Batesville Expands Memorial Stationery Line with New Premium Offerings

New Hallmark collections include luxurious features and finishes, Catholic-inspired designs

Batesville, the leading provider of comprehensive solutions to the death care industry, announced the addition of a new category of premium memorial stationery and additional Catholic-inspired collections, designed by Hallmark Cards, Inc., to meet the expectations of today’s consumers. These new products combine high quality construction and materials, deluxe finishes and opulent touches that are not available in standard stationery offerings.

“Since launching our initial collections in 2013, we’ve continued to work closely with our funeral home customers and with Hallmark’s creative team to make sure our stationery products are meeting the needs of today’s families and adding value to their overall funeral experience,” said Mike Bryan, general manager of Batesville Technology Solutions.

In assessing the market, two common themes emerged – a general desire for more upscale stationery products, and a specific request for additional Catholic selections. While serving a functional role during the service, memorial stationery also meets the emotional needs of families as a tangible keepsake of the relationship with the deceased. In research, 75% of consumers report keeping personalized stationery as remembrance items. It is often the only keepsake they bring home from the funeral, and because of its significance, consumers expect a level of quality and elegance that is equivalent to items purchased for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special events.

“Hallmark designed the new premium memorial stationery collections to look right at home sitting next to any of their high-end, luxury stationery products used to commemorate life’s special moments and occasions,” said Bryan.

Schoedinger Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Columbus, Ohio, one of the firms involved in the market trials, uses Batesville’s memorial stationery as a way to present families with something unique and personalized, creating a healing experience that helps families honor their loved ones. They’ve had positive response to the new premium offerings. “The updated contemporary designs by Hallmark are welcomed by the families our funeral home has the privilege to serve,” said Barry Griffith, senior vice president at Schoedinger. “The online Print Studio is easy to use and consistently provides a high-quality finished product.”

Each of the 5 new collections has a distinct style that sets it apart from other stationery and provides a unique way for families to memorialize their loved ones.

Premium Collections

• Woodland Tranquility: Discerning families will appreciate the subtle herringbone design combined with an embossed leaf pattern on the registry book cover.
• Sterling Tribute: A sophisticated photo frame inset on the registry book can be filled with a picture, a prayer card or verse to create a truly meaningful keepsake.
• Beloved Rose: The elegant flocked fabric cover and feminine floral design evoke a sense of hope and renewal to honor a life defined by grace and beauty.

Catholic-Inspired Designs

• Stained Glass Light of Christ: Spiritual and contemplative, the carefully selected image of God’s loving sacrifice speaks to the spiritual needs of families of faith.
• Golden Ascension: The promise of life everlasting is reflected in the beautiful image of Jesus, the Resurrected.

Batesville worked with Hallmark to test numerous designs with consumers before selecting iconic religious images that resonate with families of the Catholic faith. The new Stained Glass Light of Christ and Golden Ascension collections are complemented by additional prayer card designs featuring a variety of religious imagery. Collections include a registry book, memorial folders (or prayer cards), acknowledgement cards and envelopes, bookmarks and a grief brochure.

Giving customers the quality they want

As part of its development process, Batesville looked internally and externally to identify the products that resonate with today’s consumers. An analysis of actual sales showed that more than 50% of Batesville stationery purchases are occurring at the top of its current product line. Not surprisingly, stationery with a religious theme is among the most popular with consumers.

While stationery is one of the lower cost items purchased in connection with a funeral, an online study with consumers showed that 90% of funeral planners will decide to purchase memorial stationery. This is a clear reflection of the value families place on these items. “The right stationery mix and effective displays not only add up to a sizable revenue opportunity, they provide a positive representation of your funeral home’s brand, while helping to create more satisfied customers,” says Bryan.

As with all of its memorial stationery, Batesville has made it easy for funeral home staff to personalize with photos, obituary information, poetry, scripture, or special memories the family wants to share. It’s as simple as choosing a design or message from Batesville’s convenient online library, entering personal information and then printing on a standard office printer.

All of the new collections are available in boxed sets or as open stock items, making it easier to create individual packages to serve the needs of all families.

For more information, including photos or individual pieces and complete collections, visit www.MemorialStationerybyBatesville.com or call 877.287.8661 to speak with a stationery expert.

ABOUT BATESVILLE

Batesville (www.Batesville.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE:HI), is the leader in the North American death care industry, offering a comprehensive portfolio of Burial Solutions, Cremation Options, Memorial Solutions and Technology Solutions. For more than 125 years, Batesville has been dedicated to helping families honor the lives of those they love^®. Batesville’s innovation has changed the face of funeral service, from advancements in manufacturing and quality to patented features and memorialization offerings, technology and web-based solutions, and profit-enhancing merchandising systems. Our history of manufacturing excellence, product innovation, superior customer service, and reliable delivery has helped Batesville become – and remain – a