RALEIGH, NC – Two funeral service professionals have announced the introduction of an innovative new community involvement program for funeral homes and cemeteries. The Turn-key Tributes program consists of a custom package of finished display materials that acknowledges a significant event, such as the death of a celebrity or dignitary. The rollout follows a positive test surrounding the passing of Billy Graham earlier this year.
“For years, funeral homes have sought to be the place in their community where the public memorializes, honors and celebrates events, not just the death of a loved one,” stated Alan Creedy, president of Creedy and Company. “The Turn-key Tributes program causes people to think of a funeral home in just that way.”
At its foundation, the program allows the funeral home or cemetery to recognize an important occurrence or happening either on a national stage or locally. In the case of the test, the participating funeral homes and cemeteries displayed a banner saluting the life of Dr. Graham and invited the community to come inside to sign a register book, which was later forwarded to the Graham family.
“In addition to the banner and register book, the test funeral homes were provided a media kit that included a press release and media tips to generate news coverage in the community for the firms”, commented Joe Weigel, owner of Weigel Strategic Marketing. “In fact, several funeral homes not only generated coverage in the local newspaper, but also a visit by the local TV station that resulted in story in the evening news.”
While the program was created to pay tribute to the passing of a national figure, the Turn-key Tributes program is not focused solely on the notable deaths or tragic events. The program will recognize other national achievements. In addition, the program has a local element whereby the funeral home or cemetery can order materials to salute a local event or accomplishment. The package also includes necessary materials to get the word out about the event and generate favorable publicity in the community.
“Much like newspapers prepare advance obituaries, we have identified several notable public figures and have created the necessary designs and press kits to allow us to ship the materials in less than two days,” stated Creedy. Once a funeral home signs up, they simply wait for the materials to arrive and put them to use. . . it couldn’t be easier”.
To learn more about the Turn-key Tributes program and how you can put the program to work for your funeral home, please visit www.tinyurl.com/Turn-key-Tributes.
