright creepy.
Here’s what happened… I received a mailer from a very well known mortuary that has facilities across the United States. In the mailer was an invitation to enter their contest to win… wait for it…. A CREMATION!
Really?!?!
It’s not that I’m opposed to cremation. I’m very much in favor of this choice if someone chooses it over a burial.
Sensitive Experience
From my personal experience, a cremation is something that isn’t a grand prize for a contest. It’s something that is very personal and sensitive. It’s something that is emotional and not to be raffled off. It’s something that families often decide together about a loved one, but not something I care to win in a contest.
I could be way off base with my feelings, but when I posted the following comment on my Facebook wall, I received quite a few comments from friends who seem to feel the same way.
My comment was…
Is it just me or does it seem super weird to receive a mailer to enter a contest to win a free cremation? Hey, just because I’m turning a year older in a few days does not mean I am going anywhere.
A few of the responses were…
Top of Form
What? This is so weird
ME: I agree. I’m all for contest but this one creeped me out. And I’m also all for cremation, if that’s what one chooses.
Comment: The mortuary probably thinks cremation is a good prize, but no one else does! It’s probably hard to get people to think about “pre-need” burial (buying ahead of time, before you actually need a funeral) but it saves about half to buy ahead and person will need it eventually.
ME: I get that, but it’s still doesn’t minimize the creepy factor to win that as a prize.
Comment: They’d probably do better with a trip to Hawaii than a cremation as the prize.
Comment: Wait….what?????
Comment: Seriously!!
Comment: It’s weird. As a marketer I might have recommended a different approach but at least they’re marketing.
ME: I agree on the different approach and yes, they are marketing, but I think they may have been poorly advised.
Comment: Horribly advised!
Comment: That burns me up.
Comment: Been getting those kind of things for years. Always just creepy!
Planning is A Great Idea
Many people plan ahead and take care of the purchase of cremation services in order not to have this weigh on their loved ones once they pass. Or they secure services for parents, children, spouses and other family members. Planning is wise and very, very different than a contest. Pre-purchasing is often done when special offers are made. It’s all about taking care of one’s affairs in a prudent way.
How Do You Measure Success?
Who knows, I may be way off base with my feelings about this type of marketing for such a sensitive service, but from the comments from others, I don’t think I am.
Will this marketing campaign work for them? I have no idea. Only they will know for sure. But the question that begs to be answered is this, “Is success of a campaign measured merely in dollars made or is it measured in another way?”
For some campaigns, it’s strictly about the money, but for most, it’s about connection to your market.
Again, my voice is not the end all be all, but lots of people seemed to find it as creepy as I did. Perhaps I’m not off base with my response.
What are your thoughts on this type of marketing campaign for a mortuary?
- Okay?
- Not okay?
- Could care less? Comments welcomed.
Well, at least they got you to read it 🙂
I guess it’s an example of how email and social media advertising isn’t really anything new; they’re just sending out 10,000 of these things hoping they get 10 responses.
What is more scary is that a company that has no relationship to you has your birthday on file.
It was a direct mail piece. I actually wrote a letter to the company to let them know I thought it was rather strange. The only way they’ll know if people don’t like it is people actually tell them. Not sure if it was due to my birthday or a coincidence.
I found this kind of humorous. Use it in one of your speeches to get a laugh!
btw Happy Birthday!! I hope you’re still adding value when you’re 99!
So true!
Wouldn’t bother me in the least, but I’m quite a pragmatist. I’m going to die. Cremation is my choice. If it was paid by winning, all the better use of my money in present time. It would be a done deal for the family, too.
Clearly, death is a sensitive matter, but that is more of a function of how we avoid such things rather then being objective. In avoidance, we feed a silent fear. Looking at that fear directly deflates it of all its power over you–a wonder-full thing,too. The interesting thing is that I’ve just finished writing a chapter on death, our avoidance, and how a healthier approach is needed about our end-of-life so that when our end-of-life sign goes up, we are peaceful about it all. Serendipity?? I’d say, indeed! 🙂
Great point about using the money in this lifetime. Death is a sensitive matter for many. I have been blessed to actually be there as both my parents took their last breath. I fully understand how death is a part of life, but what struck me as very strange was the “gaming” factor of the prize. It strictly is my own feelings and I do not judge others who think it’s a cool thing.
