SAIF Golden Charter

Families’ views: direct cremation

Make sure you are part of customer considerations

Through continued research and insight, we place the voice of the customer at the heart of everything that we do as a business. We use insight to support better decision making and inform strategic direction across the business. Our choices make us who we are.

Since 2020, smaller, simpler and cheaper funerals became the norm across the UK as a whole – largely due to the restrictions that were in place as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. What we’re seeing is that this trend to go smaller, spend less, and with less fuss could be continuing.

One of our ongoing research projects aims to help us to understand more about what’s happening – specifically in relation to direct cremation and the motivations behind this choice. We also want to understand what customers think a direct cremation really is.

We’ve learned that while there is a high awareness of the term ‘direct cremation’, understanding is limited and some consumers confuse direct cremation with what we would describe as a ‘simple’ funeral.

Our research is also telling us that consumers currently may not realise that they can choose their local funeral director when it comes to what they would call a direct cremation – with only 23% saying they thought they could purchase one from a local funeral director.

How Golden Charter is supporting partners through robust research and customer insight

Promoting choice is an effective way to widen your market, open new doors, showcase the scope of your services – and ensure that no customer is left behind. That’s why our recent ‘Your wishes, your way’ marketing campaign material, created for you, centres on helping families fulfil their wishes, their way. Whatever their budget.

We’ve also developed a direct cremation marketing toolkit that can work alongside the ‘Your wishes, your way’ campaign material – available on request. This kit can be particularly useful in areas where there is a high level of competitor direct cremation advertising.

One positive for your profession is that the coronavirus outbreak has helped to normalise conversations around death, encouraging people to talk about it more openly. Evidence suggests that more consumers are starting to think ahead, and are considering their later life plans. Going forward, more financial planning is expected, both to deal with personal affairs and to ensure loved ones are taken care of.

We’re here to provide you with the tools to make sure you are part of customer considerations.

If you would like to receive our new marketing toolkits – ‘Your wishes, your way’ – and/or the new direct cremation toolkit, please speak to your business manager or email Marketing Support.

Learn more about these insights on the Partnership Podcast episode with Golden Charter’s Laura Browne here.