Are these marketing activities appropriate for this product?
“Meet us before you need us”—that’s the motto of a cemetery in Denver. Facing decreasing demand as more Americans choose cremation, cemeteries across the country are marketing to the living in hopes they will become customers in the future. Although funeral homes and cemeteries have long urged customers to prepurchase funeral services before they are needed, it’s the new marketing that is drawing criticism. Some activities are low-key, such as poetry workshops, art shows, and nature walks, but some are downright lively. One cemetery staged a fireworks show and sky divers. Other festivities include concerts, outdoor movies, and clowns. Cemetery directors pine for the old days when, more than a century ago, cemeteries were a place for social gatherings where families visited and picnicked near a loved one’s grave. Although many of the new activities are staged in the evening, some occur during the day, so directors must use discretion to avoid interrupting a funeral.