What is the name of your book? I’ve read several about death and dying including my favorite, Final Gifts A powerful book.
In some folks religious paths a cremation is concomitant to a burial expenditure
Absolutely. My feelings have nothing to do with religion at all. I plan to be cremated and have made my wishes very clear to my family. It’s the contest that seemed so bizarre to me. 🙂
Kathleen, I agree it’s weird, but let’s not be too quick to judge it as bad marketing. I got the same pitch about a year ago. I too thought it weird and I think I commented on it on my YouTube channel, BizKaboom. BUT! If you’re now getting it, the better part of a year later, maybe it’s working for them. If they get a lot of bad feedback, but their sales are going up, well, isn’t the ultimate measure of success sales? And isn’t that especially true in the undertaking business, where you don’t get a lot of repeat business?
I totally agree Jim. It may be working beautifully for them. As I wrote in my post, “Who knows, I may be way off base with my feelings about this type of marketing for such a sensitive service, but from the comments from others, I don’t think I am. Will this marketing campaign work for them? I have no idea. Only they will know for sure. But the question that begs to be answered is this, “Is success of a campaign measured merely in dollars made or is it measured in another way?” For some campaigns, it’s strictly about the money, but for most, it’s about connection to your market.”
Again, I’m definitely not the end all be all in marketing… by any stretch. I just know, for me, it is not something I find appealing to think they will pull a name and say, “And the WINNER is!!!!”
And as mentioned, is the success merely measure by dollars made.
Actually, they can get repeat business from those who felt compassion for their loved ones. I know plenty of families who are incredibly large who likely use a service such as this for more than one loved one.
Again, my voice is not the end all be all, but lots of people seemed to find it as creepy as I did. Perhaps I’m not off base with my response.
Hmm…. If you received a pizza flyer and they were offering a chance to win a cremation, then I’d say they missed the mark. But, this is a mortuary and cremations are what they do so, if there was one in my area, I might enter the draw if I had all the details!
We need to re-think death. It’s part of life.
In my opinion, it’s easier to deal with dying if things are prepared ahead of time. Is our discomfort a reflection of non-readiness…. is it a reflection of our angst that we didn’t do all that we really want to, say all that we needed to? If so, those nudges are signals to start doing that and (ideally), to do them in present time as a practice of peacefulness. I know that’s not always easy or even possible, but just to do our best with it. <3
Good points Nancy. But I still feel it’s bizarre to raffle of a cremation. I do agree that many people have a difficult time with death. Myself, I do not fear it nor avoid talking about it. Having been with both my parents as they took their last breath, I am in complete resolve with the fact that life can end at any moment.
Yes, I believe people would be much better off emotionally if they live each day as if it’s their last, realizing it may be the first of thousands to come.
I think it is our way of thinking about death. In the developed world we see ourselves as invincible. Death is a natural part of life ending. Many of us fear death and indeed get “creeped out”. Rarely does anyone go to a cemetery other than to bury someone. Contrast that with where I live now in Mexico. On weekends families picnic on the graves of their ancestors. They have a close relationship with them even though they are dead. Many people in North America find this practice morbid. Mexico has the Day of The Dead to celebrate the death of ancestors. So with this cultural attitude, winning a contest for a cremation would be a prize for them. Imagine the reaction to having a Day of the Dead celebration in New York City. Offering cremation as a prize in the US probably was in bad taste. However, we are all going to need to make that choice at some point. I would like to know how many people entered this contest. There are a lot of immigrants whom I expect would enter. Would you have felt differently if this was an ad in a newspaper and not an ad directed to you personally, especially near your birthday? Kathleen, maybe you could contact them. It might be a good case study for an unconventional way of advertising. I would really like to know the outcome.
Good comments Carole. And it’s not about how they did it. Personally, I am not opposed to talking about death. It’s the contest aspect that creeps me out. It’s my feelings, my belief. And I actually did contact the company.
The company probably thought a cremation was a great gift, but I do see it as insensitive because I think that is someone’s personal decision and I would rather celebrate life doing something while I am still here.
My birthday is next week too!
That’s exactly how I feel. It’s a very personal decision. Happy birthday